Software:Gardenscapes

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Gardenscapes
Gardenscapes icon.png
The protagonist, Austin the Butler.
Developer(s)Playrix
Publisher(s)Playrix
Platform(s)Android, iOS, Facebook Platform
Release
  • WW: August 2016
Genre(s)Puzzle
Mode(s)Single-player

Gardenscapes is a freemium game released by Playrix in August 2016.[1] It is available on iOS and Android, and on Facebook. The game combines simulation elements and traditional match-3 mechanics.

Gameplay

Gardenscapes is a match-3 puzzle game, where the core gameplay is based on swapping two adjacent elements to make a row or column or group of at least three elements. Every level has a goal, examples of which include collecting a certain number of elements (e.g., pears, flowers, apples, glasses of lemonade, mystery sacks, berries, fishing floats), locating garden gnomes, digging up emeralds, setting off firecrackers, or removing ivy. Gardenscapes consists of a number of areas. By completing match-3 levels, players earn stars and coins to complete tasks and progress through the storyline by unlocking new areas (e.g., Treehouse Area, Fountains Area, Maze Area).[2] Players are challenged to complete different tasks and use a wide range of decor items to create their own unique garden with the help of Austin the Butler. Players have the opportunity to make friends with in-game characters, follow them on an in-game social network, and have the company of an animated dog.

Reception

More than 7.5 million people play Gardenscapes every day. Facebook named it the game of the year in 2016.[3] As of April 2017, ZDNet estimated that Gardenscapes had been downloaded to Android devices more than 10 million times, ranking it #11 on the Android game download list, and had produced total revenue exceeding $150 million.[4] By November 2017, total downloads had exceeded 92 million.

Gardenscapes, along with other games by Playrix, have been increasingly coming under criticism on the internet for displaying misleading advertisements that depict gameplay that does not accurately reflect the game itself.[5] Several Reddit forums are dedicated to this. In late 2019, a Change.org petition was set up to "Stop false mobile game advertising", that cited Gardenscapes as a prime example.[6][failed verification]

References

External links