We had the chance to talk with Dramatic Iceberg about a relaxing and eye-catching game called Garden In!. Without further delay, here’s the interview.
Could you please introduce Dramatic Iceberg?
Dramatic Iceberg is a young indie studio from Turin, Italy.
Our goal is to make games that inspire us in some way. We like experimenting a lot, so our projects usually mix things we enjoy with things we want to try or learn.
We met at Event Horizon School, during a game development course. It was a rollercoaster, but in a good way. Those three years gave us a playground to test our chemistry and skills before graduating and opening a real studio.
How did Garden In! begin?
It all started during the pandemic. We were working from home and at one point some of us thought it would be fun to try growing indoor plants. One team member, a real plant lover, pitched the idea. A few of us tried, but with… let’s say mixed success.
We still liked the idea of having plants around us, so we made a few virtual ones for fun. Then one of the artists shared a sketch showing lots of different pots, labels, plants, icons… and everything clicked. We started discussing how we could make a chill gardening sandbox: a game where plants grow in real time, rooms can be decorated freely, and players can change colors and light to set the perfect mood. That was the seed that became Garden In!
We tried the demo and it was extremely relaxing. How would you describe the game?
Garden In! is a colorful, cozy sandbox where you grow fantastical plants and decorate diorama-like rooms. You can rearrange everything to perfection or create the most chaotic mess imaginable.
We were inspired by Viridi and Cloud Gardens, two very different plant-focused games. Viridi impressed us with its calm atmosphere and the slow, serene growth of its plants. Cloud Gardens brings a diorama-style sandbox mixed with nature reclaiming abandoned places. Both games also use calm soundtracks, something we knew we absolutely needed for the mood.
Which engine powers the game? Any technical insights you’d like to share?
Garden In! is developed in Unreal Engine 4. That may surprise some people, but it’s what we’re most comfortable with. It has flaws and isn’t always ideal for the type of game we’re making, but since we iterate a lot, Blueprints and built-in tools help us work fast.
Some teammates were initially intimidated by Unreal, but it turned out to be more intuitive than expected. We slowly guided everyone into it. Our 3D artists especially love creating materials and particles in UE4 — it lets them go wild creatively.
How do you organize work within the team?
We’re based in Turin and have a small office where a couple of us work regularly. The rest of the team works from home and comes in occasionally.
A peculiar habit we’ve developed is working on Discord 24/7. If someone is working, they’re usually in a voice channel. It’s like a “virtual office,” where we keep each other company — from meetings and check-ins to random clips and jokes. Coordinating everyone isn’t always easy, but we work well together, and that makes everything smoother.
