Outright Games has become the gold standard for children's video games. The publisher manages to get its mitts on all manner of iconic IP to create accessible experiences tailored to younger folk. In the past, this has included creating games for Star Trek, Transformers, Paw Patrol, and now The Grinch too. Ahead of the holidays, Outright and developer Casual Brothers has built a platform adventure that channels Dr Seuss' famous Christmas works, and I've been putting it through the ringer to see if this is something you should be picking up to put under the Christmas tree for a young family member.
The Grinch: Christmas Adventures is essentially a 'my first platformer'. It's a very basic game with very basic mechanics that are ideal for younger folk to get their first taste of the genre. It's a 2D game with occasional 2.5D elements and the meat of the experience revolves around leading The Grinch and his dog Max through a level, snatching presents along the way, all while avoiding enemies and environmental hazards, and using acquired abilities to reach new areas. It's a blueprint for a rudimentary platformer in a The Grinch skin, and it really is perfect for younger folk in this regard.
The gameplay introduces various basic features, such as jumping on enemies to defeat them, grabbing ropes to swing across gaps, using Max to hold open doors or climb under small objects, and getting The Grinch to push objects around, and even hide and use stealth to avoid threats. It sounds like a lot to unpack when you start listing the gameplay features, but each of these mechanics are offered in their most basic forms, meaning you don't have to worry about momentum on rope swings or getting Max back to The Grinch when a door closes - the game handles all of these additional and slightly more complex systems itself.
Likewise, the level design is very straightforward. This isn't a Mario game that hides secrets in every nook and cranny, or a Tomb Raider where platforming can be a challenge. Every part of the game has been built to be simple and easy to pick up, and for that matter it works well and will entertain younger folks. This even stretches to the collectibles, which range from a specific number of presents within a level to find, as well as a few puzzle pieces that are used to complete very easy jigsaws to unlock new abilities for The Grinch, such as double jump or a snowboard.
For a first platforming experience for younger folk, The Grinch: Christmas Adventures has a lot going for it, but there are moments where the limited budget affects and lets the game down a tad. From clunky enemy hitboxes to stiff animations, and even sluggish menus, there are parts of this game that don't quite feel as premium as the others, although granted a younger player will likely not be marginally as bothered by something as particular as these criticisms.
But that's the key point to take away from this game. It does lack some of the finer subtleties and intricacies that make a game special, but considering this is a project tailored to younger folk, there really isn't much that The Grinch: Christmas Adventures is doing wrong. It's got a story that feels thematic and accurate, broad gameplay mechanics that dramatically alter the experience, and decent cooperative systems that mean you can team up with a youngster or occupy two children at once. It's a win-win for parents or anyone attempting to entertain an energetic child.
