Monument Valley
Ustwo
iOS
I've never been too big on mobile gaming. I've always felt gaming was best when experienced on a television screen with a controller in your hands. Playing games on a smartphone or tablet just felt off to me, as I always felt that the only way a video game could provide a deep and meaningful experience was on a console or PC. Then along came Monument Valley.
Monument Valley is a puzzle game based around the simple concept of guiding little Princess Ida from one point to another. But it's not that simple. Ever see a MC Escher painting? Monument Valley's ten levels are based around the twisting and warped perspectives of the classic painters works. In order to solve each puzzle you have to bend and move your surroundings to create new and unexpected paths for the little princess to traverse. In addition to it being one of the most visually and artistically stunning games I've seen on any platform, Monument Valley has some of the best "aha!" moments I've seen in any game, puzzle or otherwise, since Portal 2. It's short but so very sweet, and is designed perfectly for mobile devices (though I do recommend playing it on a tablet) and you can finish it in one sitting, or break it up into multiple play sessions.
I've never been too big on mobile gaming. I've always felt gaming was best when experienced on a television screen with a controller in your hands. Playing games on a smartphone or tablet just felt off to me, as I always felt that the only way a video game could provide a deep and meaningful experience was on a console or PC. Then along came Monument Valley.
Monument Valley is a puzzle game based around the simple concept of guiding little Princess Ida from one point to another. But it's not that simple. Ever see a MC Escher painting? Monument Valley's ten levels are based around the twisting and warped perspectives of the classic painters works. In order to solve each puzzle you have to bend and move your surroundings to create new and unexpected paths for the little princess to traverse. In addition to it being one of the most visually and artistically stunning games I've seen on any platform, Monument Valley has some of the best "aha!" moments I've seen in any game, puzzle or otherwise, since Portal 2. It's short but so very sweet, and is designed perfectly for mobile devices (though I do recommend playing it on a tablet) and you can finish it in one sitting, or break it up into multiple play sessions.
Above all else, I think the best thing Monument Valley provided me was a new perspective on mobile gaming. It showed me that really entertaining and deep gaming experiences could occur on phones and tablets, and they weren't exclusive to consoles or PC. I found myself drawn to Monument Valley's lush world and mind-bending puzzles more than some other, bigger games that released in 2014. If you have $4 and a capable mobile device, I highly suggest giving Monument Valley a shot. It's fun, lovely to look at, and is more than worthy of attention from gamers of all kinds (even grumpy old mobile nay-sayers like me).
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