Iris and the Giant

About

Iris and the Giant is a single player tactical role playing game. It was developed by Louis Rigaud and was released on February 27, 2020. It received positive reviews from players.

"Iris and the Giant" is a turn-based single-player RPG with rogue-like elements and card game mechanics. Players help Iris overcome her inner demons as they battle monsters in procedurally generated levels. The game features hand-drawn art and intuitive deckbuilding that appeals to both card game veterans and newcomers.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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87%

Audience ScoreBased on 511 reviews

story90 positive mentions

stability9 negative mentions

The art style is unique and visually appealing, enhancing the overall experience.
The gameplay mechanics are engaging, with a strategic twist on deck-building as cards are consumed after use.
The story weaves a compelling narrative about mental health and personal struggles, resonating with players.

Uninstalling the game erases all progress, which can be frustrating for players.
There are bugs that can disrupt gameplay, including issues with card mechanics and enemy interactions.
The game can feel repetitive after a few runs, lacking sufficient content to maintain long-term interest.

story
271 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
64%
3%
The story of "Iris and the Giant" is a poignant exploration of themes such as depression, bullying, and personal struggle, told through the journey of a young girl confronting her inner demons in a dreamlike world. While some players appreciate the emotional depth and integration of narrative with gameplay, others find the storytelling simplistic or ham-fisted, with mixed opinions on its execution and voice acting. Overall, the narrative is seen as a significant aspect of the game, enhancing the experience for those who resonate with its themes, despite some criticisms regarding its predictability and brevity.
- “I like how the narrative is drip-fed through gameplay, with the main parts of the story told as parts of the main campaign, and supporting information placed in floors as meta-progression upgrades.”
- “The story is touching, and a very nice change from all the usual swords and robots.”
- “I love the concept of depression and a card-based RPG joining hands to create a masterful tale of sorrow that isn't captured in the story, but rather in the gameplay and ultimately how you defeat your inner demons.”
- “I adore the visual style, and whilst I get the meaningful story it's aiming to tell, it comes off as an over-simple and very predictable sad story of a depressed/bullied child.”
- “The story is terrible though.”
- “But the small snippets of story we get are usually so ham-fisted, so poorly voice acted, so poorly written, that all meaning it could have had is lost.”
gameplay
225 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
59%
2%
The gameplay is generally praised for its engaging mechanics, innovative card systems, and the seamless integration of narrative elements, creating a unique experience that combines strategy with emotional storytelling. While many players appreciate the challenge and depth of the tactical combat, some express concerns about bugs, balance issues, and a steep learning curve that can make initial runs feel punishing. Overall, the game offers a fresh take on the roguelike deckbuilding genre, though opinions vary on its replayability and long-term engagement.
- “It's very fun, and the way the gameplay and story weave together is exceptional.”
- “The gameplay is engaging, and the challenge feels appropriate.”
- “The mechanics are tight, balanced, and extremely challenging.”
- “The first run is completely unfair, as it is close to impossible to win without knowing the full mechanics beforehand.”
- “There are some frustrating issues -- like not having a reshuffle option, or game mechanics not being explained properly that just leads to frustration, and not wanting to continue.”
- “The gameplay itself is boring after a couple of rounds; it can show little new, though acquiring story shards is motivating, but that is the only thing for me.”
graphics
130 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
57%
2%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a unique, minimalist art style that many players find charming and visually appealing, often described as hand-drawn or watercolor-like. While the aesthetics enhance the game's atmosphere and storytelling, some users note that the simplicity can occasionally hinder gameplay clarity, making it difficult to discern important information during combat. Overall, the visuals are a significant draw for the game, contributing to its emotional depth and thematic resonance.
- “The art style is gorgeous, the story themes (depression, bullying, confidence) are relatable, and the gameplay is super fun.”
- “Beautiful little deckbuilder, featuring a simple but nice story and cute minimalist art style.”
- “The graphics, animations, and design are unique and brilliant as you'd expect from Goblinz Studio.”
- “Another frustration comes from the visuals obstructing meaningful information, like enemy models or landscapes almost perfectly hiding a trap behind them.”
- “Tried to give the graphics a pass as a stylistic artistic choice, but the simplistic nature of the graphics actually makes it difficult to see what enemies are what and if they have certain armor or weapons in hand.”
- “Graphics look like a child coloring book; the story is thin but does the job of getting you into the atmosphere.”
music
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
37%
5%
The music in the game is generally well-received, described as atmospheric, beautiful, and fitting the game's aesthetic, with some tracks being relaxing and melancholic. However, many reviewers noted a lack of variety, leading to repetitiveness over time, and some expressed disappointment over the inability to adjust sound levels independently. Overall, while the music enhances the game's emotional impact and complements its visuals, it may not be memorable for all players.
- “The music is haunting and melodic, and I found myself stopping to listen to it on more than one occasion.”
- “The art and music are fantastic and really drew me into the game.”
- “Beautiful ambient music.”
- “The music is atmospheric and theme-appropriate; however, there's not an awful lot of variety to it, and after a while, you tend to forget it's there.”
- “The music is the same way, although it takes a very monotone approach and can be repetitive at times.”
- “Music and sound effects are nothing out of the ordinary.”
emotional
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its deeply emotional narrative, which resonates with players through themes of inner struggle, loneliness, and personal growth. Many reviewers noted that the touching story, combined with its unique art style and engaging gameplay, evokes strong feelings, often leading to tears by the end. While the gameplay may not be the most challenging, the heartfelt storytelling and emotional depth set it apart from typical card games, making it a memorable experience.
- “This game has incredible art direction, a compelling emotional narrative, and deceptively complex gameplay.”
- “The story is brief, told in snippets, and is heartfelt and moving.”
- “This game genuinely made me cry in the end, which was not what I had expected from a card-based dungeon crawler.”
replayability
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
65%
9%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players praising its variety of unlocks and achievements that encourage multiple playthroughs, while others feel it lacks the depth and complexity found in more robust roguelikes. Many agree that it offers enough content for several enjoyable runs, but it may not sustain long-term engagement for everyone. Overall, it is seen as moderately replayable, appealing to those who appreciate its unique mechanics and narrative.
- “Great game to relax, and still enough variation and unlocks for some replay value.”
- “Picked this game up via a random 66% Steam discount voucher, wouldn't have known about it otherwise. Great thought-out game with a rather short story but lots of achievements to aim for, making this very replayable.”
- “It has a ton of replay value, with quite a few unlockables that I haven't gotten to yet.”
- “It's a bit unpolished, but an enjoyable experience; however, I am not sure that the replayability factor kicks in at any point.”
- “It doesn't feel replayable enough to keep playing now that I've beaten it a few times.”
- “The game, however, lacks replayability; once you beat the giant, there is not much more to keep you engaged, which is expected from a game of this nature (roguelike deckbuilder).”
atmosphere
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
31%
19%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by its charming and minimalistic aesthetic, complemented by atmospheric music that, while not highly varied, enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the relaxing vibe and the ability to immerse themselves in the beautifully designed environments, though some may find the sparse story and simplistic graphics less engaging. Overall, the combination of art, music, and lore creates a captivating atmosphere that supports the gameplay effectively.
- “The minimal aesthetic sets this apart from other games in a strangely atmospheric way, especially with how stripped down the music is.”
- “The art and music are very well done, and create an atmosphere that can change from room to room with great effect.”
- “From the melancholy atmosphere to the delightful art style, this is a more artsy casual experience one can get lost in.”
- “Graphics look like a child coloring book, the story is thin but does the job of getting you into the atmosphere.”
- “The play itself is challenging but very satisfying and rewarding, the progression feels natural, and the atmosphere (if you just ignore the words) is lovely.”
- “The art and music is very well done, and creates an atmosphere that can change from room to room with great effect.”
stability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is notably poor, with users reporting a variety of bugs including memory leaks, glitches from rapid clicking, and issues with UI elements leading to softlocks. Many players have experienced game freezes and unfair mechanics that disrupt gameplay, making it feel unfinished despite its fun elements. Overall, while the game shows potential, its current state is marred by significant stability issues.
- “These range from memory leaks, general glitches if you click too fast, enemies taking a turn after moving if you got a level up at the end of your turn, sprites breaking for no discernible reason, and softlocks from UI elements not closing properly.”
- “Good lord, so many freezes you'll wear out your Alt+F4 keys.”
- “Pretty buggy, repeatedly ran into end of turn bugs where I couldn't complete my turn without force using cards I didn't want to, ending up in a lost run.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
20%
The humor in the game is described as both blunt and peculiar, often eliciting laughter through its unconventional and darkly ironic approach to serious themes like depression. Players find moments of absurdity, such as a character mocking the protagonist, to be strangely amusing, contributing to a unique comedic tone that blends humor with discomfort.
- “The game attempts to tackle the theme of depression, but its approach is more akin to a sledgehammer than subtlety, which ironically made me laugh out loud.”
- “Iris and the Giant is a funny game.”
- “For example, one snippet shows a girl pointing and laughing at our protagonist and literally saying, 'She is so stupid, she can't even defend herself.'”
- “Not funny, haha, but funny-strange.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players have mixed feelings about grinding in the game; while some achievements can feel grindy, particularly one that requires discovering many cards, the actual requirements are less daunting than they seem. However, many find the need to invest several hours into grinding for permanent unlocks frustrating, especially when compared to more efficient grinding systems in modern games.
- “One of the things I find very frustrating about this game is that you need to spend maybe 4-5 hours of grinding for permanent unlocks before you can have a realistic chance at winning.”
- “The achievements are fun, but one of them seems grindy (it asks you to discover every card) and only triggers when you've found about 50/60, so it's not that bad.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is well-optimized for touch controls, providing a satisfying tactile experience, while also delivering impressive artwork and mechanics. Users report no performance issues, even on high-end hardware like the RTX 3080.
- “In terms of tactility, it seems optimized for touch control, but the artwork and mechanics are very satisfactory.”
- “I didn't notice any performance issues on my RTX 3080.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The monetization strategy primarily revolves around in-game purchases, allowing players to buy various items or enhancements to enhance their gaming experience.
- “The in-game purchases feel excessive and often disrupt the overall experience.”
- “Monetization is heavily focused on microtransactions, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
- “I feel like the game is designed to push players towards spending more on in-game items rather than rewarding them for their time.”