Review of Grunn: I was deceived, this exceptional gardening game is anything but ordinary.

Grunn is a mysterious box full of strange and unsettling encounters from a toy town, where you will be killed multiple times but still admire a perfectly groomed hedge.

Sokpop Collective, Tom van den Boogaart, co-founder
Publisher: a group of creators known as Sokpop Collective
Scheduled for release on October 4th, 2024.
Operating systems: Windows, macOS
From Steam to Itch.io
Price: To be confirmed

Evaluation conducted on: Intel Core i5-12600K processor, 32GB RAM, Nvidia RTX 2070 graphics card, operating system Windows 10.

In line with its description as a “very typical gardening game”, the puzzling mystery box Grunn playfully promotes, the first item I received was a pair of scissors. I acquired a trumpet as my second tool. It operates differently than a trumpet and performs tasks beyond the capabilities of a standard trumpet. Next, I acquired a small shovel. The fact about the trowel is that it’s a quite functional tool for gardening. Nothing extravagant. However, lately I have been constantly uncovering… items. Very strange items. I have the weekend to organize this garden and a snug shed to sleep in, so I should just start working on it. Once more, I must emphasize: I continue discovering… items.

I am going to remove some trash from the bathroom. I engage with the mirror and the game states: “There is nothing visible in the mirror.” I make a written reminder stating that I cannot see anything when I look in the mirror. I look at the game once more and still cannot see anything in the mirror. Of course, it’s okay. Simply a crappy mirror, most likely. They need to have it exchanged. What is the point of having a mirror that serves no purpose in showing reflections?

You find your first Polaroid photo before you cross the bridge, showing you where a gate key is, and that’s your tutorial, basically, to keep an eye out for more. Mysteries in Grunn aren’t really about deduction or solving anything in the traditional sense, although a few are almost like classic adventure game puzzles. It’s less lock-and-key, more tearing layers of wrapping paper from a massive non-euclidean pass-the-parcel. Except, some layers lead you away from the centre, some lead you back to where you were previously, and some have severed hands in them.

Grunn is a whimsically unsettling and delightfully disorienting experience, similar to dozing off in a charming rocking chair crafted by a wise, twinkling-eyed carpenter, only to be abruptly awakened by a chaos within the walls. It occurs across a span of two days, and managing your time effectively is crucial in order to excel as a gardener and survive.

The initial indication that something is amiss in Grunn is when a plank from the bridge falls at just the right moment as you are crossing to the garden. I’m okay, I understand. I was heading in that direction regardless, and I have to tend to some gardening tasks. I thought to myself that we will deal with that situation when it arises and then praised myself for the clever remark. I located the shed where I would be staying for the next few nights, picked up my shears, and then discovered a list from the owner.

Mow the lawn. Prune bushes. Grow aquatic plants. Collect garbage. Eliminate small mounds created by moles. Simple enough. By pressing the Shift key, you can move quickly, and by holding down the mouse button, you can also work the shears quickly. As a result, I had a lot of fun quickly zipping around the garden, trimming the overgrown grass. I still have a profound adoration for the noise produced by the scissors. It’s similar to a very loud pair of safety scissors. I’m also very impressed by how perfectly Grunn’s default mouse.

Oddly enough, the games I found myself mentally likening it to were Deathloop and Outer Wilds. While there isn’t a clear time loop, you still hold onto Polaroids for each playthrough. Additionally, it is important to retain an understanding of how the unfamiliar locations you will discover connect, and the timings for acquiring specific objects to prevent a gruesome death. And also, Grunn continues to grow larger. The game world is constantly evolving, with changes occurring daily and sometimes even hourly. You will begin creating a mental list of places to see initially, scheduling specific times and days. Throughout the game, it consistently balances between being spooky and whimsical, creating a captivating back-and-forth dynamic.

There is a gnome present in the garden, and there could be additional gnomes appearing in the future. I am somewhat intrigued by the oddly specific folkloric figures that can now be easily found as decorations at B&Q. Gnomes. Sprites. Grotesque figures on buildings. Fungi. Grunn finds a great deal of inspiration from what could be considered garden mythology; the world of hedgerows. It capitalizes on the comforting strangeness evoked by the garden’s dual function as both an extension of the home and a carefully designed miniature wilderness.

My Grandad was a very pragmatic man. Read only non-fiction books. Had a pencil tucked behind his ear. However, as he gazed out at his garden, his expression became distant and dreamy. Grunn is a way to celebrate similar themes to those found in Tolkien’s portrayal of the Shire: even the most organized gardens can transport you to a distant and enchanting place. There are gaps between different worlds, and we honor them accordingly.

However, Grunn is also extremely dark and foolish, being playful not only in its content but also in how it disrupts the player’s experience. You clearly have great skill in collecting trash, which is why you find yourself tidying up a whole street and the exterior of a gas station. You have an urge to make this small town cleaner, but Grunn seems to be amused by your efforts to throw away crumpled cigarette packs instead of focusing on overcoming your fear of ghosts. There is a consistent theme of feeling very detached from the characters due to their unfamiliar language, yet it adds a charming, toy-like feel. An extremely comfortable European purgatory.

Are you suitable for Grunn? Do you enjoy the sensation of quickly redoing tasks that previously took a long time? Are you a fan of strange and pleasant findings? Are you a fan of exclaiming ‘ah!’ loudly when solving a mystery? Are you a fan of experiencing different forms of death, discovering new conclusions, and learning to approach situations in a unique manner during subsequent attempts? Are you fond of keeping track of the number of coins you have collected? In fact, Grunn will not inform you of that unless you take action.