How ‘Gris’ Uses Gameplay Mechanics to Aid its Storytelling

Michelle Kwan
Crossplay
Published in
4 min readMay 5, 2024

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Credits: Nomada Studio

Two weeks ago, I explored the captivating use of colours in the video game Gris, which masterfully portrays the five stages of grief proposed by Swiss psychiatrist Kübler-Ross.

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In actuality, Gris stands out not only in its visuals but also in its gameplay mechanics. The team behind Gris has carefully considered the themes of each stage of grief and added mechanics that not only reflect the themes but also aid in the overall storytelling.

Today, let’s delve into the beautiful implementation of Gris’s gameplay mechanics, which intricately intertwine with its visual aspects, and see how it reinforces the overarching idea of the game.

A Brief Recall

As it is relevant to the overarching idea of Gris, here are the five relevant stages of Kübler-Ross’ theory:

  • Denial — White
  • Anger — Red
  • Bargaining — Green
  • Depression — Blue
  • Acceptance — Yellow

Again, I encourage you to first see how the team uses colours to interpret its themes before continuing this article, as the mechanics closely relate to and add to the…

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Michelle Kwan
Crossplay

Aspiring Narrative Designer/Game Writer + Avid Storyteller. I mostly write about games, but sometimes I go off-track and write about other things too.