Last updated on January 4th, 2026 at 10:40 am
The Gardens Between – Puzzle Game Review
The Gardens Between is a Puzzle/Adventure game from THE VOXEL AGENTS PTY. LTD., first launched in 17th May 2019.
It’s rated 4+ and currently has 3,637+ ratings on the App Store.
What Makes The Gardens Between Stand Out
Best friends Arina and Frendt fall into a series of vibrant, dreamlike island gardens peppered with everyday objects from their childhood. Together they embark on an emotional journey that examines the significance of their friendship: the memories they’ve built, what must be let go, and what should never be left behind.
Lost in a mysterious realm where cause and effect are malleable, the friends find that time flows in all directions. Manipulate time to solve puzzles and reach the apex of each isle. Follow the duo as they unpack and explore their significant moments spent together, lighting up constellations and illuminating threads of a bittersweet narrative.
"A masterwork."
- The Guardian
“A must-have title for anyone who enjoys puzzle games.”
- Gaming Trend
“An incredibly clever and frighteningly intricate puzzle formula.”
- Nintendo Life
"Full of creative touches and small magical moments."
- GameSpot
"A magical journey."
- Polygon
“You really need to play it.’
- Engadget
FEATURES
• Vibrant, storybook-inspired art style
• Dreamy tale of adventure, friendship and growing-up
• Gorgeous single player experience with a meaningful personal story
• Bespoke ingenious puzzles require the manipulation of time to solve
• Accessible design; simple controls, and no text, speech, time pressure or complex UI
• Relaxing, ambient soundtrack by feature-artist Tim Shiel
• Play in widescreen landscape or tall portrait view
• Seventeen achievements to find and complete
• No internet required. No data tracking. No in-app purchases. No ads.
AWARDS
• 'Apple Design Award' Winner – Apple 2019
• 'Mac Game of the Year' Winner – Apple 2018
• 'Game of the Year' Winner – AGDA 2018
• 'Most Innovative Game' Winner – Game Two 2018
• ‘Best Technology’ Winner – Sense Of Wonder Night 2018
• 'Visual Excellence' Finalist – IGF 2018
• 'Best of MIX' Winner – MIX Seattle 2018
• 'Game Design Excellence' Winner – BIC Fest 2017
• Plus another twenty industry award nominations
• 'Final Selection' of more than 16 international festivals
Stream or buy the original and extended soundtrack of The Gardens Between at https://awal.lnk.to/glowingpains
This Puzzle game offers engaging gameplay and regular updates for mobile players.
Player Feedback
As a newer release, The Gardens Between is building its player community. Early feedback suggests .
Recent Updates & Development
Latest Update: 2nd July 2023
Recent improvements include:
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Download & Availability
The Gardens Between is available through the official App Store for iOS devices.
Get The Gardens Between on App Store
Requirements: Requires iPhone 5s / iPad Air / iPad Air (Cellular) / iPad Mini 2 (Retina) / iPad Mini 2 (Retina, Cellular) / iPhone 6 / iPhone 6 Plus / iPad Air 2 / iPad Air 2 (Cellular) / iPad Mini 3 or later.
Compatible with iPhone and iPad devices.
Player Experience Highlights
Community Insight:
Good game once you figured out trial and error going back-and-forth.
We love this gameits so relaxing.
We dont download games a lot and when we do they are puzzle games like Room, House of DaVinci, Machinarium, Botanicula, Samarost. Many years ago we played Myst series and even very old school: The Manhole. We love those games and play them over again because there are just a few well-made puzzle games. Others are disappointing. The Gardens in Between is absolutely unique and possibly the most creative puzzle game Ive played in our 57 years. Gameplay involves what we considered memory islands and involve gathering light into a lantern, time shifting, jumping boxes, fog bridges, and using electricity and old technology (like printing) in creative ways. There is a wholesome bond between two friends that you see in memories. We had a tear or two at the end. One thing about gameplay that we found was that we didnt get immersed for hours when playing. We would complete an island and then Id typically stop and play another day. We think this was because the goal each time was sort of similar (get a lighted lantern to the top). But it was quite an interesting diversion and that is basically the biggest thing you want from a game app. Well done! We look forward to what you create later on.
For some other similar games, we have given up and looked up how to solve the puzzles, but these make sense. Some are more challenging than others, but they are solvable. Beyond that, the theme is really sweet, and we enjoy the artwork. This is our favorite iPad game.
Just the puzzle games, do you know.
This game is one of the top 5 games we've played on the iPad, right up there with Edith Finch, Wild Rift, and Wolf Among Us.
We wanted a cozy game we could play in between doom scrolling, Im amazed at how beautiful this game is. Im blown away.
Im not a huge gamer but this was a pleasant surprise. The graphics and story line is really captivating. We really enjoyed playing it. The start of the game was kinda confusing and we had to watch walk through videos to figure it out but once we got the hang of it we really enjoyed the puzzles. We think the only thing it was missing was a basic tutorial but overall we want to play more. Really well done, just WOW.
We love this game. We have it on all of our game systems. The touch controls are good, but we prefer playing with controllers when we can. The only problem we have with this version is when we plug in our Backbone controller the game automatically shuts off or doesnt start. That why its 4 stars out of 5.
This game is so fun our kids are all over it we love the app and its great for our children their minds Borden so much from this game if you want a fun game for kids that makes them use their brainpower than you should download this app or if you want a fun tricky challenge than you should download this app. Its worth the money because whats more important than you childs brain and their happiness? Download this app for fun and brains.
Intimate experience that takes your sensory emotions to a different world.
Reminds us of Monument Valley, which we love. Beautiful and creative artwork, mesmerizing music, fun puzzles with lots of aha! Moments, and an evocative storyline. Games of this quality are rare indeed. Beautifully done, well worth the money, and Ill be looking for more from this team.
Beautiful game and fun puzzles. Nice to play when you want to relax.
We love this game. We have it on all of our game systems. The touch controls are good, but we prefer playing with controllers when we can. The only problem we have with this version is when we plug in our Backbone controller the game automatically shuts off or doesnt start. That why its 4 stars out of 5.
When we open it on iPad Pro and click continue, it always jump out automatically, our iOS version is 15.4.1, can u check on it.
This game did not impress us. We recommend playdeads inside, it is way better than this game. This game did not meet our expectations for example it gets very boring very fast. The story line does not make sense either. Im not saying a game has to make sense for it to be good. Developers please respond we would appreciate it.
This games seems right up our alley, but it crashes during the opening cut scene. We are on an iPad Pro 12.9 with the M1.
We have never seen a game navigate time like this. We are not one to use our phone too much but this game has had us on it all day.
We love how you play the game and the story.
LOVE LOVE the story -graphics- unique game play so different from others yet the true adventure is incredible this is a keeper bc we can play this over & over again ..Im hoping for more like thisThank You – this game was/is soo enjoyable to play we love the scenery in this & just everything about this game.
Okay this game is crazy! The soundtrack is by far amazing! One of our favorites right now. It maybe short, but still an outstanding game. We recommend.
We wasnt sure we were going to like this game but by the third island we were hooked. The creators must have had so much fun making this game as they figured out the challenges on each island. We love how through the boy you can reverse or forward time as part of solving a way to get them to the top of the island. Or how you can have them repeat moves to change something about the surroundings. Our favorite island was when the boy stops time and you change how the light box moves across a playground via a drawing on a wall to help both of them get up the path. So cool! Very clever, beautiful and a sweet story. We are playing some of our favorite islands again.
Its such a unique concept and is executed beautifully. We find ourselves frustrated with a lot of puzzle games and never finish them but this one is so satisfying and fun to learn about and play, not to mention the animations are gorgeous and nostalgic. We never write reviews for games because we never care enough to, but this game has left such an impression on us that we have to share our experience. 10/10, sooo worth it.
Usually we dont write reviews unless we absolutely love a game and The Gardens Between is one of them. First, the graphics are stunning making the game visually appealing. We get bored of games very quickly if they arent intellectually stimulating. As the levels got more and more complex, it was fun thinking of news ways to solve each level. Could not be more happy with this game! Wish there were more levels so we could continue to play or games that had a similar premise.
We had just got an ipad for traveling when our husband found this game for us to play. He said he knew Id like it, and we definitely did! We love the soothing music, the adventurous levels, the love the characters have for each other and we absolutely love puzzles. It can be a bit challenging sometimes, but we truly enjoyed it.
This game is one of our favorites! It combines incredible artwork, peaceful music, and the ability to control time!! The puzzles arent to difficult and we think it would be a great game to play when you are stressed.
This gameplay was so much fun and a bit different than any other Ive played. We were so disappointed when we finished. We would love another similar game. Great job.
Loved it. From start to finish it was a great game. Highly entertaining and highly recommended.
Its beautiful we dont understand it though but its so good ekkkkk its so cool we love this thx so much for making this it makes us so happy its challenge but fun and cool.
This game is gorgeous and has a wonderfully relaxing atmosphere. Its a bit somber given the themes of loss and moving on, but we found it very comforting. Great to play before bed, chilling our brain out. The puzzles weren't super challenging, but some were still a bit of a brain teaser enough to scratch that puzzle cracking itch. Having to factor in the timeline and subtimelines and how they interact was neat, but also sometimes context or perspective based events that were easily overlooked. All in all a super great game! Just wish there were more puzzles.
Very creative. Engaging. Calming.
To the creators of this game, Thank you for giving us the pleasure of a mysterious, challenging yet surprisingly BEAUTIFUL story line. We wish not to spoil this for anyone willing to play this game. But the ending was just fantastic. This game was totally worth the $5 it cost. Absolutely love this amazing. Trust us its worth the time and effort. It helped us relax when we were stressed and took everything off of our mind. 10/10 would definitely recommend.
The introductory level for this game is very helpful because although navigation is simple, it isnt standard. Youre basically moving forward backward through time with the two friends who are your characters taking on one specific (and standard throughout the game) task each to accomplish larger goals by working together. This game plays well for adult puzzlers, and Im sure that kids would benefit from the loosely told story about friendship and how it affects us. Its challenging without being frustrating, and it can be played in one night or you can take your time strolling through it. The design is both beautiful and clean with immersive sound and environments. Its one of the better apps Ive downloaded.
This is THE BEST game u can get for $5. We recommend.
Only wish there were more levels. Maybe an update.
Im sad because we finished the game but we are going to replay it because its beautiful and we think people can relate to the kids situation at the end (no spoilers). If you are thinking of trying this game its definitely worth the cost and the game itself is just amazing.
We love adventure puzzle games and this one is just a complete masterpiece of the highest quality. The graphics are stunning, the puzzles are just the right amount of challenging and new/interesting, the music is gorgeous (we even found it on Spotify after playing), and there is a beautiful backstory that brings it all together. It doesnt rely on spooky fantasy stories or myths (as much as we love the genre, its refreshing to get a break from it). Highly recommend! Take your time and think creatively, it will all come together.
But turns out they were dead the whole time.
We love this game! Its an amazing adventure between two friends using their treehouse as a boat between parallel worlds of their memories and friendship. Its very interesting, entertaining, fun, creative, and exciting in every level.
Or a dream . We think the answer lies somewhere in between. Fun times.
Such a great, beautiful, fun, and challenging game. Kept us entertained for two full days for only $4.99 during the quarantine. We hope they make a part 2. We really enjoyed this game.
Very clever play mechanics. No twitch. Drains the battery because of heavy 3D modeling. Rewards / requires sharp observation, sometime depends on subtle background characteristics. Puzzles all seem fair, never dependent on trial & error.
So boring and slow. Waste of money in our opinion. We just gave it a 5 so then you would actually be able to see this rating when youre looking at them so dont be fooled by the rating we gave it a 1 star in our mind.
We loved it so much!!! The graphics and music is so beautiful! It tells a story that ties into everything just amazing! We never had a game keep us interested the whole time! Ive finished the game now our kids are playing it and they love it too! Well worth the $5 and you can also play this on the Xbox One which we wish we would have known because its easier to see the details and little things you have to pay attention to but either way its a great game.
We love puzzle games, so when we saw this, we were so excited. Trust us everyone, the 4.99 is so worth it. Levels r challenging but fun. Get this game if u like games.
Every once in a great while a game comes along that just wows us! Im super picky about games. We really enjoyed Myst, Riven, the Room series, and both of the House of DiVinci games. And we LOVED this one! The Gardens Between have the kind of graphics that are simple and yet detailed. The color scheme is perfect. We get cheered up every time we play it. The puzzles are extremely unique and slightly challenging but not too difficult. We love the whole time control aspect of the game. The only criticism we have is that the game is kinda short. We are strongly encouraging the app developers to create a sequel to this amazing game and perhaps make it a bit longer. Thanks for one of our favorite games ever. Easily worth the price we paid.
This game is really pretty and neat. Its different than other games and the gameplay is new and quite refreshing. We really like it. Good job game maker ppl. Now Im curious to see what other games they have made. We also really like the music in the game and even turned down our tv so we could listen to it as we play. Thats a first for us ;). We highly recommend this game.
Im 67 years old. We find the games challenging but obtainable. We find the music soothing keeping us from getting stress. Enjoyable.
User feedback from Apple App Store
App Details
- Version: 1.3.1
- Size: 926.16 MB
- iOS: 13.0 or later
- Languages: NL, EN, FR, DE, IT, JA, KO, PL, PT, RU, ZH, ES, ZH
- Content Advisory:
- Developer: THE VOXEL AGENTS PTY. LTD.
Last updated: 2nd July 2023 | Genre: Puzzle, Adventure | Developer: THE VOXEL AGENTS PTY. LTD.