One of my favorite game franchises in the 2000s was the Viva Piñata series. The puzzle of bringing creatures into their proper ecosystems and trying to build a perfect garden fascinated me for a while. In fact, I’ve always wanted them to release more Viva Pinata games.

Contemplation Games is a studio trying to do the next best thing. Garden and a Goat is a new creature-collecting game in the same style as Viva Piñata, coming to PC at some point in the future. You play as a little robot, tasked with restoring environments by pulling weeds, removing rubble, and planting new growth.

Additionally, as creatures come to your garden, things like raccoons, cardinals, bees, turtles, and more, you have to provide treats and care for them. Each creature needs something different to settle into your garden, and some creatures are needed to bring other creatures to your garden.

The concept is very calming and relaxing, though admittedly I feel like it is missing… something. Part of what drew me to Viva Piñata was a cast of colorful NPCs that handled various shops, etc. In Garden and a Goat, you have your computer, a set of quests, your garden, a multiverse-hopping goat that helps you, and that’s about it.

I’m not asking for Contemplation Games to make things exactly like Viva Piñata, but I do feel like there is some sort of missing piece here. Maybe an NPC or two? A storyline that leads you through the quests and biomes? I’m not sure what could really fix it, but at this point, I’m a little mild about it.

There is a wide array of cute critters to befriend. Additionally, there are all sorts of decorations and crops to grow. So, to some degree, I think people may find it more of a nice, calm, relaxing, cozy game rather than a garden management sim, which could be a good thing.

Overall, I am excited to see what Garden and a Goat turns into. However, it is hard to temper my expectations without knowing how far along they are. The demo for the Steam Next Fest plays well, and I think a lot of folks will have fun with it. I just feel like it is missing some sort of sauce that could make it truly great.

A PC Preview copy of the Garden and a Goat demo was provided by Contemplation Games for this preview.

Phenixx Gaming is everywhere you are. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Also, if you’d like to join the Phenixx Gaming team, check out our recruitment article for details on working with us.

Phenixx Gaming is proud to be a Humble Partner! Purchases made through our affiliate links support our writers and charity!