It’s been almost a week since the game’s release: Grimm Syndrome
Reading all the feedback has been fascinating. Here are a couple of comments from friends:
“The cleaning part was frustrating—I had no idea what was expected of me. But it ended up matching the character’s own frustration really well.”
“It’s nice to notice that, over time, the game seems to forgive more mistakes. And you become less narrow-minded along with Melody.”
Those moments made me really proud as a game designer.
Yes, these remarks partly reflect design flaws. But they also highlight how well everything came together. For me, it’s crucial that in a story-driven game, narrative and gameplay walk hand in hand. Not side by side, not in turns—together.
The cleaning mini-game underlines Melody’s routine—joyless, repetitive, frustrating.
Meanwhile, the “feedback” in the rhythm sections evolves: at first it’s harsh and dismissive, later it becomes softer and more accepting. It reflects what’s happening not just around Melody, but inside her as well.
At one point, we thought about adding short rating pop-ups like:
“Horrible” / “Could be better” / “That’ll do” — but we simply wouldn’t have had time to implement it.
And what do you think about that kind of detail? Do you appreciate it, or does it feel like overkill?
