The Grimm Reapress and the Drearytale Monster

The Grimm Reapress and the Drearytale Monster is a hand-drawn adventure with puzzles and battles. Mono searches an abandoned sanatorium for her seriously ill sister. To do so, she must enter fairytale books, whose inhabitants were transformed by an eerie disease.

The game comes from Nippon Ichi Software, the studio behind The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince and The Cruel King and the Great Hero.

The Western edition releases on May 13, 2027 for PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. In Japan, the console versions already released on Apr 30, 2026.

NIS America is publishing the English-language edition in Europe and North America.

PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 get the Western release. On PC, Steam is planned. For Switch 2, NIS America lists an upgrade pack alongside the Switch edition. The platforms have different regional releases.

Mono explores hand-drawn rooms shown from the side and solves obstacles together with Mär. The duo changes parts of the picture book world, destroys objects and uses abilities to open new paths. Exploration and puzzles are interrupted by encounters with transformed girls.

Mono grows up in a family of successful opera singers, but is largely left to herself. Her older sister is the only person who shows her closeness. When she is taken to the Libratarium due to a mysterious illness, Mono goes there on her own initiative.

In the abandoned building she meets Mär, a dangerous companion with his own motives. The two make a pact, even though Mär is hostile towards humans.

Paper Mortis turns people into picture books, from which monsters later emerge. The stories of those affected can be experienced within the books. Each fate reveals a different facet of the dark fairytale world.

The Libratarium was meant to isolate the sick from the outside world. When Mono arrives, the facility has been abandoned. Its rooms hold picture books, behind which hide their own settings and tragic life stories.

Mär accompanies Mono while exploring and can use his powers to affect parts of the environment. He attacks enemies, tears down obstacles and opens paths through the paper landscapes. Overusing his abilities risks him losing control.

The pages of the picture book world are part of the gameplay. Mono and Mär must move, damage or otherwise change objects to create new paths. Abilities learned later also open up previously visited places.

Behind each book are girls whose experiences linger on in the fairytale settings. Their stories lead to battles against monstrous figures. After successful sections, Mär expands his abilities, for example with fire and flight.

The world combines minimalist, sometimes almost monochrome backgrounds with lovingly drawn characters. Illustrations, movement and text boxes are meant to create the feeling of a living picture book. The peaceful drawing style contrasts with the story's heavy themes.

The Western edition includes Japanese voice acting. NIS America lists English on-screen text for the console versions. For PC, Japanese, Korean and traditional Chinese text are also listed.

NIS America offers physical editions for PS5 and Switch, as well as digital versions for the announced platforms. The Switch 2 edition is also described on the Western product page as an upgrade pack for Nintendo Switch. When buying and downloading, check which platform edition you choose.