Gnomes Garden 2

Genre: Simulation

Players: 1

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Review:

Gnomes Garden 2 is a game I would describe as fitting somewhere in the Simulation genre. Released in 2016 on PC, ported in 2018 to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, then in 2019 to Nintendo Switch, then finally to mobile devices in 2024. As with the first game, this game has players directing workers to collect resources and build or fix structures, trying to complete level-specific goals.

Before moving on, I need to say that this game is almost identical to the original Gnomes Garden, with only a few visual elements swapped out and a new (but equally pointless) story. Otherwise, this is more of the same, both the good and the bad. As this game’s creator has basically just copy-pasted the gameplay and presentation of the first game, I’ll do much the same here in my review, copy-pasting from my review of the original Gnomes Garden.

The presentation here feels very much like a mobile game, with mobile-style menus and interface, and gameplay that has 3D characters on 2D isometric backgrounds that are colorful but lack any sort of distinct personality. This generic feel is further emphasized by the game’s generic-sounding instrumental soundtrack.

As if the mobile look wasn’t bad enough, this game commits a common mistake of mobile ports by refusing to support Pro-style game controllers, forcing players to play with Joy-Con controllers for no good reason, just controlling an on-screen cursor. Thankfully this game does retain the touchscreen controls of the mobile versions when played in handheld mode, though the details can be so small on the Nintendo Switch’s screen that they can be hard to make out.

Despite all of these issues screaming “low-quality mobile port”, I think Gnomes Garden 2 is actually fairly decent once you get past these issues. This would be a Management Simulation except you have zero control over where structures are placed, only when to have your workers build them. As a result, the gameplay here works out to be more about keeping track of what’s available to work on and going through a proper order of operations, focusing on the next step in the process you need to accomplish the level’s specific tasks. This can mean building a specific type of structure to get more of a resource, or clearing an obstruction in a pathway so you can get to somewhere vital.

It’s not without its flaws though. Because you’re always either gathering, building, or repairing, the gameplay here can get a bit repetitive. Also, even on a large screen it can be difficult to distinguish some buildings from other, requiring you to highlight them to get more detailed info. Also, I wish there were some way to translate this gameplay into an endless mode rather than always having to race a clock to complete tasks, because I feel like this could be turned into something far more relaxing and enjoyable if this was an option.

In the end, while I was surprised with the gameplay of the original Gnomes Garden, I’m terribly disappointed with this sequel, because while it still has all of the first game’s good qualities, it hasn’t addressed any of the flaws or added anything significant to make this more than just “more of the same”. It’s a lazy follow-up, and unless you’ve completed the original game and want more of the exact same thing, this isn’t worth your time.

tl;dr – Gnomes Garden 2, like its predecessor, is a Simulation-style game that has the look and feel of a bad mobile port, but the gameplay is surprisingly enjoyable, making players focus on the order with which to send workers on tasks. Unfortunately, this game is nearly identical to the first game, to the point where the only people I can see wanting to play this game are those who finished the first Gnomes Garden and want something else that is exactly the same. For everyone else, either play the first game or skip this series entirely.

Grade: C

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