There is something wonderfully appropriate about a game built around death being so interested in what comes afterwards. Grim Trials takes the familiar idea of the afterlife and gives it a heavy metal makeover, throwing scythes, crossbows, ancient gods, monsters and doomed souls into a world where dying is not the end of the journey. In fact, for Avelin, death is merely the beginning of a rather unpleasant new career. What starts as a tragic story about a young woman separated from the person she loves gradually becomes a surprisingly heartfelt tale about growing up, finding your place and refusing to let death have the final word.
Avelin has met an untimely end and finds herself recruited as one of Death’s Reapers. Rather than peacefully accepting her new existence, she is given a chance to earn her place among the ranks by hunting impure souls and surviving a succession of increasingly brutal trials. There is a wonderfully grim irony to the situation, because Avelin is effectively having to grow up all over again in the afterlife. Her motivation is simple enough: become a full-fledged Reaper and somehow find a way back to the person she left behind in the world of the living.
It is a premise that could easily have become nothing more than an excuse for endless monster slaughter, but Grim Trials gives its world enough personality to make Avelin’s journey matter. The Academy provides somewhere to breathe between battles, while its mentors and inhabitants gradually reveal more about this strange existence beyond the grave. There is humour, sadness and plenty of personality beneath the blood-soaked exterior, which gives the game a little more emotional weight than its heavy metal presentation initially suggests.
Welcome to the Afterlife
The Academy is one of the game’s most important ideas because it offers a welcome contrast to the trials’ chaos. Here, Avelin can meet mentors, complete quests, improve her abilities and develop relationships with the characters around her. These interactions give the player a reason to care about the wider world rather than simply viewing it as a series of arenas connected by menus.
There is also a lovely sense of progression as Avelin becomes more comfortable with her new existence. She begins as someone who clearly doesn’t belong, but gradually comes to understand the rules of this strange afterlife. The people around her aren’t simply vendors or quest dispensers either, and their own stories help make the Academy feel like a place that exists beyond the boundaries of the combat system.
It is perhaps the most human aspect of Grim Trials. Beneath all the monsters and supernatural nonsense, this is a coming-of-age story. Avelin is dealing with loss, responsibility and the uncomfortable reality of having to work out who she is after the life she expected has been taken away from her.
Reaping Souls
Once Avelin leaves the Academy, things become considerably less peaceful. The trials throw her into hex-based arenas filled with monsters, traps, sinful souls and bosses eager to put her newly acquired Reaper skills to the test. Combat is fast and aggressive, but there is more to it than simply charging into the nearest enemy and swinging until something stops moving.
The combination of scythe and crossbow is particularly effective. The two weapons offer very different approaches to combat, allowing Avelin to switch between close-range attacks and more controlled ranged damage. Learning when to commit to a scythe combo and when to create distance with the crossbow gives encounters a satisfying rhythm, especially when you begin combining attacks rather than treating each weapon as an isolated tool.
The combat system rewards players who pay attention. Enemies have patterns that can be learned, attacks can be anticipated, and positioning can make an enormous difference when the arena becomes crowded. There is a satisfying sense of control when everything clicks, especially when you manage to cut through a group of enemies without taking a scratch.
That said, the game can be unforgiving when you lose concentration. Getting surrounded or mistiming an attack can quickly turn a promising run into another trip back to the Academy. Fortunately, failure doesn’t feel entirely wasted, because the experience and materials collected during a run contribute to Avelin’s longer-term development.
Build Your Own Reaper
The roguelite progression is where Grim Trials starts to show its real depth. Each run offers opportunities to collect materials, acquire Blessings and develop a build that can dramatically change how Avelin approaches combat. You can invest in an expansive skill tree before heading out, then make further decisions as the run unfolds.
The Blessings system is particularly enjoyable because it encourages experimentation. Rather than following a single predetermined route, players are presented with different options and have to work out which combinations complement their current equipment. One run might lean towards raw damage, while another could focus on survivability, ranged attacks or more unusual effects.
Crafting adds another layer to that process. Materials collected from defeated enemies and explored areas can be taken back to the Academy to create better weapons, armour and consumables. This means even a disastrous run can have some value, which is important in a roguelite where failure is inevitable.
The best builds are those where everything starts working together. A weapon might provide a particular effect that complements a Blessing, while a skill tree investment makes that effect significantly more powerful. Discovering those combinations is one of the most rewarding parts of the experience, as you can feel a run transform from a struggle into something approaching controlled carnage.
Death Is Part of the Journey
Naturally, Avelin is going to die. Quite often, in fact. The difference here is that death isn’t merely a punishment for failure. It is built directly into the game’s story and progression, reinforcing the idea that Avelin is trapped in a cycle in which every attempt brings her closer to becoming the Reaper she needs to be.
That makes the roguelite structure feel considerably more meaningful. Instead of restarting because the game says so, you are essentially living through another chapter of Avelin’s journey. You return with materials and experience, adjust your build, and head back into the trials with a little more knowledge than before.
There is something satisfying about the relationship between narrative and mechanics. The player understands that falling in battle is inevitable, while Avelin understands that she simply has to keep going. Her determination to reunite with her loved one gives every failed attempt a purpose.
A Heavy Metal Underworld
Visually, Grim Trials has no interest in subtlety. This is a dark fantasy world packed with grotesque creatures, sinister environments and suitably dramatic effects. The hex-based arenas give the battles a distinctive visual identity, while the character designs reinforce the game’s blend of supernatural horror and heavy metal excess.
The atmosphere works particularly well when the action slows. The Academy offers a quieter environment where the player can explore and interact with its residents, while the trials throw you straight back into chaos. That contrast prevents the darker environments from becoming visually monotonous and gives the game a pleasing sense of rhythm.
The audio presentation also fits the tone well. Heavy, dramatic music and satisfying combat effects give every encounter plenty of impact. There is a certain theatricality to the whole thing, as though Avelin has stumbled into an elaborate metal album cover and somehow been expected to survive it.
Not Without Its Rough Edges
For all its strengths, Grim Trials isn’t going to be for everyone. The roguelite structure means repetition is unavoidable, and players who dislike returning to similar arenas after failure may find the cycle frustrating. There are also moments when the sheer number of enemies and effects on screen makes encounters feel more chaotic than tactical.
The learning curve can be demanding too. Some players will enjoy the need to understand enemy patterns and build synergies, while others may find the early hours somewhat punishing. The important thing is that the game generally makes improvement feel earned rather than arbitrary.
Its strongest quality is that the systems work towards the same goal. Combat, crafting, progression, character development and the story all revolve around Avelin’s journey. That cohesion helps Grim Trials feel like more than a collection of roguelite mechanics assembled around a dark fantasy setting.
Final Verdict
Grim Trials is a surprisingly heartfelt action roguelite wrapped in a wonderfully grim package. Its heavy metal aesthetic, supernatural setting and brutal combat initially make it look like another game about carving through endless hordes, but there is considerably more going on beneath the surface. Avelin’s story gives the constant cycle of fighting, dying and returning genuine emotional purpose, while the Academy provides character-driven moments that keep the world from becoming little more than a collection of battle arenas.
The combination of scythes, crossbows, crafted equipment, skill trees and random Blessings offers plenty of room for experimentation, and discovering a build that suddenly makes Avelin feel unstoppable is immensely satisfying. The combat can be unforgiving, but that difficulty is balanced by meaningful progression and the knowledge that every failed attempt contributes to the next. Most importantly, the game understands that death can be both the end of something and the beginning of something else.
There is much to admire about Grim Trials. It may occasionally stumble under the weight of its various systems, but when everything comes together, it delivers exactly the kind of satisfying, aggressive action that roguelite fans crave. More importantly, it manages to give that familiar formula a little soul, and Avelin’s determination to find love beyond the grave makes this particular journey worth taking.
