If you have the power to control time, will you still let go of something if you know you can go back to it anytime?
This is the premise of the indie game The Gardens Between. It is the debut game for Melbourne-based developer The Voxel Agents. The Gardens Between is an adventure puzzle game that explores a story of friendship where the traversal of time "makes cause and effect malleable." The developer released a trailer detailing the game's vibrant art style and showing glimpses of its gameplay.
The game is set to release in Q4 2017 for Windows and Mac.
A Bittersweet Tale Of Friendship
According to the developer's official post, The Gardens Between is an adventure puzzle game about friendship, growing up, letting go, and knowing "what should never be left behind."
This tale revolves around two best friends: headstrong Arina and wise-beyond-his-years Frendt. The two fall into a world full of mysterious gardens.
According to the press release, in The Gardens Between "the vibrant world grows around objects from their past to form curious combinations of time and imagination."
In the time-traveling tale, the duo can use time to navigate around the mysterious world. But it is also a cautionary tale as the forward and backward movement through time can easily influence cause and effect.
A Dream Team Creating A Dream Game
The Gardens Between has its roots in the The Time Project, a brainchild of Henrik Pettersson and Sam Wong, the award-winning duo behind Puzzle Retreat. The two used nine prototypes for their puzzle game, all with the idea of moving through time. They wanted to execute this in a three-dimensional world and tie everything with a "strong visual style and a compelling story."
So the two enlisted the help of Melbourne writer Brooke Maggs and animator Josh Bradbury. Together with illustration studio Soft Science, The Time Project was born, featuring Maggs' knack for coming up with curious tales and Soft Science's awe-inspiring art.
True enough, as shown in the trailer, the game features a very colorful and vibrant art style the kind you see in story books, with the puzzles handcrafted in 3D. To complete this emotional journey through time, a "meditative ambient soundtrack" was provided by Tim Shiel.
Founded in 2009, The Voxel Agents has produced several games and won accolades, namely "Best Mobile Game," "Best New Business 2010," and "Best Game Audio." Its most notable game is Train Conductor and its sequel Train Conductor 2 USA.
For more updates, check out the official The Gardens Between site and the developer's blog.
