This is a True Story is a narrative-driven puzzle game for Netflix members that explores real-world events through hand-painted art.
Product velocity
Dormant
Daily rank 🇺🇸
—
Games
Sentiment
4.4
6k reviews
Nemesis
Monument Valley
The App DNA
What makes this app unique?
The app serves as a retention asset for the Netflix subscription bundle by providing a low-friction, meditative experience for existing members.
For Netflix subscribers who enjoy narrative-driven, artistic puzzle games based on real-world events.
What does it look like?
Key features
Requires an active Netflix subscription to access the game content.
Visual aesthetic featuring original hand-painted landscapes.
Combines hidden-object, puzzle, and side-scrolling mechanics based on real-world interviews.
How much does it cost?
The app operates as a gated content asset for the Netflix subscription service, with no individual IAP or ad-based monetization.
Velocity
Dormant developmentopaqueShow more...
Development has stalled, with no new feature builds or events released in the last 299 days. The app currently operates at a zombie velocity, as the last update occurred well over the three-month threshold for active maintenance. Given the lack of recent activity across both Android and iOS platforms, there is no evidence of ongoing support or content updates.
Who built it?
Netflix
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NetflixUser Sentiment
What do users think recently?
Review voice lately leans mixed. Users appreciate hand-painted watercolor art style provides a relaxing and meditative atmosphere for players seeking calm and educational storytelling effectively builds empathy by highlighting the daily challenges of water scarcity in ethiopia, but report graphical glitches showing bright pink rectangles on terrain and foliage break immersion for many players.
How are ratings & reviews evolving?
What users say, by theme
- Hand-painted watercolor art style provides a relaxing and meditative atmosphere for players seeking calm
- Educational storytelling effectively builds empathy by highlighting the daily challenges of water scarcity in Ethiopia
- Graphical glitches showing bright pink rectangles on terrain and foliage break immersion for many players
99 of 238 recent reviews analyzed · high confidence · Mixed overall
Read the full review analysisUnlock 2 more frustration themes and 1 user request, each backed by review evidence.
Access the full report for freeCompetition
Competitive landscape for This is a True Story
How's the Games market?
The app maintains a niche position in the narrative-puzzle category, with a 4.7-star rating across 5,552 total ratings. Its reliance on the Netflix subscription gate limits its reach compared to standalone premium rivals like Monument Valley.
Read the market outlookThe rivals identified
By ustwo games
The gold standard for narrative-driven puzzle games, commanding a massive, loyal user base that directly overlaps with this app's audience.
- Establishes a distinct visual language through impossible geometry that defines the entire sub-genre.
- Maintains long-term player retention through high-fidelity, premium-feeling level design that justifies its legacy status.
Unlock the deeper market read.
Access the full report for freeThe Analyst's Read
Key takeaways for This is a True Story
Where is it heading?
The narrative-puzzle category is consolidating around titles with higher mechanical polish and deeper progression loops. This app remains a stable, artistic asset for Netflix, but its lack of feature expansion leaves it vulnerable to more polished, premium-priced competitors.
- Persistent graphical glitches in the latest release erode the visual quality, which is the primary driver of user satisfaction.
- The lack of gameplay depth limits the title to a niche audience, preventing broader adoption beyond the existing Netflix subscriber base.
The SWOT
- Hand-painted watercolor aesthetic creates a distinct, meditative visual identity
- Additional narrative chapters could extend the life of the experience for existing subscribers
Next best moves
Audit texture rendering pipeline because graphical glitches are the #1 complaint theme → preserve visual quality
The counter-intuitive read
The app's reliance on the Netflix subscription gate is its greatest strength…
Read the full takeFeature gaps
Impossible geometry level design (available in Monument Valley but missing here) +1
Since the last report: The app remains in a maintenance-only state with no new content, while user feedback increasingly highlights a lack of mechanical depth and persistent graphical bugs. Review volume grew from 99 to 238, yet the core technical issues remain unresolved.
Bottom line
The app's artistic value is currently undermined by persistent graphical bugs that erode the user experience. Addressing these technical regressions is necessary to preserve the visual identity that serves as the primary retention hook for Netflix members.
Unlock 2 critical frictions, 1 market threat and the analyst’s take.
Access the full report for freeFAQ
Is This is a True Story free to play?
How does This is a True Story compare to Monument Valley?
Does the game have any technical issues?
What is a similar game if I enjoy the art style?
Sources
- [1] App Store, source
Report last updated