Clocking in as a 15 minute interactive comic experience, Data Garden is a short but thoughtful exploration of modern day digital interactions. Through highlighting every day interactions you have with digital services, it also highlights how data is being collected about you.
As you order takeaways, use a rail card, browse social media and message friends, data points build up in the corner of the screen. Then at intervals we cut to a data garden when you can harvest these points to produce your own garden. Most of the gameplay is through single clicks to progress the comic but some interactive elements require a couple of timed clicks to complete the page. As a player you can press and hold your mouse button to plant different seeds of data but that’s all the interaction you have. Instead, this is about floating the idea that in the middle of your data garden is a sentient pumpkin beast that can remember everything and looks rotten to the core. That’s the message I took away from it anyway – the data garden never forgets and its making choices for you without ever knowing you.
The hand drawn artwork is bright and vibrant at times whilst the garden is suitably dry and devoid of life and colour. This is one of those short, sharp experiences like Plug and Play or Kids but slightly less esoteric in its message. I enjoyed it for what it is but really only fans of artsy games will get something from it, and its price point is a touch high considering there is little replayability. Data Garden sells its point well, but it may be a bit too brief to be an essential purchase. A nice diversion.
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