Last updated on January 4th, 2026 at 09:01 am
GRIS – Adventure Game Review
GRIS is a Adventure game from Devolver Digital, Inc., first launched in 21st August 2019.
It’s rated 4+ and currently has 746+ ratings on the App Store.
What Makes GRIS Stand Out
Gris is a hopeful young girl lost in her own world, dealing with a painful experience in her life. Her journey through sorrow is manifested in her dress, which grants new abilities to better navigate her faded reality. As the story unfolds, Gris will grow emotionally and see her world in a different way, revealing new paths to explore using her new abilities.
GRIS is a serene and evocative experience, free of danger, frustration or death. Players will explore a meticulously designed world brought to life with delicate art, detailed animation, and an elegant original score. Through the game light puzzles, platforming sequences, and optional skill-based challenges will reveal themselves as more of Gris’s world becomes accessible.
GRIS is an experience with almost no text, only simple control reminders illustrated through universal icons. The game can be enjoyed by anyone regardless of their spoken language.
This Adventure game offers engaging gameplay and regular updates for mobile players.
Player Feedback
As a newer release, GRIS is building its player community. Early feedback suggests .
Recent Updates & Development
Latest Update: 25th January 2021
Recent improvements include:
Controller support improvements
Download & Availability
GRIS is available through the official App Store for iOS devices.
Requirements: Requires iPhone 5s / iPad Air / iPad Air (Cellular) / iPad Mini 2 (Retina) / iPad Mini 2 (Retina, Cellular) / iPhone 6 / iPhone 6 Plus / iPad Air 2 / iPad Air 2 (Cellular) / iPad Mini 3 or later.
Compatible with iPhone and iPad devices.
Player Experience Highlights
Community Insight:
This game is entirely wonderful in so many ways. We love how the storyline represents emotion through color, shape, and sound. The gameplay is never too demanding, yet always immersive, making it a great experience for any player. Even after completing the game once, we look forward to replaying it time and time again.
As soon as we finished this game, we played it through again 8 times in a row. Im not kidding . The soundtrack is gorgeous and the artwork is some of the best Ive seen in games. Some people mentioned glitches where they couldnt move or progress further, but we didnt encounter any when we played. The storyline is beautiful and just feels human. This is without a doubt one of our top 10 favorite games, and so many thanks to the creators . If youre considering downloading this game, please do. Its worth it.
We really liked it when she said, Its GRISing time! And GRISed all over. 10/10.
The game is nice but theres sometimes a glitch and she cant jump especially when its needed.
(Contains spoilers on the story) This game is one of our favorites. But, the storyline is kind of hidden within the visuals of the game. So, heres the story. The game takes place inside the main characters mind. The statue at the beginning is a statue of her mother, who died. The world she is in, aka her mind, begins to lose its colors. The main character sets out, hoping to restore color to her world. The five levels represent the five stages of grief. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. The black figure that blocks her path multiple times represents despair. She gains powers throughout the game that give her the ability to fight back against despair. At the end of the game, she faces the monster one final time. When she defeats it, the color returns to her world, meaning that she accepted the fact that her mother had died and had been able to move on.
This is a great combination of beautiful art style and fun game play. The process of getting different colors back is a perfect metaphor of different mental states. The watercolor art style feels so emotional and beautiful. On top of that we enjoyed the gameplay 100%. It did a great job guiding us through, introducing new abilities step by step and giving hints in the most natural way, providing the perfect balance between challenging and rewarding. Im deeply touched by the journey and couldnt recommend it enough.
We wish we could erase the game from our mind so we could play it again.
Immersive, dreamlike, and intriguing, this is by far our favorite game. We found the game oddly emotional, but thats also one of the reasons why we love it so much. Thank you.
Amazing game, incredible imagery, a masterpiece in simplicity and execution.
We love the music and art over all we were amazed.
Yes, the story isnt apparent enough. We're sure there is a concept behind the story line. It's too easy to miss we find. Half the time we wasn't sure what we were trying to achieve. And though there are levels, its not easy to understand what they are as one plays. Or know where you are progress wise. The art work and the vibe is amazing. The game has some unique qualities we have not seen elsewhere. The controls are a little tricky but not to the point when it becomes frustrating. We do wish it was a little longer with more happening within the large space. There are some dead zone one wonder if it was a good way to spend the design time. But overall really kudos for the game. It is still worth it if just for being transported in an other world. We would want to see a part II :).
We enjoyed this game over a few days. Its a good platformer, very relaxing and rewarding to play. We looked forward to playing it at the end of the day. We used a controller. Its a bit confusing that there is also Gris+ on Arcade which works on Apple TV.
Gris is such a beautiful game that Im so grateful for stumbling upon. A story of grieving and rebuilding your world by learning to see the colors of life again; its a deeply relatable experience that anyone can enjoy and appreciate. Its a fun platforming game that is not overly challenging. We love it for the gorgeous scenery and touching soundtrack. Its so well-polished and a pleasure to play through.
We dont play platform games as a rule because Im really bad at them. We read the low-star reviews for this game, and several people wrote that it is too difficult, which made us think Id better not buy it. But Im glad we did buy it as its really one of the richest gaming experiences Ive ever had. As for difficulty, we found that if a section was too hard, setting the game aside for a short time and coming back to it solved the problem. The puzzles are very creative and sometimes its a bit hard to know what to do, but YouTube solves that problem. That only happened once for us, so its not a big issue. We enthusiastically recommend this game. We played the game on iPad Air, which was perfect. Phone might be a bit small to manage the controls and to enjoy the visuals.
This is one of the first games that have made us cry. We have never sobbed so much after finishing one.
This is like no game Ive ever played. Its so emotional and deep. Definitely the most gorgeous game Ive ever played highly recommended to all.
This is a gorgeous, moving game that is just challenging enough.
We were a little worried that the game would just be pretty art but this is a really great game. Its not meant to be tricky and tells the story through little pieces, the pacing is wonderful. Im so bad at describing the emotional aspect but overall its so worth paying for and we HIGHLY recommend playing. Thank you for the great experience.
We know its been said many times already, but this is really the most beautiful game Ive ever played. The artwork, music, and symbolism are very moving, and we actually feel like we learned something from the game. Dont be surprised if you cry at the end.
Every so often, we find a game we love, and then there are games where we say, we get it. So impressed with the visuals, and the puzzles do not disappoint. But then the way the abilities unfold in order to progress the story arc of overcoming and healing are really very moving. We really enjoyed every minute of game play- being stumped, the humor in the way certain puzzles are solved, the fluidity. Really glad we tried this one and wont soon forget it.
We love everything about this game especially how symbolic it is! Best $5 Ive ever spent in our life.
We just finished playing Gris, and let us tell you the music and graphics are both insanely beautiful. Although the game is short, we believe it was worth every penny. It felt like more than a game, it felt as if we were walking through a painting. Every single scene looked like it belonged in a museum and all of the puzzles were just difficult enough, only getting us to the point where Id scratch our head at most. All in all a beautiful game and Id give it more than 5 stars if we could.
Okay, this game is one of our favorites ever. First of all, its absolutely gorgeous. The colors, the natural elements, the architecture, everything. We loved watching our protagonist leap and bound through every imaginable corner of her world. This games artists have a unique and consistent style, and the resulting settings are our absolute favorite part of the game. The runner up, however, is undoubtably the storyline. Following a girl and her journey of acceptance through the stages of grief, the ending of her story made us shed actual tears, even if her acceptance was more metaphorical than literal. As she learned how to run, jump, smash, and soar, it was easy to interpret this progress as one would struggle to return to themselves after grieving a loved one. It is masterful the way that the creators were able to discreetly weave a sorrowful tale throughout normal game play, so that even if you werent paying attention, you could understand the meaning in the end. The actual game was challenging and fun too! Peppered with many secret passageways and hidden achievements, this game is structured for those who want to finish a games basic requirements in several hours as well as those who like to look deeper. The one thing we will say is that if you are looking for another calm puzzle game to play, this may or may not be the one for you. It is largely control based, and a lot of challenges depend on how fast you can maneuver the character around, or how accurately you can jump from place to place. We especially had trouble in the very beginning trying to figure out how to simply make our character MOVE, before eventually figuring it out. But when we recommended this game to our mom, for example, as we have a history of sharing puzzle games between each other, she agreed with all our earlier points but eventually had to delete the game before its completion. As she attempted to play the game, we both realized she is more suited for simple controls, and didnt have the intuition for Griss controls that we had even after finishing the rocky beginning. After all, they are a bit harder to navigate than a game like Monument Valley with simple tap controls. Overall, of course, this game receives a shining five stars from us, and even if you think you may struggle with the controls the way our mom did, we recommend that everyone give it a chance because of its beauty and general perfection.
This game took us on a fantasy beautiful story. We usually like shooter games but this was a great adventure. So different and well thought. We love the meaning of the story and the graphic design. One of the best games Ive ever played. We thought we wasnt going to be able to get into it but we couldnt stop playing it. We would give it more stars if possible.
Stunning art work and beautiful message. Really walks you through all the emotions, very beautiful game.
Preface: The last time we held a video game controller was somewhere around 2006. We do not tend to enjoy, or be good at, video games. But for Gris, you do not need to be. Absolutely awestruck doesnt begin to describe it. We first encountered Gris on a Nintendo Switch, and it was so relatable and therapeutic that we cried multiple times throughout the course of the story. It isnt a game; its an experience, a journey of self-empowerment and healing. There are no life counts or items to buy, nobody to fight against, and nobody to save. Just a girl trying to repair the world around her and restore its beauty. When you jump into the abyss, you dont get hurt or die. The character slowly heals her emotional pain by improving the world, and she gains abilities as she heals. We loved it so much on Nintendo Switch that we had to get it for our iPhone as well. Id love an extended version from Devolver that explores some of the game areas in more depth and pitches the world out further. Absolutely revolutionary in the video game space.
This game is art, period. On our iPad Pro 2018 every scene and puzzle could be a wallpaper screenshot. Im usual an action junky but took a chance when this was on sale. The soundtrack and beauty alone make it worth the play. And the puzzles become good too (if simple). Its a very stress free game.
Beautiful game. Gorgeous art. Adorable interactions with the world. Semi simple puzzles but some challenging. We cried in the forest section with rock pal. Totally endearing.
The best game we had ever played. Actually we cant say it is a game, it is ART.
We are in love with this game. The music, the illustration, the gameplay, the sounds, the atmosphere everything about it is gorgeous and beautifully crafted. More games like these please might replay on the iPad just to experience this on a larger screen.
An incredibly beautiful game with amazing soundtrack and a deep meaningful story about a girl literally putting the pieces back together after a trauma/dealing with depression. We have been dealing with depression ourselves and playing this game took us to a peaceful space and the story itself gave us hope. Needless to say many tears. So much love for this game and its creators.
We intended to use this game to kill some time, ended up staying up playing because it is absolutely beautiful visually and wonderful sound wise, some parts proved to be a puzzle we wasnt expecting but so happy to have found. We SERIOUSLY recommend this game.
We already beat the mtfk game on switch and loved it so much. Take our money ima play this game over and over again because its beautiful.
We loved this game so much! When it ended, we were so sad! We were happy that our blue haired angel found her way, but sad because there was nothing left to be uncovered. Also, we named the little cube block Cube-O. Precious little cube of joy that fostered happiness for our girl. We hope theres a sequel to this soon.
As a thirteen year old, we have a pretty short attention span. Puzzle games, especially ones that can be as challenging as this one, frustrate us. But for some reason, we loved this. No in-game purchases to ruin the immersion, and we swear that this is the only thing that successfully saves us from every panic attack. Ive been able to claw our way out of so many possible relapses, and this game is truly beautiful and breathtaking in every way. Cant recommend enough. We were in the middle of playing GRIS when we just HAD to take a break to come write a review because of how overtaken with love and emotion for this game we were. PLEASE GET THIS! It might not be a game for everyone, but we honestly cant imagine not adoring it. We were a little confused right off the bat, but it was honestly so worth it to keep playing. Definitely up there in our favorite games of all time. Incredible.
This game started and we wasent expecting anymore than a side scroller rush game… We were so wrong! We do have a few areas of anger but thats due to a weak phone trying to run it but this was stunning and heck Ive made a few screenshots our wall paper … This game is stunning.
Tears. Literal tears are on our face. We didnt think mobile games could make us feel so deeply. This is a masterpiece. Well done to everyone involved.
The visuals and music are gorgeous, and the storyline is mysterious and intriguing. We had a lot of fun playing this game.
We played GRIS with a PS4 controller on an iPhone 7 and this was one of the best experiences we have ever had. That beautiful artwork and music. Just wow. In the ending we had tears in our eyes because how emotional and exeptionally well they presented the pictures. You understand everything without any text. You dont need any guides or something like that because you wont get stuck. It plays just so smoothly and intuitive. Wow just hands down one of our favourite games ever. 10 out of 5*.
This game is absolutely beautiful. The art style and music are incredibly touching, and the fact that there is no speech (that we have encountered yet) makes it accessible to people regardless of their native language. Once you understand the controls, they are very intuitive and easy to use on iPad. This game was worth every penny (much cheaper than on other gaming systems) and we are excited to play more. We have a feeling this game will get very emotional, and that is an amazing thing from a simple side scroller.
GRIS is a work of art and it should be talked about as so, however it is a very fun and mind challenging game. You work through a world of pain and agony meanwhile solving those problems and achieving new skills to help you along the way. The end is very rewarding and its ability to speak to the human mind and soul is unmatched to any game we have played before. We definitely recommend this if you love alternate worlds and the beautiful creation that is the human soul and heart.
We really enjoyed playing this game we finished it today and it was really good makes you think a lot so thats good Im hoping theres more updates in the future because the artwork, the music, and the levels all of it is really good we enjoy playing this game and Im hoping to see more in the future.
We have spent a lot of time and money playing mobile games, but this one is by far our favorite. Ive never even considered writing a review for a game before this. We have never felt so connected to a character and so immersed into a world that isnt even our own. Everything about it is beautiful, the score just blows us away and the art is fantastic. Yes there were a few times we got angry at the controls, but theres plenty of reviews about that. We finished the game tonight, and when we tell you Im crying, we mean Im CRYING!! The ending has no dialogue and we know exactly what she is feeling, we fully understood the intention of this game. As much as we tried, we could not hold back the tears. She is us and we are her, and the next time we lose ourselves in our grief, we will come back to play again. We will never forget this beautiful masterpiece. Thank you <3.
We love this game. We bought it when it came out. We played it through twice, and then removed it from our device. Now we had to pay for it again?!?! We love it so much, we figure sure Ill buy it again. Now we got to the hands at the end of red, and they started to change, but it glitched and she went off the edge. So Im stuck in an infinite loop. We can go up one side of the middle clock tower and when we get to the second level of the clock tower, it goes foggy and we cant see where shes going. We can hop and stomp in our square, but cant see anything. She gets stuck somewhere and cant get out, so we have to quit and restart. If we go up to the left side of the clock tower, we can shift the balance bar back and forth to reach the top of the wind mill, and then as we start to jump across the top of the windmill to activate the beacon at the top of the balance tower, the view pans up and away from the action to the scene above, but doesnt pan back down.. So we fall of the edge, and have to climb back up. We have timed the windmill turns, and practiced the jump so many times, we know we should hit the top of the adjacent tower, it it keeps glitching and dropping us down to the bottom of the windmill tower again. We remember this happening the last time we played a few years ago. Had to delete it and reinstall it, and start all over again. Im on an we-pad and frustrated that the glitch is still there after all these years. So Ive uninstalled it, and have to reinstall it and start allover again If you get stuck in the red level thats the only fix. If a game glitches, when you restart the level it should put you back where you can move forward in the game.
At first, this game was boring, but over time, the color in the temple, forest, Green temple, Light temple, and the ending had got us into this game more and more. Although, you couldve used more pointers on what to do at first, and couldve added other paths to take. We have seen everything in the game, and a sequel would be the best thing in our entire life. Please add At Least a few megabytes worth of content.. It would add a more interactive compensation and comprehension for a game that is a story to truly behold, especially for a 7th grader with autism like us.
As everyone has already said, this is a STUNNING game. Impactful. It beautifully illustrated grief without any need for words. The music Visually, one of the best games Ive played along with Monument 1&2. Highly recommended! The controls were easy to figure out and we didnt mind wandering around because thats kinda the point – to enjoy this piece of art. However, 1 point off for the pure frustration of playing the game on iPhone XE. It was extremely frustrating to control the characters movements. If we couldve saved our progress through the different chapters, we wouldnt have minded but since we cant do that, all the repetition made it vexing sometimes. It is hard to be relaxed and immersed in the feelings of the story when you Java to repeat sections so many times.
This game is gorgeous and the music is mesmerizing. It is our kind of game – a meditative journey that is part puzzle, part platformer, part pure art. We want to be fully immersed in it so much. But it is hard to do when our fingers are hurting from awkwardly attempting the same jump 30 times. The controls should be less frustrating and painful to use. Or the game should offer assistance when you hopelessly stuck. We would much rather focus on the characters journey through grief and healing than on the fact that Ive twisted our fingers on some staircase jump.
We downloaded this game after a friend recommended it to us. We started the game and it is absolutely lovely; the music, character design, and story are all so beautiful. We really would love to continue playing it, but we have not been able to get past the green level for weeks. There is a part in the game when you are in a circular shaped area with a suspended block in the middle that you must jump on with the aid of red butterflies. We know that you must double jump to get a boost from the butterflies, but they completely ignore us every time. We have looked up videos and tutorials, and we are doing everything right, but whenever we double jump over the butterflies, they do not notice us and dont lift us up. We cant tell if this is a glitch or if there is a technique we are missing, but it breaks our heart that we cannot progress and experience the rest of this incredible story. If possible, it would be amazing if that portion of the game could be fixed and that the butterflies would respond to our character.
We really like this game, we even bought the full version after playing the demo on Apple Arcade , which lead to our disappointment as we can only complete the same amount of game time in the full version as the demo. The game keeps ending even tho Ive only completed the color stages and the acceptance stage or whatever it is. We just want to complete the game without it ending before we can get the chance.
The game is pretty. Now for the negatives. The two biggest flaws are that the gameplay is too slow and you dont know what youre playing for. You walk around a lot and are met with occasional obstacles. When you get to the obstacles, youre already too bored from the slowness and lack of motivation. You have no drive overcome the obstacles or the cryptic thought process of the designer. Id play the next game this designer makes, but was uninterested in finishing this one.
User feedback from Apple App Store
App Details
- Version: 1.5
- Size: 2,349.57 MB
- iOS: 10.0 or later
- Languages: EN, FR, DE, JA, KO, PT, RU, ZH, ES, ZH
- Content Advisory:
- Developer: Devolver Digital, Inc.
Last updated: 25th January 2021 | Genre: Adventure | Developer: Devolver Digital, Inc.