In the realm of deduction-based mystery games, Botany Manor probably will feel a lot simpler than games like Case of the Golden Idol or Return of the Obra Dinn. What it makes up with is the game's vibes and charm.
Set in a British manor in a different time period, most of what you're going to be doing in this game is reading context clues, deducing facts about plants and attempting to make them bloom. Your main method of achieving this is by attaching clues you find to specific plants. While the level of deduction required for these plants are less demanding, it does ramp up to add complexity as you're attempting to deduce multiple plants towards the end of the game. The "Aha!" moments in this game is decidedly the most satisfying parts of this game.
Combined with this satisfying gameplay loop is a very The Witness-like artstyle and a simple but poignant story. I sincerely was not expecting to find a story about a woman trying to lead her own life (And not being forced to marry) and being subjugated to relentless sexism in the field of botany in this game! The ending in particular really caps off the narrative well and made the runtime of the game worth playing.
Speaking of runtime...I was surprised by how short this game is (Around 4 hours). This might make it a hard pill to swallow considering its 30 ish launch price. In addition, I felt that some of this runtime is being padded out by having to run back to reread clues due to the fact that you cannot review clues you've found in your book.
With all the nitpicks aside, I really enjoyed my time with Botany Manor. If you're in the market for a nice little mystery game that doesn't make so much demand of the player but still uses your brain enough, I think you'd have a good time with this. A perfect game to try out on Game Pass as well!
Set in a British manor in a different time period, most of what you're going to be doing in this game is reading context clues, deducing facts about plants and attempting to make them bloom. Your main method of achieving this is by attaching clues you find to specific plants. While the level of deduction required for these plants are less demanding, it does ramp up to add complexity as you're attempting to deduce multiple plants towards the end of the game. The "Aha!" moments in this game is decidedly the most satisfying parts of this game.
Combined with this satisfying gameplay loop is a very The Witness-like artstyle and a simple but poignant story. I sincerely was not expecting to find a story about a woman trying to lead her own life (And not being forced to marry) and being subjugated to relentless sexism in the field of botany in this game! The ending in particular really caps off the narrative well and made the runtime of the game worth playing.
Speaking of runtime...I was surprised by how short this game is (Around 4 hours). This might make it a hard pill to swallow considering its 30 ish launch price. In addition, I felt that some of this runtime is being padded out by having to run back to reread clues due to the fact that you cannot review clues you've found in your book.
With all the nitpicks aside, I really enjoyed my time with Botany Manor. If you're in the market for a nice little mystery game that doesn't make so much demand of the player but still uses your brain enough, I think you'd have a good time with this. A perfect game to try out on Game Pass as well!