Growing My Grandpa!
- July 12, 2022
- Yames
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Growing My Grandpa" is a narrative-driven game where you play as Adrienne, an introverted girl raising a mysterious entity she calls Grandpa in her basement. The game explores themes of loneliness, desire, and intimacy, and features virtual pet elements as you care for and communicate with Grandpa. The game's story is steeped in dark, speculative lore that combines science fiction, magic, and neuroscience, and allows players to uncover the secrets of the basement over the course of its 90-minute playtime.
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Windows
Reviews
- The game features a unique and engaging narrative that blends horror with emotional depth, making it a memorable experience.
- The visuals and atmosphere are striking, effectively creating a sense of unease and enhancing the overall horror experience.
- Despite its short length, the game offers replayability with two different endings and encourages exploration of its lore through various notes and documents.
- The gameplay can feel tedious, particularly with repetitive tasks like cleaning up trash, which detracts from the overall experience.
- The game is quite short, leading some players to feel it lacks sufficient content for its price, leaving them wanting more.
- The heavy reliance on text and reading can be overwhelming for some players, making the experience feel more like a visual novel than a traditional game.
- story118 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story is a captivating blend of horror and whimsy, centered around a little girl who attempts to "grow" her grandpa in the basement, exploring themes of child neglect, alienation, and introspection. Players appreciate the rich narrative, immersive atmosphere, and distinct writing styles that evoke a range of emotions, though the storytelling relies heavily on reading. Overall, the game is praised for its originality, depth, and the thought-provoking nature of its plot, making it a memorable experience despite its short length.
“The game presents you with a whole array of texts from a variety of different genres and modes—from the aforementioned experimental transcripts, to the school counselor's report that serves as the frame story, to the dialogue of the grade school-aged protagonist and of the 'grandpa' entity itself at various stages of development, to the visceral and unsettling descriptions of the world as you observe and interact with it—and each is written in a distinct style and register, each evocative in its own way.”
“A heart-warming body horror story told from two different angles; the little girl Adrienne who tries to grow her grandpa in the basement, and the school counselor/therapist that tries to figure out what Adrienne's colorful stories about growing her grandpa really mean... because no one can grow a grandpa, right?”
“Very interesting and engaging world building with a story that tied it all together nicely as you progressed, feeding you bits and pieces of info to keep it going coherently, but also to keep you just enough in the dark to wonder at the implications of your actions.”
“The storytelling elements rely heavily on reading, and I would have liked it to experiment with other elements to deliver that information, but that's the deal with most story-driven games lately.”
“You spend more time reading everything (if you are interested in the story) than actually playing the game.”
“The narrative leaves some space for interpretation; you could assume the story is happening in her head, or maybe it's some kind of scientific abomination, or perhaps it's something else, something supernatural.”
- atmosphere106 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its unsettling and immersive qualities, combining beautiful visuals, haunting sound design, and a unique narrative style that evokes feelings of both horror and warmth. Many reviewers noted its ability to create a deeply creepy yet captivating environment reminiscent of classic horror titles, with a strong emphasis on psychological tension and body horror themes. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as a standout feature that enhances the overall experience, making it a must-try for fans of atmospheric horror.
“Truly remarkable little gem of a point-and-click horror game just dripping with atmosphere and style.”
“Incredibly unique body horror game about self, perception, desire, and sacrifice all wrapped up into a wonderful, under 90 minute package with truly enthralling and idiosyncratic atmosphere and aesthetic that will stick with you long after you play it.”
“It's highly unsettling, atmospheric, and wonderful.”
“The game consists of 90% text about a scientist and a psychiatrist both waffling on and on about just utter nonsense, rather than attempt to create an atmosphere or sense of danger.”
“Fortunately, the dev decided not to put any jumpscares in (or at least nothing that I would count as one), though the whole atmosphere does give you the chills.”
“Weirdly, the game is also surprisingly kind of wholesome, despite the especially creepy atmosphere that permeates the game, something that always seems to shine through the soundtrack and graphics.”
- graphics86 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique, grungy PS1 aesthetic, which effectively enhances the horror atmosphere and complements the storytelling. Reviewers highlight the attention to detail and the intentional art style that creates an immersive experience, with visuals that are both striking and unsettling. Overall, the combination of visuals, sound design, and narrative contributes to a captivating and eerie ambiance that resonates with players.
“The attention to detail, the art style, the sheer effort that you can tell went into it.”
“The visuals and atmosphere absolutely slap but the trash-clearing minigame is repetitive and annoying.”
“Yames is quite the genius when it comes to short-horror experiences, his narrative skills combined with retro-eerie graphics create odd and very interesting worlds.”
“Graphics are simple but get the job done.”
“The art style is very intentional: you can barely see what you're looking at, leaving your brain to fill in the gaps.”
“A very freaky body horror experience with visuals that remind me of those early point-and-click games with pre-rendered 3D graphics, which have always been inherently unnerving to me no matter the context.”
- gameplay66 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 86 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its simplicity and minimalism, primarily revolving around repetitive tasks such as picking up trash and interacting with a character referred to as "grandpa." While some players appreciate the immersive atmosphere and unique UI, many find the mechanics tedious and lacking depth, with the core gameplay feeling more like a chore than an engaging experience. Overall, the game offers a light point-and-click experience that may appeal to those who prioritize narrative and mood over complex mechanics.
“The visual, the sound effects, the gameplay, everything is so incredible and very immersive.”
“The point-and-click gameplay is streamlined in a way that lets you appreciate the game's mood, and I love the light 'pet sim' elements, which give you a clear goal throughout.”
“Gameplay, while simple and not necessarily the focus of the game, does offer a bit more replayability than the creators' previous games.”
“I leave off half a star here only because the gameplay does leave something to be desired.”
“Which wouldn't necessarily be an issue if the core game mechanic—repeatedly picking up pieces of trash and placing them in a trash bin—wasn't so tedious.”
“Gameplay is minimal; this mostly consists of clicking through the same environments repeatedly and dragging scraps of virtual trash into a wastebasket over and over.”
- emotional42 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game explores deep emotional themes, particularly focusing on a young girl named Adrienne who grapples with emotional neglect from her parents and seeks connection through her relationship with her grandpa. Despite its horror elements, players find the narrative surprisingly heartwarming, highlighting themes of childhood innocence, family bonding, and the complexities of emotional needs. The juxtaposition of creepy atmosphere with wholesome moments creates a unique experience that resonates emotionally, leaving players both unsettled and touched.
“It's a game about emotional neglect, a deluded therapist, a child's psyche adjusting to circumstances, garbage disposal, and about establishing a strong bond with an ancient entity through feeding it an ancient kiwi and talking to it about the important things in life.”
“A truly heartwarming tale about a girl’s bond with her grandpa.”
“I would recommend this to anyone looking for a surreal, yet emotional horror game that'll leave you missing your grandparents and turning on the lights.”
- music42 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to create a haunting and immersive atmosphere, effectively complementing the visuals and story. Reviewers highlight its eerie and ambient qualities, drawing comparisons to classic horror soundtracks like those from Silent Hill, while also noting the music's role in enhancing the game's overall emotional impact. The combination of grungy aesthetics and masterful audio design contributes to a cohesive and engaging experience that resonates with players.
“Amazing vibes, great music, interesting lore, and super spooky atmosphere.”
“The music in this game is masterful.”
“The music and the visual style are so crunchy, one can almost taste the pus.”
“The soundtrack is equally ambient and unnerving, reminding me of Silent Hill at its very best.”
“I will say that 50% of my enjoyment in horror games comes from the choice of music and sound effects, and in my opinion, you made all the right choices there.”
- grinding12 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is frequently criticized for being tedious, particularly the repetitive task of cleaning up trash, which detracts from the overall experience. Many reviewers express a desire for more engaging gameplay elements, noting that the minigames and pet simulator sections feel underdeveloped. Overall, the repetitive nature of the core mechanics is seen as a significant flaw.
“Which wouldn't necessarily be an issue if the core game mechanic—repeatedly picking up pieces of trash and placing them in a trash bin—wasn't so tedious.”
“I wish the gameplay elements were a little more fleshed out - the pet simulator sections feel a little lacking and constantly clearing out garbage can feel tedious.”
“All the menus are really amateur and the gameplay is at best tedious.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in "Growing My Grandpa" is noted for its amusing and potentially grotesque premise, with players finding the concept of a horror game centered around a grandparent both funny and entertaining. However, some users expressed a desire for more comedic content featuring the grandpa character to enhance the experience.
“Seeing the name 'Growing My Grandpa' and it being tagged as a horror, I naturally thought this would be a funny and maybe grotesque adventure.”
“Amazing game... could've had more grandpa though he's funny.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game offers slightly improved replayability compared to the creator's previous titles, but ultimately falls short due to its limited content, featuring only two endings and minimal variation in playthroughs.
“Unfortunately, the game suffers from a lack of replayability as there are only 2 endings in this short game and basically no other variation in playthroughs.”
“Gameplay, while simple and not necessarily the focus of the game, does offer a bit more replayability than the creator's previous games.”
