[h2]What is this game about?[/h2]
GRAIN ROT is an extraction (shooter). It has some Humor elements (including voice chat effects) and some low key Horror vibes. The game revolves around looting money and scraps to improve your base for getting better equipment and stats, like Hitpoints and Attackpower. And then you use your new power to dive deeper into the depths with the elevator.
Sounds, Hiding, Repositioning, Building obstacles and Occasionally picking a fight are important to survive and setting new records.
There is no real endgame, but some quests lead you the way for a while. At certain points you can try to explore an area of the surface, but the main point is having fun with friends or seeking the chills as Solo Player.
[h2] A game for whom? [/h2]
GRAIN ROT is a pretty solid game for a certain type of players who like challenges and have a decent amount of patience and well... (not rotten) brain. You can not waltz into enemy territory at early levels and expect to be invincible with a small Hammer in your Hand. Actually some enemies are a hurdle even later when you have better stats and weapons if you face them head on, so use your [strike]G[/strike]Brain.
If you have problems with orientation or virtual triggered claustrophobia, this game will be a challenge aside from the normal hurdles. There are so many tight spaces (cause that is your chance to build something which saves your life) and often times it feels like a labyrinth.
[h3] The information problem [/h3]
At release date you do not get much information how to overcome the problems you face early. That are mainly seemingly unkillable enemies. Later the game will be a lot easier, as you will know what you are doing and what you might not want to do. And then you have more blueprints for building traps, or beds for recovery or (actual) weapons from the shop.
For some people this start into an very unfriendly unknown environment might be fun: to try, to die, to learn and eventually win more then you lose. For others, including myself who got insecure after failing 4 times in a row to extract (Solo Play), this can kill the fun before you even try inviting a friend.
[h3]Solutions for more fun..[/h3]
There are multiple ways to improve your early experience. The most fun way is, to directly invite one or more friends for the game start and to enjoy finding out how to deal with the problems together.
The game is designed that you can lose your "main body" and exist as a spark. You will not die when your spark loses its "glow" after a short period, but can rebuild it by staying next to friends. That allows you to help fighting a little, or getting a new "Doll" body from somewhere. It is not a quick loss as in Solo Play.
Watching a beginner tutorial video somewhere is really recommended. Get to know a few of the many tricks to survive. And well you now know, that you can just harden your heart and soul and dive into the unknown for trying out many things. When you get to know different enemy types and what you can risk or should rather not. Your success rate will improve a lot.
If you get the information, the game has the potential to be fun for many hours. Even for Soloplayers, a few hours of joy from making it back to the surface are possible - but obviously the game is designed to play it with at least one friend or more.
[h2] Cost-Fun-Efficiency[/h2]
For a price of around 10€ or $ it will offer fun for a decent amount of hours and has potential to be a game you want to come back with your friends every few months. As the games pattern is rather repetitive, with looting then upgrading rooms by building furniture, it will not be the game you will play for 100 hours straight, but that seems fine.
[h2]Is it a recommendation?[/h2]
Yes, even though i had a bad solo start. For the amount of money spend, i got a good deal of fun out of it. And i am pretty sure i will play this game with multiple friends over time, just to hear their screams ;) and laughter. Cause the physics when building, the character design and drop-kick-battles are great to fool around every now and then, aside from the main game.
[h1]Helpful Tricks[/h1]
As i believe that it is somewhat necessary to know little more then what you are provided by the game, i add some knowledge and tricks in this review. Be aware about the difference between knowledge and execution ;) Have fun.
1) Search for the red tutorial item for basics.
2) You want to level up your rooms first. Everything you see at game start can be destroyed as it has zero XP value cause of "poor quality". You can build new stuff which actually helps your room experience. Destroying furniture you build yourself, will not give you back all the cost, but a lot.
3) As you get more blueprints, you can create "combos" that grant each item bonus XP. Like a carpet, a chair and a table in close vicinity. This allows you to upgrade your rooms and gain stats.
4) Early it might make sense to take some unique items back from the deeper levels for gaining room XP. Especially the lilac things can get you a lot of experience. Always check the stats in spark form. Once found a -100XP Vodoo Doll. Later you do not need those items for XP, just for the atmosphere, as furniture combos offer more XP.
5) If you hear that moving traps are in a level, you can get rid of most enemies by luring them into the traps!
6) You can put items, like spare mallets into the elevator before you go down! Then you can use them, once you got your hands free again.
7) Play it smart and scout ahead. By jumping out of your body, you can check the next rooms. Or use the spare bodies (Monkey, Ram, Firethrower) so you do not risk much.
8) The Ram and Firethrower spare body can damage enemies! So feel free to use them instead of fighting with your main body. The Firedamage is pretty good.
9) You lost your main body? This is not the end! Spare bodies have a building option, where you can build a heap of scrap which gives 5 gold. Ram and Firethrower bodies can do damage and get you scraps. Additionally lure enemies into traps. When they die, they drop gold. And you might find some piggybanks, chest or drawers you can open for gold pieces.
10) If you find a door you can not open, you might want to destroy some wooden carpets to find a hole.
11) If you lost your glow while playing with friends, get near your friends to increase your Sparks glow again. Alternatively if no one is nearby, or you are in Soloplay and need some extra glow, you can move next to (most) lights to suck out a little energy. Sometimes enough to enter a spare body..
12) As Spark you can attack, do not idly sit by to see your friends die. Or scout ahead for them.
13) It is a good idea at game start to do a tour on the surface to reach the cave - turn right after leaving the entrance. There is a bed and a healing bottle, which you can spray on yourself. Carry the bed to your outpost for a healing opportunity.
14) Get rid of Grain rot, no not the game, but the effect ingame. Get out of the house to let yourself get scorched for a second. Otherwise you can infest other dolls. Though it is fun to make the experience once.
15) You want to repair weapons? Fulfill quests to get there. Only leveling the shop is not the way, despite the misleading merchant dialogues.
16) If you have nearly destroyed weapons, repair them. If you can not at that time, put them on the wall in the cellar until you can. That is much cheaper then buying anew.
17) There is a blueprint for building oil lamps. If you do, extinguish those or enjoy the flames burning your level 5 room to level 1 if you accidently destroy them.
18) Avoid heaters in your outpost, as they can explode. Grinding them gives gold.
....
There is so much more to know. But with the list here you should be having a better starting experience. Good luck fellow, may you come back alive (a lot).
