“Garden Ink” feels like an invitation. It all starts with a mostly blank screen that faintly resembles white paper. In order to wake it up, you have to click on things. Through experimentation and observation, simple game mechanisms become apparent. With each click, a new plant grows or blooms. By clicking, players can rustle up piles of leaves or direct the screen garden’s small inhabitants. The idea is as simple as it is compelling: Explore the garden and let the flowers grow. 

Each of the characters in this cozy game is hand-painted. From little creature to majestic tree, all flows from the hand of Sven Mehlhorn, trained graphic designer and student of visual communication in the hessian town of Kassel. He started the project by himself, coded the first draft, and recorded his own music. But when you ask him about his quick turnaround, he steps on the brakes. “This is an early prototype.” He may have done a lot in a short time, but most of the work is still to come. 

Detours to Hamburg 

Sven assesses his progress and the status of his project in a refreshingly sober way. Some of the merit may go to months of consultation in the Games Lift Incubator. But while Sven works alone in Hamburg, he has crucial help – his friend and colleague Arne Jürgens is contributing to the project from his home office, in the southern german town of Heilbronn. Arne has studied software engineering, gained experience in various professional fields and now puts all his energy into coding “Garden Ink”: “We are building our own castle of thoughts”, he says. 

Sven also originates from the Heilbronn area, but he met Arne remotely, on a Minecraft server during the Corona pandemic. Locked at home, they would “philosophize about God and the universe late into the night while building Japanese castles”, Sven says with a laugh. “Minecraft” turned out to be an inspiration for “Garden Ink”. In both cases, there is a blank slate with certain guidelines giving people freedom to create, Sven explains. 

When Arne joins the discussion on “Garden Ink”, his deep knowledge of the project becomes apparent immediately. He has been giving Sven feedback since the first playtest and is still enthusiastic about many fun and charming moments. However, he also noticed “pauses” of interaction, where players could only watch and wait. To him, it felt like the game losing its thread. The goal of always keeping players in control and giving them something to do is one of his earliest design contributions to “Garden Ink”. 

The project may still be young, but the design is already showing refinement. The game will focus on free growth, not conflict. A recent addition is the ability to color elements with the help of a picker tool. “Discovering things” and “creating your own little world” – that's what it's all about, says Sven. 

The future of gardening  

Sven and Arne bring very different qualifications to “Garden Ink”. The project shows clear benefits from the contrasting professional perspectives. Sven has a strong vision, but he is also eager to listen to Arne's critical input. Arne is responsible for significant parts of the code, but Sven stays active in here, too, with about 80% of his recent time dedicated to programming work. 

The goals remain ambitious. Tales from the Garden want to develop a vertical slice within the next few months, capturing gameplay that will be as close as possible to the final product. It is meant as the foundation for further development. But for now, Sven is discovering Hamburg’s best sides in the incubator - it's “cool” to work here, he admits. In Hamburg, he finds connections and opportunities at every corner. At least for the next few months, he wants to make the most of it. And where the garden will grow to? Only time will tell.