Legend of Grimrock

 PC
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 723 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 567 out of 723
  2. Mixed: 103 out of 723
  3. Negative: 53 out of 723

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  1. Gixian
    Apr 13, 2012
    10
    A game so much reminding me the good old days, that I'm not surprised at all that it was made by an independent developer studio - none of the big sales-orientated companies would ever make something SO MUCH old school. It's just like a sequel to Dungeon Master 1, with a little bit of Lands of Lore mixed in? And the production quality (= graphics and such) is pretty high, especially whenA game so much reminding me the good old days, that I'm not surprised at all that it was made by an independent developer studio - none of the big sales-orientated companies would ever make something SO MUCH old school. It's just like a sequel to Dungeon Master 1, with a little bit of Lands of Lore mixed in? And the production quality (= graphics and such) is pretty high, especially when you know that the game was made by only 4 people!! It's just an old school dungeon crawled with hex-by-hex movement, real time combat, rune magic, easy and somehow intuitive character's stat system. I'm having great fun with it, and with starting price about 12 dollars it's just a bargain! If you have ever played Dungeon Master, Lands of Lore, Ishar or Eye of the Beholder, this is a must have for you!!… Expand
  2. winterforge
    Apr 11, 2012
    10
    This is an amazing game, simply put. This is not for people who need nonstop action and love Call of Duty. This is for people who actually like to think, solve, explore and overcome challenges. Catlin, I feel you must either be too young to appreciate this type of game that would fill you with nostalgia, or you have a short attention span. While I won't quite give it a 'masterpiece' title,This is an amazing game, simply put. This is not for people who need nonstop action and love Call of Duty. This is for people who actually like to think, solve, explore and overcome challenges. Catlin, I feel you must either be too young to appreciate this type of game that would fill you with nostalgia, or you have a short attention span. While I won't quite give it a 'masterpiece' title, I will give it a 10 because it is just that good. My ONLY complaint would be the lack of more character portraits to choose from, but that's pretty minor and can be added in later. I love the that the option is included to turn off auto-mapping and you can print out included graph paper to map it yourself. Old school D&D players will love that! I'm a bit too scared to try it...for now :-)… Expand
  3. Howrus
    Apr 12, 2012
    10
    It's game from past - time of Eye of the Beholder, Lands of Lore and Might&Magic 1-5. And now it returns with HD graphics.
    It might disappoint "young" gamers, but thous who started playing in mid 90 - you will love this game.
  4. JakeNova
    Apr 11, 2012
    10
    Have been playing the game for an hour or so and have loved everything so far. I keep coming up to new enemies, and even when you run into old ones, there are so many different ways you can fight them with the whole real-time movement. The puzzles aren't too hard so far. Have spent around 10 minutes on a few areas, only to find the solution was so close all along. The environment is justHave been playing the game for an hour or so and have loved everything so far. I keep coming up to new enemies, and even when you run into old ones, there are so many different ways you can fight them with the whole real-time movement. The puzzles aren't too hard so far. Have spent around 10 minutes on a few areas, only to find the solution was so close all along. The environment is just awesome. Sure the tiles are repeated, but what do you expect in a dungeon game. Loot is pretty superb as well. Keep finding different armour with different trade-offs. Haven't even beaten the first dungeon of many to come and already I can say this game was worth the $15 it goes for when not on sale. And I didn't even have to spend that much with the pre-order! Great game! If you loved older dungeon crawlers or are just looking for a new game to play, this should be at the top of your to-get list! Very well made. Looking forward to the new dungeons and other things to come for this game!… Expand
  5. thesisko
    Apr 12, 2012
    10
    This is a real GAME and a real RPG, not some pseudo-cinematic crap like Mass Effect or a watered down fantasy-GTA like Skyrim. I hope the developers make enough money from this game to produce more gems, the gaming world needs more talents like Almost Human. Highly recommended for any fan of RPGs or anyone who wants to play a really good game that doesn't hold your hand and insult yourThis is a real GAME and a real RPG, not some pseudo-cinematic crap like Mass Effect or a watered down fantasy-GTA like Skyrim. I hope the developers make enough money from this game to produce more gems, the gaming world needs more talents like Almost Human. Highly recommended for any fan of RPGs or anyone who wants to play a really good game that doesn't hold your hand and insult your intelligence.… Expand
  6. TomSEA
    Apr 11, 2012
    9
    Excellent "blast from the past" dungeon crawl. Great atmospherics, easy inventory management and fun, but not irritating puzzles. I forgot how much I enjoyed this type of a game. Really a gem, especially in the under $15 category. Highly recommended, especially for those who long for the old great Bard's Tale, Ultima, Dungeon Master type games.
  7. Nathanieli
    Apr 12, 2012
    10
    Not for people who think skyrim is great, only for people who are great. The game damn is. Great puzzles, not too hard, but they still make you think.
  8. Yesname
    Apr 12, 2012
    10
    Finally a game which holds the feeling of the renaissance era of great gaming years! A must have for the first electronic gaming generation. Perfect representation of the classical deungeon crawling style.
  9. Amigos
    Apr 11, 2012
    10
    This is the best clone of Dungeon Master in 2012.
    Best gameplay, best graphics, best.... all !!!
    Goty 2012 :-)
  10. bigsilverhotdog
    Jul 13, 2012
    3
    No. Just no. I played Dungeon Master plenty, Secret of the Silver Blades/Pools/etc old TSR D&D PC fare, and I am a huge fan of the much maligned Wizards & Warriors, so I should be overjoyed to be playing a resurrected high res romp into The Oldschool memories of yesteryore... but tis not to be, as this game just plain sucks. It's not that it's hard, as I play every game I own on theNo. Just no. I played Dungeon Master plenty, Secret of the Silver Blades/Pools/etc old TSR D&D PC fare, and I am a huge fan of the much maligned Wizards & Warriors, so I should be overjoyed to be playing a resurrected high res romp into The Oldschool memories of yesteryore... but tis not to be, as this game just plain sucks. It's not that it's hard, as I play every game I own on the hardest mode available because I love challenging, thinking games, and I don't consider this game inherently hard as it's far too simple to be difficult. No, it's the maddening design flaws that marked those older dungeon crawler titles have been resurrected too, and in some cases they're even worse because this is 2012 and such poor design is unacceptable. Pixel hunts? Come now, this is 2012. Nobody wants to scan low res wall texture after low res floor texture (repeated 100 quadrillion times throughout the course of this bore) looking for a slightly different looking piece of rock that the developers want you to click on to continue.

    How about the utterly dull story, lack of characterization, lack of NPCs, lack of dialogue, lack of character customization, terrible art design, incredibly dull and repetitive dungeons, lack of ability to see your characters or their equipment, and not even a 2D paperdoll? What about the lack of essential hotkeys? I'm sure everyone loves clicking 600 times a minute for a game that, had it been released in 1990, would not have had mouse support. Click to pick up the sandals, click to drop sandals on a character, press 1 or click on char face for inventory, click to pick up key, click to place key on character, click key on character to pick key back up, click key on keyhole to unlock door, click door to open. Why no hotkey for auto loot? Why not even allow doubleclicking an item to pick it up? Why make the interface excessively difficult and cumbersome? A staff of 4 isn't an excuse -- it only takes 1 person to design a workable interface, and you failed.

    How about pushing the user into dead ends that require a reload to continue, and entirely without warning? What about the player who saves after passing a dead end "point of no return" as I did twice within the first 30 minutes of the game, necessitating a total restart both times as the autosave was all the way back at the beginning of the level? Appallingly bad, frustrating, and stupid design.

    I was an idiot for not testing this game before I paid money for it. I bought it on the strength of metacritic user aggregate, the fact that I am a massive fan of oldschool strategic/puzzle dungeon crawlers, and the positive word of mouth, but I should have tried it for myself first. It's bland, frustrating, uninspired, full of design flaws, and desperately dull. At least it was cheap and easily forgotten.    … Expand
  11. goodterling
    Apr 13, 2012
    4
    I suspect a lot of people throwing out these 10s haven't made it past the half way mark of the game when the need for constant reloading arises. Grimrock has a great idea, but a flawed execution. The worst of all is the painful way you're forced to spell cast by manually clicking on runes every time EVEN when you're just repeating the same spell. This badly needs to get patched. It'sI suspect a lot of people throwing out these 10s haven't made it past the half way mark of the game when the need for constant reloading arises. Grimrock has a great idea, but a flawed execution. The worst of all is the painful way you're forced to spell cast by manually clicking on runes every time EVEN when you're just repeating the same spell. This badly needs to get patched. It's like a mini game testing your mouse dexterity and it will kill you over and over. Also the game difficulty goes right off the charts by the time you're halfway through. I'm all for a challenge, but Grimrock's "Normal" difficulty would be "Nightmare" by the standards of any game I've ever played, and there's no way to lower the difficulty without starting over. Also, in the later half of the game, dodging becomes crucial, but the game's odd, chess-board like grid movement system makes this a frustrating crap shoot of random death. The game makes a fantastic first impression, but eventually turns into a frustrating reload-a-thon only the most OCD gamers will put up with.… Expand
  12. theadam
    Jul 19, 2012
    10
    A must for fans of old-school RPGs. Excellent visuals, nive old-school feeling achieved through grid based movement with smooth animated transitions. A lot of exploration and an interesting story weaved in-between. A classic!
  13. Spawnah
    Jul 14, 2012
    9
    Bought the game after my brothers recommendation, not expecting much, but holy **** I was surprised by how much fun I'm having with this one. It's definetly an old school RPG, with rooms and corridors and going into keeper and deeper levels of the dungeon. You get four characters in your party, four races to choose from, and the three classic classes, fighter, mage and rouge. You never getBought the game after my brothers recommendation, not expecting much, but holy **** I was surprised by how much fun I'm having with this one. It's definetly an old school RPG, with rooms and corridors and going into keeper and deeper levels of the dungeon. You get four characters in your party, four races to choose from, and the three classic classes, fighter, mage and rouge. You never get to see your characters, and you all only take up one space, so all of your guys are working together as a unit, though individuals can still die if you don't watch what you're doing.. You can also pick custom character portraits for them, which make it a lot of fun if you make up your team from your friends. The combat's pretty sweet and the puzzles are good enough to be fun and not frustrating, and some pretty interesting **** happens at around level 5, if you're paying attention. Pick this one up.

    Soon there's gonna be a map editor, so we can make our own sweet dungeons. I was also slightly surprised to see that levels aren't randomly generated, that would have been awesome.    … Expand
  14. Pajda
    May 14, 2012
    8
    Old school'd Dungeon Master in a modern look. Brings everything you expect from a dungeon crawler game - lots of monsters to beat, weapons to fight with, spells to cast, puzzles to solve. Those vary from easy ones to very hard to crack, however each puzzle is somewhat based on a common sense and you must think to crack it, with or without the help of ingame notes you find on your escapeOld school'd Dungeon Master in a modern look. Brings everything you expect from a dungeon crawler game - lots of monsters to beat, weapons to fight with, spells to cast, puzzles to solve. Those vary from easy ones to very hard to crack, however each puzzle is somewhat based on a common sense and you must think to crack it, with or without the help of ingame notes you find on your escape from Grimrock. The only drawbacks I have found is that the walls of the dungeon could be more variable and the spell casting system could be working on some user friendlier system - it is a bit annoying to select the same runes again in the heat of the battle. Also, the realtime fighting might not suit everyone. But despite of these drawbacks, every dungeon fan must have this game.… Expand
  15. Timber
    May 16, 2012
    8
    Solid Game. Is everything you expect it to be, a OLD SCHOOL dungeon crawler. The devs are awesome and really listen to the community, Great price, great quality and a good feel of being underground.
  16. Santiago_fisher
    Jun 24, 2012
    9
    Games is pretty neat, so fun and awesome, there's a lot of settings for the dungeons and your 4 characters, the game is so progressive and every puzzle is different, the game is visually perfect and the gameplay is very comfortable.
  17. Focus
    Jul 19, 2012
    10
    Brilliant Sound , Brilliant Graphic and BRILLIANT Game ! Easy Control and many Characters ! I love this game cause there many enemies , many levels and many puzzles ! You will love this game !!!

    It cost only 15 dollars !
  18. Bull33t
    Jul 19, 2012
    10
    Ahh...nostalgia. Do you remember games like Dungeon Master and Eye of the Beholder? Well, if you do and liked them, you are really going to love Legend of Grimrock. It's just like old times. If you are to "young" to remember this game, it is a classical old-fashioned dungeon crawler experience. Find a 2x2 square and start slashing at the monsters and never ever get cornered.
  19. Qieth
    Feb 13, 2013
    7
    I was a bit skeptical about this game before trying it, but I was pleasantly surprised once I got it going. The game is simple enough to start without too much introduction, and the early levels serve as active tutorials that doesn't seem like tutorials at all. But the game also offers a very wide range of customization in terms of your characters, classes, skill points and traits. TheI was a bit skeptical about this game before trying it, but I was pleasantly surprised once I got it going. The game is simple enough to start without too much introduction, and the early levels serve as active tutorials that doesn't seem like tutorials at all. But the game also offers a very wide range of customization in terms of your characters, classes, skill points and traits. The puzzles are challenging, but not hard. There are usually clues all around, and none of the puzzles are unrealisitcly difficult. The game can be very challenging at times, but its not unfair, so after a big fight, it will usually let you have a breather. Combat takes a while to get used to. If you stand still, you'll get pounded to the floor, but this new form of combat is a nice change from what we are used to.

    I would have liked it if there was an option to reset skill points without having to start the game over. After I had played the first 3-4 hours, I had gained some valuable knowledge about the game, and felt that I would be better off by starting over and indeed, I was a lot more powerful when I made it to the same point of the game. I feel that being able to reset your points could negate this I could have spent my skill points differently, without being as strong as my newly customized characters was, and I feel that new players shouldn't be penalized quite this much by making bad mistakes early on in the game.    … Expand
  20. sh4dow
    Aug 18, 2012
    9
    It's really unfortunate that one can't doesn't get enough XP to max. out more than one skill in this game. I invested in two skills with all my characters and didn't get to max out a single one, even if I put more emphasis on it than on the other. Also, I can't say that I enjoyed the twist in the story. Not because there was a twist but simply the overall theme of it (I don't want to spoilIt's really unfortunate that one can't doesn't get enough XP to max. out more than one skill in this game. I invested in two skills with all my characters and didn't get to max out a single one, even if I put more emphasis on it than on the other. Also, I can't say that I enjoyed the twist in the story. Not because there was a twist but simply the overall theme of it (I don't want to spoil anything by going into detail). I generally don't like that kind of stuff, so that was very disappointing for me.
    It also seems that one doesn't get anything for collecting certain things throughout the dungeon. Nothing unlocked, no special artwork, not even a text mentioning how awesome you are. I guess they're just there for achievements.
    Aside from these things, I've thoroughly enjoyed this adventure though. And at ~15 hours pretty lengthy too (especially considering the price).    … Expand
  21. DarkCowboy
    Aug 2, 2012
    8
    This old school, tile based, real time RPG Adventure is awesome. If you like dungeon crawlers, this is a great indie title to get your hands on.
    Don't expect anything like Skyrim, or the likes of that, because this IS old school.
    Graphics, sound and athmosphere is above decent. Many hours of exploration to do, if you're into these kind of games.
    I don't regret buying it at full price.
  22. digdilem
    Jul 8, 2012
    10
    A wonderful surprise for us older gamers who loved the original styles, and this brings the model up to date with good graphics and surprising detail. Also nice that it was a small indie firm who were genuinely pleased and excited it was so popular, that made it a pleasure to hand over some money to play it.

    I played it exclusively until it was completed, and am still impatiently    A wonderful surprise for us older gamers who loved the original styles, and this brings the model up to date with good graphics and surprising detail. Also nice that it was a small indie firm who were genuinely pleased and excited it was so popular, that made it a pleasure to hand over some money to play it.

    I played it exclusively until it was completed, and am still impatiently waiting for new content and the long-promised user-submitted maps and dungeon editor. Come on!

    Bargain of the year along with Toy Soldiers.    … Expand
  23. ZeMasterbaker
    Jun 17, 2012
    8
    Take the tried and tested Dungeon Master or Eye of the beholder gameplay, slap on a fresh 3D coat of paint, and you'll get Legend of Grimrock. No use in comparing this with Diablo III - this game is a nice remake of a game made *25* years ago, folks. 25 years! So yes, the tile-based gameplay seems quite old when compared to newer titles, and the level design isn't quite up to par comparedTake the tried and tested Dungeon Master or Eye of the beholder gameplay, slap on a fresh 3D coat of paint, and you'll get Legend of Grimrock. No use in comparing this with Diablo III - this game is a nice remake of a game made *25* years ago, folks. 25 years! So yes, the tile-based gameplay seems quite old when compared to newer titles, and the level design isn't quite up to par compared to the old games mentionned above, but if you enjoyed the original dungeon crawlers, you'll definitively enjoy this title. Upcoming level editor should give this game a huge fan base and contents for years to come.… Expand
  24. Norb
    Jul 8, 2012
    10
    The best gaming experience I had lately. Simple controls, difficult puzzles, good graphics, great atmosphere, exciting fights, team customisation and levelling. It provides the best a game like this can provide.
    The dungeons remind me of the dwemer dungeons of Skyrim.
  25. Petoffen
    Jul 8, 2012
    10
    This is an outstanding homage to the Eye of the Beholder type games, as you know by now.

    They get most things very right. The graphics are attractive, the gameplay fits the old games but lacks most of the aggravations from any quality issues (it runs smoothly as you'd want). The best thing about the game is the puzzles. There are many, they don't really repeat, just a few are pulled    This is an outstanding homage to the Eye of the Beholder type games, as you know by now.

    They get most things very right. The graphics are attractive, the gameplay fits the old games but lacks most of the aggravations from any quality issues (it runs smoothly as you'd want). The best thing about the game is the puzzles. There are many, they don't really repeat, just a few are pulled from old games, and they're hard - keep you from going further in the game - then just great when you solve them.

    There are a few minor things with them, such as not realizing things you shouldn't have to on earlier levels that can matter in later levels, in two situations I can think of.

    My over feeling of the game is that it's just wonderful for the things it gets right - but there are flaws.

    The parties are a bit simplistic, you don't get enough information to make good picks, the way magic works doesn't make a lot of sense in how you learn spells but the game's primary mechanic for learning new spells teaches some very late and some not at all; the party mechanics are not well balanced, you can make mistakes, there is inflexibility if you do. The story is pretty throwaway, a few seconds at the beginning to get you in the dungeon.

    But the game feels polished, and provides a large amount of entertainment, if you like the idea of a very fun old-design dungeon crawler with a lot of good puzzles.

    Name the best 10 games you have played, and I can find what I think are big flaws in each, while still agreeing they're deserving of 'best of all time'. This is one of the best games in years IMO.

    I'd really like to give it a 10 despite the minor flaws, but they're just big enough to make it a 9.5. I could be wrong. Oh heck, while writing I realize it deserves that 10, with the criticisms.    … Expand
  26. Sharpus
    Jul 17, 2012
    8
    Nice old-styled game from years of Eye of the Beholder in nice moder graphics engine. Enjoyable puzzles and skill build of your party. Just casting spells is little bit "click that fast horror" and the last level seems not funny at all... If they will add level editor and Steam Workshop, I put this on 10 points. Now it's just 8.
  27. Sgt_Nick_Fury
    Aug 5, 2012
    9
    This is near the perfect nostalgia game for those of us who remember what it was like to grow up playing RPG's in 80"s, and 90's. It's updated graphics and souund make it a pleasure to play, the format is old school, but the look is as moden as any out. I have seen some gripe about the combat for being too difficult. Personally I find it to be much easier to play then say many of the greatThis is near the perfect nostalgia game for those of us who remember what it was like to grow up playing RPG's in 80"s, and 90's. It's updated graphics and souund make it a pleasure to play, the format is old school, but the look is as moden as any out. I have seen some gripe about the combat for being too difficult. Personally I find it to be much easier to play then say many of the great Westwood Studio classics that pretty much are the model for this. I think it has more to do with kids being spoiled now. Every battle is tough, and you do have to prep your chars between battles....you will die from time to time, but as long as you use your brain, and prep your chars you'll do okay....and yes you do have to play the game of hit and run at times, I used to have to do that in those older games too....I think again, this game is going to be excellent for people nostalgic for those older games, and their difficulty level, but some newer gamers will not like the format. Th magic is a bit hard to do on the fly, but you learn. That's not an error on the development team's part, that's just different tastes. Last thing I would say is the puzzles are great! This is probably the best part of the game, every area has unique puzzles to solve....it's very satisfying, and I never thought I would get to play something like this again!… Expand
  28. Kertez
    Aug 10, 2012
    8
    Great game, spent hours at a time crawling through dungeons and killing monsters, this is actually my first review on this website so i'm sorry if its slightly lacking. I've completed the game before, and nearly a second time trying to find all the secrets and everything I missed. The multitude of different roles that you can pick for the characters will have me going back for awhile, notGreat game, spent hours at a time crawling through dungeons and killing monsters, this is actually my first review on this website so i'm sorry if its slightly lacking. I've completed the game before, and nearly a second time trying to find all the secrets and everything I missed. The multitude of different roles that you can pick for the characters will have me going back for awhile, not to mention the special 'Toorum Mode' that is one of the most creative secrets I have seen in awhile.

    Most of these people seem to be complaining about the combat system, the combat is very simple once you get the hang of it, some stuff can be tedious like picking up arrows or wondering around for a few seconds trying to find a stray crossbow bolt, however I feel that just makes the game more fun. Same goes with the spell casting, it makes it all that more addicting.

    Also another complaint I have been seeing a lot is the food system, its really not that bad and even with characters that require mass amounts of food you can still have excess. Item management is crucial, however you can use bags and boxes to help which is a nice addition. Overall the game relies greatly on the ability to think on your feet, something which many games do not do these days. The only bad thing about this game, is that it can get a little repetitive with its level designs, once you have figured all the puzzles out and were the secrets are there's really not that much more to do as you just run threw killing everything in your path.    … Expand
  29. Mykwon
    Dec 8, 2012
    9
    OMG! Dungeon Master resurrected! Can't stop playing now! So far, excellent! Is also now part of the Steam Workshop so replay value has greatly improved with people all around the world submitting their dungeons.
  30. Knirt
    Nov 24, 2014
    10
    Great game that looks and plays a whole lot like the good old Dungeon Master. It features a skill system instead of the learn by use method in the original game which is a little different but still work fine. You also need ingredients now to create potions rather than just a spell filling a vial which limits the use of potions. Other than that most mechanics work just like in DungeonGreat game that looks and plays a whole lot like the good old Dungeon Master. It features a skill system instead of the learn by use method in the original game which is a little different but still work fine. You also need ingredients now to create potions rather than just a spell filling a vial which limits the use of potions. Other than that most mechanics work just like in Dungeon Master which means lots of puzzles that require thinking, observation and timing, lots of tunnels to explore and secrets to find and figuring out different ways to deal with monsters. If you loved Dungeon Master 25 years ago then Legend of Grimrock will get you hooked once again, no question about that. Also available DRM free for both PC and Mac!… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

34
#34 Best PC Game of 2012
37
#37 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
77
#77 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 51 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 46 out of 51
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 51
  3. Negative: 0 out of 51
  1. Hyper Magazine
    Jun 13, 2012
    80
    A relic of the RPG's golden era, revived and refined for the modern age. [July 2012, p.71]
  2. PC PowerPlay
    May 30, 2012
    90
    Classic dungeon-crawling brought back to life. [June 2012, p.52]
    Read full review
  3. Games Master UK
    May 28, 2012
    88
    A delightfully nostalgic, but harsh, RPG treat, oozing old school charm. [July 2012, p.90]
See all critic reviews »