GRIS is the spanish word for grey. The symbolism of color is a constant and omnipresent factor of the game, and it begins from the protagonist’s name, that is Gris.
Grey color is ambiguous, not only because it contains both black and white, but also because it can be obtained by mixing all other colors together. Grey is neutral, weak, calming, un-emotive, uncertain, it is the “no-man’s land” of the color world.

At the beginning of the game, we see Gris losing her beautiful voice, and together with her voice she loses herself. It all suddenly becomes black and white in a devastating scenario full of fragments and broken structures.
She can barely walk, she cries, and then, she falls. No one knows what really happened to her. One thing is certain: she is coping with grief and loss.
From now on, your role is to help Gris deal with a series of emotions: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. Each emotion represents a specific stage of the so-called Five stages of grief model, also known as the Kübler-Ross model.


In this stage, black and white are dominant. While black absorbs all lights of the color spectrum, white contains all of them. Black takes everything into it, and so does white, but in a more peaceful way.
Gris denies her reality, all she had is gone, and now she needs to protect herself against this unbearable fear of death and loss.

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When denial is no longer possible, Gris attempts to master her loss by challenging it.
Suddenly, the sky and the ground turn into red. The atmosphere is now offensive, hostile, aggressive. Her anger is displaced in all directions and projected onto the surrounded environment.
Obstacles are all around her, and she obstinately perseveres in moving on by changing her dress into a robust and strong cube, capable of overcoming any possible difficulties.


It is time to regain control. A peaceful and soothing shade of green appears, and the environment bends to her will.
The agony made her helpless and vulnerable, so she asks for some relief in exchange for good behavior. She unexpectedly meets a lovable creature in the forest, and she takes care of him.
But the inevitable suffering cannot be further postponed. A giant black raven threateningly screams at her, standing in her way.
The anger returns: it is the beginning of one of many battles.

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It is starting to rain. Her anger and rage are now replaced with a feeling of great sadness. Blue color reigns, spreading a deep sense of coldness and depression.
She almost freezes in her tracks, she doesn't have the energy to fight anymore, and she’s going to slowly sink into the abyss.

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At the time she emerges from the abyss, her surroundings have changed. The warmth from golden lights rests over the surfaces. It is quiet, peaceful.
She is neither depressed nor angry. She contemplates her loss while singing to all living creatures.
Gris is ready to embrace the present, enriched by her suffering, in order to walk along a new, different path.

GRIS is a masterpiece. I wish I could be one of those people who read the reviews and choose to buy it, just to have the chance to play it for the first time.