Monument Valley, developed by ustwo Games, is a puzzle game first released only to iOS devices before later being made available on Steam. The game blends intricate puzzle mechanics with beautiful graphics and optical illusions to create a unique gaming experience.
The game’s mechanics are inherently tied to the user’s engagement with and experience of the game. Each level is a puzzle presented as an intricate structure, with paths that bend the laws of physics and geometry. The player is quickly taught how to manipulate these structures, twisting and turning sections to create pathways for the small, silent protagonist, Princess Ida. The game mechanics encourage exploration, curiosity, and a sense of achievement. Though I played this on PC, I could sense how satisfying locking a newly formed path into place must be if played on iOS, as the graphics encourage hints of haptic feedback through the screen.
Monument Valley delivers a unique type of fun that very much feels like recurring cognitive joy. By pushing each puzzle piece into place the player is rewarded with a sense of accomplishment with every level. There is also lots of discovery at play here. Every level brings a new architectural structure to explore and understand. The pleasure derived from discovering the solution to a previously confusing puzzle keeps jogging the player’s motivation to keep playing and solve the next.
The game’s graphic design decisions further reinforce its fun aspects and themes. The minimalistic art style, combined with the pastel color palette, creates a welcoming atmosphere that contrasts with the challenging puzzle mechanics. As well as this, the game’s character design and animations echo the same themes. Princess Ida’s design is simple, yet individual. Her movements are slow and deliberate, matching the pace of the user’s thought processes and adding to the game’s meditative vibe.
Monument Valley shows extremely thoughtful game and puzzle design. It manages to balance the mechanics of puzzles with mesmerising aesthetics, creating a unique feel for fun that caters to both the player’s intellect and senses.
