American McGee's Grimm is a 23-part[2] episodic video game series based upon Grimm's Fairy Tales, designed by American McGee, developed by Spicy Horse and distributed online initially by GameTap starting July 31, 2008.
Spicy Horse Games is using Unreal Engine 3 technology for American McGee's Grimm.
Each episode offers approximately a half an hour of gameplay, although different playing styles (either for "complete conversion" or "speed-runs") make for different times.
The premise is that Grimm has become sick of how "saccharine sweet" fairy tales have become, and has made it his goal to revert lighthearted fairy tales to their darker, original versions by running and jumping through fantasy worlds, making things darker as he passes by them, using a downward move (called a "butt-stomp") to increase the distance his dark powers reach.
By converting enough objects, Grimm can increase the level of his Dark-O-Meter (a bar that shows the effect of Grimm's powers), increasing the power and radius of his dark aura, as well as his running and jumping abilities.
Of course, Grimm does more than simply "restore" classic tales to their original unedited versions: he practically reduces many to dark parodies, the original message of the story obliterated, ironically making Grimm little different from those who "gutted" the stories of their darker tones to begin with.
Following the traditional television distribution model, every episode of Grimm is available free for 24 hours on the day of release.
[5] After that, episodes are available for purchase on multiple distribution channels and also to GameTap Gold (paid) subscribers.
In a recent interview with GameSpot, McGee said that he would like to put this game on Xbox Live and may release it in retail form.
"A Boy Learns What Fear Is" (Released July 31)[9] When a young boy goes on a quest to find the true meaning of fear, his trek takes a turn for the darker when Grimm appears to muck things up!
Traverse on a quest for fear through the boy's hometown, the gallows, a local school, a graveyard and a haunted castle... and that's the uplifting part of the story!
Follow this classic story through a town in the woods, the local crossroads, Granny's place, the insides of the Big Bad Wolf and the Woodsman's Den.
"Puss in Boots" (Released August 21)[12] The youngest of a miller's sons is forced to eat his feline inheritance to keep back a night of hunger... until the cat crafts a plan to save both their lives.
"The Girl Without Hands" (Released August 28)[13] A father maims his own daughter in exchange for vast wealth and ends up walking away without any guilt.
Assist the girl without hands as she journeys through the local logger's den, her father's windmill station, the castle garden, the castle gates, a battlefield, the local wilderness and a return trip to dad's windmills!
"Beauty and the Beast" (Released September 18)[16] If you thought this story was all songs and dance, you're looking in the wrong place!
Join the younger brother in life (and undeath) as he treks through a small farm, the fields ravaged by the boar, the local castle front yard, the boar's forest, a local pub, the shores on which the good brother died and the king's castle.
But when he gets a chance to renew his greed and ends up with no punishment, it's time for an extreme makeover: Grimm edition!
Follow the youngest brother's quest as he heads through his small hut, the local woods, the nearby town, the castle's wine cellar, Mount Bread and the ship that sails on land and sea!
"Iron John" (Released December 4)[22] When a young, disobedient prince recklessly puts several lives in danger by releasing a sadistic, metal monster of a man named Iron John (for the sake of a toy) and gets rewarded, Grimm decides it's time this story got set to "Terminator" mode!