The winter months might not be the ideal time for real gardening, but when it’s virtual, you can grow whenever you like! Theory Studios has unveiled its educational puzzle game Tend with Friends, a VR/MR gardening game coming to Meta Quest soon.
What is Tend with Friends?
Tend with Friends is a gardening game where your plants won’t actually die! Yes, that’s right, you can grow an assortment of plants that’ll get shy, moody, or even more demanding when you don’t give them a drink of water. So even the most non-green-fingered players out there shouldn’t struggle creating a few green leaves or two.
Supporting both virtual reality and mixed reality gameplay on Quest, Tend with Friends is fully hand tracking compatible, no controllers are required. Furthermore, in VR, you can customise your environment with hand-painted backgrounds and a selectable soundtrack to put all of your plants in a good mood.
And, of course, as the name suggests, you don’t need to garden alone.
Launch Details
Currently, Theory Studios is working towards a “Winter 2026” launch, planning for early next year. The team hasn’t given a specific date just yet, but the game will support Meta Quest 2, alongside Meta Quest 3 & 3S.
The game will feature five introductory plants for players to get the hang of things. Should they wish to expand their garden further, a “Founder’s Collection” will be sold separately, unlocking 10+ rare plants, new backgrounds, music, and exclusive designer pots. No prices have yet been detailed.
Sowing the Gardening Craze
Gardening games tend to offer a very tranquil, casual experience, whether in VR or on a flatscreen. Honestly, there haven’t been too many gardening titles in VR for Meta Quest, with the likes of Garden of the Sea and Forest Farm some of the key offerings. Spreading the net a little wider, you do have games like Lawn Mowing Simulator VR, Farming Simulator VR and Across the Valley that have gardening elements.
Are you a keen virtual gardener? Like the idea of Tend with Friends? Let us know in the comments.
