Introduction
Grow Home is a small 2015 game developed by Ubisoft Reflections to test procedural generation and physics in the Unity engine. The result was surprisingly charming and fun, so they polished it up and released it as a budget title.
The player controls B.U.D., the Botanical Utility Droid on an extended mission with M.O.M., an exploration ship/computer, to find Star Plants. When one is discovered, B.U.D. is deployed to grow the Star Plant right up into the stratosphere, where it will bloom and produce seeds that they can take home to oxygenate Earth. He accomplishes this task by lots of grabbing, climbing, plant-riding, and forcing the Star Plant to drink delicious glowing juice from floating Energy Rocks. Along the way he can gather up to 100 crystals to upgrade his abilities, giving him among other things a rocket pack and... a camera zoom.
The problem? B.U.D. was clearly designed for climbing, not walking. Being a game made to test physics, B.U.D.'s movement is loose and high on inertia. Expect to fall great distances multiple times.
Thankfully, B.U.D.'s such a happy, dorky little robot that he's hard to stay mad at, and the game has a charm and sense of humor that forgives a lot of its shortcomings. Also there are checkpoints and teleporter locations. And you can self-destruct. Ultimately it's a flawed but fun little gem.
The LP
This is a 5-part, 100% LP wherein I will collect all of the crystals, data bank logs, and skins. All of M.O.M.'s data logs and related text info are also included below.
BigTUnit1 joins me as my co-commentator, and he's a bit less forgiving of the game than I am.
(By ChibiWisdom)
---MOM's Data---
Note: All of the following text is copied verbatim from the game. Spelling, grammar, and other errors or inconsistencies have been left uncorrected.
Primary Gameplay Elements
Tele-Router
A handy Point to Point teleporter.
Activate additional TELE-ROUTERS to travel by wi-fi.
Crystal
A B.U.D. compatible fuel source. Collect CRYSTALS to upgrade.
Data Bank
Scanned items are registered in the DATA BANK. Check the MISSION REPORT screen for details.
Fall Flower
What a feathery, potentially floaty, flower-form.
Star Shoot
You should be able to guide SHOOTS towards the ENERGY ROCK.
It grows surprisingly quickly!
Spring Leaf
Extremely elastic new growth. Interesting.
Weeee!!
Glide Leaf
A dried up SPRING LEAF, that looks unusually aerodynamic.
Star Seed
Retrieve the STAR SEED for analysis.
Locate 8 STAR SEEDS and send them home via any TELE-ROUTER.
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Data Bank
Grass
This simple, narrow leaved lifeform is common to many worlds.
Fast growing and hardy; these lovely, verdant clumps of biomass will thrive anywhere there's water, soil and sunshine.
I rather like a grass. You can't really have a picnic without it, can you?
Jerkweed
This somewhat repugnant, spiny weed has an unusually bloated root and a rather *distinctive* odor.
My word, I can smell it through the Tele-Router.
One of the few vegetables I've ever met that I really don't get on with.
Fractus
This sturdy, water retaining perennial is very well adapted to a harsh, desert environment or the kitchen windowsill of a shared flat.
Much like its cousin, the Cactoid, the Fractus has evolved to withstand long droughts and the searing heat of direct sunlight. You coming along and tearing chunks off it hardly seems fair now I think about it.
Oh well, that's science for you.
Cactoid
The Cactoid is a compact sphere of fibrous vegetable matter. It's *really* heavy. I'm amazed you got it to the Tele-Router.
Well done BUD, you're significantly stronger than your factory specifications indicate.
Did you roll it or kind of drag it? I wasn't watching.
Gourdle
This robust member of the squash family is great in stews and risottos. So I'm told.
I have no taste bud's and less of a clue why lifeforms make such a fuss about fuel. Honestly, you should hear them **try roasting this root vegetable with these herbaceous leaves and some sodium chloride**.
Sounds like gibberish to me.
Champignon
Observe the fungi.
Like a big hat on a stick
Champignon are weird
that was a Haiku
Plumin
Ooh, that's lovely. Thank you BUD.
Probably the prettiest plant form we've encountered on this expedition.
I should do some tests... but its gentle luminescence makes me want to put on some music and take a warm bath.
Com on, MOM. Tests first... then bath.
Palmapple
The ripe fruit of the indigenous palm tree is rich with vitamins and flavourful juice.
You could make yourself a healthy and delicious breakfast drink from Palmapples.
If you had a food blender. And a stomach.
Gradish
These delicate pink blooms hide a surprisingly large, edible tuber. This Gradish root is one of the richest sources of Vitamin Q in the known universe.
Undoubtedly the staple diet of indigenous mammals in these parts.
Meep
*Oh you're a pretty ruminant mammal aren't you? And you're a quadruped... yes you are, yes you are... I'll call you Terence*
It's not really fair to keep pets on a space-ship otherwise we'd be taking this one home.
But you'd be feeding and and cleaning up after it (especially that last bit)
Warble
*hello you, hello you cute little quirk of divergent evolution, you*
This docile and unusual flightless bird is rather endearing, isn't it?
Does it do anything? Or does it just stand around and blink?
???
Oh this is... I really don't know. My scans are just reflecting off it.
It could be a seed, or an egg or some kind of gem...
Well done, BUD, great find.
Crott
I've just fed the Crott analysis into my extensive databanks and it's returned 75,000 recipes for soup, 25000 for cake and 1 for a Brownie.
This is not useful scientific information. And *who* puts root vegetables into a brownie?
I despair sometimes.
Snip
An edible cave growing root is really something of an oddity. Even here.
I'd put it through the databank but I'm getting sick of all the useless recipes it send me.
I'm an artificial intelligence with an IQ in millions and no requirement for sustenance. I swear that databank is just messing with me sometimes.
Snarkgrass
Snarkgrass is a rare derivative of Jerkweed and is equally horrible. Seriously, this stuff stinks. If I wasn't committed to scientific discovery I'd tell you to throw it in the sea.
Also, Snarkgrass has been known to turn into a monster during a full moon.
Sorry, that's a werewolf. Different thing.
Pink Gradish
Oooh, Gradish mutation, interesting.
Something about the colder environment it grows in has led to a *slight* variation in petal pigmentation and a bright yellow centre. This is remarkably exciting!
I think unusual biological adaptation is my all-time favourite thing. Except you, BUD, obviously.
Fuschia Gourdle
Another uncommon treat... well done BUD!
Analysis reveals this Gourdle's DNA varies from the main plant form by 0.00008% percent. Remarkable.
What colour would you say that is? Fuschia? I'm going with Fuschia... yep Fuschia.
Arctic Meep
*ooh, so cute, so cute I could squish it... yes I could, yes I could*
Ahem. This Arctic Meep has adapted to the snowier areas of the environment perfectly. A little surer of foot, darker wool to extract more heat from the sunlight and *that lovely widdle face*
Sorry. I get funny around small mammals.
Every Time
Gold Plumed Warble
Magnificent plumage on this Warble.
Observing creatures like this is exactly why I got into space exploration. That and saving the Earth... and that I was programmed to. Hmmm.
I'm suddenly doubting I have free will at all, but that *is* a lovely land fowl subspecies.
Grubble
Eek.
Must be the larval form of something.
Egh, it wriggles.
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Crystal Upgrades
Jump - 1 Crystal
Mobility increased. Find more CRYSTALS to increase power.
Zoom Cam - 10 Crystals
You should now have increased camera control.
Rocket-Pack - 20 Crystals
You have enough power for minimal thrust.
Rocket-Pack - 40 Crystals
ROCKET Power is now increased.
Radio - 50 Crystals
That sound the crystals make, I'm not sure if pleasantly soothing or completely annoying. Anyway, I've retuned your radio to help find the blighters.
Rocket-Pack - 60 Crystals
You now have complete aerial mobility.
Rocket-Pack+ - All 100 crystals
You now have superhero status.
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Skins
Original BUD
The original full fat version of the award winning Botanical Utility Droid series. This unit will climb any surface without fatigue. Rocket-Packs are available as an optional extra on this model.
Banana BUD
Look Caribbean fresh and full of potassium with this dapper summer re-spray.
Blueberry BUD
This enigmatic blueberry paint-job will make you feel like a superfood (or a muffin ingredient)
Plum BUD
This ever festive, rosy tone will make you look hot! hot! hot! (like steel heated to 540 degrees F!)
Ninja BUD - Complete the epilogue (Collect all 8 Star Seeds after the credits)
Jump twice as far as the original B.U.D. series with this sweet NINJA-SKIN. Comes in a range of vibrant colours... black, super black and ultra black.
Native BUD - Scan all 20 lifeforms in the Data Bank
Get in touch with your wild side with this environmentally friendly native skin. Become one with nature and ride those STAR SHOOTS for twice as long.
Luchador BUD
Designed by competition winner Yodaxy, the Luchador Skin is highly suitable for colourful skydiving off the top rope! STAR PRESS!!