Bonsai (2016)

Developer: Rooted Concepts
Platforms: Windows, Linux
Genres: Casual, Indie, Simulation
Rating: 2.7 of 5, 166 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 2.5 hours
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A quiet, contemplative experience of nurturing a procedurally living tree through gentle or aggressive pruning, with a slow pace that rewards patience and curiosity.

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What players say

Players are split on Bonsai. Some find it a relaxing background game to play while waiting in other games, praising the addictive trimming. Others call it barely a game, citing no save option, long AFK waits, and a bonsai experience that isn't accurate.

Screenshots

More games like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.