Grim Tides

About

Grim Tides is a narrative-driven, old-school RPG that follows the monomyth format. You play as a hero on a perilous journey to save the world from a dark force, meeting various characters, and making choices that affect the story's outcome. The game features tactical combat, character customization, and a rich, immersive world to explore.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 60 reviews

story16 positive mentions

monetization6 negative mentions

The game offers a relaxing and simple gameplay experience, perfect for short sessions without the pressure of complex mechanics or uncompleted quests.
It features a well-written story with rich lore, appealing to old-school RPG fans, and includes various systems that work well together, enhancing the overall experience.
The character development is deep, with a variety of skills, spells, and perks, allowing for different play styles and satisfying progression.

The gameplay can become repetitive, with some players feeling that the core mechanics are too similar to its predecessor, making it feel more like a remaster than a new game.
There are several bugs and issues that detract from the experience, including game-breaking bugs and low production values that affect immersion.
Some players found the combat too easy and the progression slow, leading to a lack of engaging content after a certain point in the game.

story
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
55%
7%
The game's story is well-crafted and rich in lore, functioning effectively as a standalone prequel that enhances the overall experience without requiring prior knowledge of its predecessor, Grim Quest. Players appreciate the detailed worldbuilding and mature narrative, which evoke the feel of a well-designed tabletop campaign, although some have noted issues with specific quest lines. While the main storyline is engaging, the gameplay can become repetitive, focusing on map exploration and encounters.
- “And it's a well-written story, offering heaps of interesting lore surrounding the world itself.”
- “Detailed worldbuilding, intricate, mature storyline, and tons of interesting lore around every corner will make you feel like you're soloing through a well-crafted tabletop campaign, subtly guided by an experienced and creative game master.”
- “Story rich - effort has been taken to develop lore and a story around the title.”
- “The sage Erideus journal quest line was completely broken for me.”
- “Gameplay is repetitive - typical gameplay is to click your way around a map, find (many) encounters, and the occasional quest item.”
- “I just finished the main quest and liked it, but I don't know if others will feel the same way.”
gameplay
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
50%
14%
The gameplay is characterized by a repetitive yet satisfying loop that involves grinding, leveling up, and engaging in encounters, making it suitable for short play sessions. While it introduces new features like ship and crew management, many mechanics feel reminiscent of its predecessor, leading some to view it as more of a remaster than a true sequel. Overall, it offers a deep RPG experience that appeals to fans of classic fantasy games, despite some shortcomings in adaptation and shop mechanics.
- “While the core gameplay loop remains mostly the same, there are a lot of new features and improvements across the board, like attributes, perks, more equipment slots, ship and crew management, etc. The story is technically a prequel, but works very well on its own, so playing Grim Quest prior to it isn't a must.”
- “Really addictive and very easy to play, with super deep RPG mechanics. If you like pen & paper style fantasy or old school Ultima, you'll feel right at home.”
- “More details: fun gameplay loop: start in town, buy supplies, maybe a skill or spell, maybe equipment, then head to the dungeon.”
- “It's a very mechanical game.”
- “The almost-identical mechanics and even reused text make it feel more like a remaster or remake than an actual sequel.”
- “Gameplay is repetitive - typical gameplay is to click your way around a map, find (many) encounters, and the occasional quest item.”
graphics
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
The graphics are described as simple yet visually appealing, effectively complementing the game's retro theme without resorting to pixel art. Reviewers appreciate the thoughtful design and creativity that prioritize gameplay and world-building over high-end visuals, noting a marked improvement from the original game. Overall, the graphics are considered pleasant and fitting for the game's style.
- “The graphics style matches the retro theme of the game, and is very pleasant to look at.”
- “The graphics are still pretty pleasant for what it is, which seems to be a marked improvement over the original.”
- “The thoughtfulness and creativity required to make a game on a budget means more care and variety is put into other areas (such as mechanics, world building, and presentation) that would otherwise just go into the graphical budget for most AAA games with maybe half the thoughtfulness and charm.”
- “The graphics are simple and not ugly, but they lack the charm of retro pixel art.”
- “The graphics style does not effectively convey the retro theme of the game, making it less enjoyable to look at.”
- “The graphics feel underwhelming and do not match the quality expected from modern games.”
monetization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization model of the game is praised for being straightforward and honest, especially in contrast to many other games that employ aggressive cash grabs. Players can support the developer through small donations or opt for ad-free versions, with the mobile version available for free but limited by ads. Overall, purchasing the game on PC is recommended for a more complete experience.
- “The options that are not horrendous cash grabs are really limited, and, in that context, Grim Tides, with its straightforward and honest business model, shines like a pearl in an ocean of excrement.”
- “Do try it on mobile first, it's free with ads, but if you want to play this for real, buy it here (rather than buying ad removal on mobile, which is technically buying the game there, since you can hardly play without internet if you don't). You'll get more than on the mobile version (though mobile is portable and this is a very portable kind of game). Still, it's a very decent game.”
- “It's a one-man project and I'd give the dev every support possible (you can buy him a coffee online) or get the free mobile apps - though I did spend the money for ad-free versions, as the ads distracted me too much from this RPG adventure!”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is praised for its nostalgic quality and variety, featuring new tracks in the PC version. Players appreciate that it avoids an endless loop, enhancing the overall experience. The solo developer's responsiveness to feedback further adds to the positive reception of the game's audio.
- “The music is nostalgic and adds a great atmosphere to the game.”
- “One simple but marvelously wonderful thing: the music is not on an endless loop.”
- “Great music, with some new songs in the PC version, if I am not wrong.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features significant grinding and a repetitive gameplay loop, which may deter some players; however, those who enjoy leveling up their characters and facing increasingly challenging enemies will find it satisfying and rewarding, potentially leading to many hours of gameplay.
- “There is a lot of grinding, and the gameplay loop is repetitive.”
- “If you like grinding games, then you'll probably get a lot of hours out of this.”
- “The gameplay loop is repetitive, which can make the grinding feel tedious.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development in the game is highly praised for its extensive customization options, allowing players to tailor their characters to various play styles and approaches to combat. This depth not only enhances the gameplay experience but also encourages replayability, particularly through a party-based strategy.
- “Character development offers plenty of customization options to suit many different play styles, and the game itself can be tweaked in many ways, so there's definitely some replay value here.”
- “Very cool character development with a lot of factors you can customize and different ways to approach combat; it really begs for a party-based approach at some point!”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The humor in the game is well-received, with players appreciating clever and whimsical elements, such as the "gloves of elemental furry." Characters often react with laughter, highlighting the game's ability to evoke joy and amusement through witty dialogue and playful scenarios.
- “The man flinches for a moment, but then breaks into a laughing fit, all the while praising your sense of humor.”
- “The man flinches for a moment, but then breaks into a laughing fit, all the while praising your sense of humor.”
- “My personal favorite is the 'gloves of elemental fury.'”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game boasts strong replayability due to extensive character customization options and various gameplay tweaks, allowing players to explore different play styles and experiences.
- “Character development offers plenty of customization options to suit many different play styles, and the game itself can be tweaked in many ways, so there's definitely some replay value here.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report a high level of stability, with multiple users noting that they experienced no bugs during their 6-7 hours of gameplay. Overall, the game appears to be well-polished and reliable.
- “Bug free - in my 6-7 hours of playing, I did not encounter any bugs.”