Secrets of Grindea has been on and off of my Steam wishlist for more than a decade. It's been continuously worked on since 2013, and finally saw its 1.0 release last week. While I'm not usually one to pickup games right on release, the combination of the Mana-like combat, good reviews, and obviously dedication from the devs led me to give it a buy.

It's a good game, so far, with a lot of charm. The graphics are nice, but are a little dated these days - the style was huge in the mid 2010's and this game feels like a relic of that era. The gameplay is pretty standard action RPG fare. You pick up quests from NPCs and travel through a large overworld with the usual themes (starter town, main city, spooky woods, desert, etc.). True to its name, there seems to be ample opportunity to grind, but beelining the main quest also seems viable.

Multiple playstyles are available, 2 handed heavy, one handed, magic, and there's a bow. Skills can be combined and you're given a few quickslots to keep loadouts in. It's well done and easy to manage.

I'm a sucker for games with a lot of content, especially when it's handcrafted. I think devs should be rewarded for their dedication - these guys have been doing weekly updates for over 10 years, and it shows. Fun game, and while I can't promise I'll finish it soon, it's definitely on the list to return to.

Verdict: Play Later

Part of the Game Library Project