Grimm's Hollow is a short, freeware RPG developed and published by ghosthunter. It was made available through Steam and itch.io on Halloween 2019. The Steam version can be downloaded here
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The story focuses on Lavender, a hoodie-wearing girl who awakens in a bed that's not her own, and surrounded by skull-masked strangers with cake and balloons. She's told by their leader, Grimm, that she's recently died and has joined their ranks. Rather than instantly believe them, she sets out to try and find her missing brother, Timmy, and escape from the outlandish people of the Hollow, though her actions may have grave consequences.
Tropes:
- Action Commands: When using the basic attack in battle, hitting the center of a "Strike" meter deals additional damage. A similar meter is used when evading attacks, though none of Lavender's skills use this feature.
- Almighty Janitor: Baker, while still being a Reaper, only sells his baked goods in exchange for Spirit Energy so he can eventually move on. Since gaining Spirit Energy also serves as your method of leveling up your skill tree, his lucrative business also turns him into an absolute powerhouse.
- Bait the Dog: The Baker seems like a nice enough guy, accompanying Lavender and training her in the Waterfall cave on Grimm's orders. Heck, he even carries her back to recover in the Reaper House when she faints. That seems nice. When he finds out that she has access to a soul, however, he knocks her out and steals it, hoping to return to the real world.
- Big Bad: The Soul-Stealer is the ghost who stole Timmy's soul, which Lavender is trying to recover. But once the ghost is beaten, The Baker steals the soul so he can revive himself, and becomes the villain for the rest of the game.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: The Baker, who tries to steal Timmy's soul to revive himself. Whether or not he succeeds will affect the ending.
- Bittersweet Ending: Both the Good and Best Ending have this:
- Good: Timmy returns to life, while promising to never forget his little sister. But Lavender is working herself to —ahem— death trying not to think about missing Timmy, and knowing she won't see him again until he dies again and she becomes strong enough to enter the afterlife. Grimm at least is looking out for her in this one.
- Best: Timmy returns to life and Lavender walks with him until she enters the afterlife. He spends years grieving her, while understanding why she didn't want to rely on anyone else after their father died. Timmy also feels that Lavender is watching over him in some way, and they'll reunite when he dies for real.
- The Cavalry Arrives Late: No matter the ending, Grimm arrives just in time to see the aftermath. He would have been much more helpful beforehand.
- "Could Have Avoided This!" Plot: In the Good and Golden Ending, Grimm asks Lavender point-blank why she didn't say that her brother Timmy was missing his soul after she explains over tea. He reveals that he would have found it much sooner and sent Timmy back to life without them having to suffer so much.
- Cruel to Be Kind: Grimm reaps Timmy's soul in the Worst Ending before he can turn into a monstrous ghost, apologetically curb-stomping Lavender when she tries to protect her brother. Lavender is distraught and spends the rest of her existence aimlessly reaping and refusing to talk to Grimm or any of the reapers.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Grimm vs Lavender in the ending where the Baker takes Timmy's soul and Grimm has to reap what's left of Timmy before he becomes a monster. If you fail to level grind before facing the Baker, this will also happen to you.
- Died Happily Ever After: The Golden Ending invokes this by having Lavender move onto the afterlife with the spirit energy she gained, all the while promising Timmy that she'll be by his side until he returns to life. This is averted in the Bad Ending where the same thing happens but they are Together in Death instead.
- Disappeared Dad: It's revealed in the Best Ending that Lavender and Timmy's father died years before, the grief of which was the catalyst for Lavender running away (with Timmy following), getting into trouble, and ending up dead/"in a coma".
- Don't Fear the Reaper: Most of the normal reapers are just Average Joes, dutifully cleaning up the afterlife and preparing for when they're ready to move on, and most of them are polite and friendly. Their leader, Grimm, is unfailingly courteous and considerate, going out of his way to ensure that his Reapers are as happy as they can be given the circumstances and shouldering the most dangerous assignments himself in order to protect their mental well-being.
- Empty Eyes: Lavender is depicted with completely black eyes to show that she's losing herself gradually. In comparison, a revived Timmy has more normal-looking green eyes.
- Friendly Ghost: Most of the ghosts are definitely un-friendly, as their soul and spirit have been separated long enough to drive them mad, though there is a notable exception with Timmy.
- The Grim Reaper: The job of everyone in Grimm's Hollow, guiding recently-departed souls to the "true" afterlife, and snuffing out the frenzied spirits the departed leave behind.
- Good Is Not Soft: Grimm is very kind and cares for his reapers quite deeply. But he doesn't let that stop him from making difficult decisions like taking out the ghost of a subordinate reaper's loved one before they turn completely frenzied.
- Multiple Endings: There are four, depending on two factors: whether or not Lavender beats the Final Boss, and whether or not she's reached the maximum level.
- Worst Ending: Lavender is defeated by the Baker, who steals Timmy's soul and passes through the gate of death, hoping to revive himself. Lavender is then immediately defeated by Grimm when Timmy, now soulless, quickly becomes frenzied. She tries to escape to the true afterlife, but fails. Grimm narrates an epilogue, in which Lavender spends the rest of her afterlife out of the Hollow, mindlessly reaping any spirits she finds.
- Bad Ending: Lavender loses to the Baker. She also loses to Grimm, but gained enough Spirit Energy through battles to fight back, showing enough strength of spirit to pass on to the true afterlife and reunite with Timmy's soul. However, they both remain dead; instead of an epilogue, there is a shot of two graves.
- Good Ending: Lavender beats the Baker. Grimm apologizes for not arriving and intervening sooner. Soul and spirit reunited, Timmy returns to life. However, he is forced to part with Lavender, who must remain a reaper. Lavender provides an epilogue, mentioning that she sometimes overworks herself to deal with losing Timmy, but Grimm takes care of her and the other reapers.
- Best Ending: Lavender beats the Baker, returning Timmy to life, and gained enough Spirit Energy during her adventure to pass on. The siblings stay by each other's side as they enter the gate of death together, though they must part at the end; Lavender to the true afterlife, and Timmy returning to life. Years later, a grown-up Timmy provides an epilogue, reflecting on the grief of losing family, and still thinking fondly of his sister.
- My God, What Have I Done?: In the worst ending, Grimm regrets breaking Lavender's heart by reaping a soulless Timmy, and knows that he can never tell anyone what happened because the reapers would tear each other apart trying to return to life. He tries to make amends by caring for her when she faints, even if she no longer speaks to him or anyone for that matter.
- Our Souls Are Different: In Grimm's Hollow, when someone is truly dead, their spirit and soul are separated. A weak spirit becomes a frenzied ghost that must be reaped, while a determined spirit can become a reaper. If a soul is yet to be snuffed out, a spirit can return to life with it. Even if that soul is not their own.
- Practical Currency: The only store in the game, Baker, sells his goods in exchange for Spirit Energy, which is also used to empower your own spirit, logistically leveling up your skill tree and narratively working towards moving on.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Grimm; though he may seem much more imposing than the other reapers, he tries his best to be kind and honest to Lavender, as well as the other reapers. He tells Lavender in the Good and Best ending that if she had told him from the start about Timmy, he would have found the boy's soul immediately.
- The Reveal: it's revealed in the Golden Ending that Lavender went out for a walk at night in the dead of winter to deal with her feelings of losing her father. Timmy caught up with her, and they fell in a hole while no one knew where they were. Lavender died hugging Timmy and transferring her body warmth to his.
- Sinister Scythe: Lavender's main weapon.
- The Underworld: What the Hollow appears to be, though it turns out to be more of an intermediary area.
