Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 79 | 29 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 94% | 88 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 73% | 69 | 2 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 6 reviews sampled · 7 total reviews in window · weighted 1.5 up / 0.5 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (72)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 80
“The Gardens Between is a beautiful and charming game that is as clever as it is touching.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The Gardens Between is an excellent example of a creative puzzle game, where beautiful graphics, pleasant music and original mechanics with time manipulation create a perfect symbiosis.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“The Gardens Between is a great way to spend autumn evening, when the bare branches unfriendly huddle outside the window, and the soul is filled with melancholy. It's time to get into the boat of memories and float in the past.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“A unique and charming puzzle game which doesn't outstay its welcome.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Relaxing as it is taxing, The Gardens Between offers a poignant coalescence of charming visuals, a relaxing soundtrack and a bittersweet story.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The game design and narrative blend harmoniously, while sustained with a full-fledged soundtrack and colorful world, The Garden's Between stands out thanks to its ingenious puzzles and a simple approach on telling a small adventure full of details.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“The Garden Between is a nice story on the themes of friendship, that puts its focus on memory and growth. The game features pleasant and original mechanics, but the lack of longevity and some faults in the gameplay component penalize the title greatly.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“While some may not be fond of the game’s conclusion (I personally thought it was appropriate and touching) the journey in The Gardens Between is absolutely a special one. While mechanically a puzzle game, and one that can be tricky in places, as an overall experience it has a remarkably universal quality that I think anyone can appreciate. In a sea of indie (and even AAA) titles it stands out and is deserving of both praise and your attention.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The main strength of The Gardens Between is the deeper meaning found within. It utilises a largely voiceless and textless narrative to great effect. Not only is this an impressive feat on its own, it showcases the brilliance of the medium. This game eschews tradition to draw players into a fascinating world. As they witness the memories shared by Arina and Frendt, they may find themselves recalling their own childhood. While those memories aren't always the kind one can look back on with fondness, their significance can't be understated or forgotten. They are what shape us.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The Gardens Between is almost a truly great puzzle game, but it gets hung up in a couple of small areas.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“The only error I can see here is that The Gardens Between ends on a weird note. This is something that could've been expanded upon, but the developers left us guessing. The complaint is rather minor in the grand scheme of it all as the experience is one that shouldn't be missed.”
read full review ↗ - 72
“The Gardens Between has managed to stand out from similar puzzle games with style and atmosphere.”
read full review ↗
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GameMAG
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Jump Dash Roll
Nintendo Life
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SpaceNerd.it
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Cubed3
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NintendoWorldReport
Merlin'in Kazanı…and 60 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- NEW: Previously unreleased music from the Gardens Between out now!Jun 1, 2019significant · resets scoring window