Leap, slash, and climb your way to the top of the magician’s towers to rescue the prince in the heartwarming platformer from Finite Reflection.
Finite Reflection announced that their 2.5D tower-climbing platformer The Gardener and the Wild Vines will be available September 9th on Steam and itch.io for Mac and PC. In The Gardener and the Wild Vines, players embark on a heartwarming journey to scale a series of increasingly perilous towers and rescue the prince from the clutches of an evil magician.
To ascend the magician’s many towers, the titular Gardener climbs magical vines, bouncing on leaves and using his trusty shears to cut flowers which grow the vine and create new platforms. Drawing inspiration from old and new sources, the game’s vibrant visuals feature a unique mix of retro charm and modern sensibilities, combining 2D pixel art with 3D environments and effects. To rescue his beloved prince, the Gardener will have to make his way across four distinct environments and overcome dozens of towers full of nefarious tricks and traps. Bucking the trend of punishing 2D platformers, Gardener puts the difficulty into the player’s hands with optional challenge towers, an invincibility mode, and a 3-star rating system to incentivize skilled play.
Featuring a queer, POC protagonist, the lighthearted and emotional story proudly flips the classic “save the princess” narrative on its head to explore themes of identity and love in an empowering way. “The game’s story is one I’ve wanted to tell for a while,” says lead developer Kartik Kini, “one where a character’s sexuality isn’t hidden, homophobia isn’t the major conflict, and queer characters get the happy ending they deserve.”
The Gardener and the Wild Vines will be available to buy on Steam and itch.io on September 9th with tentative plans to come to consoles later in the fall. To celebrate the game’s launch, Finite Reflection is holding a speedrunning and fan art contest, which you can find more information about here.
About Finite Reflection Studios, LLC
Founded in 2017, Finite Reflection is an award-winning independent game studio based in Atlanta, GA. Their other games include the cooperative shooter TwinCop, which won numerous best of show accolades. They have also assisted other studios to port games to consoles, including Steven Universe: Save the Light and Depth of Extinction.
