Hidden Memories of the Gardens Between [Meta Quest 3] | REVIEW

Stepping into Hidden Memories of the Gardens Between feels a bit like opening an old photo album you forgot you still had. Familiar pages, fond feelings, and the occasional tear in the corner, this VR reimagining of The Voxel Agents’ 2018 puzzler brings with it both the quiet magic of the original and the delightful awkwardness that can often come with fitting what were originally flatscreen experiences into a VR headset. The result is a lovely experience that captures the delightful essence of the original perfectly – even if it does bring some small quirks with it.

Check out some screenshots down below:

The game begins with Friendt, now older and knee-deep in the bittersweet task of moving house, stumbling across Arina’s old diary. This moment sets the stage for a series of memory-fuelled puzzle islands, each capturing some of the most memorable moments from the pair’s childhood. Just like the original game, you’re not controlling the characters directly, but instead guiding them through a storybook-inspired world where moving forward or backward manipulates time itself.

If you’ve played The Gardens Between before, much of this will feel familiar. The nostalgic tone, the wordless storytelling, and the diorama-like levels are all here, ensuring the game maintains that charming vibe that made the original game so enjoyable. What VR adds is a deeper sense of intimacy and attachment with the whimsical world – being able to peer closely at a memory frozen in time, rotate the world in your hands, and physically interact with the objects within it adds a tactile sense of allure to the emotional journey. Everything around you can seemingly tie into the puzzling in some way, so simply getting to scavenge through each world so closely and pick at each tiny detail always feels special.

The core mechanic – rewinding and fast-forwarding time – remains intuitive and engaging, with players now performing a hand gesture to control time’s flow. The puzzles themselves are still as clever too, requiring you to revisit the same moment from different perspectives or to interact with objects to alter the outcomes of Friendt and Arina’s traversal through each memory. Over time, things get trickier, but never frustratingly so… well… almost never. Some mid-game levels might see you get stuck in a loop, unsure of what small change is needed to progress, but when you finally crack the solution? It always feels good. As mentioned, there’s a deeper sense of intimacy in how you interact with the environment this time, so you know the answer is there… you just need to find it.

“Hidden Memories of the Gardens Between is a tender and visually inventive return to a world built on friendship, imagination, and the passage of time.”

Memories of the Gardens Between brings with it 40 new puzzles, all whilst mixing in some retouched versions of existing ones, so the experience manages to feel fresh for returning players. Sure, there’ll be some familiarity, but the novelty of the shifted perspective ensures that the experience still feels refreshing and distinct. First-time players are undoubtedly going to get the most out of this version, but, as a returning player, I found it delightful too.

That being said, Hidden Memories of the Gardens Between isn’t a completely flawless transition. On the Meta Quest 3, the visuals – while still beautiful in design – don’t always look sharp up close, with the occasional iffy texture or jagged edge showing up when navigating the world at varying distances. The camera system can be finicky when looking for smaller details too, particularly when trying to pass time and take a closer look at your surroundings at the same time. It’s not super problematic, but it’s something you’ll have to adjust to (particularly on some of the later levels where you really need to be on the ball to unravel each level’s solution).

Check out some screenshots down below:

Still, whilst it did have some flaws, I think I preferred playing the game in VR. There was something so wonderful about getting to navigate the world so closely and in such an immersive way, whilst the way each memory unravels always feels touching – especially with the excellent sound design and vibrant aesthetic that brings each memory to life. Add to that the charming collectibles to find, the lovingly crafted details of Friendt and Arina’s childhood memories, and the fact that the puzzles are a treat to solve, and it’ll be easy to see that Hidden Memories of the Gardens Between marks a delightful transition to the world of VR.

Developer: The Voxel Agents
Publisher: The Voxel Agents
Platform(s): Meta Quest 3 (Reviewed), Meta Quest 2, PC VR
Website: https://www.meta.com/en-gb/experiences/hidden-memories-of-the-gardens-between/6191721720939472/