Grotto
- October 26, 2021
- Brainwash Gang
- 6h median play time
Get on Steam"Grotto is a single-player Fantasy RPG with a focus on narrative and choice. As the Soothsayer, you'll interpret constellations, read bones, and impact the future of your tribe. With beautiful 2D and 3D visuals and a moving soundtrack, Grotto offers engaging gameplay and emotional depth."
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Reviews
- The art style is visually stunning and contributes to the immersive atmosphere of the game.
- The story is engaging and thought-provoking, exploring complex themes of communication and the consequences of choices.
- The unique gameplay mechanic of interpreting constellations adds depth to the narrative, making each decision feel impactful.
- Many choices feel inconsequential, leading to a sense of frustration as the story progresses in a predetermined way.
- The gameplay can become repetitive, with some animations and interactions feeling unnecessarily lengthy.
- Some players may find the characters' dialogue confusing due to the use of fictional pronouns and the abstract nature of the constellations.
- story72 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story in Grotto is widely praised for its depth, emotional resonance, and engaging narrative structure, blending themes of hope, betrayal, and community within a richly crafted world. Players appreciate the strong character development and the unique storytelling mechanics that keep them invested, despite some criticism regarding the limited impact of choices on the overall plot. Overall, it is recommended for those who enjoy story-driven experiences, with many noting its captivating atmosphere and memorable dialogue.
“Banger story, excellent world building, captivating characters, and an amazing soundtrack.”
“An absolute masterpiece when it comes to telling a story.”
“As the game itself says, this is a story about failure, about death, about betrayal, but also one about hope, about life, about forgiveness, and it's certainly a story worth exploring.”
“The reason I'm giving this game a negative review is that it is presented as a branching story game when in fact you have no real agency on the plot.”
“But after replaying it, I realized that no matter what I chose, the plot would advance in the same way but with a few forgettable dialogue differences.”
“I feel like the story and writing of this game are actively trying to simply get you to feel bad.”
- gameplay29 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay in Grotto is primarily choice-based and narrative-focused, featuring a simple loop of interacting with characters, making decisions, and exploring constellations to influence dialogue. While the mechanics can feel repetitive and somewhat clunky, the unique constellation-drawing system adds an intriguing layer to the storytelling, making it appealing for players who prioritize narrative over complex gameplay. Overall, the game is recommended for those who enjoy eccentric, story-driven experiences, despite its occasional monotony.
“As with most games from Brainwash Gang, I tried it out due to the art, but stayed for the story and gameplay.”
“I really loved the constellation mechanic, as each one represented a vague enough idea to make picking the right one in the right situation somewhat difficult at times.”
“The gameplay loop is this: a character appears and asks a question, you look at the stars and draw around until you unlock constellations to give as a response to the question.”
“Gameplay-wise, it's mostly talk with a character, make a choice, repeat.”
“From a gameplay perspective, you are ultimately doing the same thing over and over again, with little additions here and there to make the proceedings less monotonous.”
“The gameplay loop is this: character appears and asks a question, you look at the stars and draw around until you unlock constellations to give as a response to the question.”
- emotional17 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its deeply compelling narrative that evokes a range of feelings, from heartbreak to hope. Players report experiencing profound emotional highs and lows, often leading to tears and a strong sense of connection to the characters and their struggles. The game effectively immerses players in unique situations that resonate on a personal level, leaving a lasting impact long after the experience.
“All of which landing beautifully in creating a deeply emotional and compelling narrative.”
“It's amazing what emotional highs and lows this game put me through, with a playtime of only about 4 to 5 hours.”
“Heartbreaking and hopeful at once, with beautiful and creepy atmosphere, clever world and character building, and it also actually made me cry!”
- graphics16 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful and unique art style, which enhances the overall atmosphere and storytelling. While some players found the visuals too dark and gritty, many appreciated the depth and charm of the design, noting that it effectively complements the game's intriguing narrative. Overall, the combination of stunning visuals and a compelling mood contributes significantly to the game's appeal.
“Although it may seem somewhat sparse gameplay-wise, Grotto is a game with an intriguing story that is only supplemented by its brilliantly crafted atmosphere and visuals.”
“This game is very clever; it has breathtaking art style and I absolutely adore that it has the courage to maintain the slow, meditative tempo in which this avalanche of story can gain proper strength.”
“The music and graphics create a surprisingly warm mood that prepares you for a visit from some very well-written and charming characters.”
“The art style did not resonate with me; it was too dark and gritty for my taste. After a while, I was tuned out of the character design and focused primarily on the dialogue.”
“At first, I was unimpressed by its art style. Once I got used to it as a 3D visual novel, its depth truly rings out.”
- music14 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and immersive quality, enhancing the overall atmosphere and emotional depth of the experience. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature that complements the captivating story and well-developed characters, creating a warm and engaging mood. While some noted a desire for more variety in the tracks, the overall sound design is considered exceptional and integral to the game's charm.
“The game's art and soundtrack is amazing, it is an immersive experience that I really enjoyed.”
“The soundtrack is beautiful and the moral questioning was at times uncomfortable but in a good way.”
“The music, story, and art design are all wonderful and unique.”
“The bad: I really noticed one technical issue when interacting with an object like the musical instrument or the pipe; if you move your mouse around when you're exiting using the object, the camera has a chance to visually glitch and rotate violently for a few seconds before allowing you to look properly.”
“The character design and music made this an experience I'll never forget.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "Grotto" is widely praised for its captivating visuals and exceptional soundtrack, which together create a deeply immersive experience. Reviewers highlight the game's unique art style, blending cell-shaded 3D environments with beautifully drawn 2D character sprites, and commend its ability to evoke a range of emotions through its storytelling and world-building. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as both hauntingly beautiful and intricately crafted, enhancing the narrative of choice and community among anthropomorphized animals.
“Although it may seem somewhat sparse gameplay-wise, Grotto is a game with an intriguing story that is only supplemented by its brilliantly crafted atmosphere and visuals.”
“Probably one of the most atmospheric games I've ever played and one of the best-looking cell-shaded games ever.”
“Heartbreaking and hopeful at once, with a beautiful and creepy atmosphere, clever world and character building, and it also actually made me cry!”
- character development5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Grotto excels in character development through its striking designs and engaging storytelling, which captivates players and encourages prolonged gameplay. The thoughtful integration of character traits and choices enhances the narrative experience, making it memorable and immersive. Overall, the art and character design significantly contribute to the game's unique atmosphere and emotional depth.
“Grotto has awesome character designs that will make you screenshot and save them to your private Discord channel, and a story that will keep you saying, 'I'll just do this one more segment, then next time I have to sleep, I'll stop for real.' Then you realize you've been saying that for an hour now.”
“From smart character design details (the storyteller plays drums because when the brutes speak, you hear a drumming sound; visually imitating the voices to match his imitation masks) to the progression (first presenting the character with a choice as a hypothetical, then playing on how difficult it is to be the one responsible for that choice), the art is perfect in the same way as Darkest Dungeon's was.”
“The character design and music made this an experience I'll never forget.”
“The character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression, making it hard to connect with the characters on a deeper level.”
“Despite the interesting premise, the characters remain one-dimensional and fail to evolve throughout the game.”
“I was disappointed by the lack of impactful choices in character development; it felt like my decisions didn't matter in the grand scheme of things.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is skillfully woven into the narrative, striking a balance between dark themes and comedic moments. Reviewers appreciate the meditative and compelling storytelling, highlighting instances like a character drumming to their own words as a particularly amusing detail.
“The writing is great, balancing darkness and humor really well.”
“The story is meditative, compelling, brooding, scary, and funny.”
“In one humorous case, one character who carries drums plays them to the beat of their own words, which is a fun detail.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the game's engaging art style and voiceover, contributing to a solid level of replayability that encourages multiple playthroughs. Overall, it is considered to have great replay value.
“Combined with a wickedly cool art style and neat voiceover, this all wraps together to be a great game with a decent amount of replayability!”
“Probably great replayability, too.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game somewhat tedious, as it involves repeatedly consulting multiple sources for advice and deciphering vague prophecies to make informed choices. However, the evolving interactions with characters and the environment provide some relief from the monotony.
“The grinding feels endless, as I find myself repeating the same tasks over and over just to make any progress.”
“It's frustrating to spend hours grinding for resources only to realize they don't significantly impact the gameplay.”
“The repetitive nature of grinding makes it hard to stay engaged; it often feels like a chore rather than an enjoyable part of the game.”
