The 2015 hitUndertaleshowed the world what RPGs could look like if they broke through the “fight everything” conventions of the genre. Since then, many other games have tried to replicate the look and feel of Toby Fox’s classic tale of redemption.
Not all theUndertale-inspired games quite capture the game’s essence, butGrimm’s Hollowby Ghosthunter is one of the rare few that does it right.Released as freewarein 2019, theRPG Maker title is a story about grief and spirit Reapers.
LikeUndertale,Grimm’s Hollowplayers traverse the underworld, meet quirky characters, make friends, andtry to navigate the strange new worldthey find themselves in. And, likeUndetale, the indie game hides a darker truth under its oddly whimsical exterior.
Grimm’s Hollow Follows A Reluctant Character Through The Underworld
You Must Reap Ghosts, But Why?
InGrimm’s Hollow,you play as Lavender, who awakens one day to find that she’s the newest initiate in a group of Reapers. An amorphous black blob in a skull mask named Grimm informs her that—surprise!—she’s dead. Her spirit was, apparently,not strong enough to move to the afterlife, so she’s now stuck in Grimm’s Hollow.
Here, Reapers are in charge ofdealing with ghosts that have become frenzied, refusing to move on. Lavender isn’t convinced that reaping all these ghosts to help them “move on” is the right thing to do.
But she’s got bigger problems to deal with, like finding her little brother Timmy, who seems to be stuck in a cave that’s currently off-limits to all Reapers except Grimm. Thegameplay consists of exploration, chatting with other Reapers, and aFinal Fantasy 7-like semi-turn-based, action-gauge-style battle systemthat requires some timing.
Grimm’s Hollow Is A Whimsical Game About Reapers
But Fans Of Undertale Will Find A Similar Vibe In The Small Game
Grimm’s Hollowuses anadorable pixel art style and chiptune soundtrackto tell astory of loss and grief. It deals with some difficult themes, but they’re interwoven with adorably whimsical features, like eating cookies to replenish your “willpower,” aka health. (Don’t worry, you can’t die—you’re already dead, after all.)
AlthoughGrimm’s Hollownever became as big a hit as its predecessor, it’s still a beloved—though niche—game with anOverwhelmingly Positive rating from nearly 14,000 reviews on Steam.
Developed by solo developer Mahum Najam,Grimm’s Hollowis anUndertale-esque experience that possesses a heart and soul of its own. It introduces unique elements to the age-old tale of a character getting stuck in purgatory and questioning their purpose. And you can play the full game for free on Steam right now—or purchase the $7.99 dev supporter packet, which includes an artbook and several high-resolution wallpaper images.
