Critical Play — Puzzles

Introduction

I recently played Monument Valley, a beautiful puzzle game available on iOS and other platforms. When beginning the game, the player is given very little context — just a clear destination and some obstacles.

Mechanics

The mechanics of the game force the user to solve puzzles by moving their player, Ida, around a maze on each level. The maze scrambles the player’s feeling of perception, defying common geometric assumptions. The same level can move one horizontally and vertically, if they rotate it correctly. This is done through optical illusions, where that block fits in perfectly as either a horizontal or vertical piece.

As you progress throughout the game, new mechanics are introduced while old ones still stay in place. This allows the puzzles to become increasingly difficult. For example, while you are at first simply rotating blocks, you can later rotate the entire puzzle to give you a different perspective that creates a new, clear path.

Aesthetics

Monument Valley utilizes a minimalist aesthetic design, which allows the user to very much focus on the puzzle at hand. The minimalist also prevents the player from being distracted by narrative or plot development as they are attempting to conquer the puzzle. There are also helpful audio clues (when a bird is close to blocking you, or when a movement is being made) that are generally pleasing to listen to.

One element that I thought was particularly interesting is how Monument Valley adds elements as aesthetic that will later become mechanics. For example, in Level 2 you get to see a small bird hanging out on the edge of your puzzle. At Level 3, you learn that these birds can actually move around the puzzle and serve as barriers. Thus, this introduces an entirely new element of timing to your puzzle — you must now avoid interacting with the birds as you move. Little did I know that the friendly looking bird in Level 2 would cause me so many problems later on!

Types of Fun

I believe Monument Valley does an excellent job creating fun in a variety of ways. One of those is a sense of discovery. As you learn more complex mechanics of the puzzles, you can feel the difficulty arising. These mechanics are not handed to you — when you are completely stuck, you must recognize that there may be a new mechanical feature of this puzzle that can change your entire game experience.

While I did not complete the game, there is also an interesting narrative developing in even the early levels. We first know that we are playing with a girl named Ida, but a ghostlike figure soon informs us that Ida is actually a princess. Even further, Ida has somehow been to this castle before — we are learning why we are assisting Ida on her quest and what the destination is throughout the game play.

Conclusion

Ultimately, I found Monument Valley to be an incredibly enjoyable play for both its mechanics and aesthetic features. I am looking forward to continuing the story of Ida and understanding how the narrative takes shape throughout the puzzles!