Exploring Monument Valley: A game that gives me life

When we think of adventure games, we often imagine a character running, climbing, jumping and dodging. Trying to move forward but also stay alive, a mission entrusted to us, the puppet masters. This sort of choice for games has always made me feel uneasy. I often feel there’s just too much on my hands. What is meant to be exciting often turns into stress. 

This is where Monument Valley comes in like a breath of fresh air, calm and peace. For those who need to be made aware of the game, Monument Valley is a visually striking puzzle game developed by Ustwo Games. Players navigate a character named Ida through a series of surreal, architecturally impossible landscapes inspired by optical illusions and minimalistic design. The game involves manipulating the environment to create paths, solving puzzles that often require changing perspectives and uncovering the story of Ida's journey. Known for its beautiful graphics, ambient soundtrack, and innovative gameplay, Monument Valley has received critical acclaim and has produced a sequel as well.

By December 10th for 2024, they are also releasing the much-awaited 3rd part of the game. Which I and many like me look forward to. 

The game feels like a first-year design studio exercise taken to its extreme and then some. The worlds are beautiful to look at, the monuments are mysterious and the story is intriguing. As a cherry on top, the sound design is meant to make the player feel calm, collected and centred. Throughout the game, music is also interactive alongside the moving architecture, often giving players some control over the notes to take a small pause and just play in the moment. 

At the end of each level, a new part of the story unfolds giving us a clue about the journey we are in. Each level is more complex than the one before, and more beautiful than the one before. The environment design gives clever clues about the main story of the game, hidden in plain sight. Due to the game design’s attention to detail, the game has something new to offer every time it is re-played. 

At the end of the game, the players are left with a sense of fulfilment, happy that our silent princess has accomplished her mission. A sense of calm and happiness because we were able to experience such beauty and enjoy the slow-paced audio-visual game play.