Posted by: Gianna Cosimini | October 8, 2025 | Demo, Farming Sim
For anyone scrolling through Steam looking for a cozy escape, The Abbess Garden likely catches your eye with its beautiful art style and unusual premise. It’s not just another farming sim; it’s a cozy, historical gardening game set in 17th-century France, blending meticulous horticulture with a story of spies, court drama, and queer romance.
If you’ve never heard of it, here is an honest breakdown of what you can expect, and the early feedback from the community, so you can decide if you should add it to your wishlist.
What Exactly Is The Abbess Garden?
At its heart, this is a third-person simulation game where you play as Agnès, a young peasant tasked with restoring a majestic, but abandoned, garden at the Port-Royal-des-Champs abbey in 1643.
The core gameplay loop is a unique mix:
- Horticulture Simulation: You will be planting, watering, and nurturing plants based on real-world gardening techniques and real historical plants. The simulation aspects include managing the plants’ water needs, soil type (sandy, acidic, rich), and proximity (which plants thrive next to others).
- Exploration & Investigation: The garden is not just a place to grow marigolds. It’s a key part of a larger, deep narrative. You’ll be exploring the grounds through the changing seasons, finding and identifying new plants, collecting hidden objects, and using these discoveries to help uncover a spy intrigue and a mysterious book.
- Visual Novel & Story: This is where the game truly sets itself apart. The gardening is wrapped in a compelling, choice-driven narrative spanning four years. The story features historical and fictional elements, including court drama, community interactions, and the chance to find a lover (with queer romance options).
Honest Feedback for Beginners
Since the full game is still “Coming Soon” (with a projected release in late 2025), most of the community feedback comes from the recently released, well-received demo.
The Good News (Why You’ll Love It)
- A Truly Unique Blend: If you’re tired of the same old “cozy game” formula, The Abbess Garden is a breath of fresh air. The combination of historical research, real horticulture, and a spy-thriller visual novel creates a genuinely original experience.
- Deep, Satisfying Gardening: The mechanics of managing water, soil, and plant proximity mean that successful gardening requires more thought than a simple click-to-water. Players who enjoy the methodical, research-based aspects of games like Strange Horticulture will find this deeply satisfying.
- The Vibe is Impeccable: The 17th-century French setting is charming and cozy, backed by a lovely aesthetic. If you’re looking for a peaceful, therapeutic game that still has an engaging narrative hook, this is it.
- Story-Rich: The promise of a four-year narrative arc involving spies, court intrigue, and romance ensures that players who value a strong, character-driven plot will have plenty to chew on outside of the gardening itself.
Areas for Caution (Things to Be Aware Of)
- Pacing and Movement Speed: This is the most common piece of honest feedback from demo players. The character, Agnès, walks very slowly by default. While the developers have acknowledged this and added an adjustable walking speed, the overall movement can still feel sluggish for players used to more snappy controls.
- Not a Fast-Paced Game: This is a cozy game, not a race. The focus is on careful resource management, exploration, and reading dialogue. If you prefer high-action or instant gratification in your simulation games, the deliberate pace of The Abbess Garden might feel slow.
- Mouse and Keyboard Only (For Now): The demo is exclusively for mouse and keyboard on PC. If you prefer to play your cozy games with a controller or on a Steam Deck, you’ll need to wait, as the developers have stated that controller and Steam Deck support will only be available in the full release.
- Simulation Depth: The gardening mechanics are surprisingly detailed (water, soil, proximity). While this is a pro for some, beginners to the genre should be prepared for a learning curve beyond just clicking on a patch of dirt.
The Verdict: Who is this game for?
You should be excited about The Abbess Garden if:
- You love games with a strong, unique historical setting.
- You enjoy the cozy, meditative nature of gardening but want a complex narrative layered on top.
- You are looking for a game that blends visual novel storytelling with light simulation and investigation.
- You value queer-inclusive romance options and character-driven drama.
The Abbess Garden seems poised to deliver a unique and thoughtful experience that offers more than the standard “plant and harvest” loop. If the core mechanics of slow, methodical gardening and deep story intrigue appeal to you, this is definitely one to keep an eye on. Try the free demo to see if the pacing and atmosphere are right for you before the full release!
Maturity Rating
A preliminary maturity rating for The Abbess Garden would be:
“E for Everyone”
Based on the publicly available information, which describes the game as “cozy” and focuses on gardening, story, and romance, there is no indication of intense violence, gore, or strong language. The main elements that factor into a rating are:
- Historical Themes: Involves themes of spies and court drama, which will likely involve some level of intrigue and possibly minor conflict (non-violent).
- Romance: The inclusion of “queer romance” suggests relationship content, which is typically mild in the cozy genre.
- General Tone: The overall aesthetic and genre point toward a gentle, story-focused experience suitable for a wide audience.
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