If you enjoy games that are calm and yet buzzing with vibrant atmosphere you need to check out the mobile game Monument Valley. Whether you’re on iOS, Android or Windows Phone, the digital product studio ustwo has developed this very elegant game for all of you.
Concept and story
Monument Valley is labelled as “the game of impossible architecture and forgiveness” and the player quickly gets to understand what that means and how enchanting that can be. I bet you will experience moments of “WOW!” as well as the moments of “WHAT?!?” while you’re playing. I struggle to categorize this particular game in a genre but if you really pin me down on it, I suppose you could call it a puzzle game.
In Monument Valley you help the silent princess to make her way through amazing settings and indeed impossible architecture. However you need to make sure that you avoid the “enigmatic Crow People”. While they look hardly menacing, they represent another hurdle for the silent princess on her journey.
Gameplay mechanics
We are not looking at an action game and this neither is a roleplaying game. This game is more likely to be considered slow pace and relaxing. If you’re for instance unwinding from your commute from work going back home in the evening, Monument Valley will sooth you and make you forget the troubles of a fast paced world.
In the game you are looking at fascinating locations and you need to move and manipulate all kinds of objects and environment in order for the princess to be able to make it to the next location on her journey. At the beginning the stages are easily completed and you can immerse yourself into the feeling of the game. Later when you are more familiar with the alternate physics and the impossible architecture, you will be challenged with mind-boggling locations to overcome.
Soundtrack
For casual gaming I often not use music or sound in mobile games, but for the case of Monument Valley I strongly recommend you to keep it on. The soothing instrumental soundtrack is supporting the overall atmosphere and feeling of the game and dynamically reacts to what the player does.
Reception
The game has been building up a fan base very fast. The developers have received so much great fan art, so that they actually set up a page for Monument Valley fans on Tumblr. Next to winning a lot of awards for the game, Monument Valley has also received great commentary from press and influencers. For example, Tim Schafer says, “Monument Valley is the most elegant game I have ever played.”
Summary
Monument Valley is not free to play but has a little cost of a couple of dollars to it. In my opinion the price is more than fair, as they did a great job establishing an atmosphere that I consider almost as meditative. This type of game must not be disrupted with in-game advertising and therefore they did the right thing by raising a little cost to playing the full version without distraction.
YouTube: Monument Valley: Forgotten Shores – out now
Photo credit: ustwo
