The genre of cozy games and farming sims is now full of titles that focus on relaxing atmospheres, agriculture and decoration. However, Tiny Eden tries to change perspective: instead of entrusting the player with the classic farm immersed in the countryside, often attached to a small village, it provides a simple apartment in the heart of a futuristic city. Developed by Bajka Games and published by Digital Vortex Entertainment, the game builds its identity around the cultivation of plants, cooking and the progressive expansion of one's home.
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Growing, cooking and growing your own apartment
The gameplay of Tiny Eden revolves around an extremely simple cycle: growing, harvesting, cooking and selling. However, the plants require some attention. You have to choose the pot, the type of soil, the amount of light and the temperature that best suits each crop. Once the fruits of our efforts have been harvested, they can be taken to the kitchen and used as ingredients in real dishes.
And it is precisely the kitchen that represents, at least in the first few hours, the most successful mechanic of the game. Turning what we have grown into a dish to sell finally gives a concrete purpose to the cultivation: we are not simply harvesting products because the game asks us to, but because we need them to complete recipes and orders, and get the money necessary to progress. The loop is therefore quite simple to understand, but also surprisingly satisfying.
A progression that encourages you to continue
The progression of Tiny Eden develops mainly through money, reputation, new recipes and new plants. By completing the orders of the characters who live in our building, you get rewards that allow you to unlock additional cultivation possibilities and, above all, new rooms in the apartment. It is the expansion of the house that creates that feeling of "waiting" typical of the best cozy games. At first, we only have a few pots and a small balcony, but as we continue we can get new rooms, more space for cultivation and, later, even a greenhouse on the roof.
The decoration of the apartment also contributes to the progression, allowing you to gradually transform the small initial cubicle into a more personal home. The tutorial also does a good job of introducing the various mechanics without overloading the player with information from the first minutes.
The main problem of Tiny Eden concerns the system that should fuel progression: the economy. The money obtained from selling products and dishes often seems too little compared to the cost of unlocks. The result is that some phases can turn into a small grind, going a bit to ruin that feeling of relaxation created by other aspects of the game. The problem is particularly evident because the rest of the progression system is well structured. The desire to get a new room or a new recipe is there, but the pace at which the money accumulates does not always keep up. It is not a defect that ruins the experience, but it is certainly the aspect that most needs to be fixed.
A very special atmosphere
Artistically, Tiny Eden really manages to stand out from the crowd. The setting in a futuristic apartment within a big city offers an interesting variation from classic country farms and, above all, it doesn't seem to be just an aesthetic change: the entire progression is built around the expansion of our small apartment.
The artistic direction is bright and pleasant, while the music accompanies the experience without being invasive. The sound design also contributes to the relaxing feeling, with effects that are well recognizable for actions such as watering and cooking. The animations are instead quite simple, but appropriate to the scale of the production. Sometimes they might seem a bit cumbersome or incomplete, a clear example are some interactions with our cat, but without creating obvious problems in the gameplay. A less successful element concerns the character models: visitors to the apartment all share the same face, a choice that clashes a bit with the care given to the rest of the setting.
Final Thoughts
Tiny Eden is a cozy farming sim that manages to stand out thanks to an original setting and a deeper gameplay system than you might imagine from the first impact. The farming, cooking, selling, expansion cycle works particularly well, with the kitchen probably being the most satisfying mechanic of the entire experience. The ability to progressively unlock new rooms and a greenhouse on the roof also offers a good incentive to continue.
The main obstacle is represented by the economy, which in the first hours is a little too slow and risks turning a relaxing experience into a grind that is not always necessary. Added to this are some less cared for details, such as character models and some poorly cared for animations. The price of €15.49, however, is adequate for what the game offers. For those looking for a relaxing experience but want something different from the classic country farm, Tiny Eden is definitely a title to take into consideration.
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