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Garden Story

Garden Story

Released: 8/11/2021

Unify a broken community as the newly-appointed Guardian of The Grove. Traverse a vibrant island to combat invasive Rot, inspire its inhabitants, and rebuild your home. You won't have to do this alone: fruity friends await, ready to lend a hand! Concord, the youngest grape in The Grove, is now a Guardian, and it’s their job to help restore the island. That’s a lot to shoulder for a grape barely off the vine… and more than a few inhabitants are skeptical they have what it takes. Fortunately, Concord has friends like Elderberry, Rana, and Fuji on their side! With their help, you can take on the dangerous Rot and find ways to encourage other residents to assist in the efforts. The Grove is your home, and your work will affect change for the better! Protect your friends, gather precious materials, and repair social ties and structures by bringing the fruits, fungi, and frogs of each village together as they work to fend off the Rot that threatens to destroy your home for good. Guide Concord’s restoration efforts and earn the trust of the community: help others with their problems, and they’ll offer you help in turn! There’s plenty of work to be done, but don’t forget to take time and appreciate this lush world and the fruits of your labor. Listen to the sweet and catchy music of the island, relax in The Grove’s cozy and inviting atmosphere, cultivate gardens and libraries, and enjoy the delightful personalities you’ll meet along the way.

Unify a broken community as the newly-appointed Guardian of The Grove. Traverse a vibrant island to combat invasive Rot, inspire its inhabitants, and rebuild your home. You won't have to do this alone: fruity friends await, ready to lend a hand! Concord, the youngest grape in The Grove, is now a Guardian, and it’s their job to help restore the island. That’s a lot to shoulder for a grape barely off the vine… and more than a few inhabitants are skeptical they have what it takes. Fortunately, Concord has friends like Elderberry, Rana, and Fuji on their side! With their help, you can take on the dangerous Rot and find ways to encourage other residents to assist in the efforts. The Grove is your home, and your work will affect change for the better! Protect your friends, gather precious materials, and repair social ties and structures by bringing the fruits, fungi, and frogs of each village together as they work to fend off the Rot that threatens to destroy your home for good. Guide Concord’s restoration efforts and earn the trust of the community: help others with their problems, and they’ll offer you help in turn! There’s plenty of work to be done, but don’t forget to take time and appreciate this lush world and the fruits of your labor. Listen to the sweet and catchy music of the island, relax in The Grove’s cozy and inviting atmosphere, cultivate gardens and libraries, and enjoy the delightful personalities you’ll meet along the way.

Unify a broken community as the newly-appointed Guardian of The Grove. Traverse a vibrant island to combat invasive Rot, inspire its inhabitants, and rebuild your home. You won't have to do this alone: fruity friends await, ready to lend a hand! Concord, the youngest grape in The Grove, is now a Guardian, and it’s their job to help restore the island. That’s a lot to shoulder for a grape barely off the vine… and more than a few inhabitants are skeptical they have what it takes. Fortunately, Concord has friends like Elderberry, Rana, and Fuji on their side! With their help, you can take on the dangerous Rot and find ways to encourage other residents to assist in the efforts. The Grove is your home, and your work will affect change for the better! Protect your friends, gather precious materials, and repair social ties and structures by bringing the fruits, fungi, and frogs of each village together as they work to fend off the Rot that threatens to destroy your home for good. Guide Concord’s restoration efforts and earn the trust of the community: help others with their problems, and they’ll offer you help in turn! There’s plenty of work to be done, but don’t forget to take time and appreciate this lush world and the fruits of your labor. Listen to the sweet and catchy music of the island, relax in The Grove’s cozy and inviting atmosphere, cultivate gardens and libraries, and enjoy the delightful personalities you’ll meet along the way.

Critics
75
Steam
89
Metacritic
71

Score Breakdown

75.4

Critic Average

22 reviews

89

Steam User Score

1,689 reviews

71

Metacritic User Score

36 reviews

Disparity Breakdown

Steam Disparity
-14.0
Metacritic Disparity
+4.4
Combined Disparity
-4.8

Average of both sources

Review Timing

1 early (5%)20 launch window (91%)1 late (5%)

Review summary

Updated May 8, 2026

Based on 22 scored critic reviews, critics give this game an average score of 75.4/100. Critics score this game 14.0 points lower than Steam users and 4.4 points higher than Metacritic users.

How these comparisons are calculated
Sources behind this summary(5 recent of 22)+
  1. NookGaming StaffviaNookGaming
    Oct 19, 2021·Late review
    70/100View review
    Steam 89.4/100 · -19.4 ptsMetacritic 71/100 · -1.0 pts
  2. Sophie HuntviaRapid Reviews UK
    Sep 24, 2021·Launch window
    90/100View review
    Steam 89.4/100 · +0.6 ptsMetacritic 71/100 · +19.0 pts
  3. Fabio CanonicoviaIGN Italy
    Sep 21, 2021·Launch window
    70/100View review
    Steam 89.4/100 · -19.4 ptsMetacritic 71/100 · -1.0 pts
  4. God is a Geek StaffviaGod is a Geek
    Sep 19, 2021·Launch window
    70/100View review
    Steam 89.4/100 · -19.4 ptsMetacritic 71/100 · -1.0 pts
  5. Patrick SchmeesviaCat with Monocle
    Sep 17, 2021·Launch window
    80/100View review
    Steam 89.4/100 · -9.4 ptsMetacritic 71/100 · +9.0 pts