Review: Hidden Memories Of The Gardens Between
Puzzle games truly come alive in virtual reality, particularly when they explore new concepts. This is why The Gardens Between, developed by The Voxel Agents and launched in 2018, appeared to be an ideal candidate for a virtual reality experience. They have since introduced Hidden Memories of the Gardens Between, which has been enhanced for the VR version of the game. However, did it fit into virtual reality as well as I anticipated?
Release Date: August 7th 2025
Developer: The Voxel Agents
Publisher: The Voxel Agents
Price: US $$19.99 / €19,50 / £16.75
Reviewed On: PC VR (DPVR E4 Black)
* Access Provided For Review *
Relive Childhood Memories
Friendt is presently occupied with the process of relocating when he stumbles upon an old diary he had forgotten about. It is filled with cherished memories that Arina had documented. This discovery allows you to revisit these memories from their childhood and relive the most significant moments of their early years.
Cleverly Designed Puzzles
If you enjoyed The Gardens Between, you’ll find the gameplay in this virtual reality adaptation quite familiar. The storytelling, which relies solely on visuals without any spoken dialogue, combined with the diorama-style levels, ensures that both returning players and newcomers will experience all the charm that the original game provided. One of the fantastic aspects of Hidden Memories of The Gardens Between is that the team has incorporated forty new and cleverly designed interactive VR-exclusive puzzle elements in this adaptation.
The puzzles revolve around time manipulation, requiring you to examine the dioramas and swipe left or right to either fast-forward or rewind time in order to solve them. As you do this, Friendt and Arina relive their memories within themed levels that correspond to those recollections.
Even though you’re merely manipulating time, the puzzles are incredibly imaginative, requiring you to rewind and fast-forward several times to solve parts of them. A prime example is when you need to rewind and fast-forward so that Arina can jump on and off a saw to slice a piece of wood in the diorama. Another fantastic aspect is that while the puzzles are inventive, they never become excessively difficult. Only a handful of the later levels left me scratching my head about what I needed to do to guide Friendt and Arina to the end of the levels. These few challenging instances truly made me feel like I was stepping into the shoes of Friendt and Arina, as I tried to unlock these fond memories.
With the levels being designed in a diorama-style format, this allows you to interact with the world from a God-like perspective. This grants you greater control over the environment, enabling you to raise or lower the diorama’s position, lean in for a closer inspection, or view the scene from different angles when icons appear around the edges of the world. Additionally, the team has incorporated collectibles in each level that you can gather and place into your diary. Completing these pages can be a challenge, as some items are cleverly hidden or require construction, but all of them can be discovered and collected within the current diorama.
It All Blends Together Seamlessly
One thing I truly appreciate is a game that showcases artistic beauty in its presentation. I realised this immediately when the first trailer for Hidden Memories of The Gardens Between was unveiled. The art style of the visuals struck me as something that would be stunning in virtual reality, and I was not disappointed. This virtual reality adaptation features fully remastered visuals while retaining the original’s charm with these enhanced graphics. Everyt
As the team improved the visuals, it enables PC VR users to fully immerse themselves in the environment, getting a close-up view of the level and of Friendt and Arina, with the details appearing just as vivid as they do from a distance. This enhances the experience of exploring the levels and hunting for hidden collectibles, allowing you to examine everything closely while maintaining the same breathtaking quality.
As mentioned earlier, this game lacks spoken dialogue, yet even in the absence of words, the level design, the process of filling your diary with items, and the brief scenes at the conclusion of each level selection provide a deep sense of the memories intended. I have always believed that when a game achieves this, it reflects significantly on the overall design quality. So, what does its audio bring to the table? The game features impressive environmental sounds that animate each diorama, immersing you in the world – even though you exist as a God-like figure. This is complemented by a wonderful and soothing soundtrack that unifies the elements, allowing the gameplay, visuals, and audio to blend seamlessly for a stunning virtual reality experience.
Comfort
The Verdict
Hidden Memories of The Gardens Between intricately weaves a narrative of friendship, nostalgia, and the passage of time, presenting a heartfelt story that conveys the essence of Friendt’s and Arina’s childhood memories and bond without uttering a single word. While the virtual reality adaptation remains focused on puzzles centred around time manipulation, it enhances the experience beautifully through VR interactions, allowing players to immerse themselves in the world as they have never felt before. With its stunning art style, complemented by sounds that bring the dioramas to life and a soothing, enjoyable soundtrack, Hidden Memories of The Gardens Between offers a remarkable experience which will still feel unique for those who have played the original game. If you enjoy puzzle games and seek a relaxing yet occasionally challenging experience, this game will be right up your alley.