The Gardens Between similar games & best alternatives
The Gardens Between
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
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Autonomy
Game with the same Autonomy vibe
-3"Player controls only clearing obstacles; character moves on its own, limiting direct control."
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."
Blameless
"Puzzles require some thinking and problem solving but are generally easy and not highly challenging."
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Competition
Game with the same Competition vibe
-5"No competitive elements; focus is on personal puzzle solving and story experience."
LUNA The Shadow Dust
"No competitive elements; focus is on personal puzzle solving and story experience."
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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."
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."
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."
Super Time Force Ultra
"Innovative time manipulation mechanic and imaginative level design encourage creative puzzle solving."
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Domination
Game with the same Domination vibe
-5"No elements of exerting control or superiority over others; cooperative and equal experience."
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."
Home is Where One Starts...
"Players use the game as a relaxing, nostalgic escape into a dreamlike world and childhood memories."
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Expectation
Game with the same Expectation vibe
-4"Players engage voluntarily for intrinsic interest and emotional connection."
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."
The Room Two
"Players experiment with time flow and puzzle elements to find solutions and explore mechanics."
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Exploration
Game with the same Exploration vibe
3"Players explore various environments, including surreal dreamscapes and real-world settings, uncovering story elements and puzzles."
Burnhouse Lane
"Players explore new surreal environments representing memories, discovering puzzle elements and story."
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Expression
Game with the same Expression vibe
-4"Limited customization or self-expression; players follow preset level designs and aesthetics."
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."
Minute of Islands
"Game features imaginative, surreal worlds and abstract storytelling about friendship and memories."
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Fellowship
Game with the same Fellowship vibe
-5"Primarily a solo experience with minimal social interaction."
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."
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."
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."
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."
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."
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."
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."
Isle of Ewe
"Game is relaxing with soothing music, gentle pacing, and low frustration."
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Sensation
Game with the same Sensation vibe
3"Enjoyable visuals, music, and ambient sounds provide sensory pleasure and emotional engagement."
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."
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."
My Brother Rabbit
"Strong narrative immersion through visual storytelling and emotional themes without dialogue."
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Strategy
Game with the same Strategy vibe
2"Requires some problem solving and planning, but puzzles are generally simple and solutions often straightforward."
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."
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."
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."
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."
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