Gris Was Ripped Off By A Self Care App, According To Devolver Digital

Gris is an indie platformer about a young girl lost in her own world. Fabulous is a "science-based" app that helps users track their habits and goals. What do they have in common? A significant amount of animation, apparently. Today, Gris' publisher Devolver Digital tweeted a rather damning video showing animation from the Fabulous app that looks exactly like moments from Gris. 

"The Fabulous app (@GetTheFabulous) ripped off GRIS and is reminder [sic] to all devs to be mindful of big companies and brands stealing creative work from smaller studios." read the tweet. The video shows iconic, floaty scenes from Gris where our heroine floats up and down, her dress defying gravity. A featureless but equally floaty person from the Fabulous app follows her movements precisely, complete with those famous ruffles that Gris' dress has. 

Replying to the tweet, fans were shocked at how blatant this alleged rip off appears to be, with many encouraging Devolver Digital to pursue legal action. Gris is the first game from tiny developer Nomada Studio, which is based in Barcelona, Spain. Gris gained fame for its beautiful, melancholy style and unique gameplay "free of danger, frustration or death." 

Fabulous, on the other hand, is a self care app that was "incubated in Duke's Behavioral Economics Lab." It aims to help users build healthy habits. One of the features of the app is "Journeys," or challenges, that users can take on. These Journeys often include motivational animations that explain the importance of mindfulness and other positive mindsets. This is where that stolen animation came from. 

In the hours since Devolver Digital's tweet, there has yet to be a reply from the Fabulous app, despite its official Twitter account being tagged. What will those behind the app have to say for themselves? Will they say anything at all? 

We'll continue to report on this story as it develops.