Not every Seedling session will be so action packed — Insomniac sped up the growth of my plant by a few weeks. Still, I found the experience to be surprisingly relaxing. It's a bit like nurturing a Tamagotchi or other virtual pet (though Insomniac assures me you can't actually kill your plant). There's a meaningful sense of accomplishment, and not much to get stressed over. And unlike VR games, I didn't feel isolated from reality since I could still feel the real world, and my eyes didn't feel like I was forcing them up against a very bright screen.

While I was impressed with the demo, it was clear that I needed some hands on time Seedling to really get a sense of it. Magic Leap provided me with a headset to test at home, but unfortunately it took a while to arrive, so I've only had a few play sessions to judge. At the very least, it was helpful to experience the game's actual onboarding scenario. Upon launching, it scanned my living room and asked me to place a virtual briefcase on a clear spot on my coffee table. After a jaunty welcome recording played, I picked up a retro sci-fi seed gun from the case, pointed it at my coffee table, and hit the trigger. Boom -- there was an alien plant in my house.

The narrator helpfully directed me to water, feed and trim the plant, and it quickly grew into something that towered over the pile of books and DVDs on the table. After I got done with the first round of care taking, though, there wasn't anything to but wait until the next play session. I sat and stared at my Seedling for five minutes, but nothing else happened. At least my guide strongly hinted I should just check back on the next day, but I can imagine some players being frustrated.

Before you ask: no, Seedling isn't the sort of thing that would convince anyone to get their own Magic Leap headset. But it's an intriguing first stab at augmented reality by Insomniac Games. The studio tells us that it's the beginning of a larger story, something that will continue with other experiences in the future. Perhaps those titles will be more in line with what we've come to expect from Insomniac. But this game is a reminder that Magic Leap isn't your typical entertainment platform. It doesn't really need huge flagship titles yet. Instead, it needs experiences that prove AR has a place within our lives. To that end, Seedling succeeds. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a virtual alien plant to water.

Images: Insomniac Games/Magic Leap