Grim Realms
- March 16, 2024
- Edym Pixels
- 24h median play time
Get on Steam"Grim Realms" is a survival simulation game where players guide a group of humans with unique traits and abilities in a grim, procedurally generated world overrun by the undead. Manage their needs, set priorities, and defend against various threats. As seasons change and years pass, humans develop and age, adding a layer of realism and immersion. Inspired by Rimworld, Dwarf Fortress, and Terraria, this game offers a rich and challenging experience.
Reviews
- The game has a lot of potential and offers a fun and engaging experience for fans of the colony sim genre.
- The developer is responsive to feedback and actively works on updates and bug fixes, showing dedication to improving the game.
- The art style and overall aesthetic are appealing, and the gameplay mechanics provide a unique twist on traditional colony management.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs and technical issues, including AI pathfinding problems and unresponsive villagers.
- The tutorial is lacking, making it difficult for new players to understand the mechanics and effectively manage their colonies.
- There is a significant amount of micromanagement required, which can become tedious and frustrating, especially when villagers fail to follow commands.
- gameplay30 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of solid mechanics and frustrating bugs, leading to a steep learning curve that can detract from the overall experience. While players appreciate the depth and unique features compared to similar games, many feel that the lack of adequate tutorials and the presence of glitches hinder enjoyment. Overall, the game shows potential but requires significant polishing and updates to fully realize its capabilities.
“Overall, I like the art, the music is awesomely nice (so nice I had people poke their heads into my den to hear it better), gameplay is solid.”
“Well put together; it takes a second to get it down, but once you do, the gameplay is quite smooth, peaceful, but can still be difficult at times.”
“There is a whole open world to explore and settle, with unique mechanics that allow this game to stand out from many other colony sims such as RimWorld.”
“The game is quite advanced in its mechanics, and yet the tutorial teaches you almost nothing.”
“Extremely tedious and buggy mechanics for even performing the most basic of functions, e.g. building.”
“Constant crashes, terrible AI, broken game mechanics, etc. I want to support the developer, but at the pace this is going, you better wait a few dozen updates before trying to do anything here.”
- stability21 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is plagued by numerous bugs and performance issues, making basic functions tedious and frustrating for players. While it shows great potential as a colony sim, the current state is described as a "buggy mess," leading many to find it unplayable despite its fun concept and engaging gameplay. Players express hope for future improvements, but caution against recommending it until significant stability enhancements are made.
“The constant bugs and performance glitches have ground me down, until I can't be bothered to play anymore.”
“There's lots to do and lots to build, potentially hundreds of hours could be sunk into Grim Realms, if it wasn't such a buggy mess.”
“To be fair, the dev is responsive to discussions and reviews, but the game is still a hot buggy mess.”
- story10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's story is engaging and allows for exploration and colony-building, contributing to a memorable and replayable experience. However, some players find the narrative unclear, particularly regarding faction backgrounds, which detracts from the overall depth of the story. Despite these criticisms, the nostalgic art and lore enhance the game's appeal.
“Interesting story and the ability to travel around a giant map and set up more colonies is fun.”
“In my opinion, a game that builds into your own unique story is more memorable and replayable.”
“The art, sounds, lore, and story are quite nostalgic; I've more than got my money's worth out of the game and will continue to see my hours double before waiting on the next expansion of content.”
“Also, the game's story and goals generally go against pursuing a dark alignment settlement.”
“But given the story of the game, I can understand the lack of readily known factions.”
“Besides this, the story is quite unclear, as well as the faction backgrounds.”
- graphics9 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a simple yet satisfying aesthetic, featuring pleasant pixel art that evokes nostalgia reminiscent of titles like "Terraria." While the landscapes and models are generally well-received, some aspects, such as the design of undead characters, are considered lackluster, with potential for improvement in future updates. Overall, the game's unique atmosphere and art style mark a significant enhancement from its predecessor, "Grim Nights 1."
“Nice graphics, nice models, landscapes, and so on.”
“I played Grim Nights 1, which caught my eye by being unique in its atmosphere, gameplay, and art style, and this seems like a brilliant and unexpected improvement to the game in many ways.”
“+ pleasant pixel art style.”
“Aesthetically, it's not particularly 'pretty'.”
“Also, most of the aesthetic qualities this game has presented (especially that of the opening menu) eerily feel like that of 'Airships: Conquest of the Sky'.”
“The undead are quite lackluster in terms of design and class customization. I do believe that there will be future updates to further customize enemy types and art style; given a more focused approach on detail, I think this would be the next necessary path.”
- grinding9 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 89 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and often frustrating due to buggy mechanics and a lack of automation in farming and resource management. Many express a desire for quality of life improvements, such as automatic farming and clearer resource tracking, to enhance the overall experience. While the grinding can be overwhelming at times, some still appreciate the game's potential and enjoy the creative and exploratory elements it offers.
“Extremely tedious and buggy mechanics for even performing the most basic of functions, e.g. building.”
“I think there are some definite quality of life improvements that need to happen; farming really should be automatic and keeping track of resources is painful the way it is currently programmed.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- music7 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised as "awesome" and "amazing," with players noting its ability to draw attention and enhance the overall experience. However, some users mentioned that the main menu lacks music after a minute, which could detract from the initial atmosphere. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong aspect of the game, contributing positively to its appeal.
“Overall, I like the art; the music is awesomely nice (so nice I had people poke their heads into my den to hear it better), and the gameplay is solid.”
“Also, the music is great, and the dev puts a lot of effort into the game and bug fixing, which I respect.”
“Grim Nights 2 expands upon the original title with new occupations, resources, art, and music.”
“The main menu doesn't have music after 1 minute.”
“The music is fine.”
- optimization5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game is a mixed bag; while some players report smooth performance and good design after initial setup, others experience significant issues such as slow pathfinding, bugs, and crashes, particularly as their colonies expand. Overall, the game's performance can deteriorate over time, leading to a frustrating experience for some users.
“Runs smoothly, well designed.”
“I experienced a few crashes while generating new worlds, but once I got past the setup, the game appears to run smoothly and is fully playable.”
“Sadly, as my colony expanded, responsiveness and performance bled away, turning the experience sour.”
“The constant bugs and performance glitches have ground me down, until I can't be bothered to play anymore.”
“Pathfinding in general is slow and buggy; hauling needs better optimization.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find that games offering unique storytelling experiences enhance replayability, as they create memorable narratives that encourage multiple playthroughs.
“In my opinion, a game that builds into your own unique story is more memorable and replayable.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is subtle but ultimately delivers a satisfying comedic payoff, leaving players with a sense of amusement by the conclusion.
“But it's kind of funny in the end.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of Grim Nights 2 is praised for its uniqueness, with players noting significant improvements in gameplay and art style compared to its predecessor. This combination creates an engaging and immersive experience that enhances the overall appeal of the game.
“I played Grim Nights 1, which caught my eye with its unique atmosphere, gameplay, and art style. This sequel seems like a brilliant and unexpected improvement in many ways.”
