Grotto

Доволі цікава історія, на мій погляд. Голос бейкалі надає ще більшої атмосфери, може трошки пізніше перепройду цю гру ще раз. Візуал, що правда, спіцифічний, якби я не повьязаність цієї гри з лайкою мабуть не взяла б.

a very interesting game of choices, faith, community, and the pitfalls of it all. game is slow and i wish the "star" mechanics were better, but this story will take you on a ride. recommended on sale.

Yerve gotta try this

- Я умираю, дай мне знак. - "Отдай мне свои ноги" - Ни слова больше (несколько лун спустя) Наш вождь вломился в Детский Садик и отрезал себе ноги на глазах у детей. 10/10

You are a soothsayer in a cave (a grotto, if you will). Denizens of the local village come to you for guidance and you consult the stars to provide it. Only, the stars are ambiguous; each of the constellations you use as your tools not only represents something visually (animals, objects, concepts), but they come with a cryptic representation of their meaning. The people, too, are unpredictable, and will draw their own conclusions based on the symbols you show and the riddles they come with. Grotto is somewhere between a strict narrative game and, I don't know, a deductive puzzler? At first it feels like simply finding all the different constellations to get a full library of responses is the main gameplay element, but the game quickly teaches you to be careful with your guidance: your interpretation of a particular constellation may be wildly different to how another person interprets it. You start to plan things tactically: understanding the nuances of the constellations that in practice act as your words, and second-guessing what conclusions each of the people you speak to (from children to one-minded warchiefs) would drive from them, in order to push them towards the decisions you favour. But primarily, it's about the story of the village you act as the oracle for. As you play the game this small, backwater community will begin to face tremendous changes and challenges, which the audiences they have with you will shape. People will live and die based on your wisdom and the story will branch accordingly. You begin to recognise and understand the villagers - and hopefully grow to care about them too, as they face unexpected threats. Grotto is a straightforward but incredibly captivating narrative experience where the actual gameplay is quite minimal (you mainly press forward and left click), but the story and the characterisation keeps you seized. As is typical for Brainwash Gang's games there's plenty of unique personality to the game from the excellent design of all the different characters to the very particular way that the villagers speak. It may not be something that you necessarily replay multiple times despite the branching narratives it promises, but the experience stays with you. This is *your* story of the village near you, and you feel personally involved in it. It's a very well done piece of interactive storytelling, and another unique success from Brainwash Gang who continue to surprise and delight me.

This is probably one of the most unique games I've played. The main issue for me was not understanding what the constellations meant, as (particularly at the start) you may intend to tell someone something and they interpret the constellation you give as meaning the opposite. However, as I progressed I mostly got used to what they meant. Just after I was annoyed as I got annoyed as I thought that the people misinterpreted my answer to a very important question, I realised soon after that this decision likely wouldn't have mattered anyway, and also the game changed a LOT but in a good way. Pretty much everything you'd gotten used to up to this point was changed, which I think was done really well, and then the final part of the game changed the gameplay quite a lot with an amazing ending.

不知道哪里来的

Grotto is an absolute hidden gem, just as other reviews have stated. While this type of narrative heavy, choice driven game isn't usually my go to. The core loop of drawing constellations and delivering cryptic, star born advice to the tribe is incredibly unique. The power you hold as the Soothsayer feels real and weighty, as your words directly shape a story filled with politics and deceit. A quick performance note for fellow Deck users: Played on a Steam Deck OLED, the game is flawless. It runs perfectly under SteamOS and the minimalist art style looks absolutely stunning on the vibrant OLED screen. I installed it on a microSD card with zero issues. I only played for about 1.3 hours, which was enough to see that this is a special experience, even if it's not entirely my genre. I didn't chase achievements, but the branching narrative seems massive. If you're looking for a thoughtful, well-written, and utterly unique story, don't hesitate to seek guidance in this Grotto.

Small game—big questions. Simple gameplay—tough decisions. Beautiful art—ugly truths. A unique indie gem that stays with you long after playing.

Amazing game, haven't played anything like it. This is the type of game that is best enjoyed going in blind. I found the narration to be overstimulating.