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Grow Home
Grow Home
from Wikipedia

Grow Home
DeveloperUbisoft Reflections[a]
PublisherUbisoft
ProducerPete Young
DesignerAndrew Willans
ArtistJack Couvela
WriterIan Mayor
ComposerLewis Griffin
EngineUnity[2]
Platforms
Release
  • Windows
  • February 4, 2015[1]
  • PlayStation 4
  • September 1, 2015
  • Linux
  • November 10, 2015
GenresAdventure, platforming
ModeSingle-player

Grow Home is an adventure platform video game developed by Ubisoft Reflections and published by Ubisoft. It was released for Microsoft Windows on February 4, 2015, and for PlayStation 4 on September 1, 2015. The game follows a robot named B.U.D., who is tasked with growing a plant that will oxygenate its home planet. Players explore an open world, moving B.U.D. and individually using each of its arms to climb and interact with objects.

Initially developed by a small team at Ubisoft Reflections for internal release, the game became popular between co-workers and was eventually planned for official release, confirmed in a blog post by Ubisoft on January 22, 2015. It was created using the Unity game engine, and contains procedural animation and physics-based gameplay, which allow the player's movements to adapt to the game's environment.

Grow Home received favorable reviews upon release, with critics praising its open world and visuals, while criticizing its short length. A sequel, titled Grow Up, was released on August 16, 2016. Atari acquired the IP from Ubisoft in 2025.

Gameplay

[edit]
B.U.D. climbing a Star Shoot.

Grow Home is an adventure game played from a third person perspective. Players control a robot named B.U.D. (Botanical Utility Droid), and are tasked with oxygenating its homeworld by growing and climbing a "Star Plant", a giant beanstalk, and harvesting its seeds.[3][4] Players are able to freely explore an open world, and have the ability to individually make B.U.D.'s left and right hands grab, with a button for each hand. The player can reach a small distance and grab onto any part of the environment, allowing them to push and climb objects.[3] Throughout the game, B.U.D's ship computer entitled M.O.M. speaks to the player, informing them of gameplay objectives.[5]

The game allows players to grow "Star Shoots" from the Star Plant, which act as platforms for the player to traverse. Star Shoots can only be grown for a limited amount of time, and their path of growth can be directed by the player. They can be used to carry the player to various floating islands found throughout the game world.[6] Some islands, called "Energy Rocks", can be connected to Star Shoots to make the Star Plant grow along a set path.[7] These Energy Rocks become more distant from the Star Plant as the game progresses.[5]

Upon growing to certain heights, the Star Plant grows through larger floating islands.[5] These islands, along with the smaller ones surrounding the Star Plant, contain power-up crystals which can be collected to provide B.U.D. with extra abilities.[2][6] Creatures and other plant life can also be found throughout the game's islands, as well as environmental features, such as caves and water currents.[4][7] Some parts of the environment, such as leaves growing off of both the Star Plant and Star Shoots that allow the player to jump to greater heights than normally possible, can affect how the player moves throughout the world. Teleportation pads allow the player to move around the world quickly and act as save points.[6] The player also respawns at their last activated teleportation pad if they die, which can be caused by falling long distances, being in too much water for too long, or by the player making B.U.D. self-destruct.[8][9] Additionally, players can scan various flora and fauna into the teleporters to retrieve data from them. Items can be picked up by the player and stored in B.U.D.'s backpack one at a time, such as flower parachutes that make the player fall more slowly towards the ground, and leaf gliders that allow the player to travel further through the air.[10][7]

Once the player grows the Star Plant to 2000 metres and returns a seed to M.O.M., the main objective is completed, and the player is given the choice of collecting eight more seeds.[11] Completing this final objective unlocks a special suit that allows the player to jump twice as high, and finishes the game.[12][13] Players are free to explore the world after completion.

Development

[edit]

Grow Home began development as an experimental project created by an eight-person team at Ubisoft Reflections, initially being launched internally for the staff. After testing the project, management at Ubisoft decided to officially launch the title, which was developed into a full game inspired by Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and WALL-E.[3]

Grow Home has a minimalist, low poly graphical style.[14][15] It uses procedural animation and physics-based gameplay, which allow objects and the player's actions to adapt to any part of the environment.[16] The developers recommend using a gamepad to play the game, as it gives the player "the deepest connection to the gameplay mechanics".[17] The game was created using the Unity engine and, unlike other Ubisoft titles, it does not require Uplay to run.[2][10] After being announced in a post on the official Ubisoft blog on January 22, 2015,[17] Grow Home was released on February 4, for Microsoft Windows via Valve's Steam service,[17] as well as being released on September 1, for PlayStation 4.[18] An OS X version was planned to be released if the PC version sold enough units.[19] Ubisoft released multiple updates for the game following release, containing new missions, skins and bug fixes.[20] It was however released for Linux on November 10, 2015.

On August 26, 2025, Atari SA acquired the intellectual property rights to both Grow Home and its sequel Grow Up, with plans to re-release the games on new platforms.[21]

Reception

[edit]

The PC version received "generally favorable reviews", while the PlayStation 4 version received above-average reviews, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[22][23]

The PC version's open world was highly regarded by critics. PC Gamer's Jordan Erica Webber stated that the game's joy is in discovery. Destructoid's Ben Davis said that he got "more than enough enjoyment out of exploring the world", and Eurogamer's reviewer Christian Donlan called the game's map wonderfully generous and varied. However, reviewers criticised the game's length, with Davis calling it relatively short and both Webber and Donlan stating that it should only take the player a couple of hours or less to complete the game's campaign, although Webber said that the game has a great pace.[24][10][5] IGN's Brandin Tyrrel also said that there's little reason to return to the game after completing the main campaign.[8]

The game's visuals were also commended, with Tyrrel calling the game's world gorgeous and vivid, as well as calling its procedurally generated animation a "fantastic example of how movement can speak volumes more than words". However, he also stated that the animation system sometimes caused B.U.D.'s limbs to knot themselves into a state of "unnatural contortion".[8] Rock Paper Shotgun's John Walker said that the main character's movement is "deeply involved in the world", calling its animation the reason the game is "so special".[9]

Critics were divided on the game's control scheme. Donlan wrote that Grow Home is the best rock-climbing game he has ever played, stating that the "initially bewildering" controls allow the player to move through the world "with real skill".[24] Davis called it the most entertaining aspect of the game, but also stated that the walking controls were awkward at times.[10] Webber said that the climbing controls caused her wrist strain, and that the walking controls were "cute until the first time you overshoot or go skidding off the edge".[5]

Notes

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References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Grow Home is a 2015 adventure platform developed by and published by . In the game, players assume the role of BUD (Botanical Utility Droid), a small on a solo mission to save its dying home planet by cultivating a massive alien plant called the Star Plant and harvesting its seeds to produce oxygen. The core objective involves guiding the plant's growth through manual manipulation of its tendrils, enabling vertical exploration across a surreal, procedurally generated of floating islands teeming with exotic and . Released initially for Microsoft Windows and in February 2015 via digital distribution platforms like , Grow Home later launched on in September 2015. In August 2025, acquired the rights to the game from . The game was created by a small team at in , , as an experimental project emphasizing innovative climbing mechanics and minimalist art design over traditional narrative elements. Its development drew inspiration from techniques to foster , allowing players to carve unique paths upward without rigid objectives beyond the central plant-growing goal. Gameplay in Grow Home centers on intuitive, physics-based controls where players independently operate BUD's left and right arms to grab, swing, and climb surfaces, mimicking real-world rock-climbing dynamics. As the Star Plant expands under player guidance, it forms bridges between islands, unlocking new areas filled with collectible that upgrade BUD's jetpack for enhanced mobility. The absence of combat or fail states promotes a relaxed, discovery-driven experience, with hidden caves, ancient ruins, and bizarre creatures encouraging thorough environmental interaction. Upon release, Grow Home received widespread critical acclaim for its refreshing take on platforming and exploration, earning an 8.8/10 rating from and 89% positive reviews (5,527 user reviews) on as of November 2025. The title's success led to a sequel, Grow Up, in 2016, which expanded the world and introduced companion mechanics while retaining the original's whimsical essence.

Gameplay

Core Mechanics

In Grow Home, players control B.U.D., a small designed for botanical tasks, through a unique locomotion system that emphasizes independent arm manipulation for climbing and interaction. Each arm is controlled separately via the left and right trigger buttons on a controller, enabling B.U.D. to grab and pull on any climbable surface—such as rocky outcrops, vegetation, or the game's central Star Plant—while the body follows with procedural animations powered by the Unity engine. This setup creates a physics-driven, ragdoll-like movement that feels weighty and expressive, allowing for creative traversal without traditional platforming precision. B.U.D.'s basic abilities support this climbing focus, including a simple jump activated by a face and the capacity to fall safely from great heights, thanks to the game's lenient physics that prevent instant failure from missteps. Arm movements require no resources and are unlimited in routine use. Players can collect 100 scattered to unlock upgrades that enhance mobility, such as a jetpack that recharges over time for short bursts of propulsion. The game's defining mechanic centers on cultivating the Star Plant, a massive, dynamic that serves as both pathway and objective. Starting from a planted at ground level, players climb the central stem to locate growth buds—bulbous offshoots—and grasp them with B.U.D.'s arms to rotate and direct their trajectory toward glowing energy islands suspended in the sky. Upon connection, the buds elongate into stems, absorbing energy to propel the plant's overall height; different guiding inputs yield varied growth patterns, such as bendy stems that curve for better navigation around obstacles or islands. The core goal requires elevating the Star Plant to 2000 meters to bloom and reach a distant , fostering iterative cycles of climbing, directing growth, and harvesting resources. Exploration unlocks progressive power-ups via accumulated crystals, enhancing B.U.D.'s capabilities without altering the arm-centric core. Major upgrades include: jetpack at 20 crystals (short aerial thrust); jetpack duration upgrade at 40 crystals; at 50 crystals; further jetpack control upgrades at 60%, 70%, and 90%; double jump at 80 crystals; and full collection at 100 crystals unlocks . These upgrades encourage experimentation with the plant's evolving structure, such as using grown stems as springboards or safety lines, while maintaining the emphasis on manual arm control for precise manipulation.

Exploration and Progression

Grow Home features a vast, vertical open-world environment composed of floating islands suspended at varying altitudes, interconnected caves, and diverse ecosystems ranging from lush greenery at lower levels to snowy peaks higher up. This structure encourages non-linear exploration, with the central Star Plant serving as a dynamic pathway that players shape to access new regions. The world is hand-crafted yet feels expansive due to physics-based interactions and procedural animations for the B.U.D.'s movements, allowing seamless traversal across irregular surfaces like rocky outcrops and vine-covered ledges. Collectibles play a key role in incentivizing discovery, including 8 star seeds that appear after the Star Plant reaches 2000 meters and are required for full completion by transporting them via teleporters. Other items enhance mobility, such as fall flowers that function as parachutes to slow descent and enable safe gliding between islands, and large leaves that act as sails for wind-assisted travel, providing thrust and directional control during falls. Additionally, 100 crystals scattered across hidden zones like caverns and remote islands grant upgrades to B.U.D., such as improved jumping and jetpack enhancements, rewarding thorough searches over direct paths. Progression centers on growing the Star Plant to a height of 2000 meters by guiding its shoots toward energy-rich rocks, with each milestone unlocking higher-altitude areas, larger islands, and new ecosystems teeming with unique flora and fauna. Side objectives involve scanning these elements—such as jerkweed plants or warble creatures—using B.U.D.'s tools and depositing data at pads, which also serve as save points, fast-travel hubs, and respawn locations upon falls to facilitate revisiting distant locales. Hidden zones, accessible via detours from the main vine, contain these pads and yield exclusive upgrades, emphasizing exploratory freedom where arm-based climbing remains the primary method for navigating the terrain's verticality.

Development

Concept and Team

Grow Home originated as an internal experimental prototype at , a Ubisoft-owned studio in , , where a small team explored innovative ideas outside the studio's typical focus on large-scale racing titles. The project began with a focus on and animation techniques, initially manifesting as a simple demo in which players controlled a an endless rock formation to evade rising water levels. This core mechanic evolved into the game's central concept: guiding a Botanical Utility Droid named BUD to cultivate and ascend a massive, procedurally growing Star Plant toward a orbiting spaceship, emphasizing vertical exploration across floating islands and diverse biomes. The development was led by a compact team of eight members, comprising three programmers, one , one , one game designer, and one audio designer—a blend of seasoned veterans and recent graduates who formed a dedicated experimental division within Reflections. This lean structure allowed for rapid and creative freedom, with the team prioritizing the differentiation of Grow Home from conventional platformers through novel input , such as independent control of BUD's extendable arms for , gliding, and plant manipulation. The prototype phase specifically tested these arm controls to ensure they felt intuitive and expressive, fostering a sense of physicality and improvisation in player interactions. At its heart, the game's design philosophy centered on the pure joy of movement and , deliberately minimizing narrative elements to grant players unrestricted freedom in discovering and shaping the world. Procedural systems for plant growth and environmental generation were prototyped early to enable dynamic, non-linear progression, where actions like attaching to the Star Plant's stems could unpredictably alter paths and reveal hidden areas. The BUD's childlike personality and responsive dynamics were refined during these tests to enhance emotional engagement, creating a companion-like bond through shared exploration rather than scripted events, all while maintaining a lighthearted, innocent tone inspired by stylized art forms like and low-poly illustrations.

Technical Implementation

Grow Home was developed using the 4 engine (build 4.6.1f1), which provided a flexible foundation for implementing the game's experimental features, including and physics simulations. This engine choice enabled the small development team at to prototype and iterate quickly on core systems without the overhead of building a custom engine from scratch. Central to the game's technical innovation is the custom procedural animation system for B.U.D., the Botanical Utility Droid . Unlike traditional keyframe animations, B.U.D.'s movements are generated in real-time, with each arm controlled independently through (IK) to target surfaces for climbing and grabbing. This IK-based approach calculates joint positions dynamically based on player input and environmental targets, resulting in fluid, context-aware motions that adapt to irregular terrain and objects. Integrated further enhances realism, allowing B.U.D.'s limbs to react naturally to forces like impacts or falls, blending procedural control with simulated physics for emergent behaviors during exploration. The visual pipeline employs a stylized, low-polygon optimized for the alien planet's vast, procedurally generated , where floating islands, , and are rendered efficiently to maintain across PC hardware. Dynamic complements this aesthetic, casting soft shadows and highlights that emphasize the organic, irregular world design while supporting real-time interactions. Physics-based simulations govern environmental elements, such as the bending and growth of the central Star Plant—players physically grab and pull vines to direct its extension, with the system responding via simulated tension and elasticity to create responsive, player-influenced progression. Additional hazards, like wind currents or hostile creatures, leverage the same for deformable collisions and reactive behaviors, adding layers of interactivity without compromising frame stability. Optimization efforts targeted PC platforms, with the game locked at 30 frames per second during gameplay to synchronize physics simulations and prevent inconsistencies in climbing responsiveness—higher rates could disrupt collision accuracy and animation fidelity. Full gamepad support was prioritized for precise dual-analog control of B.U.D.'s arms, as the mechanics demand fine motor input that keyboard and mouse struggle to replicate effectively; developers explicitly recommended controllers for the "deepest connection to the gameplay." The Steam release notably omits reliance on Ubisoft's Uplay (now Ubisoft Connect) service, launching directly via Steam for seamless access and avoiding additional launcher overhead. Collision detection underpins the climbing system, using raycasting and surface queries to validate grab points on dynamic elements like vines or rocks, ensuring reliable attachment while permitting forgiving falls that reset progress without permanent setbacks.

Release

Initial Launch

Grow Home debuted as a digital release for Windows on February 4, 2015, exclusively available through Valve's platform and priced at $7.99. Developed and published by as an internal experiment, the game was positioned as an accessible, indie-inspired title diverging from the studio's typical large-scale productions, with a focus on innovative procedural elements and relaxed exploration. Announced just two weeks prior on January 22, 2015, via Ubisoft's official blog, the marketing campaign featured concise trailers that spotlighted the core climbing mechanics, where players manipulate the robot protagonist BUD's independent arms to scale a massive, evolving in a vibrant, procedurally generated world. Pre-release press previews, conducted in the brief lead-up to launch, emphasized the game's streamlined structure, noting a main storyline completion time of around 2 to 4 hours, which allowed for quick sessions centered on guiding the Star Plant's growth to reach . These early impressions also praised the derived from optional collectibles, such as hidden Star Seeds that unlocked cosmetic skins and encouraged multiple ascents through the vertical, island-dotted landscape to uncover varied paths and secrets. This approach targeted gamers drawn to experimental procedural adventures, offering a low-commitment into Ubisoft's smaller-scale creative endeavors without the sprawl of their blockbuster franchises. The PC launch notably eschewed additional digital rights management beyond Steam's standard activation, a departure from many contemporary Ubisoft titles that required the Uplay client, thereby simplifying access for players interested in the game's whimsical, physics-driven platforming. This decision aligned with the project's ethos as a nimble, creator-focused release, fostering immediate through Steam achievements and cloud saves while highlighting BUD's childlike curiosity in saving his barren home planet.

Ports and Updates

Following its initial PC release, Grow Home was ported to the on September 1, 2015, leveraging the Unity engine's portability to adapt the game for console hardware. The PS4 version supports native resolution and enhances the core climbing mechanics through DualShock 4 controller integration, mapping independent arm movements to the analog sticks for more intuitive during exploration and plant manipulation. A version followed on November 10, 2015, distributed exclusively via with optimizations for compatibility, ensuring smooth performance on open-source systems without major graphical or input overhauls. Post-launch support emphasized stability and minor content additions rather than expansive DLC, with updates delivered primarily through and console patches. A notable early patch on February 18, 2015, introduced a new side mission involving advanced plant cultivation challenges, unlocked a cosmetic "galactic " skin for the B.U.D. robot, and addressed numerous physics glitches, such as erratic vine growth and collision issues during climbing sequences. Subsequent fixes focused on bug resolution for environmental interactions and performance tweaks across platforms, but no major expansions or cross-save functionality were implemented. No mobile adaptations for or Android were ever released, limiting accessibility to desktop, console, and environments.

Legacy

Sequel

Grow Up, the sequel to Grow Home, was released on August 16, 2016, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One by Ubisoft Reflections and published by Ubisoft. The game expands the original's formula into a larger, hand-crafted open-world planet, introducing a shift toward broader exploration while maintaining the core mechanics of climbing and directing plant growth. Players control B.U.D., the robotic protagonist, whose spaceship has crashed, requiring the collection of scattered parts to rebuild and escape, aided by new abilities like the Floradex scanner for cloning 24 plant species that enable bouncing, catapulting, and soaring across varied terrains. Developed by the same team responsible for Grow Home, the project featured an increased scope with a focus on narrative progression through ship reconstruction and discovery of alien and , including multiple biomes representing different seasons and ecosystems. This builds directly on the predecessor's climbing and Star Plant growth systems, adding structured objectives and a companion named , a flying creature that assists in navigation and reveals collectibles via an in-game map. The game's design emphasizes playful, physics-based movement in a surreal, low-poly world, with no multiplayer or co-op modes, prioritizing solo adventure. Critically received as a worthy follow-up, Grow Up addressed complaints about the original's brevity by extending the main playtime to approximately 5-7 hours, allowing for deeper immersion in its expansive environments and optional challenges like POD-guided tasks. Reviewers praised its charming expansion of the core loop, with noting it provides a "bigger playground to climb in" despite familiar patterns, while highlighted the joyful simplicity that retains the series' whimsical appeal.

IP Acquisition

On August 26, 2025, Atari announced the acquisition of full intellectual property rights to Grow Home and its sequel Grow Up from Ubisoft, as part of a bundle that also included Cold Fear, I Am Alive, and Child of Eden. This transfer marked a significant shift in ownership for the titles, originally developed by Ubisoft Reflections, and aligned with Atari's broader strategy of reviving cult classics from the gaming archives to introduce them to new generations. Atari outlined plans to re-release Grow Home and Grow Up on modern platforms, including the , with potential remasters that could feature updated graphics, enhanced performance, or additional content to "evolve" the originals for contemporary audiences. This initiative leverages the games' dedicated , built from their innovative and exploration mechanics, to expand their reach amid Atari's focus on retro IP revivals. As of November 2025, no immediate changes have been made to the existing versions of Grow Home and Grow Up available on platforms like and , with future updates and developments still in the planning stages.

Reception

Critical Reviews

Grow Home received generally favorable reviews from critics upon its release, with praise centered on its innovative gameplay and aesthetic qualities. On , the PC version holds a score of 75/100 based on 46 critic reviews, classified as "generally favorable," while the port scored 74/100 from 7 reviews, deemed "mixed or average." Reviewers frequently highlighted the game's unique climbing mechanics, which allow players to manipulate a growing in a vast, procedurally generated alien landscape, creating a sense of freedom and discovery. described it as "beautiful, original, fluid, and completely charming," emphasizing the fluid platforming and exploration that evoke a childlike wonder. Similarly, lauded its "strikingly beautiful" visuals and the "bright, colorful life" of its world, noting how the sense of vertical scale amplifies the relaxing, ambient exploration. Critics also appreciated the game's brevity as a deliberate choice that delivers a pure, unadulterated without unnecessary padding, though this was a point of contention regarding value. called it a "playful" elevation of climbing and collecting, with a focus on serene environmental interaction rather than or puzzles. However, some reviews pointed out limitations in depth, such as repetitive climbing sequences that can feel tedious over time and a general lack of challenge, making it more meditative than demanding. GamingTrend noted that while the core loop is satisfying, "climbing becomes repetitive quickly," and the absence of music or varied objectives contributes to a sense of simplicity that borders on underdevelopment. The game earned recognition for its design innovation, receiving a nomination for at the 2016 BAFTA Games Awards, though it did not secure a win. This accolade underscored its contributions to and intuitive controls, positioning it as a notable experimental title from 's indie-oriented Reflections studio.

Commercial Performance

Grow Home achieved modest commercial success as an indie-style title from a major publisher, with lifetime sales estimated in the low hundreds of thousands across platforms. No official sales figures were released by , but third-party analytics indicate approximately 450,000 copies sold on alone, representing the bulk of its distribution. This figure includes boosts from frequent Steam sales and inclusions in Ubisoft bundles, such as the 2016 Humble Ubisoft Bundle, which helped sustain sales over time. The game's digital-first approach contributed to its accessibility, though it did not reach mainstream blockbuster status. On PC, Grow Home saw strong uptake via , with estimates suggesting over 100,000 copies sold by 2016, driven by positive word-of-mouth and promotional pricing. The port, released in September 2015, underperformed slightly in comparison, likely due to competition from established platformers during that period; limited sales data exists, but it trailed PC figures significantly. Overall, the title's performance reflected its niche appeal in the indie exploration genre, with total units falling short of Ubisoft's larger franchises. As of 2025, Grow Home remains available for purchase on and the , supporting a dedicated niche player base through ongoing discounts—often priced at 75-90% off its $7.99 base rate—and occasional bundle offerings. Its influence extended to the indie climbing genre, inspiring mechanics in later titles like , which adopted similar procedural climbing systems, though the game itself saw limited broader . Player engagement metrics on show around 13% completion for 100% collectibles, such as gathering all 100 crystals, highlighting its exploratory depth for committed players.

References

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