Grotto

A unique narrative adventure, Grotto is visually striking and full of magical charm, but a lack of definitive choices may put some players off this intriguing tale.

90%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

grinding

95% User Score Based on 292 reviews

Critic Score 75%Based on 3 reviews

Platforms

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About

Grotto is a single player role playing game with fantasy and drama themes. It was developed by Brainwash Gang and was released on October 26, 2021. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Grotto is a mystical, narrative-focused experience. You are the Soothsayer. The one capable of talking with the stars and unveiling their messages. In a time of turmoil, the tribe of the valley turn to your powers of divination and come to you for guidance.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 292 reviews

story60 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The art style is visually stunning and enhances the immersive experience.
The story is deeply engaging, filled with complex characters and moral dilemmas that resonate emotionally.
The unique gameplay mechanic of interpreting constellations adds a fresh twist to the narrative-driven experience.

Many choices feel inconsequential, leading to a sense of frustration as the story progresses.
The gameplay can become repetitive, with some mechanics feeling clunky and animations dragging on.
Some players may find the lack of clear agency in decision-making disappointing, as outcomes often feel predetermined.

story
144 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
56%
2%
The story in "Grotto" is widely praised for its depth, emotional resonance, and intricate world-building, blending themes of failure, hope, and complex character dynamics. Players appreciate the engaging narrative style, which often prioritizes storytelling over gameplay mechanics, creating a meditative experience that captivates and compels them to continue. While some critique the limited impact of player choices, the overall consensus is that the game offers a unique and memorable narrative journey worth exploring.
- “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.”
gameplay
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
55%
14%
The gameplay in Grotto is primarily choice-based and narrative-focused, involving simple mechanics such as walking, drawing constellations, and engaging in dialogue with characters. While the gameplay loop can feel repetitive and clunky at times, the unique constellation mechanic and the emphasis on storytelling create an engaging experience that resonates with players who appreciate narrative depth over complex mechanics. Overall, the game is recommended for those who enjoy eccentric, story-driven adventures, despite its mechanical shortcomings.
- “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.”
- “Solid game with a solid gimmick with plenty to say if you go looking deep enough, easily recommended for people into a more eccentric experience that enjoy choice-based narrative-focused gameplay.”
- “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, admittedly, ultimately doing the same thing over and over again, with little additions here and there to make the proceedings less monotonous.”
- “The gameplay loop can get annoying/boring at times since it's talk-star-talk-sleep; the new options you get are fun for a time if you are curious about the story, but I forgot to use them on the days that had multiple stars to give.”
emotional
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its deeply emotional and compelling narrative, evoking a wide range of feelings from players, including heartbreak and hope. Many reviewers noted that it led them to experience profound emotional highs and lows, often resulting in tears and a sense of connection to the game's community and characters. Overall, it is described as a heartfelt experience that leaves a lasting emotional impact.
- “It's amazing what emotional highs and lows this game put me through, with a playtime of only about 4 to 5 hours.”
- “Genuinely heartfelt and shocking moments throughout, as I felt like a member of this little community, trying my best to make sure it didn't rip itself apart.”
- “Heartbreaking and hopeful at once, with beautiful and creepy atmosphere, clever world and character building, and it also actually made me cry!”
graphics
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
16%
9%
The graphics of "Grotto" are widely praised for their beautiful and unique art style, which effectively complements the game's intriguing narrative and atmosphere. While some players found the visuals too dark and gritty, many appreciated the depth and meditative quality of the 3D and 2D blend. Overall, the game's stunning visuals and engaging design contribute significantly to its storytelling and immersive experience.
- “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 maintains a slow, meditative tempo in which this avalanche of story can gain proper strength.”
- “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.”
- “The music and graphics create a surprisingly warm mood that prepares you for a visit from some very well-written and charming characters.”
music
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
32%
11%
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and immersive quality, significantly enhancing the overall atmosphere and emotional depth of the experience. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as superb, complementing the captivating story and well-designed characters, while some suggest that a few additional tracks could further enrich the experience. Overall, the combination of music, sound design, and visuals creates a memorable and engaging environment for players.
- “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 and graphics create a surprisingly warm mood that prepares you for a visit from some very well-written and charming characters.”
- “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.”
- “The vibe, the music, the characters, it's so pleasant to experience, and with an interesting story to go with it, filled with mystery, foreshadowing, and some really dark themes, it's something else.”
atmosphere
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The atmosphere of "Grotto" is widely praised for its captivating blend of stunning visuals and an evocative soundtrack, creating a deeply immersive experience. Reviewers highlight the game's unique art style, combining cell-shaded 3D environments with beautifully drawn 2D character sprites, which enhances its emotional storytelling. The atmosphere is described as both heartbreaking and hopeful, effectively drawing players into the complex narrative of a tribe of anthropomorphized animals facing difficult choices.
- “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 development
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
10%
30%
Grotto excels in character development through its impressive character designs and engaging storytelling, which captivate players and encourage prolonged gameplay. The thoughtful integration of character choices and their consequences enhances the narrative depth, while the art style evokes a memorable experience reminiscent of titles like Darkest Dungeon. Overall, the combination of unique designs and immersive storytelling creates a compelling atmosphere that resonates with players.
- “Grotto has awesome character designs that will make you screenshot and save it to your private Discord channel, and a story that will keep you saying, 'I'll do just 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.”
- “I found the character arcs to be predictable and uninspired, which detracted from my overall enjoyment of the game.”
- “Despite the interesting premise, the characters don't evolve in a way that feels rewarding or impactful.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is effectively woven into its dark and brooding narrative, creating a compelling balance that enhances the overall experience. Notably, a character humorously plays drums to the rhythm of their own words, adding a whimsical touch to the storytelling.
- “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.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers a solid level of replayability, enhanced by its striking art style and engaging voiceover, making it an enjoyable experience worth revisiting.
- “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.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, as it involves repeatedly consulting multiple sources for advice and selecting from vague prophecies to address specific questions. However, the evolving choices and interactions with characters and the environment provide some engagement amidst the repetitive tasks.
- “The grinding process feels tedious, as I find myself asking 3-4 different sources for advice, only to choose the best among very vague prophecies for specific questions.”
- “The constant need to grind for resources makes the gameplay feel repetitive and unengaging, detracting from the overall experience.”
- “Grinding in this game is a chore; it often feels like I'm just going through the motions without any real sense of progress or reward.”