Ladies and gentlemen, start the engines of your teeny-tiny civilizations. Grow Valley is the latest in the Grow series of puzzle games. You should be excited because not only is this an Eyezmaze game, but it's also the sequel to Grow Island, which came out roughly three years ago. That's almost forever! Have your puny pastel people puzzle proficiencies deteriorated since then? Only one way to find out!
In the beginning, there was a valley, and lo, it was pretty big and empty. Fortunately, you've got seven buttons that will each trigger the development of a different sort of system you'll need in place to succeed. 
Unfortunately, you can only use each button once, and since they all depend on each other, you'll have to figure out the correct order to use them to get the best results. Each time you click a button, the world will grow a little more complex, and if one system is linked to another that's already in place, they'll both evolve a little further. The goal is to have everything fully upgraded at the end, so presumably your little faceless subjects will have sustainable energy and high tech equipment. The better to worship you as their gracious overlord. Look, don't try and tell me you don't want your own tiny civilization of industrious workers! Think of the tiny statuary they'd build in honour of you!
Like all Eyezmaze games, Grow Valley can be a bit odd to suss out. There's logic to it, sort of, but there's also a lot of trial-and-error involved in figuring out when to use what, and that can be frustrating. Or, rather, it would be if the animations and visuals in this latest installment weren't so ridiculously elaborate and charming. There's a remarkable amount of detail and love in the design here that makes this a delight to watch. And, ultimately, isn't that half the fun of a Grow game? Seeing the tiny fruits of your labour trundle about their business? While not very long, Grow Valley is still incredibly charming and entertaining, and easily worth ten minutes of your time. After all, can't we all use another smile in our day?
Can you find two endings? There's a normal one and a secret (underground) one (maybe even a ufo ending, too?). If you get stuck or need a hint, we have a walkthrough available for each one. [With thanks to JIGuest and wonder64 for being the first to find them!]
Still want more Grow? Play the entire Grow series of games (in order of release)...
Walkthrough Guide
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Woop got it, Normal ending:
Compass - Design
Pickaxe - Architect
Microchip - Technology
Cog - Mechanical
Magnifying Glass - Mathematical Chemistry
Vial - Matter/Chemical
Heart - Life Sciences
Posted by: JIGuest | August 23, 2010 3:19 PM
Secret ending. Finally. This is a first for me.
magnifying glass
cog
heart
microchip
design
pickaxe
vial
Yay! Underground!!
Posted by: wonder64
|
August 23, 2010 8:59 PM