NIS America has announced a Western release for The Grimm Reapress and the Drearytale Monster in 2027. The hand-drawn adventure RPG is coming to PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC through Steam. The publisher has not announced an exact release date.
The game was announced at PAX West 2026 after the Japanese version launched on April 30. If you want more unusual games to add to your watchlist, our 20 Weird Games You’ve Probably Never Heard Of list has more ideas, while The 10 Games Everyone Is Talking About After Gamescom 2026 covers the biggest games from the summer showcase season.
When does The Grimm Reapress release in the West?
The Western version is scheduled for 2027, but NIS America has not given a month or day. The Japanese release is already available, so the 2027 window refers to the English-market launch rather than a worldwide first release.
The official product page lists physical editions for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2. Digital versions are listed for Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Steam. Price, preorder timing, and a demo for the Western version have not been announced.
What is the story?
Mono is a lonely girl from a family of famous opera stars. She has spent her life neglected in the theater attic, but she still cares about her older sister. When her sister is taken to the Libratarium, Mono leaves the attic to find her.
The Libratarium was built to contain people infected with Paper Mortis, a disease that changes humans into picture books and eventually into monsters. The outbreak becomes so serious that the facility is abandoned. Mono enters the building anyway and meets Mär, a legendary monster who has his own reason to hate humans.
What is Paper Mortis?
Paper Mortis is the illness that gives the game its central rule: a person can become a book, and that book can later become a monster. The official description calls the books grimoires, or magical books, and says each one contains a traumatic story about a girl and her misfortune.
That setup explains why the Libratarium is more than a normal hospital or prison. Mono is searching for her sister inside a place filled with transformed people and dangerous storybook worlds. The announcement material confirms the picture-book premise without revealing every chapter or monster.
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How does the game play?
The Grimm Reapress is a single-player adventure RPG built around exploration, puzzles, and boss encounters. Mono searches the picture books inside the Libratarium while the contract with Mär gives the story a second character to follow.
The available footage focuses on the contrast between the quiet library and the creatures living in its pages. NIS America currently lists one player, and no multiplayer mode has been announced.
Who are Mono and Mär?
Mono Brightman is the girl trying to rescue her sister. Her motivation is personal, and the official character description connects her determination to the love she received from that sister. Märchendia, usually called Mär, is the monster imprisoned in the Libratarium. He hates humans and plans to take revenge, yet he agrees to work with Mono.
That arrangement gives the game its main relationship. Mono needs Mär’s help to search the books, while Mär has his own goal and does not suddenly become friendly. The story has confirmed the contract and their opposing motives; it has not explained how every gameplay ability will use the pair.
Which platforms are confirmed?
NIS America lists PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and Steam. The publisher’s product information lists English and Japanese text and Japanese voices. Xbox has not been announced, and there is no confirmed release date beyond 2027.
Who is making the game?
Nippon Ichi Software is developing The Grimm Reapress and the Drearytale Monster, with NIS America handling the Western release. The project comes from the team associated with The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince and The Cruel King and the Great Hero, two earlier Nippon Ichi storybook adventures.
The Japanese version uses the title Shinigami Hime to Isho-kan no Kaibutsu. The English title changes the wording, but the premise remains the same: Mono enters a library of broken picture books to search for her sister alongside a monster who wants revenge.
What is still unknown?
NIS America still needs to announce the exact Western date, price, preorder details, edition contents, and any PC system requirements. The publisher has shown the setting and central characters, but it has not described the full story, the number of picture-book worlds, or every puzzle and boss.
For now, the 2027 window and four-platform list are firm. The game’s defining details are also clear: Paper Mortis turns people into books, Mono is searching for her sister, and Mär is helping for reasons of his own. The next update should tell players when they can enter the Libratarium themselves.
