A Free Undertale-Inspired RPG on Steam

The 2015 hit Undertale showed the world what RPGs could look like if they broke through the “fight everything” conventions of the genre. Since then, many other games have tried to replicate the look and feel of Toby Fox’s classic tale of redemption.

Not all the Undertale-inspired games quite capture the game’s essence, but Grimm’s Hollow by Ghosthunter is one of the rare few that does it right. Released as freeware in 2019, the RPG Maker title is a story about grief and spirit Reapers.

Like Undertale, Grimm’s Hollow players traverse the underworld, meet quirky characters, make friends, and try to navigate the strange new world they find themselves in. And, like Undetale, the indie game hides a darker truth under its oddly whimsical exterior.

Grimm’s Hollow Follows A Reluctant Character Through The Underworld

You Must Reap Ghosts, But Why?

In Grimm’s Hollow, you play as Lavender, who awakens one day to find that she’s the newest initiate in a group of Reapers. An amorphous black blob in a skull mask named Grimm informs her that—surprise!—she’s dead. Her spirit was, apparently, not strong enough to move to the afterlife, so she’s now stuck in Grimm’s Hollow.

Here, Reapers are in charge of dealing with ghosts that have become frenzied, refusing to move on. Lavender isn’t convinced that reaping all these ghosts to help them “move on” is the right thing to do.

But she’s got bigger problems to deal with, like finding her little brother Timmy, who seems to be stuck in a cave that’s currently off-limits to all Reapers except Grimm. The gameplay consists of exploration, chatting with other Reapers, and a Final Fantasy 7-like semi-turn-based, action-gauge-style battle system that requires some timing.

Grimm’s Hollow Is A Whimsical Game About Reapers

But Fans Of Undertale Will Find A Similar Vibe In The Small Game

Grimm’s Hollow uses an adorable pixel art style and chiptune soundtrack to tell a story of loss and grief. It deals with some difficult themes, but they’re interwoven with adorably whimsical features, like eating cookies to replenish your “willpower,” aka health. (Don’t worry, you can’t die—you’re already dead, after all.)

Although Grimm’s Hollow never became as big a hit as its predecessor, it’s still a beloved—though niche—game with an Overwhelmingly Positive rating from nearly 14,000 reviews on Steam.

Developed by solo developer Mahum Najam, Grimm’s Hollow is an Undertale-esque experience that possesses a heart and soul of its own. It introduces unique elements to the age-old tale of a character getting stuck in purgatory and questioning their purpose. And you can play the full game for free on Steam right now—or purchase the $7.99 dev supporter packet, which includes an artbook and several high-resolution wallpaper images.

Undertale

Systems

Released

September 15, 2015

ESRB

E10+ for Everyone 10+: Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, Use of Tobacco

Developer(s)

Toby Fox

Publisher(s)

Toby Fox, 8-4

Engine

GameMaker