Botany Manor

Botany Manor is a relaxing game focused on the exploration and cultivation of rare plants in an estate modeled after those of 19th-century England. It is the debut project of the small Balloon Studios, founded by Laure De Mey.

Plot

The story in the game does not play an important role, providing only a background for the gameplay. We play as a retired botanist, Arabella Greene, who decides to continue her passion for plants. Visiting the estate she owns, we learn about the history of her scientific career and the impact of her past achievements on how she spends her time today.

Game mechanics

The title's gameplay focuses on exploration. Exploring the corners of the estate and garden, we look for clues that allow us to keep unusual plants in good conditions. The entire mechanics is maintained in the form of puzzles made up of several stages. In order to plant them, we must first find the right seeds, place them in the corresponding bed, and then water them in the right amounts and at the right intervals. Many of these plants like to fuss, so to ensure their comfortable conditions, you need to skillfully use all the clues scattered around the property. They were drawn up like scientific newspaper clippings, notes from Arabella's career, postcards, letters or posters. Analyzing the information contained in them, we draw conclusions about the appropriate treatment of a particular plant species. The game will not stop us from making a wrong decision, so we should be careful with every move.

We will come to visit the estate, the garden around it, the greenhouse and other facilities offering other opportunities for the development of our plants. The game focuses on relaxation, so nothing prevents us from occasionally stopping by the fruits of our labor and gloating over them, listening to the peaceful sounds of nature. We can also collect some of them and then study their properties in a workshop prepared for this purpose. Due to the rarity of many species, the experiments carried out on them can result in many important discoveries.

Technical aspects

The game is made in a colorful low poly style, reflecting the peaceful atmosphere of the British countryside.