The Gardens Between

The Gardens Between is a masterpiece of minimalist storytelling, weaving a wordless tale of friendship and time. By drawing upon a few, nearly-universal childhood events, it allows the player to fill in the story with their own emotions and memories, creating a shockingly moving, personal experience. Featuring a gorgeous, surrealist style and challenging but fair puzzles, this is a must-have title for anyone who enjoys puzzle games.

While it may seem like nothing more than a Braid clone, The Gardens Between is anything but. Creative and evocative, other than the length, there's little to dislike here.

As a title that I would consider a bit "under-the-radar" compared to the heavy-hitting games coming this fall, The Gardens Between is a wholly unique experience that you shouldn't let fade away from your memory.

Melbourne studio The Voxel Agents' debut console game proves that they are already masters of the craft. This is a shining example of what indie games can be.

Control the flow of time in this clever and charming puzzle adventure from indie developers The Voxel Agents.

Partners in time.

Relaxing as it is taxing, The Gardens Between offers a poignant coalescence of charming visuals, a relaxing soundtrack and a bittersweet story. The simplicity of its control scheme hides an incredibly clever and frighteningly intricate puzzle formula that sees you rewinding and playing time like an omnipresent director. Its unique setup makes it one of the most unusual puzzlers on Nintendo Switch, and we can’t wait to see what Australian indie studio The Voxel Agents does next.

The odd hindrance aside, The Gardens Between is a well-needed bite of escapism, both for the two protagonists as for the player. With cute and, more importantly, uniquely clever diorama set pieces, this tiny adventure that spans just a few hours feels as innovative as it is refreshing and heartfelt. The price tag might not entice everyone, but that isn’t indicative of this game’s worth in the slightest, especially for those who want to sleuth through background details for added replay value. There is no price on well-being and if The Gardens Between emphasizes anything, it’s that our time and...

Be kind, rewind.

Do you remember that friend from your childhood? If you need a reminder, they are the one you made at camp that summer, or the kid you laughed with during swimming lessons, or the one who transferred from your school one year. The Gardens Between tells the story of best friends Arina and Frendt, reliving their time together (quite literally) before one of them moves away. It’s a straightforward story, acting as a backdrop to the game’s highlight: it’s deceptively simple, creative gameplay.

Verdict: The Voxel Agents have crafted an experience, unlike anything I have played for a long time. The game has charm, beauty and, most importantly, a satisfying puzzle mechanic. The game’s concept is fascinating and really invokes the inner child in me. While no game is perfect, this is as close as it gets. Simple and relaxing, unique and thought-provoking, The Gardens Between has had a substantial effect on me. This is a must play, a great way to unwind and ultimately, a fantastic experience that deserves everyone’s attention.

Every two or three islands are clustered together, and when you complete a cluster, you get to see the specific memory those fragments came from. They’re brief and contain no dialogue, but the text-free narrative in The Gardens Between does a good job of showing Arina and Frendt’s friendship. The memories chosen have a certain nostalgic nature to them that made me think back to similar memories with my own friends, which contributed to the overall bittersweet tone of the story. The Gardens Between is much shorter than I expected it to be, but I enjoyed the time I spent with it.