Grunn

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Tend a garden for the weekend. Do not go out after dark.

Platforms: PC, Mac
Stores: Steam, itch.io
Price: Paid
Rated: Overwhelmingly Positive on Steam (96% of 1,503 reviews); 5.0 on itch.io from 19 ratings
Players: 1
Made by: Sokpop Collective, Tom van den Boogaart
Released: 2024

What frightens You are hired to tend a garden in the Dutch countryside for a weekend, but most of your tools are missing, the owner is not around, their house is off-limits and going out after dark is forbidden. Wherever you go there is the sense that you are being watched, and the store's own checklist ends with try not to die.

Grunn is a first-person gardening game that turns into a quiet horror mystery. Hired to look after a garden in the Dutch countryside until Monday, you find your tools missing, the owner gone and a rule against going out at night, and the feeling of being watched never leaves. It has multiple endings.

About Grunn

Grunn is a game by Sokpop Collective and Tom van den Boogaart, released in October 2024 on Steam and itch.io for Windows and Mac. It is drawn in soft, colourful low-poly 3D.

You are hired to do some maintenance on a garden deep in the countryside over a weekend. There is plenty to do: trim the grass, water the flowers, pick up rubbish and enjoy the scenery, and a small town nearby to stroll around. But most of your tools are missing, the owner is nowhere to be seen, and their house is off-limits. You can look for new tools in the town or ask the reserved townsfolk if they have seen yours.

The horror grows from small wrong details. Going out after dark is forbidden, and no matter where you go you cannot shake the sense that you are being watched. A clock in the corner counts down the hours to Monday, and nights fall dark blue over the garden and the empty roads. The store keeps its secrets, listing satisfying gardening and lovely weather alongside a final feature: try not to die.

There are multiple endings to discover. It suits players who like a cosy routine that slowly goes wrong, as in Dredge or Late Night Mop.

How to play Grunn

Start work in the garden: trim the grass, water the flowers and pick up rubbish.
Look for your missing tools, in the garden and in the nearby town.
Talk to the townsfolk; some may have seen your tools.
Watch the clock and the rules, especially the one about going out after dark.
Finish the job by Monday, and play again to find the other endings.

Screenshots

Grunn screenshot: trimming tall grass with shears in front of a house on a sunny afternoon

Grunn screenshot: walking a red-lit path at dusk with a trowel, the clock at 22:15

Grunn screenshot: a dark garden at night with a hammer in hand

Grunn screenshot: a country road at night under a crescent moon and a red traffic light, holding a watering can

Grunn screenshot: a village shop with shelves of goods and a shopkeeper at the counter

Tips

Keep an eye on the time in the corner of the screen; the day goes faster than you think.
Explore the town early while it is light.
Pay attention to what the townsfolk do not say.

Questions

Is Grunn a horror game?

Yes, a quiet one. It starts as a gardening game, but the missing tools, the absent owner, the rule about the dark and the feeling of being watched build into horror.

Does Grunn have multiple endings?

Yes. The store lists multiple endings to discover.

What platforms is Grunn on?

Windows and Mac, on Steam and itch.io.

Who made Grunn?

Sokpop Collective with Tom van den Boogaart.