Grimm's Hollow A cozy evening with death

Lavender wakes up surrounded by over-excited strangers in skull masks, holding cake and balloons. It is not her birthday, and this is not her home. So begins a search through the Hollow, a strange little town of the dead, for the one person she came here with.

The story is what carries you. It is a tale about grief, family and letting go, told with a light hand and plenty of jokes, and it earns its sad moments honestly. The ending is the part people remember: it has been known to reduce grown players to tears, and with multiple endings to find, what you say and do along the way decides which goodbye you get.

Combat is turn-based, but not the sit-and-wait kind. Enemies act while you choose, special attacks can be dodged with a well-timed press, and there are different strategies to try against a varied cast of ghosts, each with its own tactics and a clever name. It plays like a small puzzle: read the enemy, pick your moment, reap.

Do not expect a brutal challenge. The fight is engaging early on, then tips in your favour, especially once you start eating the ghostly treats that keep Lavender healthy. Come for the story and the charm of the battles more than a real test of skill. A simple level-up system rounds it out.