Cannibalism and Chores: A Look at Grandma, Is That You?

Visiting your grandmother is usually a wholesome experience: free food, unconditional love, maybe a $20 bill slipped into your pocket. But in Grandma, Is That You?, the latest psychological horror from Montee Games, that visit turns into a nightmare of human stew, haunted wind chimes, and a dog named Bobo who loves chewing on “suspiciously long” bones.

Released earlier this month, this indie title asks a simple question: What happens when the person you trust most starts serving you “meat sandwiches” that taste a little too homemade?

Welcome to the Family

The premise is classic horror fodder. Your mother calls you in a panic: Grandma’s maid quit suddenly, and she needs help for the weekend. Reluctantly, you head to the remote Winslow Manor, a sprawling estate that screams, “I have secrets in the basement.”

From the jump, the atmosphere is unsettling. The house is pristine but oddly lifeless, save for the constant, unnerving jingle of wind chimes hanging indoors. Grandma Martha Winslow is a character study in dementia-fueled terror. One minute she’s sweet and frail; the next, her voice drops an octave, and she’s screaming at you for entering a locked room.

The storytelling relies heavily on “show, don’t tell” initially, but quickly pivots to disturbing journal entries left by previous maids. As you explore, you uncover a pattern: maids disappear, Grandma gets lonely, and the refrigerator gets fuller. It’s a gruesome loop that feels inspired by Hansel and Gretel and The Visit.

Chores and Chills

Grandma, Is That You? is primarily a walking simulator with light puzzle elements. Your main objective is to keep Grandma happy. Fetch her water, gather the laundry, feed the dog. It sounds mundane, but the tension comes from the execution. Every task feels like a trap. When Grandma asks you to feed Bobo a bone from the cellar, you aren’t just grabbing a treat; you’re picking up what is clearly a human femur from a bucket of acid.

The game excels at making you feel complicit. You know the meat soup is made of people. You know the dog is eating evidence. But the game forces you to participate to progress, creating a sickening sense of dread.

One of the standout moments is the dream sequences. When you think you understand the rules of the house, the game throws you into a surreal nightmare maze, blurring the line between Grandma’s madness and supernatural horror.

Short, Scary, and Slightly Janky

For a $5 indie game, the visual fidelity is surprisingly decent, though some assets (like the infamous wind chimes) feel a bit out of place. The voice acting is a mixed bag—Grandma is genuinely creepy, but the protagonist often sounds like he’s “talking into a coffee can”.

The biggest drawback is the length. You can beat the main story in under an hour. While the pacing is tight, it leaves little room for character development or for deeper exploration of the lore. The ending chase sequence, involving a sprint away from a cane-wielding geriatric and her hellhound, is thrilling but over in a flash.

However, for the price of a fancy coffee, it delivers a solid hour of scares. It doesn’t overstay its welcome, and it knows exactly what kind of horror story it wants to tell.

Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
✅ Creepy Atmosphere: The house feels oppressive, and Grandma’s mood swings keep you on edge.	❌ Very Short: The entire experience lasts less than an hour, offering little replay value.
✅ Disturbing Story: The “cannibal grandma” twist is executed well through environmental storytelling.	❌ Voice Acting: The protagonist’s audio quality is noticeably lower than the rest of the game.
✅ Good Pacing: The game ramps up tension effectively from mundane chores to life-or-death chases.	❌ Linear: There is very little freedom; you are essentially on a horror rail ride.
✅ Affordable: At ~$4.99, it’s a fair price for a bite-sized horror snack.	❌ Janky AI: The enemy AI (Grandma and Bobo) can be easily outmaneuvered or glitched.