I’m going to talk about one of my favorite ever gaming experiences, playing Monument Valley. It’s an easy game to talk about, because the core of the game is rather simple, activating primarily sense pleasure is a core aesthetic, although voluntarily overcoming unnecessary obstacles at the heart of this puzzle game, so challenge is another important core aesthetic (however for the sake of this short analysis, I’ll focus on the central game mechanic that contribute to the sensation aesthetic bliss that is Monument Valley.
The game’s main puzzle mechanic is manipulating levers, switches, and blocks to move in ways that exploit optical illusions in a maze style that is essentially Escher-esque. What’s remarkable about this game as I analyze it formally using the MDA model, is that this is essentially the sole-mechanic of this game. Manipulating elements to solve mazes is all we really get, which make the emergent aesthetics all the more impressive. One dynamic that emerges from this sole mechanic is experimenting with what the movement of the blocks and levers does; this taps into something very human; these movements defy our understanding of depth and perception, compelling us to perceive a world that is completely unlike our own and re-learn everything fundamental we take for granted in our own reality. This is a deep sense aesthetic of the game, which along with a stunning auditory soundscape, make this an enduring classic for me.
I’ll note, since I’ve played through this game so many times, it’s also activating the core aesthetic of pastime (submission if you want to use the peculiar verbiage choice of the authors) because with the puzzles already solved it really is just a pleasurable escape into an alternate world for me now.
