Waking Mars tells the story of botanist Dr. Liang, who is sent to Mars to research alien plant life that's been discovered by robotic probes. Once he arrives Dr. Liang ventures into the caves where these plants are found, but then accidentally causes a cave-in that traps him there.
Lacking any obvious exit, Liang explores the caverns, studies the plants and realises he'll have to use the plants to survive. Sure enough, he sets off to garden his way to freedom - researching the plants with the help of his suit AI, then planting them to open new caverns.
So, why should you play a game that could basically be described as a gardening simulator?
Simply, because while there are a lot of games out there offer more bombastic experiences, Waking Mars is one of the few games we've seen which has something to say and which says it cohesively through every element it uses. It's a game about considering your purpose as just a part of a larger process, rather than the master of it and that's surfaced in everything from the emergent plant interactions to the role you're cast in.
