The gorgeous new The Gardens Between launches today. Want to learn more about it and how the team brought it to life? Be sure to read our new interview.
As always, our first question for our guests is to introduce themselves. Can you tell a bit more about yourself and the company you work for?
My name is Henrik Pettersson, I work at The Voxel Agents, and for the last four and a half years I’ve been working as the Director and Game Designer of The Gardens Between. A lot of my work is done on pen and paper, sketches that I later mock up inside the game engine and hand that over to the more skillful members of the team.
The Voxel Agents is an Australian Studio based in Melbourne. We’ve previously released several successful mobile games, including the Train Conductor series. With The Gardens Between, we’re taking our first step into PC and Console market.
You currently worked on ‘The Gardens Between’, can you tell us a little more about the game?
Sure! The Gardens Between is an adventure puzzle game where two friends falls into a strange and surreal world. The player will take control of time to navigate the story and solve time bending puzzles.
It’s a story told without words or dialogue, instead relying on visuals, music and animation to handle the communication. The game has been described as “the simplest deep game possible” and that’s a description we’re proud of.
The game is launching September 20th on PC, PS4, and Nintendo Switch. Why did you include a Nintendo Switch version at launch? What is it about the system that you like so much?
We’re all big Nintendo fans at the studio so there’s definitely a bit of a personal achievement shipping our game on their console. We started discussing the possibility of bringing the game to the new Nintendo console as rumours of a hybrid handheld started circulating.
Furthermore, we designed The Gardens Between to be highly accessible and with Nintendo being the staple ‘family choice’, I’m really hoping for some cross-generational puzzle solving.
There are some Nintendo-related easter eggs in the game, like the classic Nintendo console. Did you grow up playing Nintendo games or what was your first gaming experience?
I grew up with the NES, and I would, together with my siblings, be found glued to the screen, never quite making it all the way through a game before it was time for dinner or bed.
I don’t know if it was my first game but Megaman (Rockman) and The Adventures of Lolo were hugely influential.
The game is releasing as a digital download game only. Would you like to see a physical version in the future? If yes, what would you like to see included in such a physical version?
Haha yeah, one can dream! I’m thinking hard-edge thick-paper box with a bit of heft. A booklet inside with a breakdown of the lore, world entities and character bios. Also inside a folded poster with the world map and if you flip it over: Frendt and Arina in cool poses.
And our last question, which game is currently in your favorite console?
I’m currently playing MSGV as FemSnake. Trying to 100% the game. It’s a good distraction to take my mind off the anticipation of the release.
Be sure to check our review of The Gardens Between (95%) here.
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