Green Feathers: Garden Trills
Mix up some 3D exploration with cosy gardening.
‣ Garden Trills
From: Yukim
Platforms: PC
Release: December 2024
Steam Page • Demo Video • Developer Site
Explore a beautiful world with little consequence.
If I were to say, "gardening game", you might roll your eyes. But what if it was a cosy gardening adventure where you play as a small bird exploring floating island gardens, completing quests, making friends, and finding seeds for your blossoming new home? And how about we throw in some elementary retro 3D-platform gameplay? Still on the fence about a spot of gardening?
As the cute little sparrow Tomi, you flutter around a picture book world full of plants, flowers, fruit, and other hidden surprises. Let's spread our wings and jump into Garden Trills, an upcoming game by solo developer Yukim.
If you are looking for a serious and challenging game with consequences, this is not it. Nor is it a title where you fly like an eagle and explore the world from above the clouds. Garden Trills is a laid-back exploration game where you control Tomi, a young bird with some sporadic flying ability. Best played on a controller, you can pump Tomi's flying by tapping a button or holding it in to have her hover.
But Tomi soon exhausts her stamina, sending you back to the ground. Fortunately, this doesn't hurt our hero. Instead, Garden Trills resembles a traditional 3D platformer where Tomi can easily hop along on the ground. Some areas are too high up for her flying time (especially when she's carrying something), prompting you to be creative, hopping onto higher areas before attempting flight, or using plants for a bouncing boost.
Tomi can plant seeds that she discovers during her adventures. After watering a seed, it turns into a specific plant. Gardening helps beautify the area and also plays into some creative thinking. In one quest, you're hunting for a strawberry. But you can't get back up to higher ground, so you plant some flowers which then act as a bounce pad to give you a boost. Thus you successfully deliver the strawberry to another bird, making a new friend!
Friends are important. Tomi can handle some tasks on her own, but others require the help of a second or even third bird. For example, you can use watering cans to wet seedlings and make them grow, but you need a second bird to help move the can. Tomi's mom and dad help her in their main garden, yet there are other areas to explore. Using special flowers, Tomi can teleport to a variety of different floating gardens, where she finds more seeds, friends, and other surprises.
The world is colourful and inviting, rendered in a pastel colour scheme that emphasises the game's soft nature. Tomi unlocks accessories such as hats and backpacks, which add cute animations to her movements. I never got tired of watching her tiny hat briefly hover above her head every time she dropped down. Garden Trills is full of such small and loving touches that ground the world and its characters (visit the dev's TikTok page to see how some of these ideas take shape).
📽 Demo Snapshot: Help dad open the parasol
The gameplay embraces cosiness, and more serious players might feel it's meant for children. But it's for all ages: Garden Trills appeals to casual players who prefer wholesome exploration and a spot of gardening over serious tasks and mind-bending puzzles. Even the soundtrack is whimsical, a Sunday afternoon vibe for Tomi's fluttering about.
As much as I enjoy challenging and edgy games, it's also nice to play something that is not difficult and invites you to explore its beautiful world with little consequence.
I've also got a soft spot for 3D platform games that harken back to the genre's golden era, at least in terms of simplified yet attractive visual design. Garden Trills nails its ambition to be a cosy gardening adventure.
Garden Trills launches in December 2024 on Steam.
Explore The Game with Youtube Chapters:
📽 01:45 Welcome to your new home
📽 02:30 Dad has a task
📽 07:15 Plant some seeds
📽 13:25 Let's open the parasol
📽 16:05 Welcome to Grove Lane
📽 20:00 Who is this?
📽 20:29 Visit the next island
📽 25:09 Strawberries!
📽 26:13 How will we get back up?
📽 29:50 Making the garden prettier
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This sounds really cute.
Looks like something for a rest session. Had to wishlist it!