Xbox Game Pass puzzler Botany Manor promises “gentle and accessible” achievements

The Botany Manor achievements aren’t here yet, but we’ve had our eye on Botany Manor ever since it first joined our list of upcoming Game Pass games. Now its release date is finally drawing near, we thought it’d be a good time to delve into the details of what it’s all about. Luckily, Laure De Mey, founder of developer Balloon Studios, was kind enough to answer everything we wanted to know about Botany Manor’s gameplay, achievement design, story, and more! Check out our Botany Manor interview below…What is Botany Manor?Botany Manor is a first-person, plant-filled puzzle game. It’s developed by Balloon Studios and published by Whitethorn Games.When does Botany Manor launch?Botany Manor isn’t too far off now — it launches for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One on April 9.Will Botany Manor be on Xbox Game Pass?Yes! Botany Manor will join Xbox Game Pass as a day-one addition in April.What’s it about?In Botany Manor, we play as Arabella Greene, a botanist in the 19th century who lives in Botany Manor itself. Despite being retired, Arabella is still working to finish her research book, “Forgotten Flora,” and it’s this goal which has her delving into the world of rare and mysterious plants. “To fill the book, you explore the many rooms and grounds of the manor, researching how to grow rare plant specimens from seed, De Mey explains. “The manor has been in Arabella’s family for multiple generations, and as the oldest of two daughters, she has inherited the estate.” It’s not only the plants we’ll learn more about as we explore, however, but also Arabella herself: her life and the hardships she encountered as a woman working in a scientific role in the 19th century.How does Botany Manor play?In Botany Manor, we’ll be busy exploring, finding seeds, and figuring out their perfect habitat. We’ll do this by gleaning information from clues around the house and gardens, such as newspapers and letters, and using the items around the house to help the plants thrive.”We also added puzzles to gain access to new locations in the grounds,” De Mey adds. “For example, in the manor, one of the doors is blocked by a sick tree, so the player needs to find a way to heal the tree and move the branches that are in the way of the door. Next to plants and puzzles, players will also be able to inspect clues about Arabella’s life and career. Even though we don’t feature a big story, players can piece together Arabella’s past and personality if they pay attention to the details.”Botany Manor’s plants will sometimes require some creative thinking to figure out their perfect habitat. “The plants you can grow are fantastical but still inspired by real phenomena in nature and grow in very specific locations on earth,” De Mey explains. “They have unique requirements depending on where they grow. In the game, you’ll have to manufacture their environment by using what’s available to you in your manor. So, for example, by climbing the manor’s spooky tower, you’ll be able to grow a Wolfglove, a plant that only grows high up in the mountains. In the manor’s smokehouse, you can find a way to grow an Ash Plume, a lily that only grows after a forest fire has taken place. And where could you grow a Fulguria, a thorny flower that only blooms during thunderstorms?” The manor house and grounds will be where we hunt for seeds and clues. “While designing the space, it was important to find a balance between freedom to explore — it is your house after all — and making sure the player doesn’t get overwhelmed by choice,” De Mey continues. “The solution to that was to create a space where some areas were behind locked gates or other obstructions that would then gradually open up by completing puzzles. As players explore, they’re continuously teased with glimpses of gardens and rooms they get to explore later to build excitement and a broader understanding of the layout of the manor and its grounds.”The manor itself promises plenty of secrets — De Mey adds, “The manor dates back to the 16th century, and they often contain secret rooms and hiding places. We definitely added some of those in Botany Manor, and I’m excited to see players discover those spaces for the first time!”Because of the game’s setting in the 19th century, there are also some interesting machines to be found around the house that we’ll need to figure out for help with our botanical work — more on that in the next bit!What’s the world like?Botany Manor is set in 1890 in a “Victorian English manor.” It’s an interesting choice, to take this game back to the 19th century, and we asked De Mey why the team settled on the late 1800s. “The 19th century was an era of great scientific discovery. During this period, numerous fascinating contraptions were invented or utilized, including the magic lantern, the phonograph, and the standing camera. Part of the intrigue in the game lies in discovering how these historical machines functioned and letting the player figure out how they can be of help to cultivate plants. “Additionally, creating a puzzle game about botany was more feasible in an era where information was scarce, and data could present itself in all sorts of ways, as opposed to readily accessible solutions found in books or computers. Finally, the plants are fantastical but still realistic enough that they could be believed to have existed all those years ago, but simply have grown extinct in our current time.” One thing which already stands out in Botany Manor is how it aims to create a peaceful, relaxing atmosphere. The manor and gardens are bathed in sunlight, flowers and trees fill every nook and cranny, and the whole environment feels remote and far away from the troubles of the rest of the world. Indeed, this seems to be entirely on purpose: we asked De Mey whether Arabella will ever go beyond the manor and gardens, or if Botany Manor was more about a mysterious, almost hidden world, and De Mey explained that Arabella won’t leave the grounds. “We wanted to invoke a feeling of peace, being left alone to your devices while researching plants. Very similar to spending a holiday in a remote cottage set in the countryside!”This is very much a game to take your time with and savour — the official description even tells you to “feel free to stop and smell the roses” — and De Mey expands on this idea. “Generally, walking around the manor is peaceful and safe. It’s a sunny day, and there are no jump scares! We placed benches and chairs all around the gardens so that at any time you can take a break and contemplate a puzzle.” You don’t need to worry about rushing, either, as the game’s accessibility features include the note that there are no time limits for solving puzzles.While Botany Manor feels remote, Arabella will still catch glimpses of the outside world. “It was also important to us that the player still feels some connection to the outside world, by being able to look out on the hills and nearby buildings,” De Mey explains. “In the game, Arabella occasionally receives a delivery at her gatehouse, which gives the player the illusion of there being other people in the world, without necessarily needing to interact with them or feeling disturbed.”Any news on the Botany Manor achievements?De Mey gave us some good hints on what to expect when the achievements arrive, and a key focus seems to be emphasising the relaxed atmosphere of the game. “We have added achievements that encompass the game and make you feel like you are on the right track. It was important that players who don’t really stray away from the main path still get a nice amount of achievements up their belt,” De Mey explains. “But on top of that, we’ve also added some achievements that encourage exploration and experimenting with the equipment in the manor. The difficulty of the achievements reflects the gentle and accessible nature of the game.”It’s always interesting to hear from the developer’s side of things as to what makes for an ideal achievement list. For De Mey, “An ideal achievement is one that invokes a sense of recognition and validation from the developer. It’s an experience where you might initially believe you’re trying something experimental, but when earning the achievement, you realize it was actually part of the intended design all along!”If you’re looking to learn more about Botany Manor, be sure to keep an eye out for our Botany Manor Game Pass interview with Whitethorn Games CEO Dr. Matthew White! In the meantime, we have a list of the best Game Pass games available now, to keep you going while we wait!



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