For my critical play this week, I played Monument Valley, an indie puzzle game released in 2014 by Ustwo Games. It was followed by Monument Valley 2 in 2017 and Monument Valley 3 in 2024. Ken Wong, one of the game designers and artists for Monument Valley, was heavily involved in the illustration and creation of the game. He was inspired by the drawings of M.C. Escher, bonsai trees, dollhouses, and the architecture of Moroccan mosques and Indian temples. The team intentionally created the game without resources to collect or scores to beat, allowing players to focus on enjoying the puzzles and the beautiful artwork instead. By omitting these resource-based mechanics, the player experience is guided towards a less competitive and more thoughtful form of gameplay.
Monument Valley operates similarly to a point and click game. The player is presented with an isometric view of a geometric world. The goal of each level (also called “chapters” in the game) is to get the protagonist, Princess Ida, to the demarcated end tile on the screen. The player can tap on the screen to move Princess Ida as well as drag the screen to rotate the platform that she is on. Each level is presented as an isometric projection of simple, geometric structures, typically cuboids and stairs. Rotating the structure reveals hidden optical illusions that form new connections between platforms and allow Ida to travel to places previously unreachable. Some levels also have other mechanics: some handles can rotate the object they are attached to, certain platforms will have an almost Lego-like appearance and can be dragged around on screen, and shadowy doorways function as portals in the game. These aforementioned mechanics enhance the player experience by encouraging the player to explore the rules of the world in order to progress. Because movement is necessary to move to the next chapter, the player quickly learns that they must find an innovative way to create a path for Ida to walk on. Finally discovering the solution to a level is rewarding; the chapters rarely feel too easy or unreasonably difficult. The player feels accomplished when getting Ida to the end tile, even after poring over the complex structures. The variety of mechanics helps the game not feel boring, even after many chapters.
Monument Valley expects very little background knowledge of players in order to play, since the puzzles are essentially entirely visual. The most important requirement is the ability to think outside of the box. The player needs to be able to imagine how rotating the platform would affect its on screen projection, and visualize what mechanics need to be manipulated in order to form a walkway for Ida. Because these expectations are so bare-bones, there are not many ethical considerations accompanying them. One potential issue is that the game may not be accessible for colorblind individuals. Many of the chapters contain differently colored platforms; someone with colorblindness might not be able to see the visual hints to maneuver the objects. Despite that concern, Monument Valley is a very ethical game. The time and effort put in by the designers is clear as day and it shines in the excellent gameplay and graphics.
