Grunenberg
- September 8, 2023
- Kebabos
Get on Steam"Grunenberg" is a first-person game featuring Michael Soloman, a famous myth hunter, and his grandson Jimmy. Jimmy travels to Grunenberg to find his grandfather after receiving a mysterious letter. The game is designed to evoke the feeling of a VHS cassette tape, with an unsettling atmosphere and dynamic enemy AI that tracks your movements. Immersive progression, puzzles, interludes, and discoverable story content are blended together, with light and flashlight mechanics affected by the environment.
Reviews
- The game features a gripping story and an astonishing atmosphere that effectively builds tension.
- The sound design and graphics are outstanding, contributing to a terrifying experience.
- It's a fun short horror game that provides entertainment for its duration, with effective jumpscares and enjoyable puzzles.
- The game suffers from stability issues, including crashes and poor AI, which can detract from the experience.
- The gameplay can feel repetitive, with similar areas and enemies, and the long audio tracks can be tedious.
- Key bindings are tricky, and dying respawns players at the start of chapters, which can be frustrating after making progress.
- story11 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The game's story receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it derivative and repetitive, while others appreciate its unique storytelling approach and gripping tension. The VHS aesthetic adds an interesting layer, though the heavy reading required may detract from the experience for some. Overall, many agree that the story is a highlight, contributing significantly to the game's value.
“Fun short horror with a great (but shocking, seriously, trigger warning) story.”
“Definitely worth a few bucks, the story alone is worth it!”
“It's a game full of tension and its story is gripping.”
“However, that doesn't account for the absurd amount of reading involved in the repetitive story.”
“One of the worst games ever; it runs poorly, has no story, and when I tried to crouch, I ended up no clipping. It sucks.”
“Yeah, the flashlight is bad and the story is derivative.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and terrifying qualities, effectively engaging players throughout their experience. Reviewers highlight the astonishing design that enhances the sense of danger, particularly with the monster's ability to navigate the environment seamlessly. Overall, the atmosphere is a key element that captivates and entertains players.
“The atmosphere of the game is astonishing.”
“I really enjoyed the atmosphere and how it traps you from escaping the monster while it can just traverse over objects or through them.”
“The atmosphere of the game attracted me and gave me a terrifying experience.”
“Atmosphere of the game is astonishing.”
- graphics2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are praised for their outstanding quality, with a notable appreciation for the unique VHS aesthetic that adds an interesting visual element to the overall experience.
“The sound design and graphics in the game were outstanding.”
“I do appreciate the VHS aesthetic.”
- gameplay2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its engaging atmosphere and well-designed map, giving the game a sense of soul despite being developed by a single individual. Players find themselves replaying the game to improve their speed and mastery of the mechanics.
“Obviously, this is a one-man-made new developer game, but the atmosphere, story, map design, and gameplay make you feel like the game has soul.”
“Obviously, this is a one-man-made new developer game, but the atmosphere, story, map design, and gameplay feel like the game has soul.”
“I played again and again to observe how the gameplay can be faster.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game effectively blends humor with suspense, delivering a thrilling experience that elicits both laughter and excitement within a short playtime of approximately 90 minutes.
“The game gave me chills, made me jump, and made me laugh out loud, all in about 90 minutes.”
“The humor in this game is spot on, with clever jokes that had me chuckling throughout.”
“I couldn't stop laughing at the witty dialogue and hilarious situations the characters found themselves in.”
