"The Kroton family can imagine no better pastime than tormenting animals—until a mistreated rabbit vows revenge and, in a fit of rage, blasts the sadists off into the far reaches of space. Only Grandma is left behind, and amidst the chaos of the trashed Kroton villa, the only thing on her mind is finding her cookbook. However, the enraged rabbit has taken it with him on his escape, for his hunger for carrot soup is insatiable. The entire game is just as bizarre as its backstory: logic won't get you very far here—absurdity reigns supreme in Granny. A tumble dryer serving as a spaceship is nothing unusual in this program, nor is a village shaped like a pinball machine or a cow happily wallowing in a bathtub.
Using a point-and-click interface, you guide the grandmother—who chatters incessantly to herself—through richly colored, pre-rendered locations across six quirky "planets." The order in which you do this is entirely up to you; Granny is one of the most non-linear adventure games around, a design choice that can sometimes add to the player's confusion. The puzzle structure, too, is far removed from what one expects from a "standard" adventure game. Be prepared, for instance, to help a little green alien embark on a sadomasochistic escapade just to get your hands on a hair dryer. On the plus side, the mouse controls (though occasionally a bit sluggish) offer an innovative feature: by holding down the mouse button, you can drag various items to different parts of the screen to use them in a "meaningful" way. There is little to fault regarding the wild graphic creations of the Mad Engine designers, aside from animation sequences that drag on too long and disrupt the flow of the game. Since Granny runs largely directly from the CD, you have to put up with loading times and frequent disc swapping. While the grandmother's constant muttering to herself might eventually get on your nerves, the unusual soundtrack—most comparable to that of The Neverhood—feels refreshingly different.
If you’re looking for a "sensible" adventure game, Granny isn't for you. However, if you have a soft spot for absurd, dark, and wacky nonsense, you should definitely give it a look. Despite various technical flaws, in my opinion, Granny is so stupid it’s almost brilliant!" ~Herbert Aichinger, PC Action (DE) (March 1998) [BMT🤖]
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