Gris
Reddit take
AI summary of the Reddit excerpts below — not a quote
Gris is a polarizing "games as art" title that divides players between those who find it a beautiful, relaxing palate cleanser and those who find it an incredibly dull experience with lacking mechanics. While its watercolor-inspired visuals and audio are widely praised, the gameplay is often described as secondary or even non-existent, leading to mixed sentiment regarding its value as a video game versus a short film.
Pros
- Stunning watercolor and ink-based art style that resembles a graphic novel
- Excellent audio and soundtrack that enhances the atmosphere
- Short length makes it a great 'palate cleanser' between larger games
- Relaxing, low-stress experience suitable for handheld play on devices like the Steam Deck
- Satisfying light puzzles in the second half of the game
Cons
- Gameplay mechanics are frequently described as 'lacking,' 'dull,' or 'non-existent'
- Narrative themes can feel heavy-handed or like 'middle school poetry' to some players
- Puzzles can be bland and, in some instances, poorly designed
- The 'game' element is seen by some as adding little value over an animated film
Caveats
- The experience is heavily focused on atmosphere and observation rather than challenge
- Opinions on the art style are mixed; while most praise it, some find it 'generic' or 'full of itself'
- The total playtime is very short, typically around three hours
Best for
- Fans of atmospheric games like Journey or Abzu
- Players seeking a short, visual-heavy experience to relax with
- Those who enjoy 'games as art' and emotional narratives
Avoid if
- You prioritize deep, challenging, or complex gameplay mechanics
- You dislike 'walking sims' or games where the story is a heavy allegory
- You are looking for a long-term time investment
This summary uses balanced time weighting with about a 122-month half-life. The evidence is drawn from a single subreddit (r/patientgamers) with a median source age of approximately 419 days.
Sentiment
8 positive (38%) · 3 mixed (14%) · 10 negative (48%)
Trust + time weighted score: -10% · raw score -10%
What redditors said (10 of 21)
I only completed Red and Green, I just got really bored of the whole platformer concept.
It did, and I had a great time - I'd say for the time and price investment I could recommend this to anyone. ... Gris looks gorgeous, sounds amazing, isn't a bad platformer by any means, is short, and at this point is likely very cheap. By itself, it's a good experience, and it's a decent palate cleanser between bigger games. I'd say a solid 8/10, not an all-timer but certainly memorable.
The gameplay is not challenging for sure but I felt that it was more about observation and exploration than challenging mechanics. ... I totally understand your point tho, just loved it a bit more than you did.
Gris is part of those game that could have been a graphic novel, but it wouldn't have been as impactful. ... the colors are all done in ink that give it this graphic novel style that I really like.
Not sure why I even bought it, seeing I didn't like Gris very much.
example games - Journey, Gris, Abzu etc.
It's the "emotional narrative" games like Gris, Arise, walking sims, etc that probably just aren't for me.
The game felt so full of itself. The art style is pretty, I guess, but in a totally generic way. That plus the story being a VERY SUBTLE ALLEGORY to depression, it was like middle school poetry got made into a video game.
This is like a 5/10 game for me, I agree that the visuals and audio were quite 'good' but nothing is very memorable to me the way the visuals from Hollow Knight or the music from Undertale (or both from Hades) were for example. The gameplay was almost nonexistant though, and I got bored of it 2 or 3 chapters in.
I found Gris to be one of those games where you're best off just relaxing into the experience, enjoy the audio and visuals but don't think too hard about it. I enjoyed the puzzles, especially turning into a cube and hunting for the apples.
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