THERE SWINGS A SKULL: GRIM TIDINGS

About

THERE SWINGS A SKULL: GRIM TIDINGS is a single player casual role playing game with horror and drama themes. It was developed by Quinn K. and was released on September 15, 2022. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Enter the doomed town of Pareildas. Watch as the flames turn bone and stone to ash. Like joined wicks, we'll all burn together.

THERE SWINGS A SKULL: GRIM TIDINGS screenshot

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100%

Audience ScoreBased on 64 reviews

story10 positive mentions

grinding1 negative mentions

The game features a beautifully crafted narrative that explores deep themes of love and despair, resonating with players on an emotional level.
The pixel art and music create a haunting atmosphere that enhances the storytelling, making it a memorable experience.
Multiple endings and dual perspectives provide replayability, allowing players to explore different facets of the story and characters.

The game is limited by RPG-Maker's constraints, including a 4:3 resolution and lack of screenshot functionality.
While there are several endings, only one stands out significantly, with the others being variations of bad endings.
The slow pacing may not appeal to all players, as some may find the gameplay tedious at times.

story
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
56%
10%
The story is a beautifully crafted and emotionally resonant narrative that explores themes of love, duty, and existential dread in a dystopian setting. Players are drawn into a richly developed world with well-fleshed-out characters, offering a bittersweet experience that balances moments of warmth with an unsettling atmosphere. The dual perspectives of the protagonists enhance the storytelling, making it a compelling and thought-provoking journey worth revisiting.
- “What a painfully beautiful story that feels consoling in current times.”
- “The world-building is perfectly tight and expands well as the story moves forward.”
- “The story doesn't overstay its welcome and when you get to make a choice, those do give you pause.”
- “Bleak but not hopeless, this short game tells the story of two lovers struggling to live as their community burns up in a post-climate apocalypse world.”
- “The growing sense of dread of things you cannot hope to control persists even when you begin the second route of the story.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
88%
38%
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the emotional tone of each scene, ranging from calm melodies to intense, atmospheric sounds reminiscent of Silent Hill. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as fantastic and integral to the overall experience, complementing the game's striking visuals and strong writing. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's memorable and immersive narrative.
- “The music fits the tone of each scene perfectly.”
- “The soundtrack is fantastic (I am listening to it now as I write this) and ranges from calm and slow to visceral, Silent Hill-esque grinding gears and static.”
- “Incredible writing combined with the striking visuals and fitting music lead to a memorable experience.”
- “The music feels repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “The soundtrack doesn't match the game's atmosphere, which detracts from the overall experience.”
- “The audio quality is poor, and the music often feels out of sync with the gameplay.”
graphics
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
43%
The graphics of the game are praised for their unique art style and atmospheric quality, effectively enhancing the overall melancholic tone. While some users note the limitations of the RPG Maker engine, the striking visuals and thoughtful design contribute significantly to the game's immersive experience. Overall, the combination of compelling artwork and excellent sound design creates a memorable aesthetic that complements the storytelling.
- “Great art style and atmosphere.”
- “Great little atmospheric horror game with a very engrossing story, excellent sound design and nice artwork.”
- “Incredible writing combined with the striking visuals and fitting music lead to a memorable experience.”
- “The graphics are underwhelming and fail to impress, lacking the detail and polish expected in modern games.”
- “While the bleak art style certainly contributes to the game's overall atmosphere, it often feels too simplistic and unrefined.”
- “The visuals are disappointing, with a lack of variety and depth that detracts from the overall experience.”
emotional
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is described as a deeply emotional experience that blends heartbreak with moments of warmth and kindness, making it a must-play for its poignant narrative. Players appreciate the contrast between the overarching despair and the touching interactions between characters, resulting in a bittersweet journey that resonates long after completion. Overall, it is celebrated for its ability to evoke a wide range of feelings, from sadness to heartwarming joy.
- “A heartbreaking game that everyone should play/experience at least once in their life.”
- “Went into this expecting an excellent game, ended up getting a gorgeous and heartfelt experience.”
- “I love that a game about slowly creeping despair can feel like such a sweet, touching experience by the end.”
atmosphere
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
29%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its engaging and unsettling qualities, enhanced by a unique art style and excellent sound design. Reviewers highlight the balance of darkness and moments of levity in the writing, which, combined with intricate world-building and character development, creates a deeply immersive experience. Overall, the game's atmospheric elements contribute significantly to its engrossing and bittersweet narrative.
- “Great little atmospheric horror game with a very engrossing story, excellent sound design, and nice artwork.”
- “An excellent little adventure game, it's a very bittersweet story with an immensely dreadful atmosphere and a very interesting bizarre world.”
- “The atmosphere is so unsettling and was so interesting, the writing is fantastic, I loved how many little details there were throughout the world, the pixel art was really impressive.”
- “Sad that not a lot of people are talking about it considering the themes, characterization, and atmosphere.”
- “While the bleak art style certainly contributes to the game's overall atmosphere, the real star for me was the writing which manages to balance the darkness with moments of grim levity.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as a blend of darkly hilarious and heartwarming moments, providing a welcome contrast to its otherwise serious tone. Players appreciate the witty dialogue and character interactions, which evoke a range of emotions from laughter to sadness, making the experience memorable and endearing. Overall, the humor adds depth to the narrative, enhancing the game's emotional impact.
- “Really glad the dark ending was in there to provide a little humor for a game that's rather dour and serious otherwise.”
- “Darkly hilarious and endearing.”
- “This game made me laugh, then feel sad, then laugh again, then feel even more sad.”
gameplay
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Players find the gameplay of the freeware version to be chilling and engaging, leading to excitement about the upcoming paid expanded version currently in development. The game's initial exposure through platforms like YouTube has contributed to its growing interest and anticipation among fans.
- “I saw gameplay of the freeware version when it first came out, and one day I remembered how chilling it was to me. I learned that the developers made a whole paid expanded version that I didn't know about!”
- “I first got to know about this game from ManlyBasaHero's gameplay on YouTube and found out that a full version is under development.”
- “I saw gameplay of the freeware version when it first came out, and one day I remembered how chilling it was to me. I later learned that the developers made a whole paid expanded version that I didn't know about.”
- “I first learned about this game from ManlyBasaShero's gameplay on YouTube and found out that a full version is under development.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players highlight the strong replayability of the game, noting its relatively short length and the presence of two concurrent storylines that encourage multiple playthroughs. This design choice enhances the overall experience, making it worthwhile to revisit the game.
- “I also really appreciate the replayability of such a relatively short game.”
- “The fact that the game essentially has two stories running concurrently also rewards replayability, which is great since the game is a pretty quick experience.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is characterized by a diverse soundtrack that transitions from calm melodies to intense, eerie sounds reminiscent of Silent Hill, effectively enhancing the overall atmosphere.

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Frequently Asked Questions

THERE SWINGS A SKULL: GRIM TIDINGS is a casual role playing game with horror and drama themes.

THERE SWINGS A SKULL: GRIM TIDINGS is available on PC and Windows.

THERE SWINGS A SKULL: GRIM TIDINGS was released on September 15, 2022.

THERE SWINGS A SKULL: GRIM TIDINGS was developed by Quinn K..

THERE SWINGS A SKULL: GRIM TIDINGS has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its gameplay.

THERE SWINGS A SKULL: GRIM TIDINGS is a single player game.

Similar games include To the Moon, Rakuen, The Excavation of Hob's Barrow, Night in the Woods, BAD END THEATER and others.

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