Hidden Memories of the Gardens Game Left Me Speechless

I Played That New Gardens Between VR Game & Wow. Just Wow.

Alright, I’ll just say it: my VR headset has been gathering dust. Between gritty shooters and sprawling RPGs, I was craving something… different. Something with heart. Then I stumbled upon Hidden Memories of The Gardens Between VR, and friends, it completely revitalized my love for virtual reality.

This isn’t just a simple port of the fantastic 2018 flat-screen game. The team at The Voxel Agents went back to the workshop and baked in over 40 brand-new puzzles specifically for this version. As someone who adored the original, I can tell you—this feels like a definitive edition. It took me a cozy 8-ish hours to finish, and I was smiling for most of them.

Let’s get into why this game is such a special little miracle.

A Story Told in Whispers and Memories

You know that feeling of finding an old photo album? You don’t need captions; the images themselves pull the stories right out of your mind. That’s exactly how this game handles its narrative.

We follow two kids, Arina and Frendt, on a rainy night. They sneak out to their treehouse and—whoosh—get pulled into a series of floating islands that are like 3D scrapbooks of their childhood. We’re talking toy dinosaurs, old-school televisions, and forts made of blankets.

Here’s the kicker: there is zero dialogue. No text pop-ups, no narrator. And you know what? It works. The story is told through the most delicate visual cues—a glance between the friends, the way Arina confidently leads, how Frendt hesitantly follows. I genuinely connected with these two silent kids more than I have with many chatty protagonists. Sure, there was one moment near a foggy bridge where I thought, “A little context would be nice here,” but the overall effect is so pure and heartfelt that you just go with it.

Gameplay: You’re the Master of Time

This is where the game truly shines in VR. You don’t use the thumbsticks to move the characters. Instead, you control time itself.

There’s a forward and backward button. Press forward, and the scene unfolds; Arina walks ahead with her lantern, and Frendt fiddles with gadgets. Press back, and everything reverses. Your job is to manipulate this flow to solve puzzles. Arina’s lantern can absorb and shoot light to activate things, and Frendt can trigger chimes and mechanisms.

You feel like a god gently guiding these two through their memories. Leaning in close in VR to see the tiny details of a puzzle, then rewinding time to try a new solution, is some of the most satisfying and weirdly relaxing gameplay I’ve experienced. It never holds your hand, but the “aha!” moments come at a perfect pace.

A World That Feels Like a Warm Hug

I cannot overstate how beautiful this game is. The art style looks like a children’s book painting come to life. The colors are warm and soft, and everything has this lovely, tactile texture to it.

Calling the levels “dioramas” is spot-on. In VR, you loom over these incredible little self-contained worlds, and the sense of immersion is absolute magic. It’s the polar opposite of a stressful game. I found myself just sitting there, taking in the views, before even attempting the puzzle. It’s that kind of experience.

The Bottom Line: Don’t Let This One Slip By You

Hidden Memories of The Gardens Between VR is a masterpiece of quiet storytelling and ingenious puzzle design. It’s a game that trusts its players to feel instead of just listen. It’s a proof-of-concept for how VR can be used for peaceful, emotional, and intellectually stimulating experiences rather than just thrill rides.

If your library is full of noise and chaos, this game is the perfect antidote. It’s a heartfelt, unforgettable journey that I’m so glad I took.

Hidden Memories of The Gardens Between VR