Grunnis a completely normal gardening game in which you trim hedges, water the plants, and cut back the overgrown grass. There’s definitely nothing else more sinister clawing at the periphery. Nope. Definitely not.
That’s honestly about as much as I’m really willing to say aboutGrunnto anyone who’s even remotely interested in playing it, since this is a game that’s best experienced with as little foreknowledge as possible.
If your interest is piqued, I would ask you to stop reading here and come back later. If not? Well, I can’t stop you doing what you like.
Advert
Advert
Okay, so remember how I saidGrunnwas a very normal gardening game? That might have been a teensy little fibette. In the same way thatDredgemanaged to combine putting around in a wee fishing boat with eldritch scares,Grunnis a potent mix of mundane gardening sim and Germanic horror. It is absolutely fantastic.
Grunnbegins with you hopping off the bus to take a gardening job in the middle of the Dutch countryside. It’s Saturday, and you have until Monday to ensure the garden is in pristine condition before you catch the bus home.
There’s a wonderfully relaxing quality to simply getting on with the gardening inGrunn.The shears make a delightfully satisfying sound as they glide through grass, and watering plants results in an explosion of colour as flowers burst to life with a playful pop.
It soon becomes apparent, however, that there’s more going on. Strange creatures lurk just beyond the corner of your eye, and a note warns you not to wander around after dark.
Advert
Advert
Grunnis actually a lot likeDeathlooporThe Outer Wildsin that the entire game operates around a very precise time loop. The key to unlocking each of the game’s 11 endings is based entirely on working out where you need to be when, and what items you need to have on you to avoid dying a horrible death.
Approach the local dog with a bone to placate him, for example, and you’ll be mauled. No open coffin for you. Enter the mysterious door that appeared out of nowhere on the Sunday, and you might just get a fright that sends you back to the beginning again.
You’ll find clues in the form of polaroids, which typically tell you where you need to go with a certain item and when. There’s a lot less detective work to be done here than in, say,The Outer Wilds, butGrunnworks best when it’s gently guiding you through its unsettling world. I should also note all of the polaroids in the world won’t help you work out some of the game’s more esoteric puzzles and endings.
Advert
Advert
Grunnreally is one of the best surprises of this year. It’s a testament, I think, to both the central mystery ofGrunnand its genuinely brilliantly designed simulated gardening, that a video game about trimming the same three hedges over and over again could bethisgood.
Pros:Excellent gardening mechanics, meticulously designed world, deeply atmospheric
Cons:May be a little too weird for some
For fans of:The Outer Wilds, Deathloop
Advert
Advert
9/10: Exceptional
Topics:Indie Games,Reviews
