Well hey there!! It’s been a while since I’ve released news or progress on this, and while usually I’d prefer to wait until I have something concrete to show off to do so, I realized that if anyone were to check out this blog for the first time, they would find dated answers I’ve given about the game that are not correct or relevant any more!
Specifically what’s bothering me the most is that I’ve referred to the game as a visual novel, but with the game blossoming how it is it’s turned away from those roots and now plays significantly more like an adventure game/visual novel hybrid. I’ve also stated several different Makers I was thinking of using at various points in the game’s development, and I prefer it to be known for now that I’m most likely going to be creating the game with Visionaire Studio.
So to fix that, and just to provide some delicious, chunky, meaty reading material for all the folks interested in this project, I present to you the…
Gardd Cariad Game Overview!
The objective of Gardd Cariad is to uncover the magical mysteries of the quiet country town of Meadowgrove. Gwen has just moved here and runs her own business as a gardener, with a stall where she sells her flowers and other crafts during the town’s market days (every Sunday). The six main characters besides herself are each deeply entangled in the stories of magic and faeries that pervade the area, but those relationships are mysterious and secretive and it will take effort on Gwen’s part to grow close enough to them to learn just how everything fits together, and just how dark and deep the stories go.
Gardd Cariad plays like a point-and-click adventure game. Gwen’s sprite is visible and animated on-screen and she travels around various painted backgrounds. Locations include her home (with its garden that must be tended to daily), country roads, several areas in the town of Meadowgrove (downtown, uptown, marketplace, park), and surrounding fields and woods. NPCs are positioned all around these areas, with dialogue that changes as Gwen lives in town longer and her floral business becomes more successful.
The game progresses on a day-to-day basis. Gwen spends mornings at work, where each action “costs” a set amount of time. Players will have to manage Gwen’s actions (watering, weeding, gathering, crafting) to maximize profit and raise her success (which isn’t just a currency number, but a value that triggers plot points in the game and affects NPC dialogue). When the morning work is done, Gwen can wander around town as she pleases (no more time restraints) and interact with NPCs. Plot points will trigger when specific stages of flower growth and success are met – special flowers in Gwen’s garden are each attributed to one of the six main characters in town, and raising them with care will unlock scenes with that character that not only further her relationship with them, but also bring the player closer to discovering the fantastic secrets that Meadowgrove is hiding.
Dialogue with NPCs will display their animated portraits on-screen, with visual and audible clues that depict their mood (music notes, hearts, gloomy clouds, anger marks). During conversation, Gwen may be prompted to respond in one of several different ways, and the player’s selection can help or hurt Gwen’s progress. Lenient access to the save menu (even in mid-dialogue) allows the player to experiment freely with these options. Furthermore, scenes can be replayed in a “Theater” section of the gallery, so the player can watch them again to see how they might play out differently, or to remind themselves of events and possibly pick out clues that were hinted at but weren’t obvious at the time.
Much of the story of Gardd Cariad is told through characterization. The six pursuable fellows as well as Gwen herself each have their own distinctive motives and agendas. Most are largely innocent but others are not, and this won’t be clear until significant progress has been made. They might not all be human beings, but they all behave like one, with quirks and desires and secrets. Their personal affairs might or might not be related to magical phenomena, but regardless of that they’re going to need Gwen’s strength and support and maybe even love to overcome their personal conflicts. Growth is the pervasive recurring theme of the game, and if there’s anything Gwen is good at, it’s the ability to make things grow.