Topsoil 1.2.9

I sometimes think about gardening. I heard it was quite a noble occupation some time ago. But today (((some))) say that's the lowest form of occupation one might have. I suppose (((they))) also think that prostitution is a virtue. In any case, Topsoil is a game about gardening :)

Theme aside, you're not exactly gardening here, but in fact struggling to accommodate plants on your limited square of land. In each turn you will be placing a plant. However, after every three turns you will need to harvest. Unlike planting, which is relative to one square, harvesting removes all adjacent plants of the same type. So it's a good idea to group them together whenever you can.

The problem is that harvesting also changes the terrain type. Plants that grow on different types of terrain cannot be harvested together (even if adjacent). To make the matter worse, some plants, like flowers, pines and oaks show up in seed form and need some turns in order to mature.

This might sound similar to a 2048 type game, but I assure that it's nothing like one. In Topsoil you can stay on top of the matter by making informed decisions. Even though the stream of plants is random, you will always know the batch of three that comes before harvest. You can also see the next batch before you harvest. There's also the Undo button, which should be used as an integral part of your strategy, especially since it allows you to peak beyond planting your last shrub. The soil also switches types in a cyclical fashion. Learning the cycle order is not hard, as there are only 4 types of terrain, and you will always see what the next one will be.

The sound in Topsoil is almost devoid of any ambiance. Planting and harvesting have nice earthy sound effects, while the birds that show up, giving point bonuses also chirp from time to time.

Final Thoughts

I like the design and gameplay of Topsoil. The business model is interesting also. The game is completely free and free of ads. But you will only get a limited set of plays every 24 hours. However, you can earn plays by watching ads and plays also stack. So if you're not obsessing over Topsoil, you can easily play it. However I think that $4 bucks is not much for a game you thoroughly enjoy.