Grunn Review: A Creepy And Alluring Grass Act
Grunn is in no way anything other than an ordinary garden simulator. Honest. Well, ok, maybe not so much, but.. it's on Steam!
First-person simulators can be the most chill, especially garden-based activities, so it should go without saying that Grunn is a relaxing affair. It is. You arrive in town via a bus that doesn't run over the weekend. That's fine - you have until Monday to clear the place, get on the bus, and head back to wherever you came from.
You could do that or wander around town, meet with the locals, and offer your services (for free) within the community. The objective is simple: do some maintenance work around the house, including cutting the grass, picking up the trash, watering the plants, and then digging up the molehills. Once done, you can explore the area or get involved in other activities; otherwise, you might not even get to do the job.
Grunn Review
With a couple of days to complete your assignment in Grunn, it is very reasonable to achieve it. However... picking up the trash is easy, but how the heck do you water the plants without a watering can or get rid of the molehills with only your hands? Polaroids are scattered around the garden and other locations that hint at where the tools are hidden and other secrets. If you find them, they'll get ticked off your objectives list, but regardless, you need to find the tools to get paid. Sort of.
The actual tasks in Grunn are enjoyable. As with all these first-person simulators, there's something therapeutic about doing repetitive tasks of a restorative nature (the snip snip of the shears is particularly satisfying), and as this is clearly a gardening game and nothing else, it's a very calming experience. Of course, you could think outside of the box and look around town or even try to peek inside your employer's home?
Source: Steam
Gnome Is Where The Heart Is
Alas, to write a Grunn review, there has to be some element of exposure/spoiler. I'll keep it to a minimum; plus, I don't have the scope to do that as the game has multiple endings, and I haven't been able to get them all at the time of writing, though I have enough insight to write these words. Let's loosely say that in Grunn, there are garden gnomes, cadavers, and the supernatural. That's all you're getting. What I will share is the need for persistence and being prepared to start afresh.
Jeitaro
Endings can be abrupt in the game. You can die, and some very premature conclusions will perhaps upset you. Not necessarily because of what happens; it's just that you'll put in a lot of effort, and then suddenly, there's an abrupt demise, which means you must do it all again. A typical playthrough is approximately 30 minutes, depending on whether you intend to complete all your tasks. Some endings don't need you to do that, but if you've committed all that time to making the gaff look great, it's frustrating when you have to start all over.
But... by going that little step further each time in Grunn, you have a loose idea of what will happen if you do X, Y, or Z. You'll also know where to find everything on the next run or two, making you more efficient and, like The Holy Gosh Darn, a little bit of a time lord that can predict the future (though you've had a few knocks to get there in the first place). And that's what makes the game so unique in the first place: that ominous vibe that dangles a thread in front of your face and says, "Don't pull at it". What are you gonna do?
Grunn Review Summary
The low-key visuals and dark and unsettling ambience are spot-on. Sokpop Collective have created a bespoke gardening world that offers a little bit of everything: satisfying gardening mechanics, an alluring, unusual world of mystery, garden gnomes, and more disposable Polaroids than you took that time with that night at Freddie's. Shear the word: Grunn is not your typical gardening game, despite what you've heard.
