Campaign Ends: July 12th
Platform: Windows. Stretch goals add a Switch version.
For some mysterious reason *cough* my huge backlog *cough*, I still haven’t gotten around to watching Adventure Time, a clear inspiration for today’s game of choice. Combine the beloved show with Hades and Rune Factory, and you get Grimoire Groves, a visually stunning roguelite filled with gardening, crafting, sentient ‘shrooms, and possibly some mythical socks.
You and your fellow witches are the newest residents of Grimoire Groves, a legendary forest filled with all sorts of magical creatures. Sadly, your housewarming isn’t going quite as expected; something is amiss in this wooded wonderland. The forest feels strangely quiet, and even its mythical spirits are nowhere to be found. Naturally, the forest needs your help! Explore beautiful elemental biomes, grow and befriend magical plant creatures, learn spells, craft items, and bring life back to the Groves!
The core gameplay loop will have you trek through colorful procedurally-generated areas filled with strange and wonderful lifeforms. As is tradition with roguelites, most trips through the wilderness will end in failure (possibly due to angry sunflowers, in this case), but you’ll discover new abilities and secrets each time. Thankfully, Grimoire Groves is a cozy little game that shouldn’t result in hair-pulling or controller-throwing. Imagine something along the lines of Boyfriend Dungeon but with fewer men and more foliage!
Befriend a colorful cast of forest denizens, from major players like a traveling siren to magical creatures you can take back to your home. You’ll spend a healthy amount of time gathering seeds to grow your own little plant creatures too. Treat them well, and they’ll provide you with gifts and crafting materials! Be sure not to ignore your cottage, either; you’ll be able to decorate the place with a wide variety of hand-crafted furniture and adornments that may enhance your powers and provide you with other nice surprises. Home décor is fun! Finally, you’ll work towards filling up your grimoire with spells of all types, including those for combat, plant growth, and more. Harness the elements and mix things up to create your own unique magic!
Grimoire Groves grew far past its initial funding target early on (it was funded within 24 hours), with the upcoming stretch goals offering a Switch port and more to be revealed. Meanwhile, notable backer rewards include digital and physical artbooks, stylish T-shirts, and even some plushies!
With an aesthetic I can only describe as “psychedelic cottagecore,” Grimoire Groves promises to bring a garden of delights to your gaming library. I’m sold on the visuals alone, though the mix of roguelike exploration and gardening sounds like a lovely way to spend the afternoon. Let’s grow something magical!
Disclaimer: While it’s possible some of us at RPGFan may be backers of the games mentioned in these articles, this does not influence our coverage or our featured game choices. We make our selections simply based on the active campaigns we feel our readers might find interesting, and we are not given special access or perks by the developers.
tl;dr: We think these games show potential and want to share them with you.
