GrowBud (2026)

Developer: Make Games Play
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Genres: Casual, Indie, Simulation
Rating: 4.6 of 5, 13 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 4.5 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 low-stakes desktop companion that lets you cultivate virtual cannabis plants in a sidebar while you work, rewarding patience and casual interaction.

productivityrelaxinglow-impactcasualtabletopcollectionsimulationcozy

What players say

Players largely enjoy GrowBud as a very chill idle game to run while working, praising the productivity bonus for being in other apps. A vocal minority, however, finds it surprisingly demanding, plants need frequent manual stage clicks without highlights, and a forced rock-paper-scissors minigame for pest events frustrates them, making it anything but idle.

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.