If you need a break from the real world, Tiny Garden is coming in clutch. This upcoming cosy game from Ao Norte is a gardening sim set on a Polly Pocket-like virtual toy, which you can decorate to your heart’s content. The loop of gameplay is designed to be as moreish and simple as possible: you plant seeds, and when you turn the handle on your virtual toy, water flows forth to grow your garden.
As your plants grow, you’ll be able to harvest them and trade them for furniture, eventually creating a cosy home in the “upper” region of your virtual toy. Based on early glimpses at the game, this furniture includes beds, chairs, fireplaces, bookshelves, and wall decorations, with each adding to your homely space.
There’s no strict rules for planting crops, but there is elements of “puzzle and strategy” by design. You’ll need to get creative with your garden placement, and figure out exactly where you want to grow your crops, and which crops you’ll plant and trade.
The entire game is tied together by a lovely “plasticky” aesthetic that will be very nostalgic for those who grew up in the 1990s, playing with toys like Polly Pocket. Personally, I owned a “Fruit Surprise” Apple Polly Pocket when I was much younger, and the design of Tiny Garden makes me very nostalgic for that particular toy.
Read: Tiny Garden is a new life sim set in a Polly Pocket toy
There were many other clamshell Polly Pocket toys released in this era, and there’s certainly plenty of positive memories tied to these toys. Tiny Garden leans into that heavily, for a game that feels so familiar, even if you’re seeing it for the first time.
Those keen to check out this upcoming game for themselves can now head to Steam to download a lovely, breezy demo for the game. It introduces the main gardening mechanics, and gives a hint about what to expect for the overarching progression systems.
Tiny Garden launches on 8 April 2025, so there’s not long to go before you’ll be able to jump from this demo into the full game.
