Review · Adventure · PlayStation 4 · macOS · PC
The Gardens Between
Reviewed: 14 Apr 2026
PlayStation 4 · macOS · PC · iOS · Xbox One · PlayStation 5 · Nintendo Switch
The Voxel Agents · 2018
Ludograph rating
B
Good
64 /100
The Gardens Between is a thoughtful puzzle game that develops problem solving, spatial awareness, and strategic thinking using time-manipulation.
Growth (BDS)
47
Risk (RIS)
0
Daily limit
120min
Age guidance
10+
Developmental benefits
| B1 | Cognitive | 0.64 | |
| B2 | Social-emotional | 0.33 | |
| B3 | Motor | 0.25 | |
The Gardens Between excels as a thoughtful puzzle game that prioritizes cognitive development through its unique time-manipulation mechanics. Players must solve environmental puzzles by moving time forward and backward, which strongly develops problem-solving skills (5/5) and spatial awareness (5/5) as they mentally map cause-and-effect relationships across temporal sequences. Strategic thinking (4/5) is required to plan multi-step solutions, while critical thinking (4/5) emerges from analyzing how objects interact across time states. The game's creative presentation (4/5) encourages players to think laterally about puzzle solutions. The wordless narrative about friendship, childhood memories, and growing up provides moderate empathy development (3/5) and strong positive social themes (4/5) about the value of relationships. The contemplative, non-violent gameplay promotes emotional regulation (2/5) through its calming pace. With minimal motor demands and zero manipulative design, this is an exemplary game for developing analytical thinking without exploitation.
Design risks
| R1 | Compulsion-loop pressure | 0.00 | |
| R2 | Monetization | 0.00 | |
| R3 | Social risk | 0.00 | |
The Gardens Between is exceptionally safe across all risk categories, scoring 0 in compulsion-loop design, monetization, social risks, and content concerns. As a premium single-player puzzle game with no microtransactions, ads, or online features, it avoids virtually all common gaming pitfalls. There are no variable rewards, streak mechanics, notifications, or infinite play loops—the game has a clear beginning and end. No spending prompts or pay-to-win mechanics exist. The single-player design eliminates social risks like toxicity, stranger danger, or social comparison. Content is entirely appropriate for all ages with no violence, sexual content, language concerns, or frightening elements (E10+ rating). The contemplative pace and natural stopping points between puzzle islands make healthy session management straightforward. The only consideration is that puzzle difficulty may occasionally cause mild frustration, but the game's relaxed atmosphere and lack of time pressure mitigate this concern.
Content (not in risk score)
| R4.1 | Violence Level | 0.00 | |
| R4.2 | Sexual Content | 0.00 | |
| R4.3 | Language | 0.00 | |
| R4.4 | Substance References | 0.00 | |
| R4.5 | Fear / Horror | 0.00 | |
Content risk is displayed separately and does not affect the time recommendation.
Regulatory design checks · DSA — Assessed: meets criteria·GDPR-K — Assessed: meets criteria·ODDS — Assessed: meets criteria
- DSA:What Ludograph checks: whether the game's design gives minors the transparency the EU Digital Services Act expects: plain terms, honest defaults, and clear reporting routes.: Estimated from review data. No dark pattern or child-targeting concerns found.
- GDPR-K:What Ludograph checks: whether age assurance and consent flows are designed for under-16s, in the spirit of GDPR Article 8.: Estimated from review data. No privacy or child-targeting concerns found.
- ODDS:What Ludograph checks: whether paid random-reward drop rates are disclosed, as required in China, Japan and South Korea.: Estimated from review data. No paid random-reward mechanics found, so drop-rate disclosure requirements do not apply.
These reflect Ludograph's assessment of the game's design practices against each framework's criteria, not a legal compliance determination.