Strange Horticulture for Windows

Herbs and mysteries in this detective game

Strange Horticulture is a paid strategy game developed by Bad Viking. This occult-themed game has you solving puzzles as a proprietor of a local plant store. Here, you have to discover and identify powerful herbs to sell to a host of colorful customers. The highly interactive gameplay involves completing puzzles by correctly providing the customers’ requested plants.

With your collection and trusty encyclopedia, you can choose how to assist the characters and influence the story. Plus, Strange Horticulture has some of the most adorable plant visuals. BOOK OF HOURS and Potionomics feature similar occult themes and inventory management systems.

Plants are power

In Strange Horticulture, a rare herbal shop of the same name opens up a world of mysteries. The plot takes place in the quaint, fictional town of Undermere, whose surrounding forests and rugged mountains are home to witches and occultists. After the recent death of your uncle, you inherit the famed local plant store, sought after by the townsfolk for selling magical and powerful medicinal plants.

Running the shop as the new horticulturist involves a lot of things. It includes discovering and identifying plants, exploring faraway lands, expanding the Strange Book of Plants, and even joining a coven. Patrons range from the ordinary to the not-so-ordinary, seeking various herbs to use for their own ends. With your collection and the help of The Book, you can influence their fates and unravel Undermere’s dark secrets.

The gameplay is casual and straightforward. All you need to do is to solve puzzles based on the requests made by the customers. Although highly interactive with grid-based maps and an easy inventory management system, the indie game advances on a slow burn. It may be relaxing for some and boring for others. In any case, one thing is for sure: it comes with eye-catching plant illustrations.

Slow-paced but engrossing

Admittedly, the slow-paced gameplay of Strange Horticulture is not for everyone. However, this detective game can be interesting and immersive for those who do not mind the tedious tasks that surround running a store. With its intriguing story and compelling characters, the game can keep you hooked for hours, even without heart-racing actions. Plus, it features detailed and beautiful botanic art that can pass as scientific illustrations.