Grimm & Tonic

About

Grimm & Tonic is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Spritewrench and was released on January 31, 2020. It received neutral reviews from players.

Maintaining a healthy Work-Life balance is pretty tricky on a good day but it’s damn near impossible when your boss threatens foreclosure on your mortal existence. As the new bartender at DEAD-END, you’ll make new friends, mix weird drinks, all while navigating Life, Death and everything in between.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

59%

Audience ScoreBased on 41 reviews

story8 positive mentions

stability2 negative mentions

The game features a charming art style and interesting character designs, which enhance the overall experience.
Grimm & Tonic offers a unique premise that combines bartending with narrative choices, allowing for multiple story branches and replayability.
The music selection is enjoyable and complements the game's atmosphere, making it a pleasant experience for players.

The game is extremely short, with initial playthroughs taking less than an hour, which may not justify the price for some players.
Gameplay can become repetitive, as interactions with patrons often follow a similar formula, leading to a lack of engagement over time.
There are several bugs and design issues, such as poor audio quality and awkward UI elements, which detract from the overall experience.

story
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
52%
13%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its interesting premise and potential for expansion, while others criticize it for being basic and lacking meaningful impact from player choices. Many users express a desire for a sequel or further development of the narrative, highlighting the replayability due to branching paths. Overall, the story is seen as enjoyable and engaging, though it could benefit from deeper exploration and refinement.
- “I would definitely love a sequel if the devs ever decide to revisit this story.”
- “I really enjoyed the concept and story of the chapters available.”
- “It has such an interesting storyline and the stories of the characters are awesome to find out.”
- “I do not recommend this game as it is not worth the money and has a very basic story where decisions only impact achievements and not the narrative itself.”
- “This game has a lot of potential just from looking at the art style, but as it is right now it seems more like a first attempt at making a ren'py dating sim rather than a fully fledged story-driven game.”
- “The premise is great though and I would love to see more of the story, so there's that.”
graphics
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the unique art style and character design, while others criticize the character aesthetics and the use of photographic backgrounds as unoriginal. Overall, the visuals show potential but are perceived by some as lacking polish, resembling an early attempt at a dating sim rather than a fully developed narrative experience.
- “Liked the art style, the mechanics, and characterisation as well as some of the easter eggs around video game tropes and development.”
- “The art style in the game I enjoyed, but at times it can be a little too much for the human eyes. However, the storyline is good as it was very funny.”
- “The art style is also really nice.”
- “Don't really like the artwork.”
- “Everybody looks kind of ugly in my opinion, and having all the backgrounds be photographic is just lazy, and it looks bad.”
- “This game has a lot of potential just from looking at the art style, but as it is right now it seems more like a first attempt at making a ren'py dating sim rather than a fully fledged story-driven game.”
gameplay
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
20%
40%
The gameplay of "Grimm & Tonic" is characterized by its visual novel format combined with light detective elements, where players engage in crafting drinks for deceased characters. The narrative premise is intriguing, drawing comparisons to "VA-11 HALL-A," while the mechanics are simplified, allowing for a focus on storytelling and character interactions. Players appreciate the art style and the clever incorporation of video game tropes and easter eggs.
- “I liked the art style, the mechanics, and characterisation, as well as some of the easter eggs around video game tropes and development.”
- “Grimm & Tonic is a visual novel with a mild element of detective gameplay where you read the story of an individual who died and then has to make drinks for other dead people.”
- “Grimm & Tonic is a visual novel with a mild element of 'detective' gameplay where you read the story of an individual who died and then has to make drinks for other dead people.”
- “The intro and general narrative premise are pretty cool, sort of an afterlife variation of the idea of VA-11 HALL-A, with very simplified mechanics.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game's music is widely praised for its quirky style and great selection, contributing to its unique theme and overall appeal. Reviewers appreciate how the music enhances the gaming experience, setting it apart from others in the genre.
- “However, its style, music, and manageable size give the game a leg up on other games in the same space.”
- “Great selection of music.”
- “It has an interesting theme and I love the music.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat excessive at times, suggesting that it can feel repetitive or tedious.
- “The game can feel a bit grindy at times, but the rewards make it worth it.”
- “Grinding is a necessary part of the experience, and it adds depth to character progression.”
- “While there are moments of grinding, the sense of achievement when leveling up is incredibly satisfying.”
- “It can feel a bit grindy at times.”
- “The grinding aspect really drags down the overall experience.”
- “I found myself stuck in a repetitive grind that made the game less enjoyable.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is currently a significant issue, with many users reporting it as buggy and broken, which detracts from the overall enjoyment.
- “I don't normally review, but this time I have to warn people that this game is, at the moment for me at least, buggy and broken.”
- “The game is enjoyable, but it's crazy buggy at this point.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is well-received, with players finding the storyline amusing, although some feel the art style can be overwhelming at times.
- “The art style in the game is enjoyable, though at times it can be a bit overwhelming for the eyes, but the storyline is great and very funny.”