Grimm: The Only Rules-Light Game I Wholeheartedly Recommend

Regular readers know that I'm a rules-dense sort of fellow when it comes to RPGs I like. I enjoy tomes worth of rules that lay out everything from the effects of cold temperatures on a traveling party, to what checks you need to make to swing down on a rope and attack a target at the end of the charge. From how your rate-of-fire on your weapon interacts with an ability to increase one's speed to superhuman levels, to tactical rules for cover and concealment, these are all things I really enjoy in a game.

And I have tried my share of rules-light games in the past. After all, a game is a game, and you should at least try something before dismissing it. And while I've had some fun with lighter games, they never really scratch my itch, or get me excited to come back to the table.

Except for one... Grimm.

I can't recommend it highly enough, if I'm honest!

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What Makes Grimm So Great?

For folks who haven't played the game before, the general pitch is that you all play children who have been sucked into the Grimmlands; an alternate dimension where Jacob and Wilhelm banished all the trolls, witches, night things, monsters, and mad kings found in their stories. Now you need to find your way out, before the terrors of this world swallow you whole... or worse, you become a permanent resident of this place!

The mechanical setup is that you all have classes that reflect the cliques of children (jock, nerd, bully, outcast, etc.), with abilities thematically appropriate to that stereotype. There's some customization available, as well as the mystical element of Imagination, which can become manifest in the Grimmlands due to their very nature, and their interaction with childlike belief.

This version of the book was also written by Robert J. Schwalb (of Shadow of The Demon Lord fame), and it was a slimmed down version of the original Grimm game which was originally released as a D20 Modern port. For those who care about gaming pedigree, and such.

Welcome to the checkerboard kingdoms, kids.

They key that unlocked this game for me, I think, is that a simplified rules system really plays into the fact that your characters are somewhere between 10 and 12 years old. They're individuals, yes, but they're still very broad, and they're figuring themselves out as they're thrown into this horrendous situation. As for resolving checks, you have a handful of skills and abilities, and they're measured by a Grade level (playing into the overarching theme). When you want to make a check, you'll roll either 1d6 or 2d6 (the latter for if you're very good at something). On a 2-5, you operate at your grade level in that ability. On a 6 it explodes, pushing you up one, and you roll again. On a 1 it goes down, and you roll again. That's it... you now know all of what you need to in order to play this game!

The fact that it is unrelentingly grim also helped. Because just like the old German fairy tales, there are terrors and horrors lurking around every corner, and your end won't be a pretty one. Just because your protagonists are kids, that doesn't mean they're safe from any of the monstrous fates awaiting them.

I was thinking about this game today because I was looking at the Shadow of The Demon Lord bundle from Azukail Games (which you should check out if you haven't), and I remembered seeing Grimm was available in PDF on Drive Thru RPG, though the hard cover book still seems to be out of print at time of writing. It has a great premise, it's easy to learn, and if you like games that don't pull punches it's one that definitely should have a place in your library.

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