Spirit City: Lofi Sessions - Enchanted Garden Review

I've been using Spirit City: Lofi Sessions nonstop since I picked it up back in April 2024: it's become nigh essential for me to begin my workday. At the time of writing, I'm level 142, I have thousands of Spirit Credits in my in-game pocket, and I've accrued 1,140 hours. This makes it my third most-played game, right behind Bongo Cat and Disney Dreamlight Valley!

Throughout the many years, Mooncube Games has released tons of free content updates (many of them with Halloween stuff, which is awesome!) and three expansion DLC: Spirit City: Lofi Sessions - Cozy Kitchen, Spirit City: Lofi Sessions - All Aboard!, and the most recent one, Spirit City: Lofi Sessions -  Enchanted Garden. As it has become somewhat akin to my right hand at work, I own them all (even the cosmetic-only packs!).

Among them, the one I've been most excited about has been Enchanted Garden because I'm an enormous fan of fantasy and nature. My anticipation only deepened as they showcased the Spirits that would be available!

In total, the DLC offers three new main areas to decorate: the Greenhouse, the Garden, and the Gazebo. Unlike in All Aboard!, where a considerable number of the items could be found in the base game, Enchanted Garden offers a variety of new assets.

Within the three zones, there are a total of 25 categories of things that can be changed. As an example, in the Gazebo (which is the smallest customisable area), the style, the table, the chair, and the snack can all be customised.

While there are many decorations, I'd argue they fall into one of the following categories: Victorian, Eastern, fantasy, cosy cabin/farm, and gothic. Of course, due to the nature of the title, they can be mixed and matched to the player’s heart's content.

This is a plus or a minus depending on each person's unique taste, and I'd argue it's important to consider your likes, unless you'd buy a DLC for just the Spirits (which I would do, so no judgment from me). If none of the themes mentioned above is your style, you might not like what you get.

As someone who enjoys nearly all of them, I'm pleased with the new items! I've played around with them using the presets, and the only one I felt was a bit lacking was the gothic theme. I would have loved to have a spooky, mist-filled background to go with the garden.

That being said, even within the themes, there aren't that many variations to make. I didn't personally mind it because they made four distinct areas in total (without me mixing and matching), and I was genuinely stunned at the Eastern one; the cherry blossoms paired with green, lush grass and mossy rocks were a highlight!

Outside of the base game, I also tend to make a preset or two that I enjoy and switch between them. When it comes to variety and amount, I am easy enough to please.

Avatar activity-wise, there's a variety of them across the three locations: there are six in the Greenhouse, six in the Gazebo, and nine in the Garden. Players can enjoy each zone with actions like caring for plants and hanging out with the Spirits, to working on their laptop.

Again, these are highly themed for the setting: the Avatar can mix potions, water the plants, play guitar, and write on their laptop, but if the player doesn't enjoy gardening work, it will feel off. This was another highlight for me because, as I mentioned above, I'll enjoy anything that has nature in it.

I also felt that in these animations, I noticed the Spirits more! My personal favourites are the watering, gardening, and harvesting ones. Though I did find it odd that my character was pulling out carrots from my relaxing Japanese dry garden…

Speaking of the companions, despite how stunning the areas are, my personal highlight of the DLC was the new Spirits! While I have deeply loved the models in every DLC (and the base game!), Enchanted Garden made it downright impossible to choose a favourite one.

There are so many creative and precious designs that I have been going out of my way to change them occasionally since the expansion's launch. I would pay my hard-earned cash to have them as plushies!

Last but not least, I was a tad disappointed with All Aboard!when I saw that there weren't any new outfits in it. Luckily, Enchanted Garden does come with a few items that fit the themes! Since I enjoy the cottagecore, fantasy, and the Victorian aesthetic, I was pleased with the items available, though I'll admit I spend most of my time in cute overalls.

Since Spirit City: Lofi Sessions isn't really a game that offers a narrative or gameplay, it's important to keep an eye on what sort of items and themes are available in each DLC. I've enjoyed most of them, even though I was a tad underwhelmed with the assets in All Aboard!, but I feel like Mooncube Games did a great job with Enchanted Garden.

If the themes I mentioned resonated with you, I highly recommend giving it a shot, even if it's just for the loveable Spirits (a special shoutout to Mushroot and Pignic, who will live in my heart always).