There are games that grapple with ambition, and then there are games that grapple with identity. BACK TO THE GARDEN is, intriguingly, a bit of both. On one hand, it presents itself as a solarpunk life simulation about restoring nature to a ruined metropolis—rewilding concrete jungles, revitalising ecosystems, and building sustainable harmony between flora, fauna, and forgotten technology. On the other, it is also described as a chaotic four-player local party game where you play as vegetables racing, sabotaging each other, and stealing burgers.
That contrast is not subtle. In fact, it defines the entire experience.
Developed by The Small Things Co. and published by Finji, BACK TO THE GARDEN arrives with strong indie credentials and an even stronger aesthetic appeal. It is beautiful, strange, and at times genuinely inspired—yet also somewhat unsure of what it wants to be from moment to moment. The result is a game that feels less like a single cohesive vision and more like two excellent prototypes stitched together with soil and good intentions.
A World Reclaimed… or a Party Gone Wild?
Let’s start with the premise that initially draws you in: a solarpunk future where nature begins reclaiming a fallen metropolis. Skyscrapers are covered in vines, rivers flow through shattered highways, and wildlife cautiously returns to areas once dominated by concrete and steel.
In this version of the game, your role is restorative. You break apart hardened urban surfaces, plant native species, purify polluted water, and gradually restore balance to an ecosystem that has been disrupted for generations. There’s a calming, almost meditative rhythm—one that feels closer to ecological restoration than traditional farming simulations.
The key mechanic in this interpretation is the “Growth-Link” system. Certain plants generate energy to power salvaged technology, allowing you to unlock vertical movement through overgrown skyscrapers. It’s an elegant idea: nature and industry not as opposites, but as interconnected systems.
At its best, this side of BACK TO THE GARDEN feels thoughtful, even poetic. There’s something quietly powerful about watching a broken city slowly come alive again—not through conquest, but through patience.
And then… the vegetables arrive.
The Vegetable Problem
The second half of BACK TO THE GARDEN—and arguably the most prominent in its actual gameplay—is a 4-player local party experience. Here, players control animated vegetables engaging in chaotic minigames, racing across absurd environments, collaborating or betraying each other, and indeed, stealing burgers.
It is loud, fast, and intentionally ridiculous.
In one mode, you might be sprinting across collapsing rooftops as a determined carrot trying to outpace a rival cucumber. In another, you could be working cooperatively to transport stolen burgers back to a shared base while sabotaging rival teams. The tone is slapstick, energetic, and deliberately un-serious.
Mechanically, it’s solid. Movement is snappy, controls are responsive, and the minigames are varied enough to keep sessions engaging. There’s a clear focus on accessibility—this is a game designed for couch play, where skill matters less than timing, chaos, and a willingness to embrace absurdity.
But the real question is not whether this works mechanically. It’s whether it belongs in the same game as ecological restoration and solarpunk world-building.
Two Games in One Soil
The most striking aspect of BACK TO THE GARDEN is how little these two halves interact. The rewilding simulation and the party game feel almost entirely separate, like parallel projects sharing a title screen and aesthetic palette.
There are hints of connection. The Growth-Link system occasionally appears in multiplayer maps, enabling shortcuts or changing terrain mid-match. Some environmental elements reference the broader ecological themes. But these integrations seem superficial rather than foundational.
What emerges is a kind of identity tension. Is this a thoughtful environmental simulation wrapped in playful chaos? Or a party game with an unusually poetic framing device?
The answer, frustratingly, appears to be “both”—but not always simultaneously.
The Solarpunk Simulation (When It Works)
When BACK TO THE GARDEN leans into its ecological simulation, it is at its strongest. The act of reclaiming urban space is surprisingly tangible. Breaking concrete feels heavy. Planting vegetation feels intentional. Watching ecosystems develop over time creates a sense of long-term investment that few games in this genre manage to achieve.
The Growth-Link mechanic is especially engaging. It introduces a layered relationship between nature and technology, implying that progress does not require abandoning the past, but rather reinterpreting it.
However, this mode sometimes suffers from pacing issues. Progress can feel slow, and certain systems lack clarity regarding how they develop over time. Players expecting immediate feedback may find themselves waiting longer than anticipated for visible change.
Nevertheless, there is something genuinely special here—a quiet, reflective simulation that understands restoration as a process rather than a reward cycle.
The Party Game (When It Takes Over)
Switching to multiplayer completely changes the tone. The thoughtful atmosphere of rewilding is replaced with chaos, rivalry, and laughter-driven sabotage.
As a party game, BACK TO THE GARDEN is much more confident. It understands the rhythm of local multiplayer: short bursts, quick resets, and instant clarity. Matches rarely drag on, and the unpredictability of vegetable-based antics keeps things lively.
The humour is intentionally absurd, leaning into the idea that you are vegetables fighting over burgers in a broken world. It doesn’t make sense—and that’s exactly the point.
However, this shift in tone also highlights the game’s identity issues. The stakes, themes, and emotional core of the solo experience nearly vanish. What’s left is fun, but feels disconnected.
Visual Identity and Sound
Visually, BACK TO THE GARDEN is breathtaking. The solarpunk aesthetic is vibrant yet not sterile, blending natural growth with decayed architecture in a way that feels both hopeful and solid. Overgrown skyscrapers, moss-covered highways, and bioluminescent plant life create a world that feels alive and in motion.
The party segments feature a more exaggerated visual style, with brighter colours and more cartoon-like animations. This works on its own but also emphasises the divide between the two halves of the game.
The soundtrack mirrors this duality. Ambient, earthy tones accompany the rewilding sections, while lively, percussion-heavy tracks dominate multiplayer matches. Both are effective, but they rarely seem to share the same sonic identity.
Longevity and Replayability
As a solo experience, BACK TO THE GARDEN offers a slow-burning progression loop that may appeal to players who enjoy incremental environmental transformation. However, its long-term depth is somewhat limited by repetitive tasks and a lack of systemic complexity beyond the Growth-Link mechanic.
As a party game, it provides significantly more replay value. The unpredictability of multiplayer matches ensures that sessions stay fresh, especially with the right group of players. However, its dependence on local multiplayer might restrict accessibility for some audiences.
Final Verdict
BACK TO THE GARDEN is a rare and fascinating contradiction. It features moments of genuine brilliance—a solarpunk simulation that reimagines environmental restoration in a meaningful way, and a chaotic party game that embraces absurdity confidently.
Individually, both ideas could stand on their own. Together, they create something uneven but undeniably intriguing. The issue is not quality but cohesion. The game often feels like two excellent concepts sharing the same garden bed without fully intertwining their roots.
And yet, there is charm in that disarray. Even when it feels divided, BACK TO THE GARDEN remains imaginative, visually striking, and occasionally inspired in ways that linger long after play sessions end.
It may not know exactly what it is—but it is never boring.
