This guide is an overview of the Gary’s Garden free DLC that was added as of September 10th, 2023, including the locations of the ghost that takes you to the new area, the 10 seeds needed to complete the area, and all the cassette tapes in this area.
Unlocking Gary’s Garden
To unlock Gary’s Garden you’ll need to have unlocked the Tadpole HQ area. As you enter Tadpole HQ from the train, you’ll see a huge King Frog statue, with King Frog himself sitting in front of it. You’ll want to head to the back of the King Frog statue, then face away from it. You should see a small wooden platform with a few birch trees, and that’s where the ghost will be. The ghost’s dialogue box will only have ellipses, but press the “yes” prompt to be taken to the area.
Gary’s Garden Overview
Gary’s Garden is submerged in pink water, and as you collect seeds Gary will tell you more about his garden and his life, and more areas are unlocked. You can’t swim in the pink water until you’ve collected all the seeds – it, along with any scissors that you bump into, will send you back a far distance, usually to your most recent checkpoint in the form of a white daisy that blooms if you step on it. These checkpoints also allow you to fast travel back to the train if you press “Q” while standing on one.
Long jumps (“space” + “E”) will be your friend in this area, and much of the traversal will come down to timing your jumps or movement right against the scissors, the aforementioned long jumps, and falling from leaf bounce pads in the right areas. The area is a bit finicky but not extremely challenging.
Seeds and Cassettes
Cassette #1
On the train tracks at the back of the train.
Seed #1
Once you first talk to Gary, you’ll see a two-level grass platform behind him. You’ll jump using three smaller platforms to get to it, climb up the ladder, and find it under the white Torii gate.
Seed #2/Cassette #2
Several grass platforms to the right of Gary will have raised from gathering the first seed, and that’s where the second seed is. Go to the first grass platform with a checkpoint that’s past Gary, then take a right. You’ll jump on grass and rock platforms, tree roots, and bounce pads up to a large rock platform where another checkpoint is. From there, you’ll use more bounce pads to get to another grass platform with a checkpoint, and then to the grass platform with the seed on it, though you will have to time your fall right to long jump through the scissors.
Hold off on collecting the seed, as behind the seed platform are a few small grass platforms, one of which has Cassette #2.
Seed #3
You’ll be heading towards the large, central tree for the third seed. Go to the first grass platform with a checkpoint that’s past Gary, then time your jump onto the soda cannon so you shoot between the scissors. There’s a ladder at the base of the tree that you’ll climb up while dodging scissors, and you’ll jump to the left branch from the top of the ladder. There will be three blue mushroom bounce pads, but you can just climb up the branch to the checkpoint, and then dodge the moving scissors and jump down to the grass platform below which has the third seed.
Seed #4/Cassette #3
A new area will have grown between the rock platforms where the first seed was and the large tree, and that’s where you’ll be going for the fourth seed. Go to the first grass platform with a checkpoint that’s past Gary, then to the long grass platform on the left next to the large tree. You’ll then jump onto another long grass platform with a checkpoint, travel up some bounce pads to a taller grass platform with a checkpoint (which is also where the third seed was).
There are three additional tall grass platforms you’ll travel to, and you’ll have to use bounce pads and air drafts to avoid bouncing scissors on your way to each one. The last grass platform before the seed platform has Cassette #3, which is on a section of the platform near the water. If you maneuver to the wooden platforms connected to the grass platform, you should be able to see the cassette. The seed platform is beyond a stretch of bouncing scissors, which will need to be dodged using bounce pads and air drafts.
Seed #5
You’ll want to head back up the large tree like how you went to the third seed, up to it’s checkpoint. From the checkpoint you’ll jump on the jump pads to the right, which will direct you to a checkpoint further up the tree on a rock. There are then a few more bounce pads, and you’ll have to dodge a moving pair of scissors to reach another checkpoint, past which lies the seed.
Seed #6/Cassette #4
A set of grass platforms will rise to the right of Gary, and that’s where the sixth seed is. You’ll need to long jump through scissors, but before going up to the next level of the platform walk around the connected wood platforms and rock platform, as that’s where Cassette #4 is. From there, head up to the second level of the grass platform and jump off the table with the checkpoint to get over the line of scissors, to the third level which also has a checkpoint.You’ll then jump on a trail of jump pads, eventually over some lines of scissors, down to the grass platform where the seed is.
Seed #7/Cassette #5
Several rock platforms will appear after gaining the sixth seed, and you’ll head that way to get to the seventh seed. Interspersed on the rock platforms are checkpoints, and you’ll long jump to get to
the large rock platform in the distance where the seventh seed is. Hold off on collecting the seed, as on the lower part of the seed platform Cassette #5 is hidden behind a rocky area – head to the left, where the tree is, to find it.
Seed #8/Cassette #6/Cassette #7
You’ll want to head back up the first grass platform to the right of Gary like how you went to the sixth seed, up to it’s highest checkpoint. Instead of following the trail of bounce pads, you should instead jump to the lower trail of bounce pads you should be able to see. There will be several long grass platforms with a giant pair of scissors running over them, and several rock, wood, and grass platforms around the sides. You’ll want to jump to taller or out-of-the-way platforms regularly to avoid being hit by the giant scissors.
As you travel down the long grass platforms, stop first at the taller grass platform on your left – it has both a checkpoint and Cassette #6.
As you travel down the main line of long grass platforms there will be two taller platforms in the middle with checkpoints. You can jump off of the second taller middle grass platform to a set of grass and rock platforms to the right, which has Cassette #7.
At the end of the line of long grass platforms, there will be one last taller grass platform which has the seed on it.
Seed #9/Cassette #8
To get to the ninth seed, go to the first grass platform with a checkpoint that’s past Gary, then to the long grass platform on the left next to the large tree. You’ll then jump onto another long grass platform with a checkpoint, travel up some bounce pads to a taller grass platform with a checkpoint (which is also where the third seed was). There will be a few small rock platforms that lead to a checkpoint and a large tiered grass platform. You’ll have to dodge some spinning lines of scissors to get to the rock on the far left of the lowest part of the platform, which you can jump off of to the tree branch with Cassette #8 on it. The seed will be higher up the large grass platform past more lines of spinning scissors on a connected rock platform.
Seed #10/Cassette #9
On the rocks to the left of Gary, a soda cannon will have spawned, it will shoot you up to a rock platform high up in the large central tree. If you follow that main branch of the tree, at the very top will be Cassette #9, the last cassette – you can use the bounce pads, but you can also just walk up there. You can then use the trail of bounce pads to reach the highest part of the tree, where you will get the tenth and final seed.
Completing Gary’s Garden
After you’ve collected all the seeds, the Garden will bloom and transform so that the pink water is traversable and the scissors are gone. Gary will leave and be replaced with two familiar faces who give more context about Gary and his Garden.
Once all of the cassettes have been collected, you can exchange them for coins from Mai and Mitch, who are on top of the train.
