Grim Nights

About

"Grim Nights" is a top-down, open-world survival game set in a post-apocalyptic world. Players must scavenge for resources, craft tools, and build shelters to survive against the harsh elements and dangerous enemies. The game also features a day-night cycle and dynamic weather system, adding to the survival challenges. However, please note that the game is currently in Early Access and may still have some bugs and unfinished features.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 722 reviews

gameplay23 positive mentions

stability17 negative mentions

Engaging gameplay that combines tower defense and resource management mechanics.
Challenging difficulty that encourages strategic planning and adaptation.
Great pixel art style and atmospheric music that enhance the overall experience.

Micromanagement can be tedious, especially with unit pathfinding and ladder navigation.
Some balancing issues, particularly with certain bosses being overly difficult even on easy mode.
Occasional bugs and crashes that can disrupt gameplay.

gameplay
70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
63%
4%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a blend of tower defense and resource management mechanics, offering a satisfying loop that balances exploration and strategic depth. While many players appreciate its engaging and simple mechanics, some have noted frustrating bugs, crashes, and a lack of clarity in certain gameplay elements that can lead to artificial difficulty. Overall, it provides a fun experience for fans of the genre, though it may require patience due to its learning curve and occasional performance issues.
- “What truly sets Grim Nights apart is its compelling aesthetic and auditory experience, combined with gameplay that masterfully blends relaxing exploration with strategic depth.”
- “The gameplay consists of the standard loop in most games like Grim Nights: gather resources, build defenses, and don't fall to the monsters at night, but the gameplay is fun because of the depth that makes it engaging.”
- “Simple premise, strong challenge, very satisfying gameplay.”
- “People died during the nighttime due to exploding enemies you had no way of knowing about that mechanic.”
- “Common sense would dictate you don't design a game to punish players so much within their first 20 minutes of gameplay in an already clunky game with stop-and-go periods of player involvement.”
- “But there are too many gameplay issues at the moment.”
graphics
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
55%
5%
The graphics of the game are primarily characterized by a charming pixel art style that evokes nostalgia, with many players appreciating its aesthetic and thematic coherence. While some reviews note minor issues with visibility and interface design, the overall consensus is that the graphics effectively complement the gameplay experience, making it enjoyable and engaging. Despite some calls for improvement, particularly in unit differentiation and interface clarity, the visuals are generally well-received, especially given the game's low price point.
- “What truly sets Grim Nights apart is its compelling aesthetic and auditory experience, combined with gameplay that masterfully blends relaxing exploration with strategic depth.”
- “Lovely retro pixel-art aesthetic.”
- “The pixelated art style is pleasant, the music is very soothing and matches the game's atmosphere very well.”
- “The gameplay videos and review channels actually oversell the game due to the aesthetic styling hiding the fact that the zooming function and camera controls feel odd and somewhat jerky at times.”
- “It is amazingly addictive and well worth its surprisingly low price, having said that I think using pixel graphics was a mistake and does make selecting the correct unit and telling apart similar units far more difficult than it needs to be.”
- “Graphics are well... practically non-existent but the fun of lobbing burning arrows and kabooms onto your enemies is cathartic enough to let one overlook a few things like that.”
music
47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
34%
6%
The music in the game receives largely positive feedback, with many players praising its calming and atmospheric qualities, as well as its ability to enhance the overall experience. However, some users note the repetitiveness of the soundtrack and the limited variety, suggesting that while the music is enjoyable, it could benefit from more diverse tracks. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong point of the game, contributing to its charm and engagement.
- “Game fun 10/10 music make me cry”
- “The music is fantastic.”
- “A fantastic tower defense game with well-balanced unit types, good music, and indie charm.”
- “The music is fine, although relatively loud for background music, even at 10%.”
- “My only complaint is the repetitive soundtrack.”
- “Too few soundtracks, doesn't differentiate between events (night, day, mogba, being attacked, etc.).”
replayability
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
54%
17%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players find it infinitely replayable and enjoyable due to its low price and addictive nature, others criticize it for lacking depth and variety, leading to a diminished experience after a few sessions. Many users express a desire for additional content and randomization to enhance replay value, as repetitive enemy waves and similar maps can make the game feel stale over time. Overall, it offers casual fun but may not satisfy those seeking a more complex and varied gameplay experience.
- “Really quite a great game given how cheap, replayable, and just overall fun it is.”
- “A challenging tower defense with replay value built in with its random generation of characters and resources.”
- “The gameplay is a mix of balancing resource gathering and defense building, with varying degrees of randomness that increase the replayability of the game.”
- “Ultimately, the game is good, and worth the money, but there are also better games in the genre if you're looking for more complex, more replayable experiences, such as 'Rise to Ruins', another indie pixel game that is still receiving free updates, not paid DLC.”
- “At the end of the day, this game lacks replay value because you don't progress from one session to the other.”
- “Not much replay value as the maps are too similar and it seems like the attack waves are the same for each map.”
stability
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
89%
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting frequent freezes, crashes, and various bugs that hinder gameplay, such as issues with unit selection and building placement. While some users appreciate the game's potential and note improvements over time, the overall consensus is that the game requires further quality assurance to enhance its stability and user experience.
- “Awesome game for an awesome price; this is a great little indie game that plays really smoothly and is relatively bug-free.”
- “This game has a great deal going for it, but it's just too buggy.”
- “I want to love it, but my gripe is when killing some of the larger enemies, my game freezes, forcing me to load an auto save from the previous day.”
- “I would recommend this game at this price if only it was more stable, but it crashes and freezes too often to be worth anybody's trouble, and there isn't enough to like in compensation.”
grinding
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
93%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience, often starting off enjoyable but quickly becoming repetitive and tedious. The need for micromanagement, particularly in managing workers and resources, adds to the frustration, especially when dealing with random worker abilities and the constant need to reassign tasks. While some players appreciate the fun elements and the low price point, the overall sentiment leans towards grinding being a significant drawback that detracts from the enjoyment.
- “The grinding is engaging and keeps me motivated to level up.”
- “I find the grinding to be rewarding, as it allows me to unlock new abilities and gear.”
- “The grind feels purposeful, making each session enjoyable and fulfilling.”
- “I really wanted to enjoy it, but it gets super repetitive and tedious.”
- “Goes from 1-100 in the space of a few 'game days' and it gets tedious going back and save-scumming or restarting just to find the magic combination needed to get past night x and the monster de jour.”
- “While it's fun to do in battle, it's tedious to reassign each of your workers to new resources once the old ones are depleted, and it's even worse when you have to select each villager to check what skills they have and kill off useless ones.”
story
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
44%
33%
The game's story is largely considered minimal or non-existent, with some players likening it to casual games that prioritize gameplay over narrative. While a few users express a desire for a more developed storyline, many agree that the lack of a deep story does not detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- “Epic story.”
- “Maybe a story intro that emphasizes that we're defending something really important and an end game clip that shows we have defeated the final summoner.”
- “This game is great for a good time if you don't want to get into a game with a deep story.”
- “No story line to the game though at this time.”
- “Essentially no story, but it isn’t the type to need one.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
20%
40%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by polished graphics and soothing music that effectively enhance the overall experience. While some players find the atmosphere appealing in promotional materials, they feel it doesn't translate into enjoyable gameplay. Overall, the pixelated art style and atmospheric sound design contribute positively to the game's ambiance.
- “The pixelated art style is pleasant, the music is very soothing and matches the game's atmosphere very well.”
- “It's a perfect fit and really builds the atmosphere.”
- “I'm guessing it was done like this for atmosphere, and it looked kind of neat in the promo video; however, it's not fun when actually playing.”
- “It has its own atmosphere.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is largely driven by personalized name generation and customization options, which many players find amusing. However, some attempts at humor in descriptions fall flat, leading to laughter stemming more from personal mishaps than intentional comedic elements. Overall, while there are moments of genuine humor, the effectiveness varies among players.
- “The personalized names and the hilarious generation of them adds to the experience with the ability to customize them via potions.”
- “I am laughing at myself, in my ineptitude in getting a handle on the operation of this gem.”
- “It's funny, I just spent most of my review talking about two small things.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with players noting significant gameplay bugs and performance issues that have not been adequately addressed over time. Additionally, there are concerns regarding compatibility with ultrawide screens, as the game does not fully support 21:9 aspect ratios, which may affect the experience for users with such setups.
- “I enjoyed the little I played, but there are a lot of issues with gameplay bugs and performance, and their resolutions haven't been addressed in a while.”
- “If there are any cons, it is the fact that I use a 34-inch widescreen 21:9 monitor, and the game is not optimized for that. However, rarely any game is, and it is not the 'norm' screen, I am sure.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviewers praise the character development in the game, highlighting its quality and integration with the overall experience, alongside appealing art and engaging gameplay mechanics.
- “The systems here are good, with very nice art and good character development.”
- “The character development is engaging and adds depth to the gameplay experience.”
- “I love how the character development evolves throughout the game, making each choice feel impactful.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is described as emotionally intense and heartbreaking, with a brutal gameplay experience that heavily relies on luck, adding to the emotional stakes for players.
- “A heartbreaking and brutal game that truly relies on good RNG to help you out.”