Review Fix Exclusive: Inside ‘SEEDS: The Magic Garden’

Review Fix chats with Ori Behrend (Co-Founder, Znavit Games), who tells us all about the inspiration and development process for the beautiful and nifty mobile game, SEEDS: The Magic Garden and why it’s the perfect game to get your mobile game fix without spending a ton of money on in-game purchases.

Review Fix: How was SEEDS born?

Ori Behrend: A couple years ago, my girlfriend and I spent the whole summer playing casual games. It was too hot to go out, so we tried lots of different titles from the comfort of our air-conditioned home. We noticed that most games relied on the same mechanics – always urging players to spend their time and money for very little added value. So we both thought, ‘We can make something different, maybe even inspiring. We could create our own game and empower players to make a real difference in the world.’

Review Fix: What was development like?

Behrend: SEEDS: The Magic Garden is Znavit Games’ first title. We did everything ourselves in a very iterative way. Starting with a number of prototypes, we refined the gameplay through numerous brainstorms and internal testing sessions. For example, some elements – like the stones and plant growth mechanics – were a direct result of that iterative process. We worked on the game for almost two years and even managed to have a kid during production.

Review Fix: What makes the game special?

Behrend: First of all, we essentially revamped and improved upon the traditional Match-3 type game. We kept the basic concept of matching stones but gave them a different meaning. In SEEDS, you match pairs of stones to create a path for your plant to grow – instead of simply matching three stones to set off an explosion. You cultivate your plant by finding a better path for the seeds. We also introduced a new idea to the market with SEEDS: how to effect change in the real world by playing a game. Our collaboration with the World Land Trust (WLT) allows us to leverage the time players spend in the game to save real trees. This can potentially become a very important thing for the environment as time goes on – not only because players will help restore threatened ecosystems, but also because it’s the start of a larger trend toward full cooperation between game studios and NGOs.

Review Fix: What games influenced SEEDS the most?

Behrend: We play a lot of mobile games, so we had many different sources of inspiration for SEEDS – but we can definitely say that Candy Crush was a major influence.

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Review Fix: Any fun stories or wild moments during development?

Behrend: Working with your life partner is quite challenging. Early on, we needed to prevent “work fights” from leaking into our personal life – which was understandably far from easy. We eventually found ways to work together while preserving our actual relationship – and SEEDS is the end result. Here’s another fun story: We were trying to figure out some game mechanics by placing pieces of paper on the floor – and our kid just threw them up in the air with no warning! It seemed disastrous at first, but this actually ended up giving us a great idea.

Review Fix: Do you think preserving older gameplay mechanics in new games is important?

Behrend: Yes – we feel that players expect that. In fact, people want to play new and innovative games – but they don’t necessarily want to learn new mechanics every time. They want to understand the basics based on their previous experience and then enjoy what’s new. In console games, players accept very complex gameplay mechanics and are willing to learn something completely new – but on mobile, you need to remain somewhat casual and make the player’s life easier. One major challenge in mobile game design is to balance the older gameplay you preserve and the new mechanics you implement. As a studio, you need to stand out from the crowd – and in order to do that, you must introduce new gameplay ideas. Striking the right balance means the difference between success and failure.

Review Fix: With the slew of mobile games hitting the Nintendo Switch, any thoughts on a release on that console?

Behrend: Wow, that would be a big move! We have been discussing other platforms for a while. SEEDS is highly portable and we know it can work well on PC, web browsers and consoles. Since the Switch is sort of a mixed-use console, we also think the game would be a great fit for it! Understandably, we’re first focusing on establishing a solid user base on mobile.

Review Fix: What’s your favorite memory as a gamer?

Behrend: My favorite memory is the first time I finished Golden Axe by myself!

Review Fix: Who will enjoy SEEDS the most?

Behrend: Casual players looking for a more elaborate experience will love SEEDS because it’s smack in the middle between casual and mid-core segments. Since SEEDS is more challenging than most puzzle games, we consider it a “step forward” of sorts.

Review Fix: Bottom line, why must someone play this game?

Behrend: SEEDS represents the evolution of the Match-3 genre – and it’s also really engaging! We definitely worked hard on reward mechanics and believe that players will enjoy growing and cultivating their plants immensely. Another reason to play SEEDS is to make the world a better place. Players can join this movement while having a great time-solving puzzles. Most of us would really appreciate having our “game time” be used for something greater than fun or idle relaxation – like planting real trees, for example!

Review Fix: How do you want SEEDS to be remembered?

Behrend: We want SEEDS to be remembered as a game that gives players a chance to make a difference in the real world.

Review Fix: What’s next?

Behrend: We’re always working on new titles and ideas. Our next move is to nurture SEEDS by making improvements to the game and supporting players. We want SEEDS to grow (pun intended!) before we starting working on a new project.

Review Fix: Anything else you’d like to add?

Behrend: In SEEDS: The Magic Garden, players aren’t actually growing plants but “shaping” the environment so that plants can grow. This has a deeper meaning: If everybody does their share, things can get better. You don’t have to save the whales or solve world hunger. If everyone works on small, positive gestures, all that good work will make a big difference for all of us.