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Grim Dawn

With varied enemies and locales, and tons of loot, gear and skills, Grim Dawn: Definitive Edition has something to please any genre fan.
Grim Dawn Game Cover
92%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
grinding, optimization
95% User Score Based on 48,020 reviews
Critic Score 80%Based on 2 reviews

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Grim Dawn Game Cover

About

Grim Dawn is a single player and multiplayer open world hack and slash game with horror, fantasy, post-apocalyptic and dark fantasy themes. It was developed by Crate Entertainment and was released on February 25, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

The Grim Dawn Definitive Edition includes: - Grim Dawn - Grim Dawn: Ashes of Malmouth - Grim Dawn: Forgotten Gods - Grim Dawn: Crucible

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Grim Dawn screenshot
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Grim Dawn screenshot
Grim Dawn screenshot
Grim Dawn screenshot
Grim Dawn screenshot
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95%
Audience ScoreBased on 48,020 reviews
story3.3k positive mentions
grinding1.3k negative mentions
  • The game's dark, atmospheric soundtrack effectively enhances the grim setting and is considered a standout feature similar to classic ARPGs like Diablo 2.
  • Grim Dawn offers deep and flexible character customization through its dual-class and devotion systems, allowing for near-infinite build variety and rewarding thoughtful progression.
  • The game features rich lore, immersive worldbuilding, and meaningful player choices that add depth and replayability beyond typical ARPG narratives.
  • Quest tracking and map navigation are frustratingly vague and cumbersome, often leading to confusing back-and-forth gameplay and unfriendly quest guidance.
  • The graphics feel dated and sometimes visually cluttered, with some players finding the visual style unappealing compared to modern standards.
  • Multiplayer is unstable with frequent crashes, desyncs, and bugs, and the game engine's poor multicore optimization leads to performance issues during intense encounters.
  • story
    10,683 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Grim Dawn offers a dark, atmospheric story with rich lore revealed through exploration, quests, and collectible lore notes, providing a deeper narrative experience than typical ARPGs. While the main storyline is somewhat linear and can feel underwhelming or incomplete without its expansions, meaningful player choices and faction interactions add nuance and replayability. Quest guidance can be unclear, requiring careful attention to text and exploration, but the engaging worldbuilding and varied side quests enrich the overall storytelling.

    • “The lore is very deep also, and each update and DLC deepens the story, so that you can get lost in the worldbuilding.”
    • “The game’s story unfolds in a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by two supernatural forces: the aetherials, who seek to control humans, and the chthonians, who aim to eradicate them.”
    • “Unlike many ARPGs where story plays a minor role, Grim Dawn surprises with compelling lore, environmental storytelling, and meaningful player choices that can alter quests and faction relationships.”
    • “I literally almost stopped playing this game due to the maze of absolute buttholery that every map seems to be comprised of.. pair that with the fact that the quest trackers are terrible, vague to the point of seething frustration, and the back and forth of questing being an absolute nightmare.. the entire construct needs some serious work... serious work... How about making it so that several quests are introduced at a time, go to an area, complete those quests, get another batch... rather than dump 15 quests on me at once that send me sprawling to guesswork area with "west of such and such" being my only direction... where 'west of such and such' turns into a sprawling metropolis of blocked pathways, side areas that aren't actually labeled at the doorway, 'west of such and such' actually ends up being slightly southeast in a physical sense, you just used the west exit of town to get there..”
    • “You literally have to purchase the DLC in order to finish the main quest story line. You need to purchase the DLC to finish the main quest story line.”
    • “The quests can be a little annoying if you are grinding for materials but otherwise you get sucked into the gameplay. The quest tracking in this game is so confusing. I constantly just felt like I was going through the motions of traveling from one place to the next as the story would unfold. The main story never really got to me. The game does not have a good quest marker or way to find quest targets. Many quests are difficulty-limited or hidden until certain levels. It's often frustrating when some of the quests require you to explore large, similar-looking maps with little guidance and poor quest descriptions.”
  • gameplay
    5,199 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Grim Dawn delivers a deep and satisfying action RPG experience with fluid, challenging combat and extensive character customization through its dual-class and devotion systems. Its gameplay loop, emphasizing loot hunting and skill synergy, remains engaging over dozens of hours despite occasional repetitiveness and a slower pace compared to some contemporaries. While some mechanics and UI elements can be complex or unintuitive initially, the rewarding gameplay and continuous developer support make it a standout in the genre for both newcomers and veterans.

    • “Whether you're a seasoned ARPG veteran or a newcomer to the genre, Grim Dawn's gameplay mechanics are intuitive yet deep enough to keep you hooked for hours.”
    • “The gameplay is a perfect blend of hack-and-slash combat, deep character progression, and meaningful loot.”
    • “The dual-class system adds depth to character customization, and the combat mechanics are generally well-received.”
    • “The biggest negative remains the sluggish and unexciting gameplay.”
    • “Gameplay: as mentioned before, the gameplay is bland due to a lack of skill rotation as most player builds tend to max out one skill and simply buff it, resulting in repetitive gameplay.”
    • “Where Grim Dawn excels is giving the player lots of options in deciding their build, but repetitive fights for mindless loot can be a bit mind-numbingly pleasurable time sink if you enjoy that sort of thing. However, it's marred by the actual gameplay being too samey—facetanking or constant kiting and spamming the same moves, with the only difference between early and late game gameplay being that late game is flashier and mobs are visually bigger.”
  • graphics
    3,727 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Grim Dawn’s graphics, while dated compared to modern AAA titles, effectively convey a dark, gritty, and immersive atmosphere that resonates well with fans of classic ARPGs like Diablo II and Titan Quest. The art style is distinctive and suited to the game’s grimdark setting, with detailed environments, spell effects, and character models that enhance gameplay despite occasional visual clutter and lower resolution textures. Overall, the game balances solid visuals with performance optimization, making it accessible on a range of hardware while delivering compelling and atmospheric visuals that complement its deep gameplay and rich lore.

    • “Despite being built on an older engine, Grim Dawn still impresses with its atmospheric environments, detailed enemy designs, and excellent lighting effects that enhance the grim, dark fantasy aesthetic.”
    • “Grim Dawn's visuals are not to my liking, from the time when I first opened up the app up to the time when I defeated the Forgotten Sands boss, the visuals felt old, too old, like playing a game from the early 2000s.”
    • “The graphics are stunning, the gameplay is engaging and fun, and the storyline is both intriguing and well-crafted.”
    • “Graphics are outdated, but the game is really fun and chill ARPG.”
    • “The visuals are incredibly ugly and were ugly even at release.”
    • “The graphics definitely show their age, but the modding community remedied this pretty quickly for me.”
  • atmosphere
    1,614 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Grim Dawn is widely praised for its dark, gritty, and immersive atmosphere that evocatively recalls classic ARPGs like Diablo 2, enhanced by detailed world design, haunting music, and rich lore. The game's creepy and foreboding tone is complemented by well-crafted environments, sound design, and a unique post-apocalyptic steampunk aesthetic, creating a compelling and consistently engaging experience. While some note dated graphics and occasional soundtrack repetitiveness, the overall atmosphere is considered a standout feature that deeply enriches gameplay and exploration.

    • “The gameplay, sound effects, loot, skills, enemies, atmosphere, and 2.5d sprite graphics were amazing.”
    • “The atmosphere, soundtrack, story and of course, the gameplay is very good.”
    • “One of the standout features of grim dawn is its atmospheric and grim setting.”
    • “The gameplay and the builds are fine, but the atmosphere is terrible, and the soundtrack is so bad that it’s better to play on mute.”
    • “With bland and unappealing atmosphere, poor gameplay and a story nobody gives a care about, this game is guaranteed to give you a full night of rest.”
    • “While grim dawn has many strengths — deep customization, dark atmosphere, and expansive systems — it also suffers from issues that can turn players off.”
  • music
    1,573 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in Grim Dawn is widely praised for its dark, atmospheric, and immersive qualities, often drawing favorable comparisons to classic Diablo soundtracks, particularly Diablo 2. It effectively enhances the grim and brooding mood of the game world, blending eerie ambient tracks with more intense compositions for boss fights and exploration. While some users find it repetitive or less varied across areas, the soundtrack is generally considered a standout feature that significantly contributes to the game's overall experience and lasting appeal.

    • “I liked it so much I even bought the loyalist packs and soundtrack, which I almost never do for games.”
    • “The quality of the music brings to mind Borderlands II and Neil Young's work on the movie ‘‘Dead Man’’ - and changes at appropriate times - and the composition is awesome - big ups to your music team, the electric guitar sounds are very cool - that one looooooong vibrato sustain - schweet tone and nicely done!!”
    • “The soundtrack is haunting and immersive, matching the game’s tone perfectly.”
    • “The gameplay and the builds are fine, but the atmosphere is terrible, and the soundtrack is so bad that it’s better to play on mute.”
    • “The music could use more work, it's really bland and generic, sadly even in forgotten gods.”
    • “The soundtrack is pretty lacking and gets repetitive in a hurry.”
  • replayability
    1,416 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Grim Dawn offers exceptional replayability driven primarily by its robust dual-class system, extensive build variety, and deep character customization, allowing players to experiment with nearly infinite combinations. The game’s rich content, including multiple difficulty levels, expansions, endgame modes, and mod support, ensures sustained engagement and fresh experiences across numerous playthroughs. While the static maps may limit environmental variety, the vast class synergies, loot diversity, and evolving challenges make Grim Dawn highly replayable for ARPG enthusiasts.

    • “The game has vast amounts of replayability with near infinite builds and class combinations, it has no microtransactions or demanding live service slop and it's still being updated and supported with a new expansion on the way.”
    • “Once you start getting into the dual class builds, constellations and item powers, this game becomes damn near infinitely replayable, and that's without even getting into the great quests (including difficulty specific content to keep you moving), writing and moment-to-moment satisfaction.”
    • “The deep dual-class and constellation systems offer unparalleled freedom in character customization, ensuring extreme replayability.”
    • “It unfortunately has a similar problem to Titan Quest, in my opinion it lacks replayability once you complete the game; the playthrough is really good, but replay value drops after finishing.”
    • “My only complaint is the lack of randomized environments which lend replayability to games such as Diablo 2 and Path of Exile; in return, this game offers fixed environments designed for exploration and finding secrets, which reduces replayability.”
    • “Update: After quite some time, got fed up with the game. I would say the main reason is lack of replayability (after almost 600 hours to be honest) which is mostly because the content is always the same.”
  • grinding
    1,358 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Grinding in Grim Dawn is a core, often extensive part of the gameplay, with many players appreciating its satisfying loot system, diverse builds, and rewarding gear progression. While grinding is usually well-balanced and less tedious than in some other ARPGs, the late game and endgame content can become repetitive and grind-heavy, especially when farming specific gear, faction reputation, or crafting materials. Overall, the grind is considered integral by fans but may feel tiresome or daunting for those who dislike prolonged farming or repetitive gameplay loops.

    • “The grind isn't tedious or drawn out; it slowly puts you in front of mobs that will mess you up but gives you hope that you can defeat them at the same time.”
    • “Grim Dawn is in that sweet spot between the two - satisfying loot grind that isn't too grindy; more engaging gameplay and build management than Diablo, but not exhausting like PoE.”
    • “Fair level progress through the game (no grinding necessary).”
    • “The beginning is fun as you get your first skills, but when leveling starts to slow down it gets really grindy with not much new stuff happening.”
    • “My build hit a wall around ultimate level 35 and it just wasn't enjoyable grinding nemesis bosses with 10 million+ hp for minutes.”
    • “It's damn hard to get a good, usable weapon or armor piece in this game and it is damn frustrating mostly because the enemies are getting harder and farming the enemies because of getting stuff and not even because of leveling is a bit weird and if you get stuff for your level, it's often worse than the stuff you already have.”
  • optimization
    509 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Grim Dawn generally offers smooth and stable performance with good optimization for a wide range of systems, including low-end PCs and the Steam Deck. However, the game engine is single-threaded, causing CPU bottlenecks and noticeable stuttering or frame drops during large enemy encounters or complex effects, especially on modern multi-core CPUs. While many performance issues have been addressed over time, multiplayer and very high-end setups can still experience occasional lag, crashes, or micro-stuttering, and the optimization remains somewhat behind modern standards.

    • “The progression, character building, and loot are perfectly balanced to provide an enjoyable experience; the performance is great with no noticeable slow-downs or lag, feeling very polished and optimized.”
    • “Despite being a smaller studio, Crate has gone above and beyond to support this game, releasing enormous balance patches including new features and optimizations to adopt useful QoL mods and modernize the game.”
    • “With the latest expansion, major performance improvements have been applied to the base game, making it run very smoothly with no microstutters.”
    • “My only gripe with this is the performance. From what I have read online, it doesn't take advantage of multiple CPU cores much due to engine limitations and tends to chug when there's a lot happening on the screen.”
    • “Unfortunately, it is poorly optimized and only allows you to use one CPU thread which severely bottlenecks performance, especially on maps with denser mob populations or more effects being calculated.”
    • “My only serious lament would be the frankly appalling performance mid/late game, sadly caused by the aeons-old engine being hamstrung with its legendarily bad multicore performance (100% on core 0, 0-15% on cores 1-3) and a small dev team without the ability or resources to really pump into optimisation.”
  • stability
    298 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Grim Dawn generally runs well, especially in single-player mode and on varied platforms like Steam Deck and Linux, offering smooth gameplay with few major issues. However, its multiplayer experience is notably unstable, frequently plagued by crashes, freezes, desyncs, and various bugs that disrupt co-op play. While the game has improved over time and remains fun and engaging, persistent minor glitches, freezes, and inventory bugs still affect overall stability, particularly in multiplayer sessions.

    • “Runs great with no hiccups and will basically run on anything.”
    • “The gameplay is so smooth that it's flawless, no bugs no glitches, just pure fun.”
    • “This early access game is more stable and bug free than most other completed games on the market.”
    • “I've spent more time troubleshooting in forums than actually playing the game.”
    • “Extremely unstable multiplayer with constant glitches.”
    • “The game freezes and crashes on me more often than it doesn't, and it is really annoying.”
  • character development
    292 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Grim Dawn offers deep and flexible character development through a multi-layered system combining dual-classing, extensive skill trees, and the unique devotion constellation system, allowing for diverse and highly customizable builds that reward thoughtful planning and experimentation. While initially overwhelming for newcomers due to system complexity and numerous choices, the character progression is widely praised for its depth, meaningful impact on gameplay, and replayability, making it superior to many other ARPGs. However, some criticize the lack of variety in active skills and character aesthetics, though these are generally outweighed by the richness of build possibilities and satisfying progression mechanics.

    • “The class combinations and devotions allow for a large degree of flexibility in character design.”
    • “Character development is a core product of Grim Dawn, with effective dual classing, a "devotion" system in which characters can choose increasingly more powerful stats and proc abilities from a wide array of constellations, and modifiers to skills found within the skill tree.”
    • “The depth of character development is impressive, as you can improve your character's stats, pick two classes to specialize in, enhance your abilities by restoring corrupted shrines and investing devotion points in a constellation system, craft/find a wide array of weapon enhancements and even find relics that give you special abilities like dual-wielding ranged weapons.”
    • “Granted, it does employ some rather convoluted systems, and unless you dig in deep, many things won't fully make sense, making character development feel more like an art than a science.”
    • “My only complaint would be the attribute system; for most classes, just pumping all points into physique seems to be the best, which makes that part of character development somewhat lackluster.”
    • “If there’s any criticism, it’s that Grim Dawn can feel overwhelming for newcomers due to the sheer number of choices in character development and itemization.”
  • monetization
    180 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Grim Dawn is widely praised for its fair monetization model, featuring no microtransactions, loot boxes, or pay-to-win mechanics, with only optional DLC expansions that are well-regarded and fairly priced. Players appreciate its complete, offline-capable experience without the typical modern industry practices like battle passes, online-only requirements, or aggressive in-game purchases, making it a strong alternative to other ARPGs plagued by predatory monetization.

    • “The game has vast amounts of replayability with near infinite builds and class combinations, it has no microtransactions or demanding live service slop and is still being updated and supported with a new expansion on the way.”
    • “Pros: extremely polished with 10 years of updates, no FOMO, no seasons, no stupid microtransactions, can be played offline, dozens of viable builds, superb itemization, humongous map, many QoL options, highly moddable with some amazing mods and overhauls, low price, I could go on and on.”
    • “Great top down ARPG for people who hate everything being locked behind microtransactions and seasonal BS.”
    • “Greed killed this game's potential, yes it has a following, and yes it's more than competent, and there was a solid Diablo 2 total conversion in the works, but it required the DLC which as I said were always at cash grab prices.”
    • “Oh, and at the start of the game you get a stupid potion that is for DLC content, and two NPCs that make no sense, and an item that makes no sense that isn't explained even in the wiki... and it's all DLC advertising.”
    • “"Nonsense, there are no microtransactions in this game", I hear you say, and that's true insofar as you can't actually pay for benefits, that's the one missing aspect.”
  • humor
    162 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is a blend of dark, twisted, and self-aware comedy that often arises from quirky item descriptions, ragdoll physics, and unexpected in-game moments. While the storyline leans more toward serious and grim themes, occasional witty dialogue, humorous bugs, and easter eggs provide entertaining levity. Players appreciate the mix of grim atmosphere with subtle, often dry humor that enhances the overall immersive experience.

    • “You'll find the odd bit of humor hidden throughout the game (think, Wirt's leg), which I find charming.”
    • “A fun dark ARPG that has amazing lore and ambiance only made better by hilarious physics that allow you to ragdoll enemies across your screen and off walls, if you don't just make them explode outright.”
    • “The stories and lore are well written, entertaining, and often humorous (slightly twisted, but funny).”
  • emotional
    73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Grim Dawn's emotional impact is mixed, with many praising its wholesome, grimdark atmosphere, deep lore, and touching side stories that create genuine emotional engagement, while others criticize its slow gameplay, boring main story, and lack of memorable characters or bosses. The game evokes nostalgia and heartfelt moments for some players, yet others find the narrative underdeveloped and emotionally flat, making their connection to the game inconsistent. Overall, its emotional strength lies in subtle storytelling and community warmth rather than dramatic plot or character-driven moments.

    • “Even the simple side stories that seem like they are just there for some free XP, when you end up investing in them more, even the simplest of stories, can become heartwarming and heartbreaking. This story and how it blends with the game and game mechanics, 100/10 (that's right 1000%).”
    • “The lore and quests scattered throughout the game added depth to my journey, and the well-crafted dialogue with NPCs made me feel like an integral part of this post-apocalyptic world.”
    • “While doing those things well would have been enough, Grim Dawn has added to the fundamentals with a grim brooding atmosphere and overlying story where the last humans are trying to survive in a punishing and dying world, and it made me feel as though I, as a common nobody dragged to the hallows to die then set loose to make my way, was really having an impact on the environment and the people around me as I gathered resources and helped establish footholds and improve things for the better for myself and those around me.”
    • “Not a single memorable character or boss fight, boring story, slow gameplay, lack of crafting mechanics plus the abysmal loot that drops throughout the game, nothing there to keep me interested.”
    • “A boring story without any plot twist and with soulless characters.”
    • “I just tried playing Diablo 3 again after the announcement of Diablo 4 and just couldn't deal with the mind-numbingly boring story.”
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80%Critics’ scoreBased on 2 critic reviews
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80h Median play time
264h Average play time
21h Main story
172h Completionist
25-300h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 455 analyzed playthroughs
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Grim Dawn marks its 10th anniversary with a triumphal update on its final expansion: 'Grim Dawn will not be going out with a bang, it will be a tremendous roar'

February 26 on pcgamer.com

A decade on, beloved dark-fantasy ARPG Grim Dawn prepares for its "final hurrah," and it's an absolutely massive one

February 26 on pcgamesn.com

Action RPG Grim Dawn is getting a 5.5km expansion, a free update and shapeshifting to mark its 10th birthday

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Frequently Asked Questions

Grim Dawn is a open world hack and slash game with horror, fantasy, post-apocalyptic and dark fantasy themes.

Grim Dawn is available on PC, Xbox One, Windows, Tablet and others.

The main story can be completed in around 21 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 172 hours to finish. On average players spend around 264 hours playing Grim Dawn.

Grim Dawn was released on February 25, 2016.

Grim Dawn was developed by Crate Entertainment.

Grim Dawn has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Grim Dawn is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Torchlight II, Titan Quest, Chronicon, The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing, WH&S and others.