As result of the negative environmental impact of large hydroelectric dams and conventional diesel power plants, new renewable energy sources should be studied. Gravitational Vortex Turbines (GVTs) can provide clean energy to off-grid areas, known as Non-Interconnected Zones in Colombia, by inducing a water vortex in a turbine-generator set. The implementation of these turbines in the world has expanded due to demographic growth in remote areas, and new studies have enhanced their efficiency. However, there is not enough literature about the estimation of the incidence of their geometric and operating parameters on their performance. This paper presents a global overview of GVTs through a literature review that explores their operation as well as numerical, experimental, and analytical studies that have been conducted to improve their efficiency.