Grow Home

 PlayStation 4
  • Publisher: Ubisoft
  • Release Date: Sep 1, 2015
  • Also On: PC
User Score
6.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 168 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 60 out of 168
  2. Mixed: 64 out of 168
  3. Negative: 44 out of 168

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  1. Agarwel
    Sep 2, 2015
    8
    Wery good and origianl game. When I get it I expected something compeltelly else (basically standart platformer) so I was even more suprised to find out how original the game is.
    You control robot BUD and controls are based on physics. If you played Octodad it will feel similar. You can climb walls by controlling individual hands.
    But the greatest part is growing the plant. Which makes    Wery good and origianl game. When I get it I expected something compeltelly else (basically standart platformer) so I was even more suprised to find out how original the game is.
    You control robot BUD and controls are based on physics. If you played Octodad it will feel similar. You can climb walls by controlling individual hands.
    But the greatest part is growing the plant. Which makes the most of the level itself. What I did not expect is that you have completelly in your control. Everytime the sprout of the plant grows you control the direction yourself. So you basically build the level yourself (most of the level is the Plant. The floating isles you are trying to reach are relativelly small). So each game is very different.    … Expand
  2. kevin1979
    Sep 6, 2015
    9
    Pretty blown away by this game. I think the low scores are grading this on a AAA title scale. To me, this is meant to be a low key experience you get immersed in, which it did very well in my case. I'd probably score it an 8.5 because I think they could have made it longer relatively easily by adding different colored crystals to find after you finish every other challenge. I love the treePretty blown away by this game. I think the low scores are grading this on a AAA title scale. To me, this is meant to be a low key experience you get immersed in, which it did very well in my case. I'd probably score it an 8.5 because I think they could have made it longer relatively easily by adding different colored crystals to find after you finish every other challenge. I love the tree I grew and love how the world feels and want more challenges to spend time on.… Expand
  3. darapalooza
    Sep 3, 2015
    8
    Grow Home allows you to alter the landscape by controlling the growth a massive plant. While the concept is simple, the world is extremely charming and encourages you to explore. I've heard complaints about the buggy climbing system but I actually really like the refreshing manual take on it (a button for your left hand and another for your right hand).

    Looking down from 2000m and being    Grow Home allows you to alter the landscape by controlling the growth a massive plant. While the concept is simple, the world is extremely charming and encourages you to explore. I've heard complaints about the buggy climbing system but I actually really like the refreshing manual take on it (a button for your left hand and another for your right hand).

    Looking down from 2000m and being able to see the plant growth you had an effect on is extremely satisfying. I was hoping to see more than one level and the play time is a little short, but this is a great, unique addition to the PS+ free game library.    … Expand
  4. mpiatek
    Sep 4, 2015
    9
    This is a very enjoyable game. I like stumbling around as a drunk robot making a giant beanstalk grow. Once you get the handle of climbing, jumping, floating, etc. it makes for a decent platformer. Great game!
  5. blunderstone
    Sep 5, 2015
    9
    Beautiful low poly world, simple mechanics, and full of adventure, Grow Home offers a unique gaming experience. It's unlike any other game on PlayStation 4.
  6. ToFewViews
    Sep 13, 2015
    8
    Grow Home is a fairly original Platformer developed by a small Team at Ubisoft. It's a fairly short game but offers a lot to do. Grow Home follows "BUD" (Botanical Utility Droid) and his journey to grow a plant that will oxygenate his home planet. The controls can feel very clunky and hard to learn at first because of BUD's physics and momentum, If you keep running in one direction on jumpGrow Home is a fairly original Platformer developed by a small Team at Ubisoft. It's a fairly short game but offers a lot to do. Grow Home follows "BUD" (Botanical Utility Droid) and his journey to grow a plant that will oxygenate his home planet. The controls can feel very clunky and hard to learn at first because of BUD's physics and momentum, If you keep running in one direction on jump multiple times you will find it very hard to come to a complete stop without falling off of something. The main objective is to scale a giant bean stock type plant and find points on the plant you can use to grow further to reach food/energy that the plant needs to grow. This is where Grow Home really comes together, As you branch out with your plant and work towards the floating islands you can look back at your progress and see the beautiful mess of a plant you have grown. But at anytime it is possible to fall off and have to rather start climbing again or use a checkpoint that are placed. There are things like Flowers,Leafs and Packets to also help you get around and hopefully not fall back to the beginning. Finding Crystals that are placed throughout the game will increase BUD's jet-pack as well. Altogether Grow Home is a extremely fun light heated game suitable for almost anyone and for the 8$ Price tag or Free if you got it with PlayStation Plus it's a steal of a deal.… Expand
  7. Zellfreid
    Sep 15, 2015
    10
    I did not know about this game until it came out free on PS Plus, and I have been loving it ever since! Very addictive. The learning curve on how to handle the robot is actually really enjoyable as you figure out the physics of the world and the climbing mechanic. You can go practically anywhere, and the collectibles are abundant but not overwhelming. The game grows ever more expansive asI did not know about this game until it came out free on PS Plus, and I have been loving it ever since! Very addictive. The learning curve on how to handle the robot is actually really enjoyable as you figure out the physics of the world and the climbing mechanic. You can go practically anywhere, and the collectibles are abundant but not overwhelming. The game grows ever more expansive as you progress and is well worth the time you put into it!… Expand
  8. intrepidis
    Sep 18, 2015
    7
    I got this free on PS+, so I'm probably being generous with 7, it's probably just worth a 6 really. Also, fortunately you can completely ignore the uPlay nonsense. Anyway the game is fun to play and quite unique. Controlling BUD is weird but you get used to it, and after a while you can kind of master it... Running down roots, jumping, deploying your petal parachute and gliding to otherI got this free on PS+, so I'm probably being generous with 7, it's probably just worth a 6 really. Also, fortunately you can completely ignore the uPlay nonsense. Anyway the game is fun to play and quite unique. Controlling BUD is weird but you get used to it, and after a while you can kind of master it... Running down roots, jumping, deploying your petal parachute and gliding to other offshoots. It's really fun. I played with my 8 and 10 year old children. They loved it. There are hidden caves to explore, funny creatures and plants, free falling from the stratosphere to the ground, and an epic sense of scale. It's a bit challenging towards the end, but finally getting into the spaceship and having look around is a nice reward. Also the game felt a little short, but longevity is added at the end by having to climb back down and find stuff. Some of the trophies are fun to achieve too.… Expand
  9. Sparkticle
    Nov 6, 2015
    7
    It's a small game that's very unique and different from other open world games. It's very physics-based, and if you enjoy games built solely on that, you will have fun with this game. The game doesn't have a lot of content and it's short, but for what it is, it's pretty good and lasts long enough for you to remember it.

    Some issues are the controls can be very clunky and irresponsive    It's a small game that's very unique and different from other open world games. It's very physics-based, and if you enjoy games built solely on that, you will have fun with this game. The game doesn't have a lot of content and it's short, but for what it is, it's pretty good and lasts long enough for you to remember it.

    Some issues are the controls can be very clunky and irresponsive sometimes, and the game is really slow overall. Also, believe it or not, this game stutters on the PS4 and you can see visible chunks of lost frames. Definitely not a must buy, but an interesting game to try nonetheless.    … Expand
  10. UnoDtantos
    Oct 4, 2015
    10
    Very good platforms chill-discover game, i love it. I want to fly in more worlds!!!!Looking down from ship and being able to see the plant growth you had an effect on is extremely satisfying.
  11. Succulent_Dan
    Oct 2, 2015
    8
    A relaxing, inventive, beautiful and fun game. Full of little moments of pure joy (falling 1000 feet while clinging desperately onto a sheep, discovering and being chased by a goggle eyed cave bull, and the mild mockery of your M.O.M every time you explode). Sadly quite short, so reaching the mother ship comes all too easy, and there is not that much to collect to get to 100%. RecommendedA relaxing, inventive, beautiful and fun game. Full of little moments of pure joy (falling 1000 feet while clinging desperately onto a sheep, discovering and being chased by a goggle eyed cave bull, and the mild mockery of your M.O.M every time you explode). Sadly quite short, so reaching the mother ship comes all too easy, and there is not that much to collect to get to 100%. Recommended to anyone who wants something a bit different.… Expand
  12. Billyj80
    Sep 2, 2015
    10
    Ok well i got it for free for ps plus so i gave it a try and boy was i surprised didnt expect it to be as good as it was like i was expecting something different but instead i got a fun opened world physics based gameplay kind of game with fun exploration so i definitely recommend it even if you get it for ps plus it is well worth the asking price
  13. DeltaCharlie13
    Sep 2, 2015
    10
    One of the most original and awe inspiring games I've ever had the pleasure of playing. You could probably complete Grow Home in a few hours if you just did the main objective but I spent a while enjoying the open world exploration. Climbing and jumping between the floating islands really gives you a scary sense of height which I've never experienced in another game - its brilliant. TheOne of the most original and awe inspiring games I've ever had the pleasure of playing. You could probably complete Grow Home in a few hours if you just did the main objective but I spent a while enjoying the open world exploration. Climbing and jumping between the floating islands really gives you a scary sense of height which I've never experienced in another game - its brilliant. The best part of the game though has to be growing the star plant - I've never seen anything like it!… Expand
  14. Dal_ReviewedDat
    Sep 7, 2015
    3
    Free with September PS+

    Thank god. This game is hideous to play. As a physics based game, the controls leave you feeling constantly struggling and with very little reward for getting somewhere other than a cubic flower springing up, it's not worth my efforts. Original doesn't mean good. If you want a fun physics based game, see "Rocket League" and have fun instead of a few    Free with September PS+

    Thank god.

    This game is hideous to play. As a physics based game, the controls leave you feeling constantly struggling and with very little reward for getting somewhere other than a cubic flower springing up, it's not worth my efforts.

    Original doesn't mean good. If you want a fun physics based game, see "Rocket League" and have fun instead of a few hours of thinking 'meh' before un-installing Grow Home forever.    … Expand
  15. Pureray
    Sep 3, 2015
    7
    100% the game in just a couple of hours and it came with no plat :( No story, soundtrack not impressive, animations are clunky, you don't go home just save it, but never get to see it. At least I got some amazing Ubisoft points! *sarcasm*

    Overall this game is at a good price of 8$. Thanks a lot voters, we could've gotten a different game with higher value and with more replay-ability    100% the game in just a couple of hours and it came with no plat :( No story, soundtrack not impressive, animations are clunky, you don't go home just save it, but never get to see it. At least I got some amazing Ubisoft points! *sarcasm*

    Overall this game is at a good price of 8$. Thanks a lot voters, we could've gotten a different game with higher value and with more replay-ability along with some multiplayer w/ friends such as Armello or even Zombie Vikings...    … Expand
  16. boogiesmeister
    Sep 6, 2015
    4
    I'd give this game a 6, but it gets -1 for uplay nonsense & -1 for horrible performance on ps4 (fps drops a lot), despite very simplistic graphics. This game is only worth it if you get it for free in psn+ or if you have a 5y old at your home. Otherwise dont bother.
    The game has some cute concepts and with few improvements it could be played by adults "for relax", but very simplistic    I'd give this game a 6, but it gets -1 for uplay nonsense & -1 for horrible performance on ps4 (fps drops a lot), despite very simplistic graphics. This game is only worth it if you get it for free in psn+ or if you have a 5y old at your home. Otherwise dont bother.
    The game has some cute concepts and with few improvements it could be played by adults "for relax", but very simplistic gameplay & outright boring setting (despite what trailer suggests, there is only one music soundtrack & it's very boring) is smth that kills this game. Not recommended.    … Expand
  17. rdekoch
    Sep 3, 2015
    3
    I quickly gave up. Controlling the robot is not fun. The camera is awful. I couldn't tell what the hell was going on. The trailer looks so polished, but the game I played looked like it was running on an n64. There are so many great downloadable titles out there and this ain't one of them.
  18. Tirah
    Sep 15, 2015
    2
    When I found out we'd be getting this game for free on PS+, I had high hopes for it to be good. What I got was a clunky mess following in the footsteps of Surgeon Simulator and other oh-so-hilarious wacky physics-based games.
    The main character, a robot named B.U.D., controls terribly. I don't know whether it's supposed to be funny or cute, but I was really annoyed by it. You spend 90% of    When I found out we'd be getting this game for free on PS+, I had high hopes for it to be good. What I got was a clunky mess following in the footsteps of Surgeon Simulator and other oh-so-hilarious wacky physics-based games.
    The main character, a robot named B.U.D., controls terribly. I don't know whether it's supposed to be funny or cute, but I was really annoyed by it. You spend 90% of the game climbing very, very slowly on various surfaces. You do so by repeatedly pressing the shoulder buttons. Right for right hand, left for left hand. Press the button to grab an object or hold onto a wall, release the button to let go. Sounds cool in concept, but in reality it's tedious and it makes my hands hurt after mere 20 minutes of gameplay.
    I don't like the art design of GH, so I'm not gonna criticize it. What I WILL criticize, however, is the terrible screen tearing whenever you move the camera around, and framerate drops.
    The worst thing is the sound design. B.U.D. makes the most annoying sounds you can imagine, especially when jumping. The background music is okay and would be pretty relaxing, if the gameplay wasn't so boring that it immediatelly puts you in a bad mood.
    I wanted to like the game, I really did. After all, Ubisoft has a history of producing some of the best platformers ever made.
    Unfortunately, Grow Home is not the next Rayman or Beyond Good & Evil. The only positive thing is, I didn't have to pay for this. Otherwise I'd be REALLY disappointed.    … Expand
  19. JimBean
    Sep 3, 2015
    10
    Such a cute, relaxing game. My favourite bit is rescuing the sheep. BUD is so cool, I want an action figure!! So happy this came to PS4. Would Grow Home again.
  20. Bertoflyingfox
    Sep 16, 2015
    4
    This just isnt my type of game. Very frustrating in an unchallenging way. The physics left a lot to be desired and constantly having to push shoulder buttons to climb around was the worst kind of monotony I could e̶n̶j̶o̶y̶ endure in a videogame.
    All for a very short campaign with no replay value. Meh.
  21. Shiftian_Be
    Oct 4, 2015
    5
    Not my type of game at all. Feels like dying.. For a slow-paced platformer based upon the physics of climbing, floating, landing, etc .., the physics part is horrible.. This might be good for kids for it's layed back theme.. Although I doubt it'll keep them intrested for very long too.
  22. thunderclast
    Sep 3, 2015
    2
    Incredibly bad game. The controls are terribly sloppy. You might expect your little gardening robot to handle like a robot: precisely and predictably. Not so. Your character moves around like a 20 ton octopus slathered in petroleum jelly. Momentum is hard to get going and even harder to stop. This will result in you falling off ledges for no good reason. Often.

    Aside from the general    Incredibly bad game. The controls are terribly sloppy. You might expect your little gardening robot to handle like a robot: precisely and predictably. Not so. Your character moves around like a 20 ton octopus slathered in petroleum jelly. Momentum is hard to get going and even harder to stop. This will result in you falling off ledges for no good reason. Often.

    Aside from the general awfulness of the controls, the developers have also omitted the option to invert the camera controls' x-axis. When you click "invert camera controls," it inverts only the y-axis, which is incredibly frustrating, unless you're one of the two dozen people in the world who play flight sims.

    Yes, I just dedicated a whole paragraph to the importance of being able to invert both camera axes. And here's another, especially for the developers:

    IN A THIRD PERSON GAME, THE RIGHT STICK CONTROLS THE CAMERA. WHEN I PRESS RIGHT, THE CAMERA SHOULD MOVE RIGHT. WHEN I PRESS UP, THE CAMERA SHOULD MOVE UP. GET THE PICTURE?

    At least give me the option, for crying out loud. It can't be that hard to code.

    Aside from my gripes about the controls, there are also the graphics to complain about. The untextured simple polygons that make up every object in this game look like they came from 1995. I'm talking Star Fox 64 graphics here. Which is apparently too much for this game to handle, considering all the screen tearing.

    Moving on to game play: it's pretty boring and repetitive. There's no real story to speak of. The exploration is sort of fun, and the general concept of the game is creative. That kept me playing for a while, but not for too long.

    Over all, the concept of this game is good, but it would be difficult for the execution to be worse. I'm awarding 2 points for sheer creativity.    … Expand
  23. dacritic82
    Sep 2, 2015
    5
    I got this game for free because of Vote to Play. For me it was the weakest choice but it got voted somehow. It's clearly a game meant for 5-year-old kids. I had fun... for 10 minutes. Then, it became boring and repetitive.
  24. mdhayes3
    Sep 4, 2015
    3
    I voted for Grow Home for PS Plus, because it looked liked a game I would enjoy and I like the unique and clever idea of the game. I played it for about 2 hours and I'm disappointed I voted for it.
    The game is about climbing up a giant plant to make it back to your ship, but the climbing mechanics are AWFUL! Why make a game about climbing when you can't get the main aspect of the game    I voted for Grow Home for PS Plus, because it looked liked a game I would enjoy and I like the unique and clever idea of the game. I played it for about 2 hours and I'm disappointed I voted for it.
    The game is about climbing up a giant plant to make it back to your ship, but the climbing mechanics are AWFUL! Why make a game about climbing when you can't get the main aspect of the game to work well. It's terrible sloppy and unresponsive, which leads to frustrating gameplay. I wanted to like this game, but it just doesn't work and wasn't a fun experience.    … Expand
  25. romanontherun
    Sep 4, 2015
    4
    thanks voters.
    it's clunky to control, have no story and almost no challenge.

    and now i'll have to buy Zomibe Vikings on my own (who in his right mind would not vote for zombie vikings?! they zombie and a f**cking vikings for gods sake!)
  26. kraenk
    Dec 30, 2015
    10
    I finally got my PS4 and the first game I played for the whole night was......no, no AAA or Uncharted Trilogy, I played Grow Home and had so much fun with it doing so..It has a unique style, great sound and art design, very interesting and different game mechanics and is relaxing yet challenging. Kind of a unique combination. Very clever game, recommended!
  27. pypes
    Nov 4, 2015
    3
    I'd seen this on steam and thought it looked interesting, however I am allergic to giving money to ubisoft so I declined to buy it. So you can imagine how pleased I was when it turned up on PS Plus for "free"

    You play as a robot called BUD (or stumbles as I have named him) and your goal is to induce a giant "star plant" (Latin: phalicus homoeroticus) by clambering all over it until you    I'd seen this on steam and thought it looked interesting, however I am allergic to giving money to ubisoft so I declined to buy it. So you can imagine how pleased I was when it turned up on PS Plus for "free"

    You play as a robot called BUD (or stumbles as I have named him) and your goal is to induce a giant "star plant" (Latin: phalicus homoeroticus) by clambering all over it until you find it's purple headed sprouts, then sitting astride the expanding vine and guiding them until they roughly penetrate the glowing space rocks. Or in other words you clime a great big vine and visit some floating islands.

    The premise is quite interesting, however the execution is very poor. Stumbles controls like a toddler; running everywhere at full speed whilst having no means of stopping, and 90% of the game is either spend climbing or dragging stuff. Climbing works by mashing the shoulder buttons a-la shadow of the colossus, only with absolutely no sense (or means) of urgency and it's incredibly tedious, this is your primary means of locomotion for a significant fraction of the game. Dragging stuff back to the scanner is just as tedious, pretty much everything that needs dragging is near the limit of what our robotic hero can physically manage, thus a trip of few meters takes seemingly an age and will be thwarted by a gentle slope.

    All this could be overlooked if it weren't for one glaring problem; there is bugger all to do in this game. Hazards with the exception of falling and the tedium of climbing back up are few and far between. There are crystal to collect, which grant you better ways to move around, but they are numerous and the hard to reach ones are no more rewarding than the myriad just scattered in your path. The graphics are fine, but there are no sweeping vistas to reward a difficult climb. There are numerous tiny islands to visit, each identical to the last, and the whole premise of growing a plant to an arbitrary height wears thin quickly.

    They should of called it "spastic robot simulator" and marketed as a comedy game similar to octodad.    … Expand
  28. Davidscj
    Oct 27, 2015
    6
    Grow home hits lots of high notes but is ultimately let down by its repetitive gameplay and frustrating controls.

    Grow Home is beautiful. The world is colourful and sounds amazing. It is a joy to gaze over the landscape and explore every nook and cranny. The real highlight of this game is in its visuals and sound. The gameplay struggles to match this standard. You control 'BUD' a robot    Grow home hits lots of high notes but is ultimately let down by its repetitive gameplay and frustrating controls.

    Grow Home is beautiful. The world is colourful and sounds amazing. It is a joy to gaze over the landscape and explore every nook and cranny. The real highlight of this game is in its visuals and sound. The gameplay struggles to match this standard. You control 'BUD' a robot who must grow a tree to produce a seed that will save your home planet. You grow this tree by climbing it and riding its branches to floating energy rocks that grow the tree. This in n interesting idea that never evolves and becomes a bit too repetitive.

    Controlling BUD is extra,ely frustrating. He is a robot, charmingly animated, who moves very comically as his limbs move precariously, seemingly struggling to carry his body. Whilst this creates a charming character who moves like a funny robot it also makes BUD incredibly difficult to control with any precision which is problematic in a platformer. BUD boasts an inventive climbing mechanic as you control his arms and clamp down onto surfaces using the trigger buttons. This is in theory a great idea except the arms sometimes struggle to move over certain surfaces and sometimes you fid yourself falling off the plant for no reason. Deaths in this game are frustrating and seem down to control difficulties rather than anything else. The game compensates for this with teleport checkpoints which are too infrequent and also items that led you glide to help you recover which are implemented well. Additionally the world is littered with crystals to collect which can upgrade BUD over time, such as getting a jet pack which is almost completely useless. The problem with the crystals is that movement is so annoying it doesn't feel worth the time searching for them.

    Overall Grow Home is a frustrating experience. The most annoying element is seeing the potential of what could have been. The whole experience lasts a few hours and as such is still worth your time.    … Expand
  29. Astrumuni
    Nov 18, 2015
    4
    Climb a stem, find a sprout, start it growing up. Repeat 100 times. That's all the gameplay could offer.
    Sometimes you'll fall from far above the ground, so be prepared to start you climb from the very beginning.
    There is no story behind so I seriously doubt there is a point to even start this game. As if that wasn't enough the controls are very clumsy - your robot acts like a drunken    Climb a stem, find a sprout, start it growing up. Repeat 100 times. That's all the gameplay could offer.
    Sometimes you'll fall from far above the ground, so be prepared to start you climb from the very beginning.
    There is no story behind so I seriously doubt there is a point to even start this game.
    As if that wasn't enough the controls are very clumsy - your robot acts like a drunken octopus.
    The only good thing is animals design: low polygonal sheeps and birds are pretty cute.    … Expand
  30. fandango89
    May 5, 2016
    3
    Boring, repetitive, no clear objective, goals, or directions. Easy to get lost and wonder what you're even supposed to do. Climbing/gripping/walking controls are finicky and un-intuitive. If you enjoy just senselessly wandering around this is the game for you.
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Awards & Rankings

63
#63 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. PSNStores
    Oct 29, 2015
    90
    There’s a lot to like about Grow Home, especially if you’re into exploration games with a unique aesthetic.
    Read full review
  2. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Oct 16, 2015
    70
    Although completable in a single sitting, Grow Home is just as long as it needs to be without overstaying its welcome. [December 2015, p70]
  3. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Oct 10, 2015
    70
    A charming, if insubstantial freeform exploration game that feels refreshingly open thanks to your intuitive climbing skills. It's almost guaranteed to, ahem, grow on you. [Nov 2015, p.98]
See all critic reviews »