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The Gardens Between similar games & best alternatives

The Gardens Between

PC (Microsoft Windows) • 2018

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Quick resume

The Gardens Between is a surreal puzzle adventure that follows best friends, Arina and Frendt, as they fall into a mysterious world of beautiful garden islands. Manipulate time to solve puzzles and discover the secrets of each island.

Global score

94/100

Genres

Adventure, Indie

Similar games

    Pros

    • Beautiful and imaginative art style
    • Innovative time manipulation gameplay
    • Relaxing music and atmosphere
    • Emotional and nostalgic story
    • Accessible and low frustration puzzles

    Cons

    • Short game length
    • Low puzzle difficulty
    • Limited replay value
    • Minimal player autonomy
    • Price considered high by some

    Motivations

    • Autonomy

      Game with the same Autonomy vibe

      -3

      "Player controls only clearing obstacles; character moves on its own, limiting direct control."

      Capsule for The Old Tree The Old Tree

      "Players do not control characters directly but manipulate time flow, limiting direct action and choice."

    • Competence

      Game with the same Competence vibe

      2

      "Puzzles require logical thinking and problem solving, but are generally straightforward and not highly challenging."

      Capsule for Blameless Blameless

      "Puzzles require some thinking and problem solving but are generally easy and not highly challenging."

    • Competition

      Game with the same Competition vibe

      -5

      "No competitive elements; focus is on personal puzzle solving and story experience."

      Capsule for LUNA The Shadow Dust LUNA The Shadow Dust

      "No competitive elements; focus is on personal puzzle solving and story experience."

    • Continuation

      Game with the same Continuation vibe

      1

      "Players enjoy the experience and some replay for achievements or exploration, but the game is short and not designed for long habitual play."

      Capsule for Planet of Lana Planet of Lana

      "Some players replay levels for achievements and enjoy the experience, but overall game is short and not designed for long habitual play."

    • Cooperation

      Game with the same Cooperation vibe

      -5

      "Single player experience with no multiplayer or cooperative gameplay."

      Capsule for The Bookwalker: Thief of Tales The Bookwalker: Thief of Tales

      "Single player experience with no multiplayer or cooperative gameplay."

    • Creativity

      Game with the same Creativity vibe

      4

      "Unique time manipulation mechanic and diverse characters encourage creative problem solving."

      Capsule for Super Time Force Ultra Super Time Force Ultra

      "Innovative time manipulation mechanic and imaginative level design encourage creative puzzle solving."

    • Domination

      Game with the same Domination vibe

      -5

      "No elements of exerting control or superiority over others; cooperative and equal experience."

      Capsule for LEGO® Builder's Journey LEGO® Builder's Journey

      "No elements of exerting control or superiority over others; cooperative and equal experience."

    • Escapism

      Game with the same Escapism vibe

      4

      "Players use the game as a relaxing, nostalgic escape from real life, immersing in memories and atmosphere."

      Capsule for Home is Where One Starts... Home is Where One Starts...

      "Players use the game as a relaxing, nostalgic escape into a dreamlike world and childhood memories."

    • Expectation

      Game with the same Expectation vibe

      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily for intrinsic interest and emotional connection."

      Capsule for Röki Röki

      "Players engage voluntarily for intrinsic interest and emotional experience."

    • Experimenting

      Game with the same Experimenting vibe

      3

      "Players explore and experiment with various puzzle mechanisms and objects to discover solutions."

      Capsule for The Room Two The Room Two

      "Players experiment with time flow and puzzle elements to find solutions and explore mechanics."

    • Exploration

      Game with the same Exploration vibe

      3

      "Players explore various environments, including surreal dreamscapes and real-world settings, uncovering story elements and puzzles."

      Capsule for Burnhouse Lane Burnhouse Lane

      "Players explore new surreal environments representing memories, discovering puzzle elements and story."

    • Expression

      Game with the same Expression vibe

      -4

      "Limited customization or self-expression; players follow preset level designs and aesthetics."

      Capsule for High Entropy: Challenges High Entropy: Challenges

      "Limited customization or self-expression; players follow preset paths and aesthetics."

    • Fantasy

      Game with the same Fantasy vibe

      4

      "Game features a surreal, imaginative world with fantasy elements and symbolic storytelling."

      Capsule for Minute of Islands Minute of Islands

      "Game features imaginative, surreal worlds and abstract storytelling about friendship and memories."

    • Fellowship

      Game with the same Fellowship vibe

      -5

      "Primarily a solo experience with minimal social interaction."

      Capsule for Graveyard Keeper Graveyard Keeper

      "Primarily a solo experience with minimal social interaction."

    • Growth

      Game with the same Growth vibe

      2

      "Players develop skills in puzzle solving and game mechanics, though overall difficulty is low."

      Capsule for LEGO® Batman™ 2: DC Super Heroes LEGO® Batman™ 2: DC Super Heroes

      "Players develop puzzle-solving skills and understanding of unique mechanics, though difficulty is low."

    • Health

      Game with the same Health vibe

      -5

      "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity elements."

      Capsule for Sultan's Game Sultan's Game

      "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity elements."

    • Idle

      Game with the same Idle vibe

      -3

      "Requires focused attention to solve puzzles; not designed for idle or background play."

      Capsule for Optika Optika

      "Requires focused attention to solve puzzles; not designed for idle or background play."

    • Intimacy

      Game with the same Intimacy vibe

      1

      "Emotional connection to story and characters, but limited social or relational interaction."

      Capsule for Call of the Sea Call of the Sea

      "Emotional connection to story and characters but limited social or relational interaction."

    • Leadership

      Game with the same Leadership vibe

      -5

      "No leadership or group management elements."

      Capsule for High On Life High On Life

      "No leadership or group management elements."

    • Progression

      Game with the same Progression vibe

      2

      "Players progress through levels and unlock achievements, but no complex item or upgrade systems."

      Capsule for Mushroom Cats 2 Mushroom Cats 2

      "Players progress through levels and unlock achievements, but no complex item or upgrade systems."

    • Relaxation

      Game with the same Relaxation vibe

      4

      "The game is described as relaxing and calming with soothing music and gentle pacing."

      Capsule for Isle of Ewe Isle of Ewe

      "Game is relaxing with soothing music, gentle pacing, and low frustration."

    • Sensation

      Game with the same Sensation vibe

      3

      "Enjoyable visuals, music, and ambient sounds provide sensory pleasure and emotional engagement."

      Capsule for Tchia Tchia

      "Beautiful visuals and ambient sound provide sensory enjoyment and emotional engagement."

    • Status

      Game with the same Status vibe

      -5

      "No social status or recognition systems."

      Capsule for Half-Life: Alyx Half-Life: Alyx

      "No social status or recognition systems."

    • Story

      Game with the same Story vibe

      4

      "Narrative immersion through visual storytelling and emotional themes without dialogue."

      Capsule for My Brother Rabbit My Brother Rabbit

      "Strong narrative immersion through visual storytelling and emotional themes without dialogue."

    • Strategy

      Game with the same Strategy vibe

      2

      "Requires some problem solving and planning, but puzzles are generally simple and solutions often straightforward."

      Capsule for Scribblenauts Unlimited Scribblenauts Unlimited

      "Requires some problem solving and planning in puzzle solutions, but puzzles are generally straightforward."

    • Thrill

      Game with the same Thrill vibe

      -3

      "Low risk and tension; experience is calm and contemplative rather than suspenseful."

      Capsule for Linelith Linelith

      "Low risk and tension; experience is calm and contemplative rather than suspenseful."

    • Value

      Game with the same Value vibe

      1

      "Good value on sale; some players find price high for short length."

      Capsule for Haimrik Haimrik

      "Players find good value especially on sale, though some consider price high for short length."

    • Violence

      Game with the same Violence vibe

      -5

      "No violence; gameplay is constructive and peaceful."

      Capsule for Cats Hidden in China Cats Hidden in China

      "No violence; gameplay is constructive and peaceful."

    • Survival

      Game with the same Survival vibe

      -5

      "No survival or threat avoidance mechanics; stable, low-risk environment."

      Capsule for The Case of the Golden Idol The Case of the Golden Idol

      "No survival or threat avoidance mechanics; stable, low-risk environment."

    Analysis

    Less representative of its motivational profile, with noticeable differences. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Survival, Violence, Fellowship, Expression. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Intimacy. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Autonomy, Thrill.

    How to use the graph
    Similar games map

    Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Motivations” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

    • Larger dot with a light outline: the game you are viewing.
    • Colour: groups of games with comparable motivation patterns (statistical clusters).
    • Hover a dot to see the game name; click to open its page.
    • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

    Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers.

    Last update: 30/04/2026