The Gardener
A downloadable game for Windows and macOS
Your friend died in the spring and was buried in the soft grass. Drinking next to his grave, you meet a monster and must answer his call.
Experience a short visual novel about trans grief and the monster you must reckon with.
Content Warnings: Death, Transphobia, Vague Horror Elements, Monster
Story: E. L. Sonder [Twitter]
Music: Mokusei No Maguro [Soundcloud]
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Comments
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una historia envolvente que aborda una temática triste, el horror ambientado en un evento como este puede abrazar mucho a mas de uno que ha vivido este tipo de cosas.
it was so rude for life to get in the way of me playing this!! a sad tale that unfortunately will strike a cord with many of us, while to others it may be a greatest fear.
being buried a stranger, or someone you love being buried as one, is a terrible horror that trans people face-- and the raw, ugly, unrelenting feelings that come with that fear is expressed beautifully here.
the entire team here should feel proud, all the mediums working together to make a very impactful experience.
This made me a little sad but I enjoyed the overall aspect of the game. 10/10
I love your video editing! Thank you so so much for playing AND making a video of it. This made my day. <33
You're welcome, I'm glad you liked the video and that it made your day. That means a lot to me :)
Ahh, that was sad as heck but well put together excellently. I really dug the artwork with the overlay of smoke and effects and they really fit the somber tone of the story. Subtle but really effective. Excellent work!
Thanks for your kind words. And it means a lot that you took the time to play our game!
Sad, thoughtful, beautiful - I loved the prompts to talk about your friend and the kind of person they were in life, and to picture how best to see them buried. You did an excellent job with the story and the visuals, which tie together beautifully to tell the story of trans grief.
<3 Thanks for playing and leaving us a comment!
This was really solid. The story, the soundtrack used, everything was amazing. Made a video on it.
Omg! This made my day! Thanks so much for making a video of our game! <33 Seeing you play the game is great feedback. I'll turn the default volume lower for the bgm.
very cohesive, beautiful design and a story that kept my attention until the very end. a neat use of horror as an outlet to process grief and anger over an injustice -- especially when so often that anger has nowhere to go. my only issue is that there wasn't a back button when i accidentally clicked too fast.
final note, I have trouble with reading and maintaining focus, but this novel was just the right length for someone who gets distracted easily to finish in one sitting.
Very cool atmosphere and writing that you can smell it. Despite the monster frightening (or hot?) appearance, it was that one line from MC talking about their friend that inflicted fear and frustration in me.
My suggestion and criticism so far; Would of liked a Go-Back or progress button instead of entire screen since I misclick twice and had to restart. There were two scenes that felt like bad timing but it did not interrupt the story flow.
Overall; a satisfying ending with a breath of relief. The visual and audio cue is very appealing, really digged it. Everyone needs a Gardener in their life.
Thanks so much for playyyying! <3 And thank for your kind words!!
And good feedback. I'll add a back feature.
it had me on my toes! i liked how the story flowed so smoothly and really focused on the characters. it was nice how the music transitioned so smoothly and i thought it was cool how when the gardener showed up, their theme immediately told me what kind of character they were going to be
very good experience 10/10
spooky dooky
Great work! Loved how the writing, art, and music all came together beautifully. Thank you for the game!
version rar?
Oh interesting, do you want the compressed version for a faster download? I can upload a compressed version of the game when we post updates later today!