Grimm’s Hollow: Learning to Face the Unknown

Truly deathlicious

One of the best games that I’ve played this year was Grimm’s Hollow. It was short and sweet, as the saying goes, but the story is top-notch. I know that it grabbed much of my attention for a stream, and I proceeded to buy the soundtrack to support the creators. Its message resonates with me: to not be afraid of what is inevitable, that is death, and what goes beyond it. As someone who fears death and its existential meaning, it was very important to hear while streaming late at night to fight off the fear of what’s going to happen.

Reaps and pastries

Grimm’s Hollow starts with the main character, Lavender, learning that she’s dead. Her first reaction is that the kids in hooded cloaks around her are part of a weird cult, and must escape as soon as possible to find her little brother. Lavender wants to find Timmy and escape from this place if she can. It turns out to be more complicated than that when she learns that Timmy is a ghost, the cultists are actually children like her who died before their own time, and they worked hard to make sure that they can gain enough spirit energy to pass on. We meet Grimm, a kindly head reaper who decides to drink tea with Lavender and answer all her questions about the Hollow.