Grimoire Groves Review
Restore a magical garden in action roguelite Grimoire Groves.
Grimoire Groves. Credit: Stardust
Swiss studio Stardust asks an interesting question with Grimoire Groves: Would a non-violent action roguelite work? The answer is an interesting one. While I think Stardust's answer with this game isn’t a definitive “yes,” it shows that it’s possible and illuminates what it would take to get there.
In Grimoire Groves, you play as a witch in training who has just moved to the titular Groves. The Grimoire Groves, a mythical home to magical creatures and plants, is a mere shadow of what it once was, and it’s up to you to restore it. You must use your magic to grow plant creatures, repopulate the Groves, and restore the witch’s garden.
Grimoire Groves. Credit: Stardust
Grimoire Groves is an action roguelite where you don’t kill. In practice, gameplay isn’t very different from something like Hades. Instead of killing monsters, you feed plant creatures with your magic until they take root and flower. The creatures don't kill you; if you take too long to feed them after they see you, they consume your energy and make you pass out in the dungeon. The end result is the same. Only the framing is different.
So, this should absolutely work. The problem with Grimoire Groves isn’t conceptual—it’s execution. The game just doesn’t feel very good to play. Combat has no oomph to it and ends up feeling dull. This has to do with the attack designs, which, despite being varied, feel ineffective, as well as insufficient visual effects around impacts. Perhaps it’s also that impacts are absent in the first place, due to the game’s concept, but I’m sure there would be a happy medium that would work here.
The systems that surround the core dungeon crawling are rewarding. When you find and defeat a new creature in the dungeon, you plant it in your garden, and then it begins appearing in the dungeons. It’s exciting to see new creatures appear; I just wish it happened a little more frequently. You also befriend other characters you find by giving them gifts, which opens up new things in the game. Finally, you craft items and learn a variety of new spells to use by spending the materials you find as you explore.
The game’s characters resemble those from Adventure Time, which is clearly a great inspiration for its visual style. The hand-animated graphics are detailed and colorful, though I think the overwhelmingly pastel-shaded world could use some more contrast. The graphics, coupled with the game’s cartoonish sound design, make everything feel whimsical.
Grimoire Groves. Credit: Stardust
Grimoire Groves works best if you find yourself in tune with its vibe. The gameplay doesn’t feel as good as the games it emulates, so if you’re looking for your next action roguelite fix, I don’t think this is necessarily the right game for you because the combat doesn’t click. However, if you like the idea of nurturing magical plants in a bright cartoon world, you should give this game a try.
Grimoire Groves is available now on Steam.
Overall Score: 6/10
Played on: Steam Deck
