Genuinely such a beautiful game. The music is AMAZING. I felt like I wanted to cry the entire time. This is SO WELL DONE. AMAZING JOB TO EVERYBODY ON THE TEAM!!!!

This game is beautiful, in the art, music, and narrative. I really like your interpretation of the theme, and how his "just getting started" came from the ending of something else, there's something so uplifting about that. Maybe it's the idea that it's never too late to start something, but thematically that was what stuck with me the most while playing the game. In terms of interactions, I really liked "playing" the piano with keys on the keyboard, it really felt immersive without making the player actually play the song. All in all, amazing game!

------ Spoilers, don't read if you haven't play --------

Well, I guess I made the correct choice to leave this game as my last rating of the period

This is the 1st time a game from a jam made me almost cry…

Despite being I think the shortest game I played this week, the game is packed with so much essence or feelings that I can say it’s a pretty and relaxing experience that can feel too personal to some people

In my case, it hits too close, for a variety of reasons, to say 1 is I struggle at times to do something with my free time and seeing the main character feeling the same, it’s easy for me to relate to him. At the same time, painting and playing piano are things I always wanted to do and now that I have some less stuff to do, I could do drawings from time to time.

Seeing the thoughts he has while painting, it feels so real haha… I played twice to see another painting with other dialogues, and those are good

About playing the piano, it was very fun to do, it gives time to get used to the keys and the song is very beautiful if played in 1 go, very good that the song stops for you to play the next note making it a relaxing experience instead a frustrating one. I really liked the detail of the partiture, I only can barely read the duration of each note and it’s great to see that it is actually the song

I think that’s the thing I could say about the gameplay, I didn’t find bugs or I don’t think I can give feedback to improve the game because I really liked it as it is now.  Ah, wait, except for the start, the alarm part, I thought it was an intro where I didn’t have to press something, so if you need that the player move, indicate it more quickly, the alarm clock looped 3 times before I wake up the protagonist hahaha

Now to talk about the thing I want more to express, the soundtrack of this game is too beautiful, it helps a lot to set the mood and I think it’s the main reason I felt what I felt, it carries so many feelings in such a short time. It’s rare to find great songs in jams and this is one of the best I have listened to, usually the songs are epic, fun, joy, songs that are “happy” or “hyping” or even “horror” like, but man, the soundtrack of this game, inject it to my brain, it’s too good, I genuinely felt so happy to make a mistake in the piano part because I could listen to it again, this while keeping myself to not cry haha

Like I could just listen to it and could imagine what is happening, what the song wants to communicate, it’s just great, I want to listen to it more, so if you have it posted in some part like YT or some service, please, share it to me that I want it to hear outside the game!

Now there is that, for me soundtrack is one of the best things a game can have because sometimes I just play for that reason, but the way the story is told is also great, you only read the thoughts of the protagonist but at the same time, after each part of gameplay, you can see that the protagonist is doing something more than just hobbies, isn’t mentioned much in the dialogues but those changes are good, isn’t needed to point it much but helps a lot to see the protagonist is progressing one step at the time

And at the end, he is just smiling, from being a lot in his mind in a dark house, to just being able to sit and enjoy his time in a light and clean room, it’s pretty and honestly I would like to reach that point hahaha. Like those subtle stuff being telled without pointing it much is good. Both songs and story complement each other so well in this game that it’s just a beautiful experience…

For me when something makes me feel something like this, it's just a favorite for me, I usually can be a stone at times in this kind of games, but here I can’t, it just moves me despite how short it is…

I feel this whole comment can be a bit messy and maybe longer that it should, usually I have in mind what I want to say, but here I feel if I keep talking I will loop around and say the same haha.

Great and fantastic game, thanks for sharing this game in the jam, I’m happy this is my last rating, keep doing games!

(Now that I finished rating games, I can say I have some “Free Time”, hah… I only wanted to make a comment like this, seeing happening on the server can be funny at times hahaha.

And, the protagonist is talented, remembers how to paint and play the piano, wtf, he is too good hahaha, I really liked that!)

This hits very close with the idea of uplifting yourself with doing things you once loved and how draining being bored but un-energized can be. You guys made a really good job with this with the beautiful soft and pretty artstyle, the tranquil music specialy the piano one and the melancholic writing. My favorite detail was the painting, how it starts to take form and it is placed on the room and how this one starts to looks cleaner. Really good game I loved it.

really well done, could be incredibly succesful as a steam game!

what a beautiful game, i love the whole vibe :))

Definitely the most emotionally-driven game in this jam 💖
Man, this game really tugs on your heartstrings, the music really adds a lot for immersing you, I really love the painting part, that was very interesting, and also being able to observe the environment becoming neat was a really cool detail! Glad I finally found the free time to play this game, great job team Blossoming Garden, y'all made a very special game be proud of yourselves! 🎉

This was a great experience! I loved the piano piece and painting! two things I also like to do in my free time.. <3

I specially like how immersive the 'playing the piece' part was!! Great visuals, music and writing! 

Excellent short little game! The entire vibe and coziness was very on point. I really like how the you can see the house improving after the mc starts picking up his hobbies again as well as the way they slowly start adapting to their new reality and the questions of "how did I let it get to this state?" or "why did I ever stop?". Really helps to sell the feeling of someone who got too absorbed on their work to the point of ignoring all the other aspects of their life.

I also like that the painting actually changes depending on what you select, that was a nice touch.

The art is absolutely beautiful and the music hits just right for what the game is trying to portray! Excellent work!

This is almost more of an art piece than a game. I have always loved games that blur that line. I enjoyed the self-reflection, and it was nice to just experience the game, and not feel like there was any urgency or anything pressing to get to. Sort of like a playable cutscene but no consequences for failure. I appreciated the actual composition in the piano part, I'm assuming that is original? I thought it was a little unrealistic that Martîn would tune his piano by himself... unless he's spent the last 36 years being a professional piano tuner? haha. Very nice vibe for this game, the art is, of course, spectacular. I would have liked it to be a little longer, but it's a game jam so no judgement there :)

Really cozy and beautiful game. Really made me feel comfy.

Beautiful game! The story was fantastic, very personable. I loved this. Great Job! Heres  number 90.

Heres ours if you haven’t seen it yet.

https://itch.io/jam/shovel-jam-2025/rate/3738248

Very beautiful artistic approach to the jam idea and relatable story - I like it. 

Loved the part, that the painting resembles our submission very strongly.

Wished the game lasted a bit longer - but all good things have to come to an end.

Great job !

It's pretty short but it's enough! I loved the piano minigame and it really captures how you always wish you 'had' free time, but when you actually have it you don't know what to do with it. Good job to you and the team :D

Really sweet game! Lovely art, chill gameplay and fits the theme well, great job!

Really short and sweet game on getting started on your interests once again, I love how the music from piano and painting end up in the game, but I just wish the painting would have some sort of minigame, like piano did… I haven’t checked if they look different based on the answers you choose, but overall a pretty relaxing game :)

Found this game because we were talking music in Discord.

Music in game was obviously very good, and fits the mood perfectly. 

The painting reminds me of Ghosts of Tsushima haiku. I like that the painting is on the wall afterwards.

I hate that this is almost kicking me in the butt to do something about my own life.

soo good like nice game like i have no words

Very nice and unique theme to the game, with some good art to accompany it. Good stuff all around and a story to boot, great job to the entire team

Good interpretation of the theme:) Forced me to relax a tad as well aha. Very good artistic style good job!