Review of Botany Manor: serene puzzles with plants
Our Verdict
Botany Manor lets me live out my dreams of being a horticulturist, discovering wild and wonderful plant types from across the world all from the comfort of my own home.
Welcome to Botany Manor, a place with an abundance of beautiful landscapes and amazing plant varieties. Enter the gates to discover an entertaining puzzle game with a green theme that takes you on a horticulture journey to cultivate the most peculiar plants.
Despite the fact that I'm not very good at puzzles and they usually confuse me, everything with plants is beneficial to me no matter what. Furthermore, Botany Manor lives up to my long wait, and I'm happy to report that it does not disappoint.
You assume the character of Arabella Greene, a renowned expert on all things floral, in this 1890s setting. You now have to put in records for finicky plants from all over the globe and instructions on how to cultivate them after obtaining an empty herbarium.
You may cultivate a few plants in each part of the mansion and its magnificent gardens, using creative and intriguing methods. You collect bits and pieces of diaries, posters, letters, and other materials that serve as hints to figure out what each seed requires. After that, you finish each entry and add them to your herbarium.
There are so many thoughtful puzzles designed to encourage the growth of the flora, such as photographing them with a Victorian flash powder camera, pushing apples into the ground, and putting them in a smokehouse.
Beginning in the hot house on the property, you quickly go through gardens to the expansive mansion, and then utilize keys you discover lying about to climb up into the attic and explore an orchard.
You discover more than just flora here; you also get to know Arabella and her way of life. She is now an elderly woman who has worked with plants for some time, but not without difficulties. There is a backstory here that demonstrates how certain professional and educational organizations won't accept her just because she is a woman, but the fact that she has now published her own Forgotten Flora book proves that she has disproved their claims.
The game has a beautiful appearance and feel to it. The visuals are vibrant and well-designed, and it has a soothing, non-intrusive music that plays when you accomplish something properly. I suggest reducing the camera sensitivity by a very little amount, although that may simply be a preference for my own eyes.
The one "gripe" I have is that, although you can see the titles of the clues on each entry's page, you are unable to click on them to read them. Instead, I would want a menu screen that displays all of the clues I have found at once. This implies that in order to find and reread the particular pieces, you will have to go back through the (beautiful) mansion. Not a big deal, mind you—I just need regular reminders of what I'm supposed to be doing since I'm forgetful.
Botany Manor is an excellent game on Switch, even if it takes a while to load at first. Nevertheless, get a cup of tea and make yourself comfortable. Since it doesn't take a lot of time and can be picked up anytime you want, this is another game that I can play while curled up on the couch or even on the go. In summary, this funny game is highly recommended if you like puzzle games and plants.
Try these farm games instead, or see our list of the top gardening games if you like gardening games.