# This is a True Story — A beautiful quest for water

> Narrative puzzle adventure game based on real events and interviews. (iPhone/iPad app by Netflix, Inc..)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/this-is-a-true-story/id1598949458 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Netflix, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/363590054)
- Category: Games, Adventure
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.70/5 from 3,226 App Store ratings · 175 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 12+
- Requires: iOS 15.0 · 866 MB
- Languages: American English, Arabic, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French (France), German (Germany), Greek and 21 more
- Released: 2022-03-22
- Data updated: 2026-08-31
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/this-is-a-true-story/id1598949458/reviews.md

## What is This is a True Story?

Available exclusively for Netflix members. 

Explore a beautiful, hand-painted landscape in this lush narrative puzzle game that's based on actual events and interviews.

Survive a windstorm, catch poachers, and even befriend a goat! Adventure and insight await you at every turn as you search for water and marvel at Earth’s natural beauty.

Features include: 
• Original short story based on actual events and interviews 
• Beautiful hand-painted art 
• Simple, intuitive controls 
• Puzzle, hidden-object and side-scrolling gameplay (plus more)
• Dozens of exciting chapters to explore 
• Original soundtrack

## Key features

- Original short story based on actual events
- Beautiful hand-painted art
- Intuitive controls
- Puzzle and hidden-object gameplay
- Dozens of chapters to explore
- Original soundtrack

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Netflix Standard Plan | $19.99 | per month |


## What do users think of This is a True Story?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 🌺 Beautiful artwork
- 🎨 Stunning visuals
- 🎶 Relaxing soundtrack
- 📚 Informative and educational
- 👍 Calming and meditative experience
- 💡 Unique and original concept

**Cons**

- 🐛 Graphical issues (pink/purple artifacts)
- 🕰️ Short gameplay duration
- 🔍 Unclear objectives/instructions
- 🕹️ Finicky controls
- 🤔 Repetitive gameplay

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Graphical glitches on certain devices
- Unresponsive or inconsistent controls
- Inability to progress past certain points

**Most requested features**

- More stories and chapters
- Improved optimization and bug fixes
- Expanded gameplay and puzzles
- Localization to more languages

## Recent user reviews (10 of 175)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/this-is-a-true-story/id1598949458/reviews.md

### 1/5 — What is this?

*2026-07-10*

I thought one round trip was just the tutorial, and that there would be at least 10 times more story content afterward. I never expected that after making the coffee, the credits would immediately start rolling. Is that really the entire game?

This is the shortest game I’ve ever played in my life. It’s not even close to being a finished product — it feels like an incomplete demo at best. If it wasn’t finished, you shouldn’t have released it in the first place.

What a disappointing experience.

**Developer response:** Thank you for your feedback; we value your honesty. If you have any further suggestions you'd like us to consider, we are always here to listen!

### 4/5 — Upsetting

*2026-06-10, version 1.0.3*

A heartfelt but very upsetting game, showcasing the difficulties many people face getting access to something so basic as water. It’s not a comfortable game to play and that’s the point. I wish I could help those that need support, especially children. It breaks my heart to think of all the kids who don’t have access to all the things we take for granted, who struggle just to survive. The graphics are also mostly beautiful aside from some glitching pink patches and some of the missing landscape.

### 5/5 — I (WE) NEED MORE!

*2026-03-09, version 1.0.3*

in all my years, i cant recall reviewing a gaming app, I enjoyed this game soo much, especially after recently traveling to south Africa recently! I (WE) MORE CHAPTERS! the creators, voice actress are geniuses

### 2/5 — Nice message but boring (and buggy) gameplay

*2026-02-09*

It’s great that the game is creating awareness for water insecurity but this game is boring. You’re walking and reading text. That’s pretty much it. A couple of no fail, no stakes minigames (make coffee) rounds out the experience. There’s also visual bugs that kill immersion. You can see the boxes where the trees have been put in because they’re purple. Kills the immersion to be walking on bright purple ground in the desert in Africa.

### 5/5 — Coffee time

*2025-11-16, version 1.0.3*

A good game/story

### 2/5 — A year with no updates?!?!

*2025-09-17*

Moving the character is not very intuitive. I’m also seeing lots of bugs that ruin the beautiful backgrounds. For example, who would walk through a grassy field to come upon a pink, blotchy body of water? It seems the developers stopping caring about this game, so we should stop downloading it and trying to play it.

### 1/5 — Color

*2025-08-04, version 1.0.3*

Change color issue

### 4/5 — Fun

*2025-05-30, version 1.0.3*

Awesome

### 4/5 — Seemed lovely but buggy

*2025-05-12, version 1.0.3*

I really wanted to enjoy the game, but it had so many bugs, the ground kept having those bright purple rectangles all over in every other frame. :(

### 5/5 — Short but Sweet

*2025-02-16, version 1.0.3*

This was a beautiful story while being interactive and educational.

## Frequently asked questions about This is a True Story

### What is 'This is a True Story' about?

This is a narrative puzzle game that takes players on a quest for water through a beautifully hand-painted landscape. It's based on actual events and interviews, offering players adventure and insight as they explore Earth's natural beauty.

### What kind of gameplay can I expect?

The game features a mix of puzzle, hidden-object, and side-scrolling gameplay. You'll encounter challenges like surviving windstorms, catching poachers, and befriending animals, all within an original short story.

### Is this game free to play?

The game is available exclusively for Netflix members and is free to play. While the core experience is free, there are in-app purchases available.

### What platforms is this game available on?

This game is available exclusively for Netflix members. Specific device compatibility would typically be found on the Netflix app's game section or the device's app store.

### What makes this game unique?

Its uniqueness stems from being based on actual events and interviews, combined with a stunning hand-painted art style. The narrative puzzle gameplay, coupled with an original soundtrack, offers a distinctive and engaging experience.

## Version history (last 4 releases)

### 1.0.3 — 2023-12-07

We're always working to bring you the best Netflix Games experience. In this release, we've made some bug fixes and performance improvements.

### 1.0.2 — 2022-04-19

We're always working to bring you the best Netflix Games experience. In this release, we've made some bug fixes and performance improvements.

### 1.0.1 — 2022-03-29

Get the best experience by updating to this game’s latest version

### 1.0 — 2022-03-22

No release notes.

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All apps by Netflix, Inc.: https://appshunter.io/developer/363590054

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-31.*