What is ‘The Undergarden’? This is the question I’ve had some difficulty in answering myself. If I had to compare it to other kitschy, quirky games I’d say it’s a mix of ‘Flow’ & ‘Flower’ with a dash of ‘Pixel Junk-Eden’. While Undergarden is not better than any of the games I compared it to, it does a decent enough job of offering a unique and visually delightful game.
Available as a download on XBL, PSN and PC, The Undergarden has the player control a cute little nymph like creature who’s job is to bring life and color back into this “garden” by pollinating the plant-life in its world, which sounds a lot like Eden.
The levels are comprised of different obstacles that can be opened up using different fruits that can act as weights or bombs. They can also be opened by turning a set of cranks to open pathways into the next section. Progression is measured by how many plants in the level are pollinated and how many sections of the level are completed however you don’t need a 100% pollination to advance in the stages. As long as one level is completed the next level will open up and all previous levels are available to explore again if you’ve missed pollinating all the plants or grabbing all the collectible items (like gems, musicians & special flowers).
The music in the game is very serene and dreamy, pollinating the flora adds little chimes to the soundtrack. This is an ‘E’ rated title so there’s no way to die in the game, the worst thing that can happen to your character is loosing all your collected pollen by bumping into glowing blue orbs in some of the levels. The game is just focused on offering a nice calm alternative to the loud mayhem you find in most video games. There is also co-op available if you want someone to join you in the sea of tranquility that is The Undergarden.
While the game is nice I personally don’t feel it’s worth a $10 purchase, maybe pick it up if it goes on sale. If you are an avid fan of games like ‘Flow’ or ‘Pixel Junk – Eden’ then this may be the perfect title for you.
