We don't know if the grass is greener on the other side. But we do know the grass will get shorter with these beginner tips for Lawn Mowing SImulator!

Who would've thought that mowing lawns would make a fun video game? Curve Games did when they launched Lawn Mowing Simulator, a sim-game that gives players the experience of cutting grass across the British countryside. But think again if you suppose this experience is the same as the chore you grew up loathing.

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On the contrary, Lawn Mowing Simulator gets into the nitty-gritty of running a landscaping company. You'll be working with professional-grade driving mowers for clients expecting quality work in quick time. Plus, you'll be responsible for paying fines for any damage on the job, regularly maintaining your vehicles, and advertising to drum up business. Luckily, once you get the hang of the basics, Lawn Mowing Simulator becomes a relaxing pastime.

When you begin your landscaping career, you'll get introduced to three different lawnmowers: the Stiga Estate 2084 H, the Patterson RO-A, and the Knight OFS1. Each has a different deck, which affects how they perform their job. Here's a breakdown of what you should know about each deck:

As you can see, each deck has dramatic differences that will affect how you mow a lawn. Luckily, you can test drive a mower before purchasing one, which we highly recommend. Test driving will teach you the ins and outs of each deck and allow you to see which method you prefer.

Each deck we mentioned earlier will not work correctly if the engine overloads. Furthermore, overloading the engine can damage it, requiring costly repairs. So, what can you do to prevent overloading and preserve your engine's health?

Our best advice is to drive at a steady, moderate pace. Usually, a pace of about four mph is ideal.

Furthermore, changes in terrain that affect your speed will significantly raise your engine's workload. Therefore, you should stay mindful of any sharp inclines or declines and adjust your speed accordingly.

Nailing your career-mode contracts requires a balance of detailed cutting and efficient speed. In addition, each contract gives you a recommended time limit to finish your job. Completing a job under this time limit will earn you a bonus in commission and more reputation points.

String trimming is one of the worst speed bumps you'll encounter in your race to finish a contract. (For those unfamiliar with the term, weed whacker is another term that string trimmers are known by.) After all, string trimming requires more detailed work. Furthermore, you'll likely spend a lot of your string trimming time checking for places you missed while mowing.

Therefore, we recommend cutting down your mow time as much as possible. You can do so by refraining from mowing over missed slivers of grass. After all, in the time it takes to turn your mower around and go over a grass lane a second time, you could just as quickly grab your string trimmer and cut it down right away.

It would help if you got in the habit of overlapping your grass lanes to avoid missed slivers. Still, if you miss a sliver, it's better to address it later when you string trim.

In short, think of mowing as your broad strokes and trimming as your finer details.

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Damage is a vital concern when mowing lawns. Any wreckage to the lawn, flowerbeds, or other structures and furniture can incur fines. While these fines are small in proportion to most contract payouts, they pile up quickly if you are not careful. So, what can you do to avoid racking up fines?

One aspect you may not have considered is your turning. Like speeding a car in narrow circles can leave skid marks, making sharp turns with your mower can rip up the grass. Therefore, if you need to make a turn, it's essential to slow down to decrease the stress on the grass. Furthermore, if you need to turn your mower 180 degrees, opt for a K-turn (reverse, then accelerate) instead of a sharp U-turn.

Lawn Mowing Simulator gets a lot of details right. For instance, you know how you have to check the ground for branches/dog poop/other random things before you start mowing? The same rule applies to Lawn Mowing Simulator. For instance, each contract has a ground check, which requires you to find any stray objects that could impede your work.

Of course, you could skip the ground check and have the game do it automatically for you. However, skipping out on a ground check will forfeit a twenty-pound ground check bonus. This bonus is one of the highest and easiest bonuses you can earn. Furthermore, those twenty pounds can help pay off any damage fines you incur during a contract.

Ground checks work similarly to scavenger hunts. The game will give you a quota of how many objects you need to find and a time limit to find them. Reaching your quota under time will reward you with an additional ground check time bonus.

Pounds? Yes. Lawn Mowing Simulator takes place in the UK. Therefore, the in-game currency is pounds (₤).

Another reason why ground checks are vital is collecting valuables. These items are not the same as the random knick-knacks scattered across the lawn. On the contrary, valuables are significant lost items (wallets, jewelry, etc.). Returning valuable items to their owner will earn you huge rewards.

Valuables are scarce and hard to find. However, if you skip your ground check, you'll miss out on this perk entirely. That's hundreds of pounds you're missing!

Another essential condition to consider while mowing is the weather, specifically wet weather. The grass gets significantly wet during rainy, foggy, and misty conditions. In turn, wet grass is easier to damage with reckless driving. Plus, the thickness of wet grass will put more strain on your vehicle's engine.

One of the easiest ways to save money and vehicles/equipment is regular maintenance. You can perform maintenance on your vehicle and equipment by visiting the garage. The garage is where to perform repairs, refuel, and empty your hopper (if you're using a collector-type deck).

It's best to perform routine maintenance after every contact. While maintenance costs money, the financial strain is relatively tiny compared to what you could pay for major repairs. Plus, your vehicles and equipment will last longer and perform better. That means more satisfied customers, which leads to better payouts and more reputation points.

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Chris Sanfilippo (He/Him) is an actor, singer, writer, and gaming fanatic based in New York. Career highlights include work at The Gateway Playhouse, Fireside Dinner Theatre, and 54 Below. Chris's favorite game genres to play are fighting games, visual novels, puzzle games, and music/rhythm games. He is still waiting for a proper sequel to Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo.