The Indie Informer

“How far off the rails,” I thought to myself the first time I picked up Grunn, “could a totally normal gardening sim really get.” Past me was a fool.

I may never again play a game whose beginning is so alarmingly — and perfectly — divergent from its ending. In the span of four hours, I went from meditatively chopping grass and watering flowers to holding the fate of the world in my hands. Friends, this game is so unbelievably good.

Like many of my favorite titles, this game is difficult to talk about without ruining — and you deserve to play without really knowing what you are walking into. So, this review avoids spoilers as much as possible.

On paper, Grunn is straightforward. I, a landscaper by trade, have been hired to tend to a client’s garden over the weekend while they are gone. My tasks include cutting the grass with shears, trimming the overgrown hedges, and watering various plants. There’s even a percent tracker in the bottom right to let me know how much work I’ve completed. The opening moments are downright relaxing — if you can overlook some unsettling vibes.

No one looking at the game’s disquieting visuals, ringing with all the qualities of a damaged VHS and a tendency to twist the human form to an almost unrecognizable degree, could truly believe everything here is normal. It’s an excellent example of graphics supporting a game’s themes. What themes could hazy distortion and disquieting uncanny valley serve? Don’t worry about it.

Grunn is a roguelike with looping gameplay and no progression rather than gained knowledge in between runs. This last is special. The game morphs according to what I learn during my time. So, it’s always worthwhile to explore, experiment with, and puzzle out everything around me.

I begin every session walking into the garden. No tools, no keys. However, as I find where these things are and how to find them, sections of the game that once took me half an hour can shrink down to seconds. As my arsenals of vaguely garden-related tools accumulate I discover more to do than landscape.

Environmental puzzles are everywhere. It helps that the game has a hint system which takes the form of polaroids I find lying around. These pictures reveal locations, solutions, or secrets waiting to be found in the world. Some puzzles are simple and I can immediately figure them out after considering what items I have on me. Others involve being in the right place at the right time or using some creative combination of wits and equipment. My favorites were usually puzzles that rewarded me for trying something wild.

The rabbit hole goes down deep in Grunn, and I couldn’t stop myself from digging deeper and deeper in search of answers. In a game like this which rewards players for paying attention and experimenting, secrets feel like gifts. This is one garden path you should walk down.