Art and narrative Music and colours in the video game ‘Gris’

Creating a specific methodology to analyse the music in video games remains a chal-lenge to this day. Concepts taken from cinema or other linear media are insufficient as both the characteristics of the medium (interactivity and non-linearity) and the huge variety of genres and formats prevent the creation of a universal method for all video games. In this sense, the most viable option may be to create a methodology that can be adapted according to the genre or mechan-ics of the game in question. To contribute to this field of study, this article presents the analysis of a relatively linear video game using methodological tools traditionally applied to linear audiovisual resources, at the same time as terminology used in the study of interactive audiovisuals. The video game chosen is Gris (2018), produced by the Barcelona studio Nómada. It follows in the wake of other video games generally considered to be artistic, such as Journey or Limbo, in which the narration and the visual and musical aesthetics are all essential elements. The visual style of Gris was determined by illustrator Conrad Roset and its music composed by the group Berlinist. Both create synergies between music and image, highlighting the use of colour above all. This article therefore seeks to delve into the relationship established between music and colour and to contemplate to what extent the game can be considered a work of art.