GrandMa Badass – a crazy point and click adventure

GrandMa Badass – a crazy point-and-click adventure is a whimsical game by Adipson Studio. It explores the relationship between people and their cats using beautiful graphics, music that always fits the mood of the scene, and amusing puzzles. It tells a tale that will generate giggles. And the absence of dialog is the only thing that prevents those giggles from turning into guffaws.

When playing GrandMa Badass – a crazy point-and-click adventure, the player uses a classic interface. Left-clicking on a selected spot on the screen causes an action to be performed. Clicking on the purse at the lower left corner of the screen causes the inventory to open. Left-clicking on your chosen item and then clicking where you want to use it, allows it to be put to use if possible. I was grateful for the hotspot indicator, though sometimes it was still difficult to know where to click, even with the hotspot indicator.

Additionally, saving and loading the game was a trial. Accessed by pointing the mouse at the top of the screen, saving was denoted by a floppy disk with a red arrow pointing to the left. Loading was denoted by a floppy disk with a green arrow pointing to the right. I had a great deal of trouble at first remembering what disk denoted which function, and I would have preferred them to be labeled. Despite these hiccups, the interface allows players to participate ably in this amusing story.

The story’s premise is simple. GrandMa’s hungry cat is stolen while she is procuring food for him. Unfortunately for the kidnapper, GrandMa is a cross between John Rambo and Jessica Fletcher. She wants her cat back, and she wants him now! You’re going to help her. The story is told through pictures instead of dialog and the images are easy to understand. I knew what I had to do but didn’t know any backstories or character motivations. The narrative would have been deepened with dialog. Fortunately, GrandMa writes her observations in a notebook that you can access by pointing the mouse at the top of the screen. It was helpful when I was stuck because I couldn’t understand GrandMa’s grumbles.

The winsome graphics are colorful and richly detailed, especially on the island, where they are sunny and filled with sand and clear blue water. I wanted to move through the screen and sit in the sun.  I also enjoyed the mystery that the island holds, hidden in a dark, creepy location. Besides the graphics, music is another strong point. The island’s music appropriately enhances the allure of its graphics, its spooky secret intensified by frightening music.

I encountered mainly inventory object puzzles and fetch quests, delivering an item to a certain spot, or giving an item to a character. My favorite puzzle involved defeating a flatulent boar with a rope, a slingshot, and a carrot.

GrandMa Badass – a crazy point-and-click adventure was entertaining, but the story would have been more impactful if told through dialogs rather than merely through visual images. I never felt that I got to know the characters. Even so, I was chuckling at the many adventure game references I noticed during the journey. Longtime adventure fans in particular will enjoy playing GrandMa Badass – a crazy point-and-click adventure.

The Good

• Funny story with a relatable premise
• Beautiful backgrounds and music
• The notebook was convenient and much appreciated.

The Bad

• Dialogs and voice acting would have deepened the narrative
• Sometimes it was hard to know where to click, even with the hotspot indicator
• Difficult to differentiate between the saving and loading icons.

Our Verdict

Good

A solid adventure that is generally enjoyable, though it lacks enough polish or ambition to recommend without caution.

GrandMa Badass – a crazy point-and-click adventure is an amusing tale brought to life by well-executed graphics, music, and interface. However, the lack of dialog prevents the narrative from reaching its full potential.