The PS1 Grinch game’s creepy ending will haunt your holidays forever

If you’ve ventured within spitting distance of a Target or Hobby Lobby within the past six weeks, you are likely all too aware that we are in the midst of peak Grinch season. Everywhere you look, there’s seasonal décor, cheaply made underpants, and knock-off Stanley tumblers emblazoned with the smirking visage of Dr. Seuss’ yuletide hater. While this may seem like a relatively recent phenomenon, the Grinch industrial complex has been around for quite some time, and the 2000 cash-grab video game The Grinch is perhaps one of the most unnerving examples. And it’s got an ending that will haunt your dreams forever more.

To mark the November 2000 release of Jim Carrey’s star turn as the green-faced goon, The Grinch game launched for PlayStation, Sega Dreamcast, and Windows PC. It was published by Konami, a video game company which, to the best of my knowledge, has never done anything to upset anyone. Basically, the Grinch loses the blueprints he needs to steal Christmas and goes on a kid-friendly rampage through Whoville, stealing and destroying presents while attempting to track down his precious schematics. Y’know, basic Grinchery.

Anyway, The Grinch didn’t sell especially well (to the tune of 20,000 copies) and nobody seemed to like it very much. The folks at GamePro said, “While a scant few of The Grinch’s tasks are fun, the rest are either boring, frustrating, or both.” Most review scores were in the 5/10 region, which was the kiss of death even 25 years ago. That means, like me, you’ve probably never seen the ending of this game that very few people played or enjoyed. Thankfully, the intrepid Twitter user TanookiJoe is here to fill the gaps in our knowledge.

To his horror, the Grinch begins to have warm feelings about Christmas. Amid a Jim Carrey impression that hovers somewhere between anguished and drunk, he laments, “I love you! And everybody! Even the Whos!” Then he flies his sleigh from his mountaintop lair to return all the gifts he stole, scattering them around the Whoville town square, and asks forgiveness from everyone gathered there.

It’s then that things take a dark turn: “Come and sing with us!” says a chipper Cindy Lou Who, as her ribbon-like arms flap like a jellyfish, and her teeth clip through her low-poly nose. Then all the ugly, ugly children of Whoville sing an annoying song without moving their mouths. The end… or is it?

Thanks to Twitter user Blake ™, now we know that destiny had even greater things in store for our Kirkland Signature Grinch: If you 100% the game, you’ll unlock a bonus ending that includes a sick motorcycle and a racing minigame set in Whoville.

Obviously, no one in their right mind should 100% The Grinch for PS1, but it is a fun little reward for the game’s four superfans. And now, thanks to the miracle of YouTube, you don’t have to endure any of the actual gameplay to get in on the fun. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!