# The Gardens Between — Fall Into A Surreal World

> Puzzle adventure game about friendship, memories, and time manipulation. (iPhone/iPad app by THE VOXEL AGENTS PTY. LTD..)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-gardens-between/id1371965583 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [THE VOXEL AGENTS PTY. LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/318770095)
- Category: Games, Adventure, Puzzle
- Price: $4.99
- Rating: 4.80/5 from 3,682 App Store ratings · 246 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 13.0 · 926 MB
- Languages: American English, Dutch, French (France), German (Germany), Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian and 3 more
- Released: 2019-05-17
- Data updated: 2026-08-31
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-gardens-between/id1371965583/reviews.md

## What is The Gardens Between?

Best friends Arina and Frendt fall into a series of vibrant, dreamlike island gardens peppered with everyday objects from their childhood. Together they embark on an emotional journey that examines the significance of their friendship: the memories they’ve built, what must be let go, and what should never be left behind.

Lost in a mysterious realm where cause and effect are malleable, the friends find that time flows in all directions. Manipulate time to solve puzzles and reach the apex of each isle. Follow the duo as they unpack and explore their significant moments spent together, lighting up constellations and illuminating threads of a bittersweet narrative.


"A masterwork."
- The Guardian

“A must-have title for anyone who enjoys puzzle games.”
- Gaming Trend

“An incredibly clever and frighteningly intricate puzzle formula.”
- Nintendo Life

"Full of creative touches and small magical moments."
- GameSpot

"A magical journey."
- Polygon

“You really need to play it.’
- Engadget


FEATURES
• Vibrant, storybook-inspired art style
• Dreamy tale of adventure, friendship and growing-up
• Gorgeous single player experience with a meaningful personal story
• Bespoke ingenious puzzles require the manipulation of time to solve
• Accessible design; simple controls, and no text, speech, time pressure or complex UI
• Relaxing, ambient soundtrack by feature-artist Tim Shiel
• Play in widescreen landscape or tall portrait view
• Seventeen achievements to find and complete
• No internet required. No data tracking. No in-app purchases. No ads.

AWARDS
• 'Apple Design Award' Winner - Apple 2019
• 'Mac Game of the Year' Winner - Apple 2018
• 'Game of the Year' Winner - AGDA 2018
• 'Most Innovative Game' Winner - Game Two 2018
• ‘Best Technology’ Winner - Sense Of Wonder Night 2018
• 'Visual Excellence' Finalist - IGF 2018
• 'Best of MIX' Winner - MIX Seattle 2018
• 'Game Design Excellence' Winner - BIC Fest 2017
• Plus another twenty industry award nominations
• 'Final Selection' of more than 16 international festivals

Stream or buy the original and extended soundtrack of The Gardens Between at https://awal.lnk.to/glowingpains

## Key features

- Surreal island gardens
- Time manipulation puzzles
- Emotional friendship narrative
- Storybook art style
- Ambient soundtrack
- No internet required
- No in-app purchases or ads

## Chart rankings

- #179 in Top Paid · Adventure (US App Store)
- #103 in Top Paid · Puzzle (US App Store)

## What do users think of The Gardens Between?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 👍 Beautiful graphics
- 💡 Unique gameplay mechanics
- 🌟 Immersive and relaxing experience
- 🎨 Stunning art style
- 🎶 Excellent soundtrack
- 🧠 Challenging yet satisfying puzzles

**Cons**

- 🔋 Battery draining issues
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and performance problems
- 🕰️ Slow character movement
- 💤 Repetitive gameplay at times
- 🤔 Lack of clear instructions or tutorials

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Game crashes when connecting a controller
- Compatibility issues on certain devices

**Most requested features**

- More levels and content
- Option to adjust character movement speed
- Improved controller support
- In-game hints or tips

## Recent user reviews (10 of 246)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-gardens-between/id1371965583/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Amazing game in need of an update

*2026-07-03, version 1.3.1*

Please update this game for upcoming ipadOS and iOS 27 :((

### 5/5 — So relaxing

*2026-06-16, version 1.3.1*

The music, gameplay, atmosphere, and overall design of the game makes me feel relaxed, comfortable, and at peace. 5 big booms 👍👍

### 5/5 — Gorgeous and calming

*2026-06-07*

Loved it so much. Wish it was longer! Every time I would start feeling like the mechanisms are repetitive, a new element would be brought. Absolutely beautiful

### 4/5 — Creative

*2026-03-23, version 1.3.1*

It’s a cool game. I like the aesthetics and music

### 5/5 — Wonderful

*2026-01-16, version 1.3.1*

A wonderful game to play on my iPad. I need something relaxing and engaging to play when I was recently ill. This was perfect. Just the right level of challenge while exploring gorgeous environments, and a nice theme which I only understood at the end.

### 1/5 — Incomprehensible

*2026-01-12, version 1.3.1*

Can’t make any sense of this. Got stuck in the first few minutes and couldn’t go on. Would ask for my money back, but couldn’t see how to do that.

### 5/5 — Original, beautiful and sweet

*2025-12-12, version 1.3.1*

This game is lovely. If the early puzzles seem too easy, stick with it, they get harder as the game progresses.

### 5/5 — 素敵です

*2025-11-02*

時間を進めてヒントを探して
時間を戻しまた進めて正解に辿りつく。
シンプルながらも、絵も世界観も綺麗なパズルゲームを初めてしました。
買って損のないパズルゲームです。

### 5/5 — Very challenging

*2025-10-17, version 1.3.1*

Good game once you figured out trial and error going back-and-forth

### 5/5 — 水晶のように美しいパズルゲーム

*2025-09-28*

画質も音楽もとてもきれいで、思い出の水晶のように美しいゲームです。自分のペースで進められるのも良いですね。他の方もおっしゃっていたデバイスが熱くなるのは、それだけ作り込まれていて情報量が多いからなのでしょうか。ゆっくり進めてデバイスが温まってきたな、と思ったら中断するのが、私にはほどよいペースで、ちょうど良いです。

## Frequently asked questions about The Gardens Between

### What is The Gardens Between about?

The Gardens Between is a narrative puzzle adventure game where players guide two friends, Arina and Frendt, through surreal island gardens. The game explores themes of friendship, memory, and growing up as players manipulate time to solve ingenious puzzles and progress through a bittersweet story.

### What are the key gameplay mechanics?

The core gameplay involves manipulating time to solve puzzles. Players can rewind and fast-forward time to affect the environment and guide the characters. The game features a storybook-inspired art style and an ambient soundtrack, with accessible controls and no complex UI.

### How much does The Gardens Between cost?

The Gardens Between is a premium game that requires a one-time purchase. There are no in-app purchases or advertisements, ensuring an uninterrupted and focused gaming experience.

### What platforms is The Gardens Between available on?

While specific platform availability isn't detailed in this description, the game has won awards such as 'Apple Design Award' and 'Mac Game of the Year', suggesting availability on Apple devices. It is also described as a single-player experience that does not require internet.

### What makes this game unique?

The game's uniqueness stems from its emotional narrative exploring friendship and memory, combined with its innovative time manipulation puzzle mechanics. Its distinct storybook art style, ambient soundtrack, and accessible design also contribute to a memorable and engaging experience.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.3.1 — 2023-07-02

Thanks for playing #TheGardensBetween
Tweet @TheVoxelAgents with your favourite moment!
Or find us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or Youtube.

### 1.3 — 2022-07-10

• Sounds can now play backwards in reverse time. It sounds really cool putting the Jenga tower back together :) 
• New bespoke haptics sensations on iPhone let you feel what Arina and Frendt are experiencing: the deep rumble of thunder, the ephemeral wisp of light, the clunk of the lantern smacking stone.
• Graphical refinements make the game look better than ever, especially from the unreasonable amount of time we spent adjusting the reflection shaders. It looks sublime!
• Responsive triggers on the PlayStation 5 DualSense controller. Feel time itself push back when you're up against an obstacle.
• PlayStation 5 DualSense controller colours match the garden.
• Support for Apple Silicon in the M1 iPad Pro, and support for iPhone 13 and 13 Pro. Runs beautifully at 60fps without breaking a sweat.
• Minor improvements include better game controller and iPad keyboard support, more responsive iCloud syncing enabling you to switch devices seamlessly, usability improvements, and bugs fixed.

We love reading your reviews, especially to learn how many of you are touched by this beautiful story. It means so much to us. Thank you for playing and sharing your experiences!

Is there a friend or loved one you haven't spoken to in a long time? Reach out to them and say 'hi'.

### 1.02 — 2019-10-09

Thank you everyone for playing. We really appreciate the positive feedback and all the heartfelt stories you've shared. 

We hope you enjoy this update for iOS 13:
- Silky smooth framerates on iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max (60 FPS), and absolutely pixel perfect resolutions.
- Performance improvements for iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max mean they now also achieve 60 FPS!
- Play with your PS4 or Xbox controller via Bluetooth thanks to iOS 13.
- Support for iPad OS.
- Fixed a few minor menu bugs.

### 1.01 — 2019-05-16

• MFi wireless gamepads & Bluetooth keyboards are more responsive.
• Overhauled multitouch system so it works in all situations. Try us. Have 11 fingers? Give it a go.
• Improved rendering performance in the most dense gardens.
• Better progress syncing with iCloud.

Thanks for playing #TheGardensBetween <3
Tweet @TheVoxelAgents with your favourite moment!
Or find us on Instagram, Facebook or Youtube.

### 1.0 — 2019-05-02

No release notes.

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## More apps by THE VOXEL AGENTS PTY. LTD.

- [Train Conductor](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/train-conductor/id344442490)
- [Train Conductor 2: USA](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/train-conductor-2-usa/id378772227)
- [Puzzle Retreat](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/puzzle-retreat/id561834333)
- [Train Conductor World](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/train-conductor-world/id932228293)
- [The Gardens Between+](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-gardens-between-plus/id1616067504)

All apps by THE VOXEL AGENTS PTY. LTD.: https://appshunter.io/developer/318770095

## Related topics

[the gardens between](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/the-gardens-between)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-31.*