Of all the puzzle adventure games out there, Grim Fandango might be the one with the most fan reverence for its status as a cult classic. Manny Calavera is an instantly recognizable icon of the genre and the game is known for its beautiful worldbuilding, sharp humor, and devious puzzles.
RELATED: The Monkey Island Timeline, Explained
How long a game like Grim Fandango takes will largely depend on how quickly you're able to solve the puzzles and whether you decide to turn to Google for the answers. In this way, it can be hard to estimate the game's length - but we can use some hard statistics to point us in the right direction!
How Long Does It Take To Beat Grim Fandango?
Grim Fandango takes place over four years, but don't worry about the game taking four years to complete! These years are the game's chapters, and they're all completed in the same way - by solving the puzzles and problems in Manny Calavera's way. And boy, are there a lot of them.
According to HowLongToBeat, the average Grim Fandango playthrough will take, on average, around 11 hours to complete. This would involve a pretty thorough completion of the game, as there are no real hidden collectibles or anything, though taking the time to hear each and every single line of dialogue will extend your playtime a little. This is also true if you get stuck on a particularly devious puzzle - Grim Fandango doesn't hold your hand, and some of the puzzles are famed for their obscurity. For example, navigating the petrified forest maze is an infamously difficult and aimless section of the game, and it's possible to lose a ton of time just figuring out this one single puzzle.
The 2015 remaster of the game did add a whole host of achievements to get, so a true completionist might spend a few more hours collecting them, whether it's using a guide on their first playthrough or doing a second, rushed playthrough to pick up those they missed. Your mileage may vary with that one.
NEXT: What Is The Secret Of Monkey Island?
