As we touched on in a recent episode of the Indie Game Culture Podcast, indie games have an innate ability to tell heartfelt, passionate, and touching stories that often put big-budget titles to shame.
While AAA games can throw money at huge show pieces, indie games often take bigger narrative swings and cover topics that most big studios would deem ‘too risky’ or ‘unmarketable.’ There are so many indies out there that don’t shy away from tough topics, even if that topic is death.
There are so many great indies that allow players to make sense of loss, grief, and come to terms with the pain of letting someone go.
Spiritfarer is a real tear-jerker in this regard, as is When The Past Was Around, and that’s just a small portion of what’s out there. However, we focus today on a poignant silent narrative that focuses on allowing players to work through the five stages of grief.
GRIS is an artistically staggering platformer that I would argue doesn’t get mentioned enough in indie gaming conversations, and it tells a cohesive and colorful story depicting the depths of grief and how to climb out of the darkness.
That being said, the gameplay is also a joy to behold, and along the way, if players want to find the secret ending to GRIS, they will need to collect all the Mementos, which can be tough to track down.
So with that in mind, I have compiled a handy little guide that will help you nab all these collectibles without having to replay chapters over and over. So without further delay, here is Indie Game Culture’s GRIS All Mementos Guide!
Why Collect Mementos in GRIS?
Before we dive in, you should know that there is an actual reason to collect all of these Mementos outside of chasing achievements and 100% completion. GRIS actually rewards the player for their dedication by offering them a secret ending after collecting every single Memento.
To access this, the player will need to begin the final chapter, and when the constellation animation ends, you’ll want to walk to your left and jump off the building, then immediately move right against the wall, and you will discover a secret room below where you began the chapter.
Provided you have all the Mementos, all you need to do is sing, and then this alternative ending/flashback will play. It’s perhaps not worth all the effort, but hey, it’s more than some developers include for completionists.
GRIS All Memento Locations
Below I will showcase all the hidden mementos in GRIS, and how to get your hands on them:
Chapter One Mementos (2)
#1 – Our First Star
The opening chapter is pretty short and straightforward, with only some basic puzzles employed to show you how the constellation system works. When you begin this puzzle section, head to the left and walk right past the star. Keep going, and you will eventually drop down to a cracked dome that contains the first memento.
#2 – A Bit of Trickery
While this second one is listed as a chapter one memento, it is actually obtained in the last chapter, which sees you return to the opening area.
To obtain this, play to the point where you are about to climb to the broken statue and sing to repair the damage, but instead, walk left and allow yourself to fall down until you reach a body of water. Then swim out into the open space, and you will encounter what will probably be your last memento.
Chapter Two Mementos (7)
#1 – After the Title Screen
Play until you hit the area where the sun is high in the sky, and the title shows on screen, officially announcing that the game proper has begun. From here, drop down to the right, and when you hit the ground, immediately turn left and walk until you find a memento.
#2 – Going Walkies
After you have braved your way through most of the sandstorm, you’ll come across a sentient rock pod that will take you some of the way toward your goal. Climb its interior stairs, and about halfway up, you’ll encounter a memento.
#3 – Things Just Got Heavy
Continue through the sandstorm until you reach the area where you acquire the Heavy ability. After you get this, head back the way you just came, and you’ll encounter a memento in a little hideaway. Just hop on top of this structure and use the Heavy power to burst through the cracks, collecting the memento in the process.
#4 – Gone with the Wind
Press onward, and after using the Heavy ability to brave the neverending sandstorm section, you’ll enter a temple of sorts, and you’ll encounter a platform that you’ll need to use heavy on to proceed.
For now, ignore that and continue right, using the little rock creatures to platform over the gap. You’ll then find a platforming section where you must race to the top and then allow the sandstorm to carry you over the gap to the memento.
#5 – The Pendulum Swings
After this, you’ll encounter your next memento in the windmill cavern section of this chapter. When the section splits and asks you to collect stars to progress, head to the left and you’ll find an area where you must use ‘Heavy’ to tip over a platform.
Do this and climb up the structure, but then correct the platform allowing you to climb even higher. Then use the windmill above to platform over the memento above.
#6 – Leap of Faith
Continue onward until you reach an area where you use heavy to crack a dome roof, which sends rock particles into the air for you to use as climbing platforms. Climb up some of the way and then move right until you see a wooden wheel below. Jump toward that, and it will extend a platform to catch you, allowing you to collect the memento.
#7 – Full of Hot Air
Then lastly, for this chapter, when you get to the Balloon section, you will want to use your heavy ability to lower the balloon as far as you can.
Then quickly run back up the stairs to make sure you can ride up on its highest platform. From here, jump left, use heavy to crack the rock, and grant you more platforms, and eventually, you’ll grab the last memento for chapter two.
Chapter Three Mementos (7)
#1 – The Trees Are Alive
Early in this chapter, you will encounter trees which have leaves that disappear or divide in half. The player is only required to climb up a portion of these trees to proceed, but if you climb up to the maximum height in this section, you’ll find a memento waiting there for you.
#2 – Precision Platforming
After a little while, you will come to a section where you need to collect a star by using your own jumps to change the composition of the tree leaves.
Which essentially means certain platforms appear and disappear when you jump. When you get to the area with the star, work your way a little to the left, and on one of the taller trees, you’ll find a memento.
#3 – Useful Little Butterflies
Later in this chapter, you gain the ability to float and use red butterflies to boost jump. The game will tutorialize these boost jumps to allow you to progress upward toward the final section. When you do, you’ll enter a grey-arched area.
When you do, you’ll want to walk right until you find a ceramic jar. Smash it with heavy, and then use the red butterflies within to hop into a secret area above, granting you another memento.
#4 – Calm before the Storm
Before the evil bird pops up, you’ll come to another area where you will need to platform disappearing tree leaves from right to left to proceed, but before you do that, you should walk down the corridor on the bottom right. At the end of this corridor, there is a weak floor you can use heavy on to burst through. Do this, and you’ll find a memento waiting for you down below.
#5 – Bird Song
Soon after this, you’ll encounter the bird I mentioned. They seem intimidating, but actually, they can help you in your quest to collect all mementos.
When you get to the area where you must use Heavy to walk through the bird’s cry, don’t fight the shout but instead use their cry to carry you off to the right. This boost will allow you to reach an otherwise unreachable platform, and you’ll get another memento.
#6 – Rise and Fall
After this section with the bird, there will be a brief respite where you will need to use red butterflies to climb a large tree.
Do this until you reach the third butterfly cluster, and then use this boost to peel off to the left, past a pillar, and fall down until you see a memento. Just note that you will need to use the float ability to break your fall and allow you to glide to the collectible.
#7 – Walk on Water
Then in the closing section of this chapter, you will proceed through a section where there are translucent water platforms up above.
You’ll want to hop on these and continue platforming to the right until you reach a stone ruin. There is a cracked floor that looks like it will lead straight down, meaning you won’t be able to reach the Memento but fear not. There is a water platform below that will catch you, allowing you to collect the last chapter three Memento.
Chapter Four Mementos (5)
#1 – Fun with Fungi
In the opening section of the fourth chapter, follow the path until you reach a dark area with mushroom platforms.
You need to climb up these and work your way to the highest mushroom on the left-hand side. Then you need to use heavy, releasing red butterflies, which will boost you into a pool of water above. Swim through, and you’ll find another Memento for your collection.
#2 – I Like Turtles
After you get to the area where the turtle guides you through the darkness, and you learn to swim underwater, follow the turtle down, and you’ll eventually encounter a hidden path if you keep checking openings on the right-hand side. Swim through the opening, and you’ll find a memento waiting for you.
#3 – Reflective Palace Puzzle
After you swim down, the turtle will stop and demand more stars from you, like the greedy reptile that it is. So to oblige this turtle, head to the bottom right and through the tunnel until you reach a reflective palace. You will need to walk to the right and jump into the water below, then swim through the openings until you pick up the star in the middle of the palace. Then exit out the bottom.
This would be enough to progress, but we want that Memento mocking us above the water line. So as you exit this area, keep swimming left and pick up the red butterfly cluster, and then open the path that was previously blocked.
Take the butterflies and swim slightly left and up, through a small tunnel, and then at the end of this tunnel, burst out of the water, boost with the butterflies, and enter the floating water above. Keep swimming along, and you’ll eventually enter the palace you’ve seen before and be able to collect the memento.
#4 – In the Dark
Keep going, and you will encounter a pretty angry eel that will hunt you down before the game leads you into a very dark series of tunnels. You’ll want to swim through until you’ve encountered two leafy plants. From there, keep your eyes peeled.
You’ll see a horizontal connecting piece of rock as you swim upward through a tunnel, and then you’ll want to hug the wall to your left. If you do this, you’ll find a little opening that will lead you to a hidden Memento.
This one is particularly tricky because of the low visibility, and if you find yourself swimming downward in a more open space, stop, because you’ll trigger the next eel chase.
#5 – Light the Way
Then finally, for this chapter, you’ll get to an area where you’ll need to use tree lanterns to light your way and reveal paths.
The memento is after the second one, so you need to tune in from that point onwards. It will reveal a pathway to the right, and this will lead to a red butterfly cluster. Use these to enter the water above, but then stop and burst out of the water aiming right. This will shoot you out into a hidden pathway, and waiting in a little palace on a pedestal, is, you guessed it, a memento.
Chapter Five Mementos (7)
#1 – Yellow Butterflies
We’re in the home straight now, folks. In the fifth chapter, you will begin proceedings by using fireflies and yellow butterflies to temporarily light up platforms ahead. When you encounter the yellow butterflies, you will be able to use them to climb up and proceed onwards.
However, if you wait at the top of the dome, right in the middle, you will fall directly into a small red butterfly cluster, as you can see through a circular window. Allow this to happen and boost up twice. Then drop down a platform and pick up the first memento of chapter five.
#2 – Rise and Fall 2
Who doesn’t love a sequel? For this memento, you’ll need to head to the area where you learned to sing, and then use red butterflies to head up to the water semi-circle overhead. When inside, pick up a red butterfly cluster and then burst out to the left, use the butterflies and drop down on the other side of the pillar where the memento is waiting for you to collect it.
#3 – Leap of Faith 2
Another sequel, lovely. If you head to the left of the area where you learn to sing in search of stars, you’ll eventually come across more tree lanterns that will beam to show you hidden platforms. You’ll find one with a stack of leaves to the left, and a hidden stairway leading to red butterflies.
You’ll want to walk left past the leaves toward a pillar that should block the way, but surprisingly, it won’t block your way, and you’ll find a secret platform where you can use red butterflies to obtain a hidden memento.
#4 – In the Rafters
Return to the middle area, and you’ll find a lantern tree that doesn’t do all that much, but we can use it as a marker, as directly above that tree is a memento.
You’ll need to use the red butterflies near the area you learned to sing, allowing you to platform to the roof of the building left of the tree. Then you can use red butterflies to shoot straight up, at which point the memento will be in view.
There won’t seem to be any way to platform over to the memento but trust me, and jump toward the lantern tree. It will then light up and reveal hidden platforms which will catch you, and then you can use these to get your hands on the lofty memento easily.
#5 – Cancel Your Jump
On the other side of this area, where you collect the other star needed, you’ll find an area where you can enter an upside-down reflection.
However, before you really encounter this mechanic, you’ll come across a zone with red hanging leaves, and a drop-down to the right. Drop, and immediately you’ll see a memento, and to your left are red butterflies to boost up to get it. The only problem is that the butterflies boost you too high. So use heavy to cancel your jump, and you’ll be able to grab this memento.
#6 – The Upside Down
As mentioned, this portion of the game has you navigate an upside-down version of the world. Just after you create a mechanical spider to platform across an area, you’ll boost up to a water tree and slip into the upside-down world. It’s a little trippy, but push on.
You’ll then need to head right and climb stairs until you get to some purple, blue, and white leaves and a bunch of red butterflies. Use the butterflies to boost up and then jump right to the lower platform below. Then drop down, head left, and voila, your penultimate memento.
#7 – Go with the Flow
Then lastly, to wrap things up, as you exit this upside-down area, you’ll come across a weak floor near one of the birds you need to sing to. Smash through and then swim through the tunnel to the left, then immediately swim down and through the tunnel below to your right.
This will take you down to an area where you can swim through a waterfall and into a water tree. From here, burst out one tree to the next until you reach the highest one, then burst out the top of this tree to obtain the memento hovering above.
Congrats, you collected all the mementos in GRIS!
FAQs
Question: How Long Is GRIS?
Answer: If you just want to complete the story, this game will take about four hours to complete. If you ignore collectibles the first time around like me, then getting them the second time around will probably take you an extra three hours, even with the chapter selection. Then if you play with a guide on your first playthrough, you could feasibly 100% the game in five hours.
Question: What Is GRIS Story About?
Answer: It’s a little abstract, but it’s essentially a story that details a young girl’s mental struggles as she deals with the loss of her mother. She must work through the five stages of grief and bring color back to a desolate world after the world around her crumbles. There are some other leading theories, but this is how I perceive the story of GRIS.
Question: Why Can’t I Sing In GRIS?
Answer: You can, but not until the later chapters when the protagonist finds her voice again. This happens in chapter five, allowing you to revive dead plants and create Red Butterfly jump zones.
Finally, Some Closure
As you can see, some of the mementos in GRIS aren’t exactly out in the open, begging to be collected. The devs have done a pretty good job of hiding them, but thanks to this trusty guide, you’ll be able to seek them out in record time. I hope this guide has helped you unlock the secret cutscene, and as always, thank you for reading Indie Game Culture!
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