Garden Story Combines The Best Of RPGs And Life Sims, And Now It’s Free
Saving the world doesn’t have to be stressful.
RPGs can often be comforting or relaxing, but it’s rare you can really call one “cozy.” That’s not surprising, since it’s hard to justify taking time out for decorating when there’s a world to save. But PC players now have the chance to snag an RPG that incorporates cozy game staples into its excellent, Zelda-inspired adventure for free on the Epic Game Store.
In Garden Story, you play as a grape named Concord, which should give you a hint of its sense of humor. Concord is on a quest to stop the Rot, a sinister force threatening the perishable residents of the Grove. There’s plenty of combat, as Concord ventures out beyond the confines of their home village to stop Rot-infested foes and bosses lurking at the end of dungeons. You’ll do a fair amount of fighting, but that’s not what makes Garden Story special.
Garden Story is a cute adventure that combines the best parts of RPGs and life sims.
The combat is fine, but Garden Story is worth playing for basically everything else going on in its world. Being on a quest to save the day doesn’t stop Concord from enjoying the simpler things in life, or at least from getting some chores done.
The Grove is divided into four towns, each themed around a season. Progressing through Garden Story will take you to each of these towns, where you’ll set up shop for that leg of the story. The game is split into days, and every morning, Concord receives a batch of quests that range from slaying Rot to building fences. Completing these requests isn’t always required, but finishing them will raise the town’s level, making material improvements to the environment and granting you access to better equipment in shops. Later in the game, building and farming are introduced, giving you new ways to gather resources and customize each town.
Garden Story doesn’t tip over into a full-fledged life sim, but its mix of typical RPG gameplay with cozier elements helps it stand out from any of its inspirations. The closest comparison might be Harvestella, which also mixes RPG and sims mechanics in a way that makes it hard to place in either genre. And like in Harvestella, it’s the way those competing elements blend that makes Garden Story so engaging.
Chilling in town is just as much fun as saving the world (and a lot less dangerous).
While you have to juggle helping towns with saving the world, there’s very little pressure to do anything you aren’t immediately vibing with in Garden Story. While you do need to raise the level of towns to progress through the main quest, the pace at which you do it is up to you.
Garden Story is a game that thrives when you decide to take it one small step at a time, rather than cramming in marathon sessions of running through dungeons or trying to optimize your approach to its life sim side. It actually feels more rewarding the more you take your time with it. Pop on for 20 minutes a day to fulfill some requests or push a little further into the main quest, and you’ll have a better time than if you try to race through the story as quickly as you can. There’s even a menu toggle to make Concord immortal if you don’t want to fuss with combat at all.
Despite its obvious inspirations, Garden Story still feels unique. Its sense of humor and cutesy appearance immediately set it apart from more serious RPGs, while its more guided progression and slow trickle of villager requests give it a distinct feel compared to other life sims. If you’re looking for a low-key adventure you can play at your own pace, Garden Story is a great pick, especially if you snag it before February 27 while it’s free on the Epic Games Store.
