# Grist Wiki

> Unofficial, sourced wiki for Grist, the ASCII-driven sci-fi party roguelite and card battler by Chironex Studios (Melbourne, Australia). Steam app 2164660. Checked against version 0.4.041 "Greensward" on 2026-10-29. Not affiliated with the developer.

Disambiguation: this is the video game Grist on Steam, not the Grist spreadsheet app (getgrist.com), Grist.org news, or the Magic: The Gathering card "Grist, the Hunger Tide".

## Key facts
- Genre: table-top inspired party roguelite and card battler; ASCII "terminal-wave" visuals; set on the Shell-World Atropos, fighting a nightmare plague.
- Steam Early Access since 20 May 2026; expected 12-24 months in Early Access; price $12.99 USD, one price increase planned at full release.
- Platforms: Windows 10 and SteamOS + Linux (4 GB RAM minimum). Steam Deck: Valve rating "Playable" (default controller layout not fully functional, small text).
- Players: single-player only. No multiplayer or co-op.
- Language: English. Achievements, modding and more languages are planned for full release, not yet available.
- Demo: deactivated 9 August 2026 (AEST).
- Core systems: Order Deck built from party members and their equipment; positioning/formation slots in turn-based combat; skill tests with card sacrifice; XP and levels; Boons; permanent upgrades; Grist currency; route planning on the map.
- Mission order: first program -> DEFRAG (0.4.026, 6 Jul 2026; unlocked by completing the first program) -> Death In Green (0.4.041, 27 Oct 2026; requires DEFRAG; Greensward / Gardens of Atropos floors).
- Nightmare Slurry boss (since 0.4.02): Slurp triggers at end of round and only hits targets in the bile pools; HP reduced.
- Troubleshooting: if the game won't launch, update and verify game files in Steam; after a crash the next launch shows debug info to share on Steam forums or Discord; saves from incompatible older versions are refused since 0.4.01.

## FAQ
Q: Grist won't launch. How do I fix it?
A: Make sure the game is fully updated, then use Steam → Grist → Properties → Installed Files → Verify integrity of game files. The developer suspected a corrupt file in one report, and verifying fixed it for that player. An earlier launch crash was patched in February 2024. (https://grist.wiki/faq/#wont-launch)

Q: Grist crashed. What should I do?
A: Restart the game. After a crash, the next launch shows a message with debug information. The developer asks players to screenshot it and share it on the Steam forums or the official Discord so it can be fixed. (https://grist.wiki/faq/#crash)

Q: Why does my old save not load?
A: Since Hotfix 0.4.01, saves from incompatible older versions are refused and the game asks you to start a new game. The developer recommends a new game after the Day 1 Update anyway, to get the tutorial. (https://grist.wiki/faq/#save)

Q: Can I use the beta branch without losing my save?
A: Not safely. The developer warns that playing the public beta may make your save incompatible with the stable release, at your own risk. (https://grist.wiki/faq/#beta-save)

Q: Does Grist work on Steam Deck?
A: Valve rates Grist as Playable on Steam Deck. It runs well with the default settings, but the default controller layout isn't fully functional, on-screen glyphs don't match the Deck, and some text is small. External controllers aren't supported as the main input. (https://grist.wiki/faq/#steam-deck)

Q: Is Grist on Linux or Mac?
A: The Steam store lists Windows (Windows 10) and SteamOS + Linux requirements. No macOS version is listed. (https://grist.wiki/faq/#linux)

Q: What are the system requirements?
A: Minimum: Windows 10 and 4 GB RAM, or 4 GB RAM on SteamOS + Linux. The store page lists no GPU requirement. (https://grist.wiki/faq/#requirements)

Q: Is Grist on PS5, Xbox or Switch?
A: No console versions have been announced. Grist is sold on Steam for PC. (https://grist.wiki/faq/#console)

Q: Is Grist multiplayer or co-op?
A: No. Steam lists Grist as single-player only. The full-release plans mention streaming integration that lets viewers act as a "DM" in a streamer's game, but no co-op mode. (https://grist.wiki/faq/#multiplayer)

Q: How much is Grist, and will the price change?
A: Grist is $12.99 on Steam. The developer plans to keep one price during Early Access and raise it once at full release. (https://grist.wiki/faq/#price)

Q: How long will Grist be in Early Access?
A: The developer expects about 12 to 24 months from the 20 May 2026 launch. The game is already finishable. (https://grist.wiki/faq/#early-access)

Q: Is there a free Grist demo?
A: Not any more. The demo was deactivated on 9 August 2026 (AEST). (https://grist.wiki/faq/#demo)

Q: Does Grist have Steam achievements?
A: Not yet. Steam achievements are a goal for the full release. (https://grist.wiki/faq/#achievements)

Q: Does Grist support mods?
A: Not yet. Modding support for user-made scenarios, enemies and classes is planned for the full release. (https://grist.wiki/faq/#mods)

Q: What languages does Grist support?
A: English only for now. More languages are planned for the full release. (https://grist.wiki/faq/#languages)

Q: How long is Grist?
A: There is no official playtime figure. The game is a procedurally generated roguelite with a finishable tower mode and, as of 0.4.041, missions up to Death In Green. (https://grist.wiki/faq/#length)

Q: Who makes Grist?
A: Chironex Studios, an independent studio in Melbourne, Australia, founded in 2017. Developer Evan Sparks signs the update posts on Steam. (https://grist.wiki/faq/#developer)

## Recent patches
- 0.4.041 (2026-10-27) Greensward: New mission "Death In Green", unlocked by completing the DEFRAG scenario.
- 0.0291 (2026-10-03) Hotfix: Fixes a rare crash when using an Elevator to change floors.
- Beta (2026-09-19) Greensward on the public beta branch: Forest environments get new locations, enemies, items and a unique boss fight. Requires DEFRAG to be completed.
- Demo (2026-08-07) Demo deactivated: The free demo was switched off on 9 August 2026 (AEST) so development time goes to the main game.
- Hotfix (2026-08-01) Minor hotfix: End-of-turn effects now resolve correctly when the target plays a Slow action, so Confusion is no longer removed early.
- 0.4.029 (2026-07-21) Patch: Sentinel Program enemy drawn in the correct position, and its damage reduction displays correctly.
- 0.4.028 (2026-07-18) Hotfix: Fixes a possible infinite loop when using Pressure Wave.
- 0.4.027 (2026-07-17) Hotfix: Prevents a crash on some garden tiles with no mission.

## Pages
- [Grist Wiki](https://grist.wiki/): Home: what Grist is, current version, mission path and quick answers.
- [Beginner's guide](https://grist.wiki/beginners-guide/): How a run works, Order Deck, positioning, skill tests, XP, Boons, Grist and routes.
- [Missions & bosses](https://grist.wiki/missions/): Unlock order, first program, DEFRAG, Death In Green, Nightmare Slurry, Sentinel Program.
- [Crew classes](https://grist.wiki/crew/): Engineer, Mercenary, Guardian, Sniper, Minibots, Autocannon and mods.
- [Glossary A–Z](https://grist.wiki/glossary/): Orders, items, statuses, locations and systems with sources.
- [Patch notes](https://grist.wiki/patch-notes/): Every update from Day 1 to the latest version.
- [FAQ & fixes](https://grist.wiki/faq/): Won't launch, crashes, saves, Steam Deck, multiplayer, price, demo.
- [About & sources](https://grist.wiki/about/): Editorial policy, copyright and source library.

## Glossary terms
- Assassination mission (Mission): A mission type. Since 0.4.02, completing one grants a Boon.
- Atropos (Lore): The Shell-World where Grist is set: a tiered planet of cities, forests and oceans, threatened by a nightmare plague whose source lies at the planet’s heart.
- Autocannon (Unit): A unit the Pirate Technic spawns into a formation slot. 0.4.02 fixed a "No free slots in formation" error when it was spawned. https://grist.wiki/crew/#summons
- Ballista (Enemy): An enemy fight referenced in 0.4.027, which stopped a defeated ballista from being re-fought at 0 HP. https://grist.wiki/missions/#ballista
- Beta branch (System): Steam’s public beta branch, used to test the Greensward update before release. Beta saves may not be compatible with the stable branch. https://grist.wiki/patch-notes/#beta
- Bile pools (Boss): Hazard zones in the Nightmare Slurry fight. Since 0.4.02, Slurp only damages targets standing in them. https://grist.wiki/missions/#nightmare-slurry
- Black market (Location): A shop seen in the 2024 demo; the developer added item previews before purchase there.
- Boon (Progression): A reward you receive during a run. Assassination missions grant one since 0.4.02. https://grist.wiki/beginners-guide/#levelling
- Card sacrifice (Combat): A mode used during skill tests. 0.4.02 fixed it switching on before a character had been chosen for the test. https://grist.wiki/beginners-guide/#skill-tests
- Comms tower (Location): A location with item drops, adjusted in 0.4.026b.
- Confusion (Status): A status effect. A hotfix on 1 Aug 2026 stopped it being removed early when the target plays a Slow action.
- Data Corruption (Mission): A program referenced in Hotfix 0.0291, which fixed it not generating a full map. https://grist.wiki/missions/#mission-types
- Death In Green (Mission): The mission added in 0.4.041 (Greensward). Requires completing DEFRAG. https://grist.wiki/missions/#death-in-green
- DEFRAG (Mission): The mission added in 0.4.026 (titled "Mission 3: DEFRAG" by the developer). Unlocked after completing the first program; adds a new boss and location types. https://grist.wiki/missions/#defrag
- Duck Out (Order): A movement order that needs an empty space above or below the unit, seen in the 2024 demo (a related bug was fixed then).
- Effects panel (Interface): Manage Party → Select Unit → Effects lists every card contributing effects to that unit (added in 0.4.02). https://grist.wiki/beginners-guide/#order-deck
- Elevator (Location): Moves your party between floors. Since 0.4.026b, an elevator whose boss is beaten will not spawn a new boss fight if you return. https://grist.wiki/beginners-guide/#run
- Engineer (Crew): A crew class you unlock. The 2023 preview describes it deploying bots; patch notes reference deployable Minibots. https://grist.wiki/crew/#engineer
- Field Generator (Item): Referenced in 0.4.02, which fixed a crash involving its "Explosion Imminent" state.
- Field Inventory (Interface): Your carried items. Since 0.4.026 they can be used during combat. https://grist.wiki/beginners-guide/#order-deck
- Formation (Combat): Your units’ positions in combat. It has limited slots that summons also take up. https://grist.wiki/beginners-guide/#positioning
- Gardens of Atropos (Location): The forested floors expanded by the Greensward update. https://grist.wiki/missions/#death-in-green
- Greensward (Update): The forest biome and the 0.4.041 update named after it, released 27 Oct 2026. https://grist.wiki/missions/#death-in-green
- Grist (currency) (Progression): The currency spent on in-mission shopping and other expenses. Since the Greensward beta there is no longer a split between total Grist and Grist earned in a mission. https://grist.wiki/beginners-guide/#grist
- Guardian (Crew): A crew class that can taunt, according to the 2023 PAX preview. https://grist.wiki/crew/#guardian
- Manage Party (Interface): The party screen. Its unit sidebar shows current XP vs. XP needed for the next level (0.4.02). https://grist.wiki/beginners-guide/#levelling
- Megamart (Location): A shop location. 0.4.026 expanded its stock with new weapons and consumables. https://grist.wiki/beginners-guide/#grist
- Mercenary (Crew): A crew class whose ability "Second Chance" was fixed in 0.4.02. https://grist.wiki/crew/#mercenary
- Minibot (Unit): A deployable bot that can be upgraded into new types; HP rises with upgrades since 0.4.026. https://grist.wiki/crew/#summons
- Nightmare plague (Lore): The plague threatening the trillions of lives on Atropos. Finding its source is the goal of the story.
- Nightmare Slurry (Boss): A boss rebalanced in 0.4.02 (lower HP, reworked Slurp, bile pools). https://grist.wiki/missions/#nightmare-slurry
- Opportunist (Order): An ability that, since 0.4.02, can no longer target members of the same formation.
- Order (Combat): A card in your Order Deck. Items can change how orders play and interact. https://grist.wiki/beginners-guide/#order-deck
- Order Deck (Combat): Your combat deck. It is built from who is in your party and what equipment they carry. https://grist.wiki/beginners-guide/#order-deck
- Pirate Technic (Unit): A unit that spawns an Autocannon. Patch notes do not say which side it fights for. https://grist.wiki/crew/#summons
- Pressure Wave (Order): An order. 0.4.028 fixed a possible infinite loop when using it.
- Program (Mission): The term the developer uses for selectable scenarios. DEFRAG is chosen as a program after the first one is completed. https://grist.wiki/missions/#order
- Second Chance (Order): A Mercenary ability. 0.4.02 fixed it not activating under certain conditions. https://grist.wiki/crew/#mercenary
- Sentinel Program (Boss): A fight against the Sentinel Program and its allies. Defeating it grants XP (0.4.02); it has displayed damage reduction (0.4.029). https://grist.wiki/missions/#sentinel-program
- Skill test (Combat): A check where you choose a crew member to attempt a challenge, such as getting past an obstacle. https://grist.wiki/beginners-guide/#skill-tests
- Sling (Item): An item dropped by Vandals (drop rate slightly reduced in 0.4.02).
- Slow action (Combat): A type of action. End-of-turn effects now resolve correctly when a target plays one.
- Slurp (Boss): Nightmare Slurry’s ability. Since 0.4.02 it triggers at the end of the round and only hits targets in bile pools. https://grist.wiki/missions/#nightmare-slurry
- Sniper (Crew): A crew class seen in the 2023 preview and 2024 demo. https://grist.wiki/crew/#sniper
- Summon (Unit): Units created in combat. 0.4.025 fixed summons losing their attack after being discarded or killed and respawned. https://grist.wiki/crew/#summons
- Suppressing Fire (Order): An order with a "Sweep" form; a crash with Sweep was fixed in 0.4.022.
- Tower mode (Mission): The Early Access "roguelike tower" mode: procedurally generated levels get harder as you climb, possibly up to the final star cluster. https://grist.wiki/beginners-guide/#run
- Vandal (Enemy): An enemy that can drop a Sling. Its damage scaling at higher levels was adjusted in 0.4.02.
- Volcanic Pebble (Item): An item that adds fire damage (fixed to apply correctly in 0.4.02).
- Weapons Cache (Location): A location that rewards new character mods (added in 0.4.026). https://grist.wiki/beginners-guide/#grist

## Official sources
- Steam store: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2164660/Grist/
- Steam news: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2164660
- Developer: https://chironexstudios.com/
- Discord: https://discord.gg/MzjeEXR62D
- Steam discussion: "game won't launch" (developer replies): https://steamcommunity.com/app/2164660/discussions/0/4205867979940493180/
- Steam discussion: "Crashed right after receiving my first boon" (developer reply): https://steamcommunity.com/app/2164660/discussions/0/845132370469328652/
- Steam discussion: "Grist Roadmap" (developer post): https://steamcommunity.com/app/2164660/discussions/0/4205868583234902085/
- Steam discussion: "great demo" (developer replies on Duck Out and black market): https://steamcommunity.com/app/2164660/discussions/0/7128707542433688168/
- RPG Site: Grist preview (PAX AUS 2023 demo): https://www.rpgsite.net/preview/14952-grist-preview-retro-visuals-disguise-a-combination-of-classic-rpgs