GRIS Game Review: A Heartfelt, Visually Gorgeous Adventure About Loss and Healing

A visually stunning 2D platformer that explores the stages of grief through beautiful watercolour art, light puzzles, and emotional storytelling

Available on: Steam, Playstation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch

Genre: 2D Platform, Adventure, Puzzle

Amazon* Physical Copies: Nintendo Switch

Developer: Nomada Studio

Publisher: Devolver Digital

How Cozy? ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 Very Cozy

Game Verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

*Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting the pod! 🫶

GRIS is a thoughtful, beautifully designed platformer where you play as a young girl who wakes up in the shattered hand of a statue, burdened by a painful experience and the loss of her voice. Guided by stars and constellation paths, you journey through stages of grief—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance—each chapter set in unique landscapes like desert, forest, and underwater. To regain her voice, Gris must navigate these emotional terrains in platforming sequences, solving puzzles and unlocking abilities to come to terms with her pain, and ultimately reach acceptance.

Related: Looking for more cozy games with a heartfelt story?
Check out this list of the best cozy games with emotional journeys

Story

You first meet Gris in the shattered hand of a statue, and as she wakes, you can feel in her movement through the darkness that she carries the weight of a painful experience. You encounter a star, and this leads you to a constellation path. The story suggests that Gris is coping with the loss of her mother, hinted by the many statues of female figures. Your journey through the stages of grief - denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance - progresses with beautifully themed environments. From desert to forest to underwater, each stage of grief is represented by the setting and colour scheme, symbolizing Gris's emotional journey. As you advance, Gris processes her grief, regains her voice, and adds colour back into the world.

Gameplay

GRIS is a side-scrolling platformer, so it follows the usual gameplay for this genre. You can also direct Gris to platforms in the background or foreground. Unlike most other platformers, there is no combat. Instead, the game focuses on light puzzles and platforming sequences to progress. The smoothness of Gris’s movement is delightful, and it’s truly enjoyable to sweep through the different areas. There are abilities to unlock, from turning into a heavy cube to an elegant double jump that helps reach high places. Most abilities work well and integrate into challenges that help solve the puzzles, though I did find the double jump a little awkward to navigate at times until I got used to the mechanic.

The puzzles aren’t overly challenging, but occasionally they can be a bit frustrating. However, no puzzle took more than a few attempts to complete. Completing these puzzles gives you stars, which in turn help pave paths to new areas via constellations. There aren’t traditional boss battles, but there are still escape sequences and moments where you need to overcome obstacles in beautifully crafted, tense sequences that manage to evoke tension without combat.

Graphics and Visuals

GRIS is undeniably a visually striking game with a truly stunning art style. The game’s chapters span across four different colours, red, blue, green, and yellow, each theming the visuals in a watercolour style. The shift in colour represents Gris’s progression through each stage of grief and is a highly effective transition of mood. Little details like the trees, flowers, and fish in each area symbolize Gris's growth and hope, reflecting the overall emotional development of the character as she moves through her journey.

Longevity

I completed GRIS in around 4 hours, but they were fully engaging hours, and the conclusion was satisfying and well earned. While the game doesn’t offer much replay ability, you can revisit certain chapters after completing the game if you want to finish any puzzles you may have missed. I can definitely see myself picking up the game again, especially if I’m looking for a soothing experience or want to revisit the unique emotional journey GRIS offers.

Conclusion

Overall, I found GRIS to be a wholly unique experience, with the story, visuals, music, and gameplay all working beautifully together to create a powerful emotional journey. The puzzles are unique and feel necessary to Gris’s development, as do the visually beautiful boss-like sequences. While GRIS fits well within the platforming genre, to me, it's much more than that. It feels like a full experience that most players can truly connect with.

I would recommend this game to everyone—whether you're looking for a visually stunning platformer with well-designed puzzles or a short yet emotionally impactful experience. GRIS is a four-hour journey that could be especially helpful for anyone experiencing grief or loss, but it’s also an essential game for anyone who appreciates beautiful storytelling and platforming.

Looking for More 2D Platformers?

Affiliate Reminder: I may earn a small commission if you purchase through any of the links in this post. Thank you for your support! 🫶