Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator vs Kindred Vale

If Stillalive Studios's games list is anything to go by, they have a thing for simulation video games. From their Bus Simulator series to the latest addition, Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator, the developer seems to have found a new fanbase. And if you’ve yet to exhaust their last release, you will probably be playing it along with their upcoming title, Kindred Vale. But before its full release, let’s see what we can make out of a Grand Life: A Cozy Simulator vs Kindred Vale comparison.  

What is Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator?

Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator is a classic from Stillalive Studios. The game, published by Nacon, dropped in February 2024 to fulfill the dreams of gamers with a thing for yard work. As the title suggests, it’s all about a relaxed gardening approach. You create your dream garden, sow seeds, water, fertilize, trim, and nurture your plants in a peaceful and colorful world. All your farmwork techniques mimic real-life situations, allowing you to watch your plants blossom regardless of the season. You can even transform a long-forgotten parcel into a blooming community garden and restore its long-lost glory. 

What is Kindred Vale?

Kindred Vale is yet another cozy life simulator game from Stillalive Studios. It’s pretty much similar to Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator. Only in Kindred Vale, you restore the peace and tranquillity between the mountains’ spirits and humans. The game takes place in the mystical alpine city of Kindred Vale. The town boasts of breathtaking mountains with mystic spirits, and now a rift exists between the spirits and the community of humans. Players dive into the enchanting simulation experience that blends relationship, farming, foraging, and crafting.

Gameplay

The single-player Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator tosses you into an epic simulation game with a pinch of exploration. It begins with you taking charge of a deserted land where all seems lost. Your task is to restore the land to its heyday. Roll up your sleeves and put your gardening skills to the test as you explore what the secluded plot holds.

Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator’s gameplay is rather simple for players with a way around farming. Nevertheless, Jasmine is there to show you the ins and outs of the garden. She takes you through everything from planting to nurturing your flowers and using different tools. The game features only two locations. The garden where you will do all your farm work,  and the village where you will be looking to fill orders for flowers.

The early stages are more about cultivating. Plant your seeds and allow them time to thrive. Fertilize, water, pull out weeds, and trim to enhance their appearance. Finish the tasks your neighbors give to earn rewards, unlock new gardening tools, and discover seed varieties and ornaments. The gameplay is also quite interactive and lets you encounter different characters in the market. You meet Leslie, who sells seeds and tools, and Laurie, Robin's – the former garden caretaker sister. 

The former caretaker passed away, and his sister wants you to safeguard his legacy. But the appearance of Robin’s ghost makes Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator have Kindred Vale’s spirit theme. His spectral rendering only has one request. To take care of the garden and complete his to-do list. 

Evidently, Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator only slightly features Kindred Vale’s mountain spirits aspect by bringing the former caretaker’s ghost. Similarly, its main farming theme doesn’t predominantly appear in Kindred Vale. Although you still engage in farming, it’s only a part of other in-game activities like foraging and crafting. You can, however, give your fellow townies a range of gifts with no particular intention. With Garden Life, the gardener can also donate flowers, although they mean to create sculptures that contest prizes in the pavilion. 

Again, players will have a deeper sense of exploration in Kindred Vale as they traverse the town and discover its hidden secrets. Beyond the lush grasslands and mountains, we see more than meets the eye. They also forge more meaningful relationships with the characters they meet to restore the land's beauty and harmony. You can take the relationships even deeper and meet your special person that melts your heart. 

Game Modes

With the release still pending, it’s hard to determine whether Kindred Vale will have different game modes or how they will play out. However, if Stillalive Studios’ last game is anything to go by, fans could catch Kindred Vale in different play styles, just like Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator. In this game, players enjoy unmatched freedom in two gameplay modes. Whether you are rekindling the garden’s life in the story or creative mode, there are no grid restrictions on designing your plot or placing plants and objects. 

In story mode, you simply follow on with the gameplay, working on your garden and completing side tasks from neighbors. You unlock new tools, seeds, and ornaments procedurally as you learn more about the spot. The creative mode, on the other hand, sets you free and lets your creativity reign. You can instantly access all garden corners, seeds, tools, and ornaments.

Features

Both simulation games are feature-rich, with the right items to fulfilll their gameplay. Garden Life has enough tools, plant options, and decorative items to get your dream garden. And for players with the Party Pack, you have more exclusive flowers and decorative items like hanging pots, lanterns, and ballon objects, all colored in your choice.

For Kindred Vale, however, the features support exploration, starting from the beautiful grasslands and vast mountains. You will marvel at just staring at the Kindred Vale neighborhood and the legendary gifts. Run through the grassland with the Zlatorog, fly with the Harpien, or dive down the lake with the Nixen.

Verdict

While we have yet to fully experience Kindred Vale’s gameplay, Stillalive Studios appears to do a better job with it than in Grand Life. First, the story is quite enriching, with unique features and characters like spirits and non-human characters. The gameplay involves a spectacular exploration of the beautiful land, including breathtaking actions like flying and diving. The graphics are also captivating and will have your attention from the start.

So, what’s your take on our Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator vs Kindred Vale comparison? Let us know your thoughts here on our socials or in the comments.