Slice-of-life simulation games seem to have made a comeback during the past year as seen with the success of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Now there is a new game on its way entitled The Garden Path. It comes from the solo developer and publisher, carrotcake, and is expected to release on PC later this year.
The Garden Path is all about, you guessed it, gardening. Players will start their new life surrounded by nature and must find ways to pass the time including fishing, gardening, or learning about the other inhabitants of the area. They might come across such interesting people as a tea-brewer or an Ox fisherman. A key aspect is that the gameplay happens alongside real-time, which allows for players to pick up The Garden Path as they wish and come back to a blooming garden. As seasons pass in reality, they pass in the game and bring with them new encounters and events – keeping the gameplay fresh. The hand-painted art style is visually striking and reinforces that storybook notion of relaxation and serenity. This is paired with an original soundtrack which changes throughout the day. Carrotcake has emphasized that The Garden Path is all about relaxation and is meant to be a game to come back to at the end of a long day.
Above all, The Garden Path is a life sim that celebrates the tranquil and the pensive, a tucked-away place to shape and grow as you like.
The Garden Path does not have a set release date but will hopefully come out sometime this year. Currently, it is only expected to be released on PC but in the future, it might be coming to more platforms.