Monument Valley is a beautiful, whimsical game full of surprises. It’s been recognized for its visually impressive production, winning several awards in the areas of visual art, innovation, and design. Now, it is a puzzle game – and puzzle games do come to an end once the puzzles are solved. This is usually the case… but there might be a little more to this one.
The primary interaction mechanics of the game are the sliders used to change the heights of buildings, the gears to rotate objects, the square tiles that the princess (the main player) must stand on to reveal structural expansion tools, the doors that open and close to magically transport the princess from one part of the scene to another, and most importantly, Totem, the princess’s faithful friend made of bricks who can change their position to help her access taller targets. These all come together to form one fundamental mechanism on which the whole game is based: impossible geometry. You know in the movie Inception, where the city of Paris folds in on itself, or the more commonly recognized Penrose stairs that never end? That’s exactly what Monument Valley is modeled after – only more. More plays on physical space, more perspective-based mobility.
These mechanics come together to form a core dynamic: puzzle-solving through infrastructural manipulation. The player must overcome their anchor to existing architectural possibilities, and expand their mind to sometimes literally think outside the box.
As such, the game is heavily founded in a number of aesthetics: challenge, discovery, narrative, sensation, and submission/abnegation. Challenge through the basic puzzle-solving action, overcoming the obstacles of basic physics. Discovery through exploring this nature-defying, flawlessly elegant world of monuments and crows. Narrative through the princess’s journey – who is she really? What is this place? Why is she tasked with finding these shapes? Who are the crow people? Sensation: this game is a feast for the eyes without question – I can even go back over it again and again just for the visual thrills. Abnegation through the low-stakes environment of the world – there’s no pain, no drawbacks, no real loss. It’s a game purely for enjoyment.
