Critical Play: Monument Valley

For this critical play I decided to play Monument Valley. This game is an aesthetically appealing, intriguing, story-telling puzzle game with 10 intricate levels. It's hard to not play this game in one sitting, which is what I almost did.

This game relies on optical illusions to allow the player to manipulate the buildings so that the main character, Ida, can reach her destination. The game starts out simple, but then as the levels increase, there are different ways to manipulate the surroundings to allow Ida to reach the destination. For example, in a later level she is able to walk on different surfaces, which is critical to that level. This variation of mechanics introduced by each new level allows the player to not be bored and appreciate the complexity of the game.

Intertwined with the game is a narrative the pushes the story. This narrative continues for all 10 levels, making the player even more invested in the game. Even though each level carries a similar theme and similar ways to solve the puzzle, there is no sense of repetitiveness because the steps to solve each level are so different.

I wish there were more than 10 levels because the game seemed to fly by. I would definitely recommend the game based on the play and the visuals.