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0 Dream Garden is simulation game about creating your very own Zen garden. Developer Campfire Studio (My Dream Setup) provides the creative tools and set pieces based on real-life, tiny, Japanese dioramas. You can pick it up now for PC (and Mac) on Steam.
Zen Garden of your Dream
I never really got into any crafting type of hobbies, and miniature Zen gardens and bonsai trees were only things I saw in movies and TV. However, I’m intrigued by Dream Garden, as it seems like a way to engage with that type of craft in a familiar format. Check out my thoughts below.
Gameplay
Dream Garden is a creative simulation space for modelling a miniature Zen garden. The game provides a number of tools to shape, colour, texture, and decorate your choice of background and sandbox. It’s basically like a digital modelling kit – a mighty affordable one at that.
Yes, there is a large selection of assets to use in Dream Garden. There are more than plenty to choose from. The game also has all of the assets immediately available, and not behind some arbitrary in-game paywall or unlock system. You are truly free to use whatever, however you like. Definitely a great design choice in my opinion.
The other side of the coin to this is that there’s no objective. Dream Garden is completely about what you envision and modelling it how you want to see it. Achievements are present, but only so much as to confirm things you’re already doing. Otherwise, I would honestly consider this more of a design tool than classify it as a game. A true sandbox, if you will.
Graphics & Audio
I’m playing Dream Garden on PC, and minimally on my Steam Deck. The controls on the SD were kind of odd, and I didn’t look into changing them. The game carries a natural aesthetic that looks and feels like 3D modelling. There are also some light animations and different lighting and weather variables to change the look and feel to fit your setting. Unlike my screenshots, the photo mode also provides more tools for a much cleaner image.
I specifically wanted to check out Dream Garden because it is playable on Mac. My wife is a graphic designer with a love for art, and I think she’ll enjoy how the game looks and feels on that platform as well. Maybe it will help her relieve some stress too.
The audio track is obviously meant to help with the mood of creating your Zen space. Dream Garden doesn’t let us down there and has a meaningful background music that goes by unobtrusively. It’s not like you’re going in expecting heavy metal or something. Though maybe that’s your thing, but it’s on you to provide.
Longevity
Dream Garden is less of a game for me than it is a design tool. So for myself, I don’t know what longevity looks like beyond maybe the first one or two gardens I create. However, due to my pursuit of perfectionism it will likely take me a considerable amount of time to complete just the first. For someone else that is more into building/sandbox simulations, I believe they would get the most out of it.
Final Thoughts
Though Dream Garden may not feel like a game to someone like myself, it has a solid core. Everything in the game is available right away; without restrictions. No having to unlock or buy things after so much time or effort in advance. It gives the player the creative freedom without jumping any digital hurdles. With that freedom comes the cost of lack of objective or direction. Regardless, Dream Garden is worthy of the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
If you enjoy this review, be sure to check out my other reviews here.
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