Goblins & Grottos

Games that makes us laugh are often better than those that drop jaws to the floor with their awesome graphics or innovative gameplay mechanics. Goblins & Grottos is an adventure platformer that will trigger some good laughs and smiles thanks to both its green protagonist and the self-absorbed enemies.

The main man of the game is a green goblin who seems to have a lot in common with the aforementioned characters. At times, it even sounds like he says ‘gollum’ and he does have that killer instinct in him.

Swinging swords or using magic is for generic heroes, this guy uses his wit to crush his foes by improvising traps. And he does so with a side of satisfaction because that’s how he chooses to avenge the death of his family and friends; even if it means doing it for goblins, he didn’t like.

Although the demo features only the first level of the game, it will be enough to convince you that Goblins & Grottos is something worth playing. If you’re a fan of puzzle platformers, you’ll have what to look forward to.

In essence, it comes down to pulling crates, shoving barrels on top of the pillaging knights and pulling levers to trigger traps or open paths. It’s pretty standard stuff, but it feels different in Goblins & Grottos. It’s harder than you would expect, and that permanent death really takes a tole on your perseverance, but it’s all for the good.

The knights you have to get rid of are humorous and very cocky. Killing them is like you force karma to punish them for all their bad (but good) jokes. At times, I thought about how enjoyable a rock throwing mechanic would be. The rocks being small enough to annoy the enemies into unleashing more of their repertoire of whimsical remarks.

There are a few things to work out in Goblins & Grottos, but mostly it’s cosmetic stuff, so that’s not a real bother. As for Goblins & Grottos as a whole, it’s really nice and entertaining.