Garden Master

A gnome’s rounds

Garden Master is a game about keeping several small things going at once. The gnome moves around the garden watering whichever plants need it, and the whole game comes down to getting to them in time. On a computer you walk with the arrow keys and water with the Space bar; on a phone you drag the gnome around and the watering happens when it gets close to a plant. Either way, the route you take between plants matters as much as the watering itself.

The barrel, the gophers and the seeds

Three other things shape the game. The watering can needs refilling, and the game’s hint is to top it up at the barrel, so every trip around the garden has to leave room for a visit there. Gophers are the trouble in the garden and need stopping before they do damage. And golden seeds are the reward: collect them and they unlock upgrades that make the garden better.

Getting better at it

• Plan a loop that passes the barrel, so a refill never becomes a long detour.
• Deal with gophers as soon as you see them rather than after the watering.
• Pick up golden seeds whenever they are nearby and spend them on upgrades.
• Keep an eye on every plant, not only the one in front of you.

Keeping all the plants happy at once is a real juggling act, and that is where the fun of becoming the Garden Master lies.