Comunicação e luto: um estudo de caso do jogo digital Gris

Abstract

This study analyzes how the digital game Gris (2018), developed by the Spanish studio Nomada Studio, constructs a communicative narrative of grief through non-verbal elements—specifically chromatic transitions, musical composition, and gameplay mechanics. Employing a qualitative approach based on a case study and interpretive content analysis, the study correlates the game's color palettes across its levels with the five stages of grief described in the Elisabeth Kübler-Ross model, drawing upon theoretical frameworks from communication studies (McLuhan, Jakobson, Bakhtin), semiotics (Peirce, Santaella), and color theory (Farina, Heller, Guimarães). The analysis combines an interpretive reading of the game's five phases with accounts from streamers and content creators, as well as interviews conducted specifically for this research. The results indicate that the chromatic and sonic evolution of Gris functions as a self-sufficient communicative unit capable of visually translating the subjective experience of grief, even though the interpretation of this message varies according to each player's affective and cultural background.