Gruntz

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This is an article about media that is related to or inspired by Blood but is not part of the Blood franchise or community. This article is to provide information on what this media is and its relation to Blood. This is not a wiki for this media.



Gruntz gameplay video on YouTube

"It takes wits and wisdom to work your way through Monolith's puzzle-powered brain game. As you lead your misfit band of lost Gruntz across eight unique worldz on their long journey home, you'll experience side-splitting dialogue, rich hand-painted backgrounds, and the cutest, gooey-est creatures on the planet!"Monolith Productions

Gruntz is a puzzle strategy game by Monolith Productions released on February 28, 1999, sometimes compared to Lemmings. It is the last game to use the Windows Animation Package 32 engine by Brian Goble which was previously used in Claw (1997) and Get Medieval (1998); it is also the last title self-published by Monolith with producer Matt Saettler leaving in July and a redistribution deal signed with Interplay in June 1999.

Although designed by Chris Hewett (designer of Get Medieval) and Kevin Lambert (level designer on Claw), the initial pitch for the game was by Blood designer Nick Newhard before he left Monolith in October 1998. It has been said that the idea was inspired by his wife Hellen. Gruntz is therefore the only other Monolith game besides Blood with Newhard in the credits, except for a special thanks in Blood II. Lambert would later work with Newhard again at Secret Lair Studios.

Lambert also soon succeeded Blood II designer James Wilson III as lead on Sanity: Aiken's Artifact following Wilson joining Cavedog Entertainment in April 1999 to work on the eventually cancelled Amen: The Awakening. This also left Craig Hubbard as the sole main designer of Blood and Shogo remaining at Monolith; he finally departed in 2013. Gruntz can therefore be seen in many ways as the closing chapter of the 1990s era of Monolith, with No One Lives Forever starting a new era sprung from Shogo and lasting through F.E.A.R. until Gothom City Imposters in 2012.

As with all the other WAP 32 titles, Gruntz unfortunately remains unavailable from digital distribution services such as GOG or Steam. As with Claw, this has not prevented it from retaining an active level making community.

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