As a child, proximity is key to making friends. So when my family moved to a new home when I was five, the first friend I made was the outgoing girl who lived two doors down. Even then, I recognized that she was my opposite, loud and unashamed versus my quiet and somewhat meek. But we clicked, and remained friends for decades, even after I moved away seven years later. I see so much of my past in The Gardens Between ($4.99), a tale of two friends reminiscing on their last day as neighbors.
The story follows Arina and Frendt, neighboring children who find a deep friendship in their time in each other’s homes – and in the gardens in between. After years of growth together, Frendt is moving away, and The Gardens Between is about their intertwined past. It is clear that Arina is headstrong and Frendt is a cautious thinker. Arina boldly moves ahead for the most part, carrying the lantern. Frendt is a bit more exploratory, and uses his skills to find important items or change what timeline is being affected. They’re a perfect match.
Arina and Frendt’s story is told through various islands, each representing a memory of their time together. Each island isolates the children from the real world and places them in their dreams and fantasies. Each island is themed to a specific event or memory. The islands contain giant versions of childhood items: a garden hose, a kiddie pool, playing cards, etc. And each grouping of islands/constellations tells pa...