GRIS

Gris and the dress that changes her world

GRIS follows a hopeful young girl lost in her own world after a painful experience. The developer, Nomada Studio, explains that her journey through sorrow is reflected in her dress, which grants new abilities as the story unfolds.

The world starts almost colourless. As Gris grows emotionally, new colours and new paths appear. You explore through light puzzles, platforming sequences and optional skill-based challenges.

There is almost no text, only simple control reminders shown as icons, so the game can be enjoyed regardless of language.

The developer notes that the game can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of their spoken language, because the story is told through images and music rather than words. That makes it easy to share across generations.

The structure is gentle: you move from area to area, solving light puzzles and platforming sections, and each new ability opens up places you could not reach before. There are optional skill-based challenges, but you do not have to complete them to see the story through.

How GRIS stays gentle despite its tense moments

The developer describes GRIS as a serene and evocative experience, free of danger, frustration or death. You cannot fail in the usual sense; there is no game-over screen to dread.

PEGI, however, rates it 7 for fear. It notes eerie scenes and tense situations designed to create unease, often involving a huge shadowy creature that means harm to the player and would likely scare young children. That is worth knowing if you plan to play it with a child.

For adults, those moments are brief and serve the story about facing difficult feelings. The game makes no medical claims, and neither do we; if you are struggling, the NHS website lists mental health support services.

If you play it late in the evening, consider stopping before entering a new area rather than in the middle of one, so that you end on a calm stretch rather than a tense one.

The art and music of GRIS

GRIS is known for its look. The developer describes a meticulously designed world brought to life with delicate art, detailed animation and an elegant original score. Each colour you restore changes the mood of the scenery and the music.

It rewards a larger screen and good headphones. If you play on a handheld or phone in the evening, our no-screen-glow evenings page has tips on brightness and night modes.

Steam lists full controller support and recommends a gamepad. Platforming in GRIS is forgiving and smooth rather than demanding, so it suits players who are not confident with jumping puzzles, though the optional challenges are a little more involved.

Because each new colour marks a turning point in the story, those moments make natural places to pause between sessions.

There is no dialogue to follow, which makes it relaxing to play when you are tired: you can simply follow the colour and the music. The PlayStation 5 version, listed by PEGI in 2025, means it is also easy to find on newer consoles.

Where GRIS is available

Steam lists GRIS for Windows and Mac, released in December 2018 and published by Devolver Digital. The PEGI database lists PlayStation 4 (2019), Nintendo Switch (2021) and PlayStation 5 (2025), all PEGI 7. The UK App Store lists an iPhone and iPad version as a one-off purchase.

If you want a wordless game with no frightening moments at all, Flower is the calmer choice.

As a self-contained game, it is a straightforward purchase, and in our editorial view it suits being played over a few evenings.

It also has an iPhone and iPad version, which is convenient for travel, though the art is best appreciated on a larger screen.