What Makes a Hero? || A Hero and a Garden (PC)

"I think a hero is any person really intent on making this a better place for all people." --Maya Angelou

Title Screen

A hero and a Garden is an adorable and slow paced game about picking berries and righting wrongs created by npckc. We played another game from npckc a while back called One Night, Hot Springs, which I loved,so I am looking forward to seeing what this game has to offer. 

In A Hero and A Garden, you play as Cyrus, a hero who attacks a village of monster folk with the aim of defeating the witch and saving the Princess of his kingdom. Unaware that his sword is magic, his sword clashes with the witch’s magic and causes a great deal of damage to the town. The witch curses Cyrus to tend the gardens and work to earn money for reparations to rebuild the town he so damaged.

A horned doctor explains to Cyrus how the garden works. We have to grow berries, and then fill orders that townspeople make for those berries. We use the money we earn to pay for the repairs in the town, and hopefully everyone is happy in the end. As Cyrus grows the berries and fills orders, he meets more of the town’s monsters and even the Princess he came to save. The monsters grow on him, and Cyrus begins to wonder if monsters are really what humans have claimed them to be. Perhaps he was truly in the wrong to begin with?

Sooty!

The artwork for this game is simple, and absolutely adorable. I love Sooty and I wanted to give him some ear scratches like I know my dogs love. All of the endings are cute, and once you finish the game there is a gallery you can access to view all of the other possible endings—which I loved because that means I didn’t have to spend an hour growing berries again to see another ending.

Speaking of berries, you are going to spend a lot of time growing berries. There are 5 different kinds of berries, each with a different timing for when the berries will appear. Some are rather slow. Towards the end when I was just trying to get my 100 scorch berries to finish the game, I was knitting stitches on my scarf while I waited for berries to grow. Just saying, if you don’t want to stare at the screen, maybe have something else to do.

All of the characters you meet in the game are unique and adorable, and I enjoyed the dialog Cyrus had with them. I didn’t run into any issues in gameplay, and the mechanics all worked as intended. The music and sound effects were nice, although the music sounds like a lullaby, and paired with the slow pace of the game it made me feel a little sleepy. You could flip that and say the game is just very relaxing, which it is.

Grow my berries, grow!

Overall I liked the game. The dialogue is cute and made me chuckle at times, and the characters were cute and fun to meet. The gameplay is repetitive, and the slow pace make it difficult to stay engaged at times. If you need a break from the fast pacing gaming world we’re in today, take a break with this game. You can download it free from Itch.io HERE. Be sure to let npckc know what you thought.

Do you like slower paced, more relaxing style games, or do you prefer the fast paced edge of your seat games? Let me know in the comments, and I’ll see you all next time!

Free Itch.io Games #21

Hello everyone! Welcome back to another riveting (okay maybe not rivet) collection of free games you can find on Itch.io. We have some interesting games today, so I won't waste your time with chatter, let's get to the games!

1. That Blooming Feeling

Title

Source:  Screen Capture in Game

 

That Blooming Feeling is a cute and relaxing gardening game created by Tots’ Team. You play as an adorable water drop, and it’s up to you to grow the seeds and create an oasis for all of your friends. No time limits, no rush. Just take your time, and relax.

 

The graphics of this game are downright adorable. I just wanna hug that gangly, watery body of our water drop. The music is beautiful, and being able to control, in some way, the environment around you is fun.

 

I do wish it was easier to move the seeds to where you’d like to plant them, though. The controls can be a little hard to control, fine directions control doesn’t exist so you can end up walking circles around a seed you want to try to move.

 

Overall, I really enjoyed this little game, despite the difficulties. I definitely recommend it if you enjoy the more relaxed and easy going feeling games. You can download it free from Itch.io *here*

2. Day in the Life of a Harpy

Title

Source: Screen Capture in Game

 

Day in the Life of a Harpy is a cute and challenging platformer created by Xysspon. You play as Duri, a harpy that is trying to get home in time for dinner. Through forests, and caves… how did you get so far away from home?

 

I really liked this platformer. The graphics are cute—I love the old school gameboy aesthetic. I love Duri, and the game provides a good dose of challenge. The controls feel nice and the levels are decently designed. I recommend trying this game for yourself. You can download free from Itch.io *here*.

3. Orchids to Dusk

 Such beautiful scenery.

Source: Screen Capture in Game

Orchid to Dusk is a contemplative adventure game created by Pol Clarissou in which you play a stranded astronaut who is on an alien planet with only minutes left to live. Explore the alien planet and enjoy the sights as your oxygen slowly depletes, enjoying what time you have.  You can find your dead comrades as well who had been stranded here before you.

 

All in all, this game gave me terrible anxiety, but I feel there is a message to be learned here. We all know that our time is finite, so we might as well enjoy what we can, while we can. The world you end up in is rather lovely. Rather than dwell upon impending doom, why not instead look at the scenery? The wildlife?

 

I may be way off, but that was the silver lining that I was able to find to assuage my anxiety. I liked the graphics, and the scenery of the world. So, I recommend you see it for yourself. You can download and play free from Itch.io *here*

4. Apartment Complex

Like a drug trip.

Source: Screen Capture in Game

 

Apartment Complex is a short visual novel created by Sleepy Agents from the Summer Novel Festival. You play as a character trying to return back to their apartment after a night of clubbing. Unfortunately, though, you’re also very drunk. Your room keycard doesn’t make sense, and neither do the elevator buttons…. Can you find your way back to your apartment, and get some much-needed sleep, before your dad arrives?

 

The game is short (about 10 minutes, maybe), and has only one ending, but has some secret items you can obtain if you find them. It wasn’t difficult, and I feel like much more could have been done to really make this more special. Overall, I liked the idea they presented. 😊

 

You can download and try the game for yourself free from Itch.io *here*

Thanks you once again for stopping by to check these out. I really appreciate it! Let me know what you thought of any of these games, and leave your feedback for the developers. Happy gaming!

Bell