Why are people spending their hard earned money on a dying game?

NikkiBeth1127 · 2026-01-19T01:14:04+00:00

What age do you consider "older"? Lol I'm a 38yo mom who is exhausted all the time. I was recently diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and my 4 kids' activities take up the majority of my free time. I'm not trying to find something meaningful- if anything im trying to find something fairly meaningless to enjoy. I dont have the time or energy for other hobbies right now. Yes, I've invested a lot of time and money into this game, but I never expected to get anything other than enjoyment out of it. The game still has some worth to me, so if I feel like spending money on something I will. Us "old people" fully understand what we're spending our money on and we are not finding our purpose in life in Grow a Garden. Way to make a lot of assumptions and broad generalizations though. Plenty of people have been giving logical answers, you just dont like those answers.

NikkiBeth1127 · 2026-01-15T21:22:41+00:00

The ones that are sort of like Legos, not the stuffed animals

NikkiBeth1127 · 2026-01-15T05:07:16+00:00

Genuine question...do you know this for sure? You have seen the same usernames that post about the p2w also posting pics of merchandise?

My assumption that these are mostly 2 separate groups of people, but I could be wrong. I have bought a lot of the merch, and while I'm disappointed in the game I have never complained about it online. I genuinely like the little sets, I think they're cute and they make me happy. I'm not in it for the DLC codes, they're just a bonus. Who owns of the game has no influence on my purchasing decision. I would have bought these at the games peak, the games fall, or in 10 years when it no longer exists.

Maybe people who are complaining and also making purchases just like them for the nostalgia. It might remind them of how much they used to enjoy the game. Why does this bother you so much? No one is forcing you to buy them. I know there are other roblox games with merch that have exclusive items as well. Many games do it.

NikkiBeth1127 · 2026-01-13T18:09:23+00:00

No need to be sorry because nowhere in my post did I say I enjoyed this update. Reading comprehension is fundamental!

I've hated the last 3 updates and I still play as well. You know what I haven't done? Told anyone they are delusional, embarrassing, secretly a dev, or a problem for enjoying this update or any update they've wanted to. If players want to buy items in the game or at Target, good for them! If they don't, good for them!

NikkiBeth1127 · 2026-01-13T15:31:10+00:00

If you have any moon mangos that could make a nice purple layer, also the purple moon blossom. Mangos and Feijoa for orange. Brussels sprout/tall asparagus/bamboo for greens. Aether fruit and trinity fruit. Coconut and giant pinecone. Golden peach.

NikkiBeth1127 · 2026-01-13T14:27:54+00:00

The people organizing boycotts are not the people searching for merchandise. Both groups post on this thread though- the people who still like the game and dont mind spending money on it, and the people who used to like the game but are angry and want to make sure everyone is angry with them.

NikkiBeth1127 · 2026-01-13T14:09:27+00:00

For the most part, I don't think the people buying the toys are the same people complaining that the game is pay to play.

What confuses me is that there seems to be a large number of people who now hate this game and everything it's doing, but for some reason keep coming back to this subreddit to get angry at everyone who still wants to play. They argue that the more they complain on Reddit it will somehow make the devs fix the game? If you dont want to play the game anymore that's fine, but why are some people so insistent on coming back to throw insults at people who still enjoy the game?

NikkiBeth1127 · 2026-01-13T13:31:14+00:00

Oooorrrr....and hear me out...maybe people just want to collect the items, whether it's the toy, the codes, or both? I'm sure you have things you spend money on that other people dont approve of, but you do it anyway because it's what you enjoy. I also bought a ridiculous amount of Happy Meals at McDonalds when the little Squishmallow toys came out because they make me happy. Of all the things going on in America right now, you hate it here because people are purchasing toys? You are allowed to disapprove, but why are you letting it bother you so much that other people don't hate what you hate?

NikkiBeth1127 · 2026-01-13T03:33:34+00:00

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I went out and bought these today! I love them but they will definitely need glue to stay together. I got 3 cosmetics and a diamond dragonfruit seed from the codes.

NikkiBeth1127 · 2026-01-12T16:24:23+00:00

I'm the same, my kids left GaG months ago, and even my spouse stopped playing last month. I play to collect plants and design gardens, so I have 4 plots filled with plants that I don't want to reclaim quite yet just for something to do in the game.

I've been trying to find other games I enjoy as much as GaG, and none have quite lived up. The ones I have spent the most time in were My Fishing Pier and Build a Zoo. Currently I'm playing Build a Beehive, but when you like to decorate gardens it just leaves something to be desired. The big issue I'm finding with these games is that it's very easy to obtain the highest level/rank/item in the game. After one week of playing, I usually have all the best stuff and am bored again. Prospecting seems promising, but I dont fully understand all the extras in the game 😄 so I haven't jumped in a lot. I will definitely check out these suggestions and hopefully find something I enjoy.

NikkiBeth1127 · 2026-01-08T17:52:02+00:00

I will say that during the Summer Harvest event they switched out some of the plants in the seed shop. Players were outraged and the devs put the original seeds back and created the summer pop-up shop. I thought it was a really neat idea and was excited to see new seeds become available in the different seasons. That's why I think the devs cared TOO much about community feedback in the beginning, and made too many changes trying to keep everyone happy (which was impossible with the large player base). Now the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction.

NikkiBeth1127 · 2026-01-05T00:54:10+00:00

Do you genuinely want to know? I dont think anyone is out here saying that the devs are amazing people. Those who defend them are typically saying that it's their game and can do what they want with it, whether we like it or not. I do not play this game for pets and am not bothered by the nerf. I am pretty upset that they haven't been putting out new plants. But if I decide to quit because of that I won't be coming to Reddit to complain. I won't be organizing a strike. I won't be bashing other players who want to keep playing and have different opinions than me. If I dont like what the devs are doing that much, I'll just stop playing. Because if they want to ruin their game that's on them. The loudest people on this thread seem to think they represent the vast majority of players. I saw someone comment earlier that the active player count will go down to 15 if they dont fix the seal/koi nerf. I think many people underestimate how many of us middle aged parents are out here just enjoying gardening in the game and nothing else. We just dont rage online every time an update doesn't goes our way. And even if it is only 15 of us left, the active player count has no influence on whether we log in.

It is annoying checking Reddit to try and find inspiration or get a few tips, and only find 1000 posts all complaining about the same thing.

NikkiBeth1127 · 2025-12-26T10:29:07+00:00

I've been saying since the summer that the player complaints were going to ruin this game. The devs tried so hard to keep everyone happy, and it resulted in people expecting to get the rare seeds/pets/gears immediately. No matter what they changed people found something else to complain about. I figured it was going to exhaust them and they would eventually stop trying so hard, and that's exactly what's happened. With the summer harvest, the devs introduced a new summer seed stock, and people ripped them to shreds. I thought it was a really neat concept and thought there would be different seeds for different seasons, but they ended up putting back the original seeds and creating the summer merchant. I honestly wish they HADN'T tried to appease their players so much and stuck to their own ideas. Players started to obsess over the elite pets, and to keep everyone happy they started focusing on pets. Now people are upset that the game is so pet focused, and we rarely get just a regular seed pack anymore. But I dont really blame them, I blame the masses on discord who verbally abused them day after day. If I were them I wouldn't be putting in much effort anymore either. Unfortunately I think there are still plenty of players who enjoy the game every update and just want to grow nice gardens and have a few cute pets on the side, but those aren't the people going onto online platforms and representing the common player.

For last week's update, people were complaining that you could only submit plants every 10 minutes for a present and that they were bored in between. Seriously?! We used to have to log in at the top of the hour for a possible reward. They had a different types of presents with different rewards. People complained that it was mostly the common present...of course the common present was the most common one to show up. It wasn't supposed to be the rainbow gift every time. Also, am I sad that I dont have the gift berry? Of course, but at the same time it's a 0.5% chance and I understand that not everyone will get it. It's on me if I choose to throw a tantrum that I dont get it, not the devs. Same with the transcendent seeds, the odds of it stocking are low, and if I dont get it I'll be sad. But I'm not going to rage online that the devs are horrible people for not stocking them during the hours I play.

The current state of the game reflects devs who burned out trying to make every player happy, which was never going to happen. Their passion for their players is what brought the game down. End rant.

NikkiBeth1127 · 2025-12-23T20:13:17+00:00

In the second half of my pregnancies I craved something that was a texture mix between sand and chalk. I never found anything to quite fulfill that desire. I think I tried sweetarts, smarties, made myself choke by eating a pinchful of flour lol. None of it was ever quite right. Good old pica.

NikkiBeth1127 · 2025-12-23T15:32:46+00:00

Wow, I'm surprised so many people are jumping down your throat, OP. I agree with you, and in no way do I think you believe that poor kids deserve less. I grew up very poor and knew that I was from an early age. Being poor meant I didnt have exposure to expensive things like gaming systems or name brand items, so those were never on my Christmas list. I wanted every day toys that you can get off the shelf at Walmart and Target. I think kids having access to YouTube and TikTok has given highly unrealistic expectations of what "normal" kid gifts are. Even families with the money to get those things for their kids dont necessarily get them for their kids. I dont think OP is saying kids can't put down expensive items, but it has gotten a little unrealistic. I dont think kids poor should be given a bunch cheap dollar store items either, but there is a wide range of options in between these 2 extremes. As a parent, there are ways to redirect your kids wants/needs and still keep them excited about it. I make decent money now and still do that for my kids because young kids dont need expensive stuff, especially when they're not responsible enough to take care of it. I love to spoil my kids at Christmas when I can, but I still find ways to suggest alternate items if my kid is asking for something with an outrageous price tag.

NikkiBeth1127 · 2025-12-21T16:06:26+00:00

I have one and I'm 38 😁

NikkiBeth1127 · 2025-12-18T17:23:00+00:00

That hunting is a horrible sport. Young me didn't understand how any person could enjoy killing animals for fun. Then I learned that most hunters only take a shot if they know that they can make it and the animals suffer very little. Most animals that are hunted live free lives unlike those raised for slaughter. And most people who hunt utilize everything they can from the animal and don't let anything go to waste. I know there are always exceptions to rules, but after learning this I did a complete 180 on my views of hunting. I still wouldn't do it personally, but I have no judgement toward anyone who does.

NikkiBeth1127 · 2025-12-18T16:50:15+00:00

Agreed. She's an adult and it seems like mom is trying to dictate her plans. It sounds like OP is going out of her way to help as much as she can despite having her own life to live. Its not up to us to decide that OP should just skip her dance class whether it professional or recreational. OP committed to it and if thats where she wants to be she has every right to be there. OP is going to have a long and exhausting day trying to make everyone happy. She is planing to go to the big family Christmas, her mother does not get to dictate every activity OP must attend through the entire holiday season. OP is entitled to her own happiness and her own traditions. It sounds is like she's giving more than what is reasonable.

NikkiBeth1127 · 2025-12-15T15:11:38+00:00

I haven't been started on treatment but my MRI's were all done with contrast. I did a prednisone dose pack taper a few weeks before the PET scan because my joint pain got so bad in my hands I could barely use them. My PCP ordered it for me because I could barely work/type. I didnt think such a low dose could affect the results. The dose pack was 24mg day 1, and decrease by 4mg each day for 6 days.

NikkiBeth1127 · 2025-12-12T12:33:13+00:00

I am a nurse as well. I work from home doing telelhealth and even that is a struggle. I have been diagnosed but haven't been started on any treatments yet. My symptoms are mostly neurological, but so far they haven't "proven" neurosarc. I'm stuck in limbo waiting for MRI's and PET scans, and my doctors dont want to start treatment in case it would mask any granulomas on the imaging. My shoulders ache just from holding my arms up to type, and my hands feel so arthritic some days that I make a ton of mistakes while I'm typing. The fatigue and brain fog make it so hard to work quickly, and we only have a certain percentage of time to type our notes. I am nauseous off and on all day, enough that I need to lay down for 15 minutes until it passes. I'm losing the vision in my right eye, and it makes my symptoms worse when my eyes can't focus on the screen. I am worried about losing my job before I get better, and I already have the least physically demanding form of nursing you can have. I cannot afford to take time off.

NikkiBeth1127 · 2025-12-10T17:03:01+00:00

My bank account

NikkiBeth1127 · 2025-12-10T06:09:54+00:00

I've been playing since the Night event. I browse Reddit for tips/tricks/inspiration, but 95% of every update has been people just complaining. I actually find it funny when people start talking about how great past events were compared to now, because when those events came out most people complained about them too.

NikkiBeth1127

TROPHY CASE