Monument Valley (2014)

Developer: Ustwo Games
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, Windows Phone, Android, PC (Microsoft Windows), iOS, Mac, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Genres: Point-and-click, Platform, Puzzle, Strategy, Adventure, Indie
Rating: 3.8 of 5, 228 player ratings
Main story: about 3.0 hours
Completionist: about 2.3 hours
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A serene, meditative journey through impossible architecture that rewards quiet observation and gentle manipulation.

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About

In Monument Valley, the player leads the player-character princess Ida through mazes of optical illusions and impossible objects, which are referred to as "sacred geometry" in-game, as she journeys to be forgiven for something. The game is presented in isometric view, and the player interacts with the environment to find hidden passages as Ida progresses to the map's exit. Each of the ten levels has a different central mechanic. Interactions include moving platforms and pillar animals, and creating bridges. The player is indirectly cued through the game by design elements like color, and directly cued by crow people, who block Ida's path. Critics compared the game's visual style to a vibrant M. C. Escher drawing and Echochrome. The game includes a camera mode where the player can roam the level to compose screenshots. It includes filters à la Instagram.

Screenshots

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More by Ustwo Games

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.