Garden Buddies

Gameplay

On the home menu, Mutsy greets you. One can either select the story mode, if you feel like a little adventure, or choose the mini-game option, if you prefer a specific task instead. 

Story mode. Mutsy is sad because he found a nice sunny garden spot and invited a few people over, but no one came. You'll help him decor the place, cultivating a beautiful flower garden and making it feel like a home. People will eventually start to show up, animals and adorable plant creatures, so be ready to make some friends! They'll ask for your help, so you'll have to do some tasks, but don't worry! the skip button is always there if you somehow get stuck and want to move forward in the story.

Game modes. You can choose between various mini-games: building your garden with no interuptions (build mode) or with no flowers needed (free build mode), calming yourself (box breathing), relaxing by balancing rocks (rock stacking), playing music (Aspen rock), cleaning (clean Boleta), dancing with all your buddies (stage dance and garden dance), and catching bugs (bug catch). 

Opinion 

I found this game to be a pretty good one. It's simple and fun. It doesn't require intense gaming skills, so it allows you to completely relax, letting yourself immerse in a soothing gameplay. The mini-games are quite entertaining and the conversations between the characters are very endearing. 

It feels like a big hug! 

That said, I'd have loved for the game to allow the use of the Nintendo Switch's touch screen. Some of the mini-games would have been much more comfortable to play with a stylus. It's a simple detail that would definitely improve the experience.

If you're looking for a wholesome game in which friendship is the key and the player carn learn how to better deal with stress and anxiety, this one's for you!

Acknowledgments

Many thanks to RedDeer for providing me with the code for this game and giving me the opportunity to play it before its release. It's been a pleasure!