Grim Quest

About

In Grim Quest, delve into the troubled city of Ashborne and fight back the internal and external threats of the Dark through a mercenary's perspective. With tabletop RPG adventure vibes, this game offers a classic turn-based combat system, intricate world-building, and a captivating storyline that can be compared to a solo Dungeons and Dragons campaign. Your mission is to uncover the city's hidden secrets while battling your inner demons and other adversaries to determine Ashborne's ultimate fate.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 208 reviews

story22 positive mentions

grinding8 negative mentions

The game offers a simple yet addictive dungeon crawling experience with engaging resource management and a compelling atmosphere.
It features a well-crafted world with interesting lore, making it enjoyable for players who appreciate immersive storytelling.
The game is accessible and runs well on low-end hardware, making it easy for a wide range of players to enjoy.

The gameplay can feel repetitive and lacks meaningful navigation, leading to a tedious experience during dungeon exploration.
There are several bugs and UI issues that detract from the overall experience, including crashes and unintuitive crafting mechanics.
The pacing is slow, especially at the beginning, and some skills and abilities are poorly explained, which can lead to confusion.

story
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
67%
4%
The story in "Grim Quest" is described as unique and engaging, with a compelling, albeit minimalistic, narrative that requires significant reading. However, players express frustration with the quest system, noting a lack of guidance and organization that can lead to confusion and uncompleted quests. While the game offers a decent amount of content and replayability, the absence of narrative rewards for endgame dungeons and the simplistic quest design detract from the overall storytelling experience.
- “Unique, original and interesting storyline that requires a lot of reading but worth it.”
- “The story is pretty good as well!”
- “So far I'm enjoying this; I like a dungeon crawler/roguelike, and I like that this one has a simple, turn-based interface but a compelling and interesting (if grimdark) backstory.”
- “For a 'story' game, the stories are spread far between and the balancing seems weird.”
- “You get quests with no indication how and where to solve them, which is an issue because you can only take a limited amount of quests and might end up with quests that aren't even solvable in your current state.”
- “Also, the later endgame dungeons have no story reward for completing them, which is especially jarring for a game with such low production values that depends on text for content.”
gameplay
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
46%
11%
The gameplay is a mix of engaging and basic mechanics, offering an immersive old-school RPG experience with some modern touches. While it can be addictive and satisfying, many players find it repetitive and lacking polish, particularly in certain features like the town invasion mechanic. Overall, it provides a solid, if not flawless, gameplay loop that appeals to fans of the genre.
- “Great RPG game with simple, yet addictive gameplay.”
- “The gameplay loop is very satisfying.”
- “The gameplay is engaging and satisfying.”
- “But the gameplay is just boring.”
- “I could go on, but this should give you a fair impression of the lack of polish that's on display in just the first hour of gameplay.”
- “Good at first, but both music and gameplay loops get repetitive quickly.”
graphics
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
65%
15%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a minimalist yet polished style that effectively conveys a grim fantasy atmosphere, appealing to fans of old-school gaming. While the 2D sprites and basic maps may not satisfy modern graphics enthusiasts, the evocative art and solid execution enhance the overall experience, making it a worthwhile addition for those who prioritize content over visual complexity.
- “Graphic style is minimalist, but still manages to be evocative and pleasing.”
- “Graphics are simple but well done and polished, and you don't need advanced hardware to run it.”
- “The graphics may be minimal but the atmosphere is omnipresent and I will be stealing the entire story for tabletop games, that's how good it is.”
- “Game play: nothing to speak of in graphics, a 2D sprite moves around various squarish or rectangular maps and procedurally generated events and encounters occur.”
- “Who won't like it: modern-day graphics junkies that also don't read.”
- “For the kind of game it is (basically a text-based RPG with minimal graphics), it's a solid addition to old-school gaming, but with some modern design mechanics.”
music
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
45%
15%
The music in the game is praised for its beautiful and atmospheric score that complements the dark mood effectively, enhancing the overall experience. However, many users noted that the tracks become repetitive quickly, with some technical issues like audible clicks during loops and a lack of sound sliders detracting from the enjoyment. Overall, while the music starts strong, its repetitive nature and minor flaws may impact long-term engagement.
- “Amazing musical score to go along with it.”
- “The music really augments the atmosphere - great choices.”
- “The music is simple yet beautiful.”
- “Good at first, but both music and gameplay loops get repetitive quickly.”
- “Couple things I noticed in the first few minutes of play: no music or sound sliders, and when the music repeats, you hear an audible 'click' noise.”
- “The music doesn't perfectly loop.”
atmosphere
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
29%
The game is praised for its rich and immersive atmosphere, characterized by a mysterious and dark dungeon crawling experience. Reviewers highlight the effective use of minimalistic graphics and well-chosen music that enhance the overall ambiance, alongside well-crafted lore that adds depth. Despite its text-based content, the game's atmosphere is described as omnipresent and compelling, making it a highly recommended experience.
- “Great old-fashioned dungeon crawler, dark and atmospheric with well-crafted lore.”
- “Everything about the game just oozes atmosphere and immersion, even if the content is text-based a lot of the times.”
- “The graphics may be minimal but the atmosphere is omnipresent and I will be stealing the entire story for tabletop games, that's how good it is.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the grinding aspect of the game, noting that it effectively complements the dungeon crawling experience by allowing for gold accumulation and skill upgrades. The game is praised for streamlining the grind, eliminating unnecessary elements while retaining the enjoyable aspects of classic dungeon crawlers. Overall, it appeals to those who enjoy a balanced mix of grinding and exploration.
- “A simple dungeon game that scratched my farming mood.”
- “Overall, I would say this game is worth a playthrough if you enjoy dungeon crawling and some grinding.”
- “If you enjoy dungeon crawlers, grinding for gold, upgrading skills/spells, and choosing city buffs, this is a solid game.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is generally considered a solid port of a popular mobile title, though users have noted that it has some bugs that affect stability. Overall, while there are issues, the experience remains enjoyable for many players.
- “While it is a bit buggy, this is a great port of one of my favorite mobile games.”
- “Is it buggy? This small indie game that just released has some issues.”
- “While it is a bit buggy, this is a great port of one of my favorite mobile games.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy has received criticism for its reliance on unskippable video ads in the mobile version, leading some users to purchase the game to avoid this frustrating experience.
- “I bought it after struggling with the monetization and obnoxious unskippable video ads in the mobile version.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
50%
The game offers some replayability through various backgrounds, skills, animal companions, and settings, allowing players to experience different playstyles. However, the core story and progression remain largely unchanged, limiting the overall replay value.
- “The game offers a decent level of replayability by allowing players to explore different backgrounds, skills, animal companions, and settings, although the main story and progression remain largely consistent.”
- “The variety of backgrounds, skills, and animal companions adds a layer of replayability, making each playthrough feel unique despite the core story being the same.”
- “With multiple backgrounds and skills to choose from, the game encourages replayability, allowing players to experience different aspects of the world and gameplay.”
- “It has a little bit of replayability by going through with different backgrounds, skills, animal companions, and settings, but the main story and the progression will remain mostly the same.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, citing nostalgia from their experiences with dungeon crawlers and RPGs, which creates a comforting and familiar atmosphere. This sense of familiarity enhances their overall enjoyment and engagement with the game.