A game about gardening might sound relaxing, but Planted! takes the idea in a completely different direction. Instead of simply growing flowers and vegetables, players can grow giant crops, steal their opponents' harvests and even throw potatoes at each other.

Developed by Cloth Cat Games, Planted! is a multiplayer party game that combines gardening mechanics with competitive arena battles. In a recent interview, creative producer Ben Cawthorne explained how the unusual concept developed from a small local multiplayer prototype into a full-fledged game.

The developers wanted to create something friends could enjoy together, whether sitting on the same couch or playing online. That simple idea eventually turned gardening into an entertaining competition.

How Did Planted! Get Its Unusual Idea?

According to Ben Cawthorne, the original concept came from the development team's interest in local multiplayer games.

The studio wanted to create a game where up to four players could compete in the same environment. During an internal brainstorming session, Cawthorne suggested turning gardening into a competitive activity.

The team experimented with combining traditional gardening tasks with fast-paced arcade gameplay. Players would grow and harvest crops while competing to collect points and outperform their opponents.

The first prototype focused on four-player local multiplayer. After seeing how enjoyable the experience could be, the developers decided to expand the concept with online multiplayer support.

Growing Vegetables Is Only Half the Challenge

Planted! includes several gardening mechanics that give players different ways to develop their patches.

Players can dig up land, plant seeds, water crops and use fertilizer to grow oversized vegetables. Different plants have different growing requirements, including water consumption and growth speeds.

However, gardening is only part of the experience. Players must also protect their harvest, compete for resources and find opportunities to disrupt other players.

Stealing vegetables and sabotaging opponents are legitimate strategies, meaning players can choose between developing a productive garden or creating trouble for their competitors.

Funny Weapons Make Every Match Unpredictable

One of the most unusual features of Planted! is its collection of vegetable-based weapons and special abilities.

Some of the interesting gameplay elements include:

• Spud Turret: A defensive turret that fires potatoes at nearby opponents.

• Drill Bomb: A special attack that can eject vegetables from another player's garden.

• Giant Vegetables: Fertilized crops can become oversized projectiles.

• Power-ups: Players can use different abilities to disrupt opponents and protect their harvest.

The developers also experimented with an unusual idea called Hare Strike, which would send rabbits into an arena to eat everything in their path. However, Cawthorne confirmed that this idea was not included in the released game.

Balancing the Game Was a Major Challenge

Creating a competitive gardening game required more than adding funny weapons and colourful characters.

The development team had to carefully balance each arena so that no player would receive an unfair advantage based on their starting position.

For example, one player might begin near a water source, making it easier to grow larger vegetables. Another might have better access to selling areas but need to travel farther to collect water.

The developers also had to ensure that fertilizer, valuable seeds and power-ups were distributed fairly.

According to Cawthorne, players should be able to develop different strategies rather than being forced to follow one particular approach.

Animation Plays an Important Role in Its Visual Style

Cloth Cat Games has experience in both animation and game development, and that background influenced Planted!'s visual identity.

Cawthorne previously worked in 2D animation, while the game's lead artist, Tom Lucas, helped develop its distinctive character designs.

The developers wanted characters with bold shapes, expressive personalities and a slightly unusual appearance. Their design philosophy was described as being square but round.

The team first developed the characters through drawings before translating their appearance into a colourful 3D environment.

This approach helped the game maintain a cartoon-inspired visual style while supporting its fast-paced gameplay.

Planted! Also Includes a Single-Player Mode

Although multiplayer competition is a major part of the experience, Planted! is not limited to playing against friends.

The game includes a single-player campaign designed to help newcomers understand its mechanics.

Players can learn how to grow crops, use different abilities and compete through various challenges before entering multiplayer matches.

The game also supports local and online multiplayer for up to four players, with crossplay available across supported platforms. Its eight arenas introduce different environments and gameplay challenges.

Planted! is available on the following platforms:

• PlayStation 5

• Xbox Series X|S

• PC through Steam

A Nintendo Switch version is also planned for 2027.

The developers and publisher are targeting players who enjoy casual competitive games, cooperative experiences and entertaining multiplayer sessions.

What Does the Developer Want Players to Experience?

Cawthorne hopes Planted! becomes one of those games people regularly return to when spending time with friends.

The goal is to make the experience accessible to players with different skill levels while still offering enough competitive elements to keep matches interesting.

Rather than taking itself too seriously, the game embraces its unusual concept and encourages players to experiment with different gardening and combat strategies.

Final Thoughts

Planted! offers a refreshing take on multiplayer gaming by combining ordinary gardening activities with chaotic competitive battles.

Its combination of crop cultivation, oversized vegetables, unusual weapons and multiplayer challenges gives it an identity that stands apart from traditional party games.

Cloth Cat Games has taken a simple question — what if gardening were competitive? — and turned it into an entertaining gaming experience.

For players looking for something different to enjoy with friends, Planted! could be an interesting addition to their gaming collection.