"Grandma" by Uneasy Game Studios Review

“Grandma” first came on my radar in late 2017 on itch.io (a great resource for indie games), when word spread of a jumpscare-heavy game. I usually assume rumors are exaggerated, but I was not expecting the loud sounds and sudden noises from this game. But, they were not a bad thing in this case. It is definitely recommended headphones are used in case you have sleeping children or roommates.

The story starts off with voice mail from your sister, Lily, saying to "Please help" and a note saying that your character, Maria, remembers growing up in the house that you are now exploring. The object of the game is to find your sister, Lily. But, of course, something is not right about the house that you were raised in by your grandmother. The halls are dark, the floors are dirty, and it was said in-game that the home was built in the 1800s, possibly making it a family heirloom home.

Not much is left in the home as far as items go, but notes are somehow scattered about from Maria's journal, detailing her childhood, disturbances in the home, and even stories of abuse that Lily endured while Maria was away at school during the day. As more notes are uncovered, it is revealed that grandma wasn’t a sweet old lady. These notes are coming from Maria’s journal, as she progresses through the house and more sudden movements of objects fly about.

Further notes reveal that grandma has been dead for more than ten years, and had odd behaviors as the sisters grew up in the house; she would roam the halls late at night, breathing heavily, and light candles and she screamed at nothing in the rooms. It seems that Maria was always suspicious of her grandmother, and it begs the question of why anyone would stay in this home or go back to it of their own free will.

An interesting side note for gamers, is the portrait of our grandmother in the house. It is actually a portrait of an old woman by Theodore Gericault. In Gericault's series of paintings that were done featuring this woman, he studied patients at mental institutions or asylums and it was later revealed that he had before and after paintings of each patient. However, while some patients reclaimed their images of the before and after, this woman, featured in the game as our grandmother, only had one portrait, and it is unknown whether or not the painting is a before or after picture.

Eventually, a note suspects that their grandmother was a witch, conjuring ghosts and demons into the home. On the walls, written in blood, it is clearly stated that their grandmother is in hell, as apparitions appear throughout the home now that her ‘secret’ is out and has been revealed to the player.

After an encounter with a Ouija board, because that's totally a great idea in a haunted house, more apparitions appear as the game suddenly comes to a halt, showing ‘To Be Continued’ on the screen. It is abrupt, it is jolting, and it's kind of a disappointment, but then I read that this was a demo to the game and there was potential to be more. However, that came with not-so-good news from the developers.

I wish there was a conclusion to the game, as the premise was very promising. As of 2018, Uneasy Games Studios launched a Kickstarter campaign for Grandma, which was unsuccessful, only raising $212 out of their goal of $5,000, ending in January of 2019.

I would have really loved to have seen more of this game, with more story and finding out what happened to our sister, Lily.