Steam Greenlight Spotlight: Viridi

Today’s Greenlight spotlight is on a rather unorthodox game. Rather than being a game in a traditional sense, Viridi is more of a simulation and a tool to help unwind from a long and difficult day. It is the sort of game that you pick up when you’re having your morning tea on a Sunday morning. A game that you play when you feel that you need something to help you relax. Often games can become more stressful than anything else. I can’t count the number of times I’ve become flustered at a match in games like Heroes of the Storm or CS:GO. Viridi is the complete opposite of those experiences, providing a virtual sandbox in which to plant and care for succulents and watch them progress over time.

To be completely honest, there isn’t much to Viridi in terms of its mechanics. There is no outstanding game design, no inventive features, and no beautiful visuals, yet there is just something magical about the game. Even just spending a minute watching the trailer puts me in a more relaxed state. I watch the plants blossom, listening to the calming and smooth soundtrack, and it puts me in a great mood. The growth of the succulents in Viridi happens even when the game is not being played. This means that each time you return to your world, you will be able to notice a difference in your garden from when you last played. While staying as close as possible to real life, Viridi also manages to speed up the progress of your growth, meaning that you won’t have to wait months or even longer for your plants to germinate.

The most enchanting aspect of Viridi is the growth animations. Each time you return to your pot, an animation plays that shows your plants growth from when you last left off until now. This is a beautiful display to witness, as well as being extremely relaxing as well as rewarding. The feeling of knowing that you’ve created the garden and seeing the plants thriving is one of pure joy. If  you’d like to experience the relaxation that Viridi offers, be sure to leave a vote and some constructive feedback on the game’s Greenlight page.