Urban Jungle - PC Review

The key art of the game Urban Jungle, it features an orange cat napping on a shelf surrounded by various plants with the game title written in red next to it.

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Create your own green haven: Urban Jungle has officially planted its roots on Steam and is available for purchase right now! Developed by Kylyk Games, a studio consisting of just 3 people, this cosy puzzle game is their jump into the development of PC games. One thing is certain: This game is sure to sprout some joy!

So what are we waiting for? Let’s get growing!

No Such Thing As “Too Many Plants”

Unfortunately, I am the kind of person that manages to kill even the most resilient and “easy-to-care-for” plants out there. Apparently most of them need to be “watered” or they need “sunlight”, whatever that’s supposed to be. Luckily, in this game you don’t have to take care of them at all! It’s as simple as placing them in the right spot, and they will be thriving without you having to do as much as lift a finger! Finally, I can live my dream of being surrounded by greenery without everything wilting away the second I dare to take my eyes off of it.

Are you a plant person? Lettuce know in the comments below!

A small bedroom that has been divided into 2 halves for 2 children. One side has blue wallpaper, a small aquarium and many trophies, the other side has pink wallpaper and many, many, many plants. There is also a chonky orange cat napping on the ground. — You’re not allergic to pollen, right?

Gameplay

The game starts you out with a brief cutscene of your current life. You are Ayta, a hardworking Business Development Specialist, stuck in yet another work call while on yet another business trip. While you are doing an amazing job, you also have to face the fact that this is not at all what you want to do with your life. You feel tired, exhausted and just want to go back home.

The game then cuts to a few years prior, back to your grandma’s house. There, you are helping her decorate the house with plants for the Ysyakh festival, a celebration of the end of winter and the rebirth of nature. As you progress through the game, you also progress through the different chapters of Ayta’s life and learn her story along the way.

At its heart, Urban Jungle is about placing plants. Easy, right? While yes, you don’t have to worry about watering them, you do have to make sure that their initial needs are met. Just like real plants, they are rather picky about their surroundings! Some like to bathe in the sun, others prefer the shade. Some enjoy humid air, others prefer to stay dry. You can move around clutter to make space in prime plant locations, and turn on lamps or humidifiers to make everyone happy! Plus, there are also some special requirements. Every plant has certain plant buddies it loves to be near and others it absolutely hates. (Who knew that plants could have beef??)

A plant diary that has been opened to a page showing the plant species Bird of Paradise and Cactus. There's a short blurb about what kind of plants they are, their needs, and how many variations you have collected of them. — What did the Monstera ever do to you?

Let Your Creativity Sprout!

Placing your plants in the right spots nets you points, which are essential to getting even more plants (who doesn’t want that?) and some coins too! Coins let you buy some extra-special uncommon and rare plants that will, in turn, get you even more points if placed well. The amount of points you get depends entirely on your plant-placing-prowess (say that three times fast). The happier your plants are, the more points you’ll score. Earn enough, and you can progress to the next chapter of your life. Short on cash? Every level has a couple of bonus objectives you can complete to earn some extra coins to pad your wallet. Clean some trash, place some plants and, most importantly, pet Rufus the chonky cat.

Not all plants are the same! Each plant type has a few different versions, with variations in their size, shape, and colour! You can keep track of your growing collection in your handy-dandy Diary, which marks which plants you have already found, which ones are still missing, and a helpful reminder of the different plants’ needs and likes.

After you complete a chapter, you unlock it in Creative Mode! Here, the rules are off. Place any plant you unlocked wherever you want to, which also adds a nice incentive to unlock all the different plant variations in the story mode. No need for sunlight, humidity or special requirements, place them wherever you desire. Fill your room top to bottom with plants. Who is gonna stop you? On top of that, you get all the fun clutter and furniture from chapters you have completed, which you can use to decorate to your heart’s content.

An in game screenshot of a small house that is filled to the brim with hundreds of orange cats and one single plant. — Filling my home with the essentials.

Graphics & Audio

Urban Jungle has a very simple, charming, cartoony art style that fits perfectly with the whole vibe of the game. The plants look gorgeous and fit in well with their surroundings. No matter where you put them, they will never feel out of place. Every colour, size, and shape variation is well-thought-out and makes you really want to unlock all of them.

The furniture and clutter look great and even feature some little references to other game franchises and the likes. The environment tells the story of our character very well, changing with every chapter to reflect the current stage of her life. Each chapter looks different from the last, which adds a lot of variety, so you don’t feel like you are playing the same level over and over again.

The music is nice and calming, perfect for a chill game like this, and the sound effects are very fitting and satisfying. For example when placing down plants and picking up objects there is a fun “plop” sound. Nothing ever felt out of place or distracting.

Longevity

My playthrough of Urban Jungle‘s story mode lasted about 3.5 hours, but even after the story there is still stuff to do! I have yet to finish my plant collection, and I am still missing some of the achievements too. If you are really into decorating, I can also see someone sinking a couple extra hours into the game’s Creative Mode.

Personally, I think this game is perfect for a long, cosy afternoon or maybe a couple of evenings when you need to unwind after a busy day. It is not the longest game out there, but I do see myself returning to it at some point down the line to play through the story again.

Final Thoughts

If you are someone who enjoys relaxing puzzle games, who loves plants or just enjoys decorating cute spaces, Urban Jungle is a real gem. Its gameplay is simple and charming, yet still keeps you engaged. The story and character development are fun to follow, the visuals are adorable, and the vibes are just there. Plus, you can pet a cute orange cat! What more could you want?

Since I am unable to give the game a “Green Thumb” Award, Urban Jungle will instead receive the Thumb Culture Gold Award.