PixelJunk Eden

The player controls a "Grimp" (derived from the actions "grip" and "jump"), a small creature that maneuvers itself by jumping from and attaching itself to plant-like structures. The Grimp also has the abilities to swing itself from a silk-like tether for a short amount of time and spin while jumping. Using these abilities, the objective of the Grimp is to collect several objects called "Spectra" that are found in the game's stages (or "gardens"). Usually located high above the player's starting point, spectra must be reached by activating seeds, which will grow out into structures the Grimp can attach itself to.

At first dormant, seeds can be activated by collecting pollen and jumping into them. Pollen is obtained by having the Grimp hit enemies with its body or the silk it is swinging from, and then jumping or swinging through the particles as they float to the ground. The player can attempt to jump and swing through multiple enemies without landing on the ground or a plant, each one creating a chain and increasing the amount of pollen generated. Later stages feature enemies that are more aggressive to the Grimp and attempt to knock it off the plant it is on or cut its silk, slowing down the player's progress to higher levels.

PixelJunk Eden and PixelJunk Eden Encore received favorable reviews on both platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. Many praised the PlayStation 3 version's colorful visuals and general gameplay. The controls are considered simple, allowing for the player to learn and explore the game's physics easily in order to become more adept at traversing the gardens. Reviews commented that the experience of the game is difficult to state in words; as stated in 1UP.com's review, "you have to play it in order to fully appreciate it".

Reviews of PixelJunk Eden also share common criticisms. Some critics consider the synchronization meter an unnecessary countdown timer for an experience that is otherwise relaxing. GameSpot called the timer "suffocating", "nightmarish", and "all too demanding" while 1UP.com referred to it as a "nagging tension". Another frequent criticism is aimed at the game's progression structure, which requires the player to visit each garden five times to fully complete it, each subsequent visit becoming more redundant than the previous one.