Gardenscapes: New Acres

Gardenscapes: New Acres is a free-to-play puzzle video game released by Playrix on July 5, 2016. It is available on iOS and Android, and on Facebook. The game combines simulation elements and traditional match-three mechanics.[1]

Gardenscapes: New Acres
The protagonist, Austin the Butler.
Developer(s)Playrix
Publisher(s)Playrix
SeriesGardenscapes
Platform(s)Android, iOS, Facebook Platform
ReleaseAndroid
  • NA: July 5, 2016
iOS
  • NA: August 25, 2016
Genre(s)Puzzle
Mode(s)Single-player

Gameplay

Gardenscapes: New Acres is a match-three puzzle game, where the core gameplay is based on swapping two adjacent elements to make a row or column or group of at least three elements. Every level has a goal, examples of which include collecting a certain number of elements (e.g., pears, flowers, apples, glasses of lemonade, mystery sacks, berries, fishing floats), uncovering garden gnomes, digging up emeralds, setting off firecrackers, or removing ivy, all accomplished through different match-three mechanics. By completing match-three levels, players earn stars and coins to complete tasks and progress through the storyline by unlocking new areas.[2]

As players complete tasks, they are allowed to choose between three different decor items for a specific part of their garden, similarly to previous titles. Players also have the opportunity to make friends with in-game characters, follow them on an in-game social network, and have the company of an animated dog.[3]

As of 31 October 2020, there are 7026 levels. Upon completing the final level, you may enter the golden cup where you can climb the leaderboard to earn more prizes until the next set of levels comes out. Generally, 15 new levels are released every Thursday.[4]

Reception

More than 8.5 million people play Gardenscapes: New Acres every day. Facebook named it the game of the year in 2016.[5] As of April 2017, ZDNet estimated that the game had been downloaded to Android devices more than 10 million times, ranking it #11 on the Android game download list, and had produced total revenue exceeding $150 million.[6] By November 2017, total downloads had exceeded 92 million.

Controversy

Gardenscapes, along with other games by Playrix, have been increasingly coming under criticism on the internet for displaying misleading advertisements that depict gameplay that does not accurately reflect the game itself.[7] Several Reddit forums are dedicated to this. In late 2019, a Change.org petition was set up to "Stop false mobile game advertising", that cited Gardenscapes as a prime example.[8]

In October 2020, the Advertising Standards Authority banned two advertisements for Homescapes and Gardenscapes on the grounds of being misleading of actual gameplay.[9][10]

References
  1. "Playrix has become Europe's quiet giant in mobile gaming". VentureBeat. 2016-11-23. Retrieved 2020-07-28.
  2. "Deconstructing Gardenscapes' big pivot to success". deconstructoroffun.com.
  3. "Gardenscapes Official Preview". YouTube. Playrix. 2016-08-11.
  4. "How many levels are in Gardenscapes?". Gamepur. 2020-05-27. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
  5. "Gardenscapes by Playrix is Facebook's game of the year". VentureBeat.
  6. "These 25 wildly popular Android games are raking in the most cash from in-app purchases". zdnet.com.
  7. "Why Mobile Games Use Fake Ads? One more point". StoreMaven. 2019-10-24. Retrieved 2020-05-09.
  8. "Why We're Stuck With Fake Game Ads: They Make Big Bucks". YR Media. 2019-03-20. Retrieved 2020-05-09.
  9. "Homescapes and Gardenscapes ads banned as misleading". BBC News. 2020-10-12. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
  10. "Those Misleading Puzzle Ads You See Everywhere Are Now Banned". gamingbible.co.uk. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
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