Botany Manor

 Xbox Series X
Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. GamesHub
    Apr 8, 2024
    100
    Botany Manor really surprised me. It’s a small game, comprising of around five or six hours, but one without an ounce of fat on it. The team at Balloon Studios designed a faultlessly tight experience that I really cannot say anything negative about.
  2. Hardcore Gamer
    May 3, 2024
    90
    Botany Manor is a genuine delight, a charming little adventure game with a nice story, a lot of creativity in its plant designs and unique botanical work, and amazing puzzles that feel like a throwback to the classics of yore while having their own beautiful twists based around thorough exploration. It's an absolute gem, so make sure you don't overlook it just because Victoran-era botany doesn't seem all that intriguing at first. As it turns out, it can make for one amazing game.
  3. TheXboxHub
    Apr 11, 2024
    90
    While it’s a smaller variety of plant, Botany Manor is inordinately pretty and comforting. There’s so few barriers to getting your hands on it too: being on Game Pass, you’re only a few steps away from playing it. We relished every moment within Botany Manor’s walls, and if there’s no DLC coming then we’re going to riot. Very gently.
  5. Gamers' Temple
    May 13, 2024
    88
    As far as games go, Botany Manor is a little on the shorter side, but that’s OK in this case. The gameplay fully tells its story without trying to extend things with inconsequential busy work or unnecessary padding. It’s a relaxing and peaceful game that will exercise your brain just enough without taxing it. If you’re looking for a game that will help you to relax and unwind without boring you in the process, then the botanical puzzles of Botany Manor will meet your nutritional needs.
  6. Game Informer
    Apr 11, 2024
    88
    Botany Manor is a blissful, smart, and creatively conceived puzzle adventure. It’s just challenging enough to be engaging without veering into stressful territory, and its whimsical elements add fun, fantastical touches. I don’t think it made me better at gardening, but unearthing its appeal was satisfying.
  7. XboxAddict
    Jun 3, 2024
    85
    Botany Manor is a great little game. Charming and sweet with a nice balance of challenge and laid-back puzzle elements. Delightfully immersive due to its first-person perspective, it makes exploring the manor feel like a joy versus a chore.
  8. The Games Machine
    Apr 27, 2024
    85
    Botany Manor is a dense and emotionally charged work, designed to bring the player to live in the shoes of Arabella, a young woman who rediscovers her career, finding her own affections. It is a well-crafted and time-conscious production, with well-thought-out and satisfying puzzles. In short, a really convincing test.
  9. Press Start Australia
    Apr 8, 2024
    85
    Botany Manor is a delight. It's sweet, succinct and serene, packed with clever puzzles that reward thoughtful exploration and engagement with its narrative. At a little under three hours it's the perfect lazy weekend getaway for those that like to stop and smell the flowers as much as they like to enrich the soil of their mind.
  10. Gamereactor UK
    Apr 8, 2024
    80
    Botany Manor is an ideal Game Pass game. It's easy, charming, vibrant, and sweet. This is a puzzler that has just the right balance of challenge and simplicity, and the first-person setup and the wonderful presentation make for an immersive experience in a world you want to explore. It doesn't quite have the narrative depth of Call of the Sea, the ingenuity of Viewfinder, or the mechanical excellence of Maquette, but looking at the overall package, as far as immersive sim puzzlers go, this is a fine addition to the collection.
  11. XboxEra
    Apr 8, 2024
    80
    Botany Manor is an enjoyable puzzle-focused adventure with an obsession in weird plants and an interesting estate. What might be lacking in overall narrative is made up for pleasant pacing and a relaxing homework assignment at a country side world of plants.
  12. Windows Central
    Apr 8, 2024
    80
    Botany Manor is a lovely little puzzle game that's relaxing, engaging, beautiful, and approachable. It's a great first game from Balloon Studios with a lot of charm, but it's not perfect, and it's even shorter than I expected. Being a day-one addition to Xbox Game Pass, though, makes it stupendously easy to recommend Botany Manor for an afternoon of fun.
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  1. Xboxygen
    Apr 11, 2024
    We fell in love with Botany Manor. With its original and varied puzzles, we were won over by the title in every detail. Thanks to its meticulous graphics, distinctive atmosphere and immersive sound design, exploring the Green mansion with Arabella was a pleasure all the way to the final credits. More than just a puzzle game, it's a fun way to deepen your knowledge. The game never takes us by the hand, leaving us to think and figure out for ourselves how to solve each case. Everything is done to make you feel like a real scientist of the era. What a pleasure it is to conduct research and come up with a conclusive experiment! Last but not least, the story of our botanical specialist, both touching and fascinating, was just as interesting. We can only recommend this title to players who enjoy quiet, relaxing puzzle games.