Game: Monument Valley

Ida - the faceless princess

Well look at this. Something that isn't food. Well golly gee!

So it's been a while that I've been eyeing this game in the app store. I'm a gamer, and even though I play practically all kinds, my favorite types of games are adventure/puzzle games.

Examples of adventure/puzzle games I have played (and enjoyed): Oddworld, Journeyman, 7th Guest, The Longest Journey, Dreamfall, Sanitarium, 9, Tesserae, Rebuzzle, Word Brain, Zuma, Intelligent Cube, Obsidian... and other games that have puzzle stuff in them like Tomb Raider.

When I check out the app store on my iPhone, I always check out the same two game types: Puzzle and Word. Rarely there is anything new that catches my eye. I've dabbled in the worlds of Fruit Ninja, Candy Crush, and Temple Run, but I can only play those for so long until I need a break from them... which is odd considering playing the game is supposed to be a break in itself.

"Hi! I'm addictive!"

One day I was checking out Monument Valley in the Google game store, and they had these "if you like this, then you'd like this" suggestions next to the game, and one of them was Skyward. It looked interesting enough, and it was free - so I downloaded it.

The environment design is essentially the same to Monument Valley (though MV's design is mind-blowing in its transformations.

Skyward starts off with a portion of track where you essentially have to alternating discs (which - to me - look like tiny Necco wafers) that you have to play leap frog throughout the maze. It reminds me a little of CrossyRoad in the respect that the game ends when you die. (So I guess you can say it's also a survival game, too?)

Monument Valley - from all the pics I saw online and in the app store - always made me think of the scene from Labyrinth where Sara is trying to find her little brother Toby in that Escher-type room of stairs.

The game is entirely like that.

Pretty

So remembering my iTunes gift card from back in the day, I said, "Frak it!" and used it.

THIS GAME IS AWESOMESAUCE!!!

It didn't take long to download the game, and as soon as I played the first level, I was hooked immediately. The worlds are so pretty. Each level, each structure, a piece of amazing art all on its own. (The two levels/puzzles that stick out in my mind from the game are "The Box" and "Observatory".) So pretty, and SO COOL! (And I really love her Totem friend. I want one!!!)

Over the course of the next few days, I finished the game in about a day's time (give or take). I had to force myself to not be an ass, put the phone away, and - ya know - be social and responsible. I downloaded the game Friday and finished it Saturday.

So Monument Valley only has 10 levels which made me sad since I wanted more.

Then after the credits were done and the game ad showed, it said "download Forgotten Shores" - WHICH I DID!!!

First I played "Ida's Dream" which was previously unreleased content. Very pretty.

And then it was off to Monument Valley: Forgotten Shores.

Ida & Totem

With this expansion, you get 8 more levels... which I finished quickly and then was whining inwardly like "WHYGAWDWHY?!?!? I WANT MORE MONUMENT VALLEY!!!"

Or something like that.

My favorite level in Forgotten Shores is "The Oubliette."

This level had me saying things like "WTF?" and "That's awesome!" and "SWEET!!!"

Now normally when playing puzzle games like this, there's usually a part in the process where I get stuck and can't figure out what to do or where to go. At that point, I get all tense, shut off the system and just walk away for a while.

I was surprised at how quickly I finished the game. Not to say that it was easy, but I was waiting for that "DAMMIT!" moment but most of those moments were from being at the office or driving or stuff like that.

I have since been playing the game over and over. Admittedly there were some things that I looked at and thought "I beat you dammit. Why can't I remember you?" - which is odd since once I've played a game, the muscle memory kicks in rather quickly.

Would I Ever Try This Again?: Of course, and I have! More, please? Thanks.

Monument Valley - Game Site:
http://www.monumentvalleygame.com/

ustwo
https://ustwo.com/