[b] Plant Gallery: A Short Botanic Experience (2024) [/b]
The game solely consists of an enclosed plant photo gallery with an open courtyard. There are 2 main puzzles needing to be solved here. The first is to open up 5 various chests using the corresponding-colored keys, grab the plant identification label hidden inside the chest and place it on the correct picture. This will activate a lamp which will reveal a number that corresponds to that photos shape, the shape will reveal in what order that number falls in a code that is to be inputted in a fancy electrical chest laying inside the courtyard. Completing this puzzle will garnish the courtyard with 5 trophies and give you credits that showcase the 35 species of plants featured in the photo gallery and give you a cookie at the close of credits.
The second puzzle needing to be solved involves finding 3 clipboards, each containing a different photo description on it and the order and the letter needing to be pressed on your keyboard once you’re standing in front of it. Solving this puzzle does nothing other than unlock one of the 3 achievements the game has on offer. (Honestly couldn’t we get cake at the end of credits for this Mr Developer)
While the plant photos inside the gallery may appear random, they aren’t. Collectively they are 35 plant species commonly used in the landscaping business for various reasons. On top of this the gallery does further divide these species up into sections depending of their families and types. The Netherlands developer Tim Tempelaars who made this game, is a landscaper in real life, who seems to be driven by a passion of wanting to improve the general public's awareness on botany and plant identification. In all honesty however, I personally can’t say I’m more informed after playing this than what I was before. However, I will remark that the game did make me care more about the world and nature in general. So, with those sentiments, I guess his goal was achieved.
What the game failed to achieve is to inform me why those 35 species of plants are common in the landscaping business. The reasons are various. Some plants are chosen for the fragrance they give a garden, others are chosen for their striking foliage colours, some are chosen as an encouraging food source for butterflies, bees and birds. Some our chosen for an edible garden theme or because of their easy maintenance. Climbing vines and ground cover are often specialised plants featured in a landscaping business. I found it interesting that some plants are added to gardens as a repellent for things like mosquitoes.
Also, the game fails in explaining that some of these plants are actually invasive to native species depending on the country. So never should a player/gardener just think of adding species without first doing their homework.
The developers landscaping business advertises that they can take a persons dream garden and still add an additional wow factor to it. I mention this, because I’m extremely disappointed that this doesn’t happen here in the game. The courtyard being garnished with 5 trophies is a lacklustre addition, hardly seems worthy of the player’s time and effort. Sound ambience, light enhancement, Art work, Statues, Fountains, Wildlife, Sedum covers. Namely adding any of these mediums, if not all, could really have added a WOW factor which the developer prides himself in being able to present.
Finally, there are two bugs with the game. The first is when the game switches point of view from a lamp and back to player, if you don’t take manual control of the mouse, your view can spiral. The second bug is the ‘Press F’ overlay doesn’t disappear during credits even though its not needed. While both bugs are not game breaking, they are irritating and can be easily solved.
One last thing needing to be mentioned and I’m not making this up. The credits of the game climaxes with a man named Semen Surin. That gave me a wow factor more than the courtyard garden did.
https://youtu.be/K5ov6oTyJTg?feature=shared
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