On the surface, The Garden Path is a very nice gardening simulator. It's designed to be played in short bursts, rather than being a farming sim that you can sink hours into. This is a real plus for me, as I'm currently a little tired of simulators that depict everyday life. There's a surprising amount of depth to The Garden Path, from foraging to fishing to gardening. Add to that the beautiful visuals and it's hard not to get hooked right from the get-go. But once you start digging deeper, it quickly becomes a valuable lesson in slowing down and appreciating the importance of patience.
On the map, you'll find vegetable-headed characters to help you along the way, but it will take time to unlock them all. Completing tasks like pitching a tent or picking 10 flowers will unlock stars. These stars form constellations, and once a constellation is complete, you can welcome a new character to your garden. It sounds like a lengthy process, but once you start exploring, it won't be long before you meet new friends. It's also a great way to get directions when you're not sure what to do.
When I was unsure of what to do, I would ask these characters for advice. Each interaction gave me a new quest to complete, but it was never too difficult. My companions would give me tasks like investigating statues or playing the beak game, so The Garden Path was never a difficult game to complete. A different character would appear in the garden every day, which was another incentive to keep checking in.
But despite the changing seasons and eagerness to unlock new characters, there's no time limit; just do what you can. Because of this, I found it much easier to relax into the game and find my own rhythm, rather than feeling obligated to follow a set routine. Some days I wanted more time to explore the map to find new foraged items, while other days I wanted more time to tend to my garden. Being able to do things at my own pace slowed down the process and allowed me to enjoy the beautiful environmental design and soundscapes instead.
One of my favorite elements of The Garden Path is the fishing mechanic. I love fishing minigames, but a lot of simulator minigames feel the same way, so I was even more excited when I discovered the brand new mechanic that The Garden Paths offers. Instead of trying to steady your rod by reeling in the fish you catch, like fishing in Stardew Valley, you have to lure the fish in with a whistle. On a small 4×4 grid, you have to move the musical note to find the sweet spot (represented by a big red circle), which is the key to catching the fish. When you hold down the musical note, the fish will bite the line and you can reel it in.
The game's seasons follow the real-world clock, with a garden year spanning 28 real-world days. During this time, the four seasons rotate and new forageable plants appear, which can be recorded and collected. I really like that the seasons are limited to a few real-world days, because winter can feel bleak and I have a hard time enjoying it in a game like this. Having the option to play a little or wait until winter is over is a great way to keep me excited to play, as I have to physically wait until spring. There's no way to skip time or sleep through a season to get ahead, so I have to find a way to fill up time in the real world until the game is ready.
To further enhance the experience, The Garden Path is downright stunning. The gardens are designed to look handcrafted; you can see brushstrokes on the leaves and the characters look like watercolor craft paper paintings. For a game with such a simple premise, it's packed with a surprising amount of detail, but this detail also makes it all the more immersive. Many times, The Garden Path made me feel like I was wrapped up in a warm blanket on a rainy night, which is exactly what I want when playing a relaxing game.
As someone who is always working at 1,000 miles per hour and struggling to find time to stop and smell the roses, The Garden Path is an essential exercise in patience. The game slows me down no matter how hard I try to make things go faster. It's the very dictionary definition of a peaceful game, and this time I'm going to heed that lesson and take things one step at a time rather than getting overwhelmed by the big picture.
