Pocket Oasis is a relaxing game from Knit ‘n’ Purl Game Studio in which you play as a gardener, planting seeds and tending to plants to make them bloom. It’s beautifully handpainted and offers a casual approach to gameplay in a relaxing environment.
A Perfect Chill
The game allows you to choose between two characters – either Daisy or Simon – to start your gardening journey with. However, in the demo of Pocket Oasis, only Daisy is selectable, so she was the character I chose.
Gardening is a very relaxing pastime. It’s something I’ve always wanted to start, but with a relatively small garden and no clue where to start, I had always let it fall to the wayside. However, I still yearned for that relaxing time with nature. Pocket Oasis is a brilliant substitute for those who can’t – or won’t – have the ability to tend to their own physical garden.
The game offers a handpainted experience. All of the graphics are handpainted and very charming but also simple in their aesthetics.
Casual Play in Pocket Oasis
Pocket Oasis’ gameplay is very casual. There isn’t a story to follow. The game is simple – buy plants using jam, tend to those plants, harvest their produce and then buy more plants or decorations for your garden terrace. There are also opportunities to unlock cute animals too – the hedgehog is my favourite!
Jam can be made by using the harvested produce. Five fruits/vegetables make one jam, which then, in turn, enables you to buy more plants and decorations. Whilst the game doesn’t offer a story, it does have a progression mechanic.
The player can unlock more plants and different decorations by meeting certain criteria and milestones, for instance, by harvesting a certain amount of produce or by converting produce into a certain number of jams. So, while there isn’t a story, there is still something to work towards.
Plants Have Needs
Just like in the real world, where different plants have different needs to be able to thrive, so too does Pocket Oasis. Water your plants too much or too little, and they won’t grow. Put them in the shade when they need lots of sun for photosynthesis, and they won’t thrive then either – just like real-life plants.
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed my time with Pocket Oasis. I found the gameplay offered a chilled way for me to relax, especially after a very busy day and the art style appeals to the artist in me. Pocket Oasis is perfect for those who like a calming game that necessarily offers a story but has a progression mechanic.
Pocket Oasis has a planned release date on Steam of 8th May 2024, and you can wishlist it here.
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