Gris

GRIS is a 2018 adventure-platform game developed by Barcelona-based Nomada Studio and published by Devolver Digital. It launched for Nintendo Switch and Windows on December 13, 2018, later arriving on macOS, iOS, Android, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The game was directed by Adrián Cuevas, Roger Mendoza, and Jordi Roca, while its distinctive visual identity was created by Spanish illustrator Conrad Roset. Its score was composed by the Barcelona music group Berlinist.

The game follows Gris, a young woman who begins the story in a crumbling, colorless world after losing her voice. Early on, she falls from a statue-like version of herself into a barren landscape. GRIS tells its story without conventional dialogue or explanatory text; instead, its narrative is conveyed through environments, animation, music, and recurring visual symbols. Gris gains abilities as she travels, including turning her dress into a heavy geometric form, double-jumping, swimming, and using wind currents.

Color is central to both the game’s mechanics and storytelling. As Gris explores new areas, colors such as red, green, blue, and yellow return to the world. Each restored color opens new environmental interactions: red is connected to heavy structures and force, green to growth and organic spaces, blue to water, and yellow to movement through wind. The player collects glowing points that form constellation-like structures, allowing Gris to create paths and progress.

GRIS does not include combat, enemies to defeat, or a traditional game-over system. Its platforming and puzzle sequences are designed around exploration and movement rather than punishment. Some sections introduce threatening imagery, including bird-like creatures and a large black mass, but these encounters function as atmospheric obstacles rather than combat scenarios.

The game received strong attention for its watercolor-inspired art direction, animation, and music. At The Game Awards 2019, GRIS was nominated for Games for Impact. It also won the Annie Award for Best Character Animation in a Video Game in 2020. Critics frequently noted Roset’s art as a major element of the experience; before GRIS, he was known for fashion-oriented illustrations and the Muses art series.

Nomada Studio followed GRIS with Neva, another emotionally focused adventure published by Devolver Digital. Released in 2024, Neva reunited the studio with Conrad Roset and Berlinist. GRIS remains Nomada Studio’s debut game and established the team’s reputation for largely wordless, visually driven interactive storytelling.