Strange Horticulture

The dark mystery puzzle game Strange Horticulture is currently free, for on Windows — 100% free to keep — on a limited-time Epic Store’s giveaway offer! Don’t miss out, as Strange Horticulture normally costs US$15.99.

Strange Horticulture is an indie puzzle game where you run a plant shop in a rainy, Victorian-style town surrounded by mysteries and strange occurrences. It was developed by Bad Viking and originally released on January 21, 2022.

The core gameplay revolves around serving dubious customers who request plants for various purposes — cures, rituals, personal problems, enchantments, and more. To fulfill these requests, players must correctly identify the plant among many options, using an illustrated encyclopedia, descriptive clues, and even a magnifying glass to examine details.

Published by Iceberg Interactive, Strange Horticulture is available on Windows, Luna, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series, iOS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Android. The game has been generally well received by critics. It also enjoys very positive reviews on Steam, Epic, and GOG — at least as of the time of this publication.

You can get the game here! There’s also a free demo version here!

Trailer

Gameplay

In Strange Horticulture, players organize and classify a collection of unidentified plants to solve puzzles based on the various requests made by the shop’s customers. This is aided by the Strange Book of Plants, an incomplete horticultural guide that partially describes species by characteristics such as aroma, leaf and petal shape, or medicinal properties. Correctly serving a customer with the requested plant unlocks new pages in the book, expanding the possibilities for identification and use. Some requests allow multiple solutions, allowing for the delivery of plants with different effects, which influence later events in the story.

The identification process requires attention to textual descriptions, illustrations, and even seemingly trivial details, such as narrative flavor observations, which may contain relevant clues. Players can inspect plants closely with a magnifying glass, carefully observe the shape of flowers and leaves, and record their own notes using a labeling system, which facilitates the organization of the collection. While the puzzles rarely present great difficulty, the variety of clues prevents repetition and reinforces the sense of investigation. Occasional mistakes are also part of the experience, contributing to the suspenseful atmosphere.

Besides working inside the shop, players can explore a map divided into coordinates to discover new plants and advance the plot. To do this, the player must build up “exploration power” by serving customers and caring for the plants. Clues indicating where to go can appear in letters, notes, or reports, ranging from explicit coordinates to vague descriptions of landscapes or route instructions, requiring careful comparison with the map to determine the correct destination.

In later stages, players can also practice alchemy, combining the properties of different plants to create elixirs and antidotes.

About the game

In Strange Horticulture, you run a plant shop and solve occult puzzles. Discover and identify new plants, care for your cat, talk to a coven, or even join a secret cult. Use your ever-growing collection of plants to influence the story and uncover the darkest mysteries of Undermere.

Welcome to Undermere

Welcome to Undermere, a quaint town surrounded by witch-infested forests and rugged mountains. You are a horticulture expert, and your local establishment is called Strange Horticulture. As customers of all kinds visit your shop, you become entangled in a shadowy mystery that has haunted the land for centuries.

Explore beyond the shop

Venture into the regions outside your shop to discover new plants—but beware! The dark forests and lakes are not always friendly to curious horticulturists. You may stumble upon unimaginable powers… or lose your sanity entirely. Use contextual clues to determine which locations are worth exploring—and which are best avoided.

An ever-growing collection

With your trusty encyclopedia and the clues gathered on your journeys, learn more about the strange plants you encounter. By identifying each one, you’ll be able to harness their unique effects to influence the story—ranging from hypnotic hallucinogens to deadly toxins.