Grim Fandango. 12 most interesting games about death and dying

Marek Jura

Grim Fandango

Grim Fandango, LucasArts, 1998 – The Best Death Games Document – 2022-10-31
Grim Fandango, LucasArts, 1998
  1. Genre: classic adventure game
  2. Is the main character dead: yes
  3. Are they death itself, or do they wield its power: yes

Grim Fandango is one of the last classic, old-fashioned adventure games. Manny Cavalera, the dead protagonist, goes on a long, four-year journey through the Land of the Dead to the Ninth Underworld, a place all souls like him must reach.

The creators were inspired by Aztec beliefs, occasionally enriching them with elements known from world pop culture. It all looks a bit like Tim Burton's movies, and a bit like The Addams Family, but it's essentially original enough to make it hard to say that Grim Fandango doesn't create its own, original mythology.

There is a lot of humor here, often dark, but it's not spoiling the atmosphere of the main story. Manny jokes about his own death and soul wandering, but is essentially obeying the ritual. It's therefore appropriate to act as a grim reaper. In this way, he meets his great love – the kind-hearted Mercedes, whom he is forced to "kill" at first, and after years of travel they venture into the Ninth Underworld together.

  1. Grim Fandango in our encyclopedia

Blackwood Crossing

Blackwood Crossing is difficult to describe in a way that doesn't spoil the fun. Genre-wise, it's a cute 3D adventure game with a contemporary twist. It focuses on the relationship between a maturing girl and her younger brother, who were once the best playmates, and now they struggle to find a common language.

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Marek Jura

Author: Marek Jura

In 2016, he graduated in philology at UAM. Since then, he has been reviewing prose, poetry, movies, series, and video games for GRYOnline.pl. He took his first steps in the journalism industry as a newsman in a local tabloid. He ran his own company - he designed, created, tested, and sold board games. He published several short stories and is also preparing his debut volume of poetry. Trains martial arts. A feminist, vegan, fan of pineapple on pizza, cat lover, dislikes Bethesda and Amazon, likes Lovecraft, Agents of SHIELD, P:T, Beksiński, Hollow Knight, performance, abstract art, game mods and dumplings.