Rescue Your Love In The Cozy & Queer Platformer: The Gardener and the Wild Vines

Grab your shears and get ready to prune some flowers in the name of love, because The Gardener and the Wild Vines is out today for Xbox One! Grow the platforms yourself in this unique twist on platforming as you try to outwit the evil Magician and rescue the kidnapped Prince. The game also features a lighthearted story with witty dialogue that will lower your guard before delivering its biggest twists.

The narrative at the heart of this game is about self-love and identity, and it is something deeply personal to me. As an immigrant to the United States and being someone who has grappled with my sense of identity in more ways than one, I have always wanted to explore themes like these in a game. The protagonist in this game is gay and dark-skinned; he is the kind of character I wish I had seen in the games I played growing up. In Gardener, we wanted to tell a story with a form of representation that seeks to create joy in players.

The story isn’t the only part of the game that will bring you joy; the gameplay was designed to put you into a calming state of flow. On the surface, this is a simple game of jumping from leaf to leaf and then attacking flowers with a magical dash that spawns more leaves and propels you upward. Dig a little deeper into the game and you will find incredible variety in game mechanics with new obstacles introduced in each level. Unlike many platformers being released nowadays, we wanted this game to be relatively easy to pick up and complete, yet still offer rewards for those able to accomplish higher skill gameplay. If you are a completionist, be sure to find the hidden lovebirds on every tower or earn three stars on every challenge level! If you are only here for the story, you can enable assist mode whenever you get stuck on a level.

The Gardener and the Wild Vines is a labor of love, and I hope that playing this game brings you as much comfort and happiness as it brought me in developing it. The Gardener and the Wild Vines is available now on Xbox!

The Gardener and the Wild Vines

Finite Reflection Studios

☆☆☆☆☆ 1

★★★★★

Attack to Climb Leap and slash at flowers growing on the vines to propel yourself upward. Chain them together to go fast, but watch your step! Every level is a handcrafted tower with new mechanics being introduced regularly. Attacking flowers grows new procedural vines with leaves to jump on. Carefully balance leaping upward while watching how the vines will grow to plan your ascent. You’ll need quick reflexes and even faster wit to reach the top! Find The Prince Travel from tower to tower in search of the missing Prince, braving unique environmental hazards through visually stunning and diverse locations. Follow The Gardener and The Knight as they quest to rescue The Prince in this fairy tale that explores love and all the pain and risks that come with it. Challenge Yourself Need to prove your skill? The game doesn’t end after completing the story… Take on levels in Challenge Mode with tougher win-conditions and try to win 3 stars on every level!