Space Roughhousing: Playful Planting In Shu's Garden

In twenty minutes of Shu's Garden [official site], I've rolled around planets spreading grass, replanted trees, batted spaceducks around the sky, played tag with another of my space cactus species, and possibly got into a fight with a nasty hair thing. I think. I'm not sure. It's one of those lovely playful games where you dive in and only realise what's possible after you've done it. More so because you're playing a life-giving sapient space cactus exploring planetoids, and I have no idea what to expect from such a premise.

Following a release for pocket telephones last year, Shu's Garden has arrived expanded and enhanced on PC for Windows and Mac at a price of $5 (£3.20-ish)

Here is what I know. You control a round cactus which will happily roll across planetoids, leaving fertile soil and growing grass in its wake. Planetoids will likely have a few plants which (I think) grow faster with you around, and which you can also suck up to store as seeds until you want to plant them elsewhere. I think you can breed plants. Or maybe you can pollinate them yourself - I'm not sure and don't intend to look it up. The sky is filled with other planetoids you can visit by pinging and launching yourself. I don't know what the second traily bit dangling behind you does. I think you grow super-size when meteorites crash down. The ducks don't mind if you knock them out the sky. That spiky black ball is just boisterous, maybe. I don't know I can do with my fellow space cacti.

I have enjoyed exploring these things. More mysteries and discoveries await, I'm sure.

Shu's Garden is available from Itch and a Humble widget on its site. Have a trailer: