Gardener

Gardener is a plant-growing and ecosystem simulation in which you cultivate gardens, develop new plant traits and shape procedurally generated species. You can accelerate years of growth into seconds, and each plant’s branches and leaves have their own genes, needs and characteristics.

Grow and manage plants

Nurture local ecosystems and discover genetic traits in rare native wild species, then use them in your own plant designs. Customize cultivars, hybridize them with perks found among weeds in high-level gardens, and balance hands-on care with symbiotic relationships between plants, animals and the Gardener. You can also use pesticides and herbicides or grow herbicide-resistant GMO species to control invasive plants.

Take stem clippings to clone mutated cultivars, prune bushes, harvest fruit and flowers, and manage invasive species while preserving self-sustaining ecosystem chains. Grafting, pruning and training affect both yields and plant stress. The game offers around 10²⁸ million possible plant species to discover, design, seed and grow, with specimens shaped by genetics, random mutations and gardening care.

Modes

• Gardener mode: level up your gardens and discover plant upgrades with guidance from the mischievous tree spirits Kodama and Yamabiko, using authentic gardening techniques and mechanics.
• Realistic mode: maximize orchard yields through a detailed botanical simulation.
• Creative mode: design gardens and plants in a sandbox setting.

Plant design and ecosystems

A dedicated Plant Creator editor lets you design species through selective breeding and artificial selection. Traits range from color differences and larger fruits to herbicide resistance and rare patterns.

Plant growth responds to environmental conditions, including light, hydration, pests, microbial activity, fungal growth and the availability of nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, iron and magnesium. Animals, insects and microbes form ecosystem chains of pests, prey, predators and pollinators.