Weird Sandbox Game Garn47 Sands Down Sharp Edges
Deeply idiosyncratic indie open world game Garn47 recently released version 2.4 on PC. This brings with it a host of updates that should help new gamers explore the surreal, and popular, sandbox in an easier manner than before, such as improved graphics and controls.
Garn47 is a mash-up of game types and genres, with a lo-fi aesthetic, and mechanics and lore to rival any AAA Soulslike. Players can get quests and objectives, but the main appeal is figuring out how to do anything, and just what on earth is going on.
“I’m working on a game called Garn47, a surreal experience with fun characters and countless secrets to find!” said Floombo, the developer, in a post on her Patreon. “I enjoy adding whatever is on my mind, as long as it’s fun! The game will keep its broken and janky charm, but may be more polished than before thanks to the support!”
In Praise of Car
Garn47 is the work of solo developer Floombo, and was first released in August 2024. Since then, it’s grown in popularity; the official Garn47 YouTube account has 51k subscribers and its Itch page is filled with comments from players asking questions about the game, helping each other out, and trading jokes.
One of Garn47’s standout characters is its mascot, Car, a deformed cat-thing that the player can interact with at various points, including a secret mission that involves guiding Car through a level by shouting its name.
To new players, Garn47 can look like a jank-filled bad attempt at a game. Instead, it’s the work of someone who knows what they’re doing, given the myriad viewpoint and controller shifts, the frankly insane but impressive mix and match gameplay, and ability to create a very distinct world with its own consistent ambience and lore.
“I’m just so like really surprised that there are people who can actually help me with this game in chat,” said streamer Vinny Vinesauce in a playthrough video, “because here I am, like I almost thought I was the first person, aside from the person who sent it to me, to ever even discover this. And, I almost didn’t believe it, when I heard that there was a dedicated fanbase growing for Garn47.”
Garn47 is not alone in its aesthetic and Creepypasta-adjacent gameplay, however. Aside from using a similar aesthetic to the Haunted PS1 community of games, Garn47 falls into an unusual category of games that merge an aggressively obtuse approach to gameplay with eye-melting graphics, with Cruelty Squad, by Consumer Softproducts, being a prime example.
Secrets Upon Secrets
Garn47 started life as a hidden secret related to Friday Night Funkin’, a Dance Dance Revolution-style rhythm action game in which players have to impress their girlfriend’s rockstar dad by pressing keys in time to the music. This was launched in 2020 and is still going strong, with the most recent update on May 4, 2025.
Garn47 was, initially, hidden in folders related to Friday Night Funkin’ mod Hit Single, and there are references to the parent game throughout Garn47, including the inclusion of Boyfriend, the player character from Friday Night Funkin’. Even now, players are still uncovering related Easter eggs and secret areas in Garn47, which all adds to its weird mystique.
“This game makes me want to crawl out of my own skin, which is impressive,” said Vinesauce, “and yet, weirdly, I couldn’t stop playing it.”
