Monument Valley
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School
University of Utah *
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Course
1010
Subject
English
Date
Dec 6, 2023
Type
docx
Pages
3
Uploaded by HighnessStingrayMaster990
Tate Carter
Fernando Rodriguez
EAE 1010-001
October 6th, 2023
Game Journal: Monument Valley
What is the name of the game you chose to play?
I chose to play
Monument Valley
which is in the casual
genre.
Why did you pick that game and genre of game?
I chose
Monument Valley
because I owned it on my phone through my brother already.
Tell me what the pertinent details of the game are (I am interested to know what you think the
pertinent details are). Note: do not just write up the plot points for this section here unless it is an
important part of what you found interesting in the game.
Monument Valley
is an esoteric point and click puzzle game where you make your way
through a variety of non euclidean levels that play with perspective. You play as a princess in a
world of strange M.C Esher inspired isometric puzzle boxes where you have to use out of the
box thinking to change the landscape to your will. Each level introduces new pieces for you to
rotate, move, or otherwise manipulate that allow you to make illusions into reality. An example
of how this is done is a classic impossible triangle which is used throughout the game to
demonstrate the warped reality your perspective can create. You will enter on one side of the
triangle, but when you come back around you are on a completely different side! This makes no
sense in a physical sense, but through the visual language of the game it’s intuitive to understand.
The controls are simple and the game is short, containing only 10 levels, though this felt like a
positive for this type of casual experience.
What made the game fun? What got in the way of the fun?
This game has an amazing visual style along with interesting puzzles that really give you
that “aha” moment. Even with the short length a variety of gameplay ideas are explored and
iterated on throughout the game. The story was both confusing and bland to me, though I admit
the former issue may be tainting my interpretation of the latter. What I didn’t find bland was the
tone and theming which consistently made me feel something, even if I didn't actually
understand what was happening. These worlds where you can walk on walls and move in
impossible ways seem like they would be overwhelming, but the design of the illusions that keep
it all together are immaculate. These levels also keep their styles varied and interesting
throughout the 10 levels of the game.
And finally, have you played similar games before? If so, what made this game different from
other games you have played? If not, think of aspects of the game you chose that can be
compared to other games you have played before (a specific game mechanic, overall tone, music,
visual design, etc.)
I’ve played many games that use perspective as a central mechanic including
Superliminal, Antichamber, What Remains of Edith Finch, The Stanley Parable
and
The
Complex: Found Footage.
What I find unique about this game is how heavily it leans into the
M.C Esher aesthetic using its isometric perspective which gives it a very unique visual identity
and allows for a much more seamless experience without losing the depth of those other games.
As for other games in the casual genre I think this is one of the best simply because of the length;
Short games are often looked down on by gaming communities, but for casual games like this
the barrier to entry just becomes that much lower. I also think this is good for a casual gamer
because it uses the language of art like M.C Esher which most people understand through
cultural osmosis.
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