The Garden Path is a cosy life sim that looks straight out of a painting
The inviting slice-of-life game will be out sometime this year.
The Garden Path, an incredibly snug-looking life sim from solo developer carrotcake, is heading to PC later this year.
The game begins like other slice-of-life sims: You start a new life surrounded by nature, get to know the strange characters who inhabit the space alongside you, and serenely pass the time fishing or gardening.
Time in The Garden Path passes at the rate of real-world time, meaning you can plant a few pansies before you go to bed and wake up in the morning to see they've started growing. A number of different characters will pop into your neck of the woods from time to time, like a fisherman or a tea-brewer.
The hand-drawn art is quite striking, a bit like a moving landscape painting or the kind of storybook your mum would read to you as a child. There are loads of earthy tones in the muted colour palette, giving it a relaxed, cottagecore-lite vibe.
It looks like a rather warm and inviting experience, one that you'll be able to really take your time with. Cosy life sims have really been thriving over the last several years: Other standouts include Stardew Valley, Cozy Grove, and the upcoming Hokko Life. I'm 100% here for it.
There's no solid release date for The Garden Path yet, but it's expected to release on Steam sometime in 2021.