Monument Valley

About

Monument Valley is a surreal, Apple Game of the Year 2014 and Apple Design Award 2014 winning fantasy adventure game. Manipulate impossible architecture and guide a silent princess, Ida, through stunning, optical illusion-filled monuments. Experience a world of beautiful design that stays with you, like a dream, available on iOS.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 9,972 reviews

graphics1k positive mentions

monetization20 negative mentions

The escheresque visuals are absolutely beautiful and captivating.
The game is relaxing and provides a calming experience with its soothing background music.
The gameplay is engaging, combining clever puzzles with a unique perspective-based mechanic.

The game is very short, with only 10 levels that can be completed in about an hour.
Many players found the puzzles to be too easy, lacking significant challenge.
The additional levels require extra payment, which some players felt was not justified given the short length of the game.

graphics
1,365 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
24%
The graphics of the game have been universally praised for their stunning beauty and artistic design, often compared to the works of M.C. Escher. Players appreciate the smooth animations, intricate details, and the way the visuals enhance the overall gameplay experience, creating a calming and immersive atmosphere. While many reviewers noted the graphics as a highlight, some expressed disappointment over the game's short length and lack of challenge, suggesting that the visual appeal alone may not justify the price for all players.
- “The graphics are excellent and the animation is as smooth as silk.”
- “The graphics are stunning, and the way it is used to create 3D puzzles is very creative.”
- “The visuals are mesmerizing, and with each new level, I am more entranced than before.”
- “Graphics are simple geometry.”
- “Also, there is a graphical glitch on the last level.”
- “Crappy music and bad graphics.”
music
701 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
32%
1%
The music in the game is widely praised for its calming and atmospheric qualities, enhancing the overall experience and complementing the beautiful graphics and innovative puzzles. Many players find the soundtrack to be soothing and immersive, often describing it as a perfect fit for the game's aesthetic and gameplay. However, some users noted that the music can become repetitive over time, and there have been occasional issues with sound settings not functioning properly. Overall, the combination of stunning visuals and a captivating soundtrack contributes significantly to the game's appeal.
- “The music, art, and the overall vibe reminded me of Abzû and Journey, to which I applaud – made me feel right at home.”
- “The music is sublime and complements the theme of the game.”
- “The graphics, the music, the story, the calmness - everything blends together and builds an unforgettable experience.”
- “It's a spectacular game but recently it started to make a clicking noise when I have the music on, which ruins the tranquility of the music and I'm unable to truly appreciate it.”
- “I love this game and I've played it many times but the music is crackling in this version of the game.”
- “Edit: I can't toggle off sound and music after the last updates.”
story
680 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
42%
3%
The game's story is often described as beautiful, intriguing, and emotionally resonant, though it tends to be vague and minimalist, leaving much open to interpretation. Many players appreciate the combination of stunning graphics and a gentle narrative that unfolds through gameplay, while some feel the story lacks depth or clarity, making it less engaging. Overall, the storytelling is seen as a unique aspect that enhances the puzzle-solving experience, despite some critiques regarding its brevity and simplicity.
- “The storyline through the game is also very intriguing, and it makes you want to stay around to see the rest of the story unfold.”
- “The story is beautiful & unique, the graphics are stunning, the gameplay is smooth and easy, the puzzles are challenging but not impossible.”
- “Beautiful, calming, gentle puzzle with a heartwarming story.”
- “Walking simulator disguised as a puzzle game; the art is pretty enough, but I can only recall one moment where I didn't immediately figure out what I needed to do. There wasn't enough story for me to become invested in either.”
- “It seems there's a story trying to be discovered, but with no plot or character development to be seen.”
- “The storyline was very vague and added nothing to the experience of playing.”
gameplay
498 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
40%
2%
The gameplay of the game is widely praised for its beautiful graphics, soothing music, and innovative mechanics that create a relaxing yet engaging experience. However, many users express disappointment over the game's short length, with most completing it in about 1-2 hours, and some finding the puzzles too easy or lacking in challenge. Overall, while the gameplay is described as enjoyable and visually stunning, the limited content and relatively high price point leave some players feeling unsatisfied.
- “The gameplay is fun and innovative, the music and sound design are lovely, and the characters are adorable to look at.”
- “Beautiful to behold and elegantly simple in its gameplay, perhaps the only criticisms I could level at it are its length and the fact that some of the puzzles became more of an indulgent display of cleverness.”
- “The gameplay is just the right amount of challenging and the music combined with its beautiful graphics makes it super immersive.”
- “However, I do feel it is let down in its length of gameplay for the price asked.”
- “Just be aware before you buy that it is about 2 hours worth of gameplay total and once you solve the puzzles there would be no reason to repeat them.”
- “I was very disappointed in the price for the amount of gameplay you get.”
atmosphere
114 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
30%
3%
The game's atmosphere is consistently praised for its stunning visuals, calming music, and immersive design, creating a relaxing yet stimulating experience. Reviewers highlight the beautiful art direction and sound design, which enhance the overall gameplay and contribute to a serene, mystical environment. Many players appreciate how the atmosphere allows for personal reflection and exploration, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “The game immerses you in a mystical atmosphere that relaxes you while playing...”
- “Beautiful visuals, atmospheric music, and great puzzles.”
- “Playing throughout these semi-surrealistic dream worlds filled with playful puzzles inspired by Escher, with a lovely melancholic atmosphere of abandoned structures and serene pacing truly takes you away for a memorable experience.”
- “The music is such an important part of the experience of this game and not being able to appreciate that and getting pulled out of the general atmosphere/aesthetic is disappointing.”
- “The atmosphere in the game gives you the opportunity to get into the game and feel like the hero, but the music is amazing; I recommend this game for everyone.”
- “The surreal atmosphere really gets to you!”
emotional
68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised, with players highlighting its heartwarming and touching storyline that evokes a range of feelings, from joy to heartbreak. Many reviewers express surprise at how deeply they connected with the characters and narrative, often leading to tears during pivotal moments. The combination of beautiful graphics, calming music, and engaging puzzles enhances the emotional experience, making it a memorable journey for players.
- “A wonderful concept with a heartwarming storyline of finding your way in the world.”
- “I was so surprised that this game made me feel so many emotions and took me on a journey to heal myself along with the main character.”
- “Beautifully crafted, heartfelt, and challenging to the right degree.”
monetization
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
32%
36%
Overall, players appreciate the lack of intrusive ads and microtransactions in the game, praising it for providing a clean and enjoyable experience. However, some users express disappointment over the presence of in-app purchases for additional content, feeling that it detracts from the value of the initial purchase. While many enjoy the game without ads, a few note that certain levels are locked behind paywalls, which can be frustrating.
- “The beautiful quality, animations, imagination, puzzles, music & sound effects are all worth the nominal price... and no ads!”
- “An enjoyable art house experience without the intrusive monetization of most contemporary games.”
- “Beautiful levels, challenging gameplay, and no pointless microtransactions.”
- “This sequel was clearly a cash grab.”
- “Too bad 8 stages are locked behind in-app purchases.”
- “In-app purchase?!!!”
replayability
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
41%
38%
Overall, the reviews indicate a mixed perception of replayability, with many users expressing disappointment due to the game's short length and linear storyline, leading to little to no replay value. While some players found the game enjoyable enough to revisit, the consensus is that it lacks substantial replayability, especially considering its price point. A few users noted high replay value, but these opinions are in the minority.
- “Even after finishing the original story, additional levels and sequels multiple times, the replayability for me is still super high.”
- “It's short but replayable, and the levels are amazingly done.”
- “I have never paid for an app before, but this is totally worthwhile and definitely replayable.”
- “The game has essentially no replay value, which is disappointing but normal for puzzle games.”
- “I beat the whole thing within 4 hours and there's little to no replayability.”
- “Unfortunately, the highly linear storyline restricts gameplay, so there is very little replay value.”
humor
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is consistently praised for its cleverness and charm, with players highlighting the funny puzzles and witty characters that enhance the overall experience. Many reviews note that the humor adds a delightful layer to the gameplay, making it both relaxing and engaging. Overall, the game's lighthearted approach and amusing elements contribute significantly to its appeal.
- “Very, very funny and very amazing!”
- “The characters are quite funny and interesting.”
- “Standing ovation to this game... each level had me laughing throughout at the witty enemies and the lively gameplay.”
optimization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
10%
10%
Overall, the game is well-optimized, running smoothly even on older or less powerful devices, with many users praising its performance and graphics. However, some players have reported specific issues, such as stuttering sound when closing the game on certain models, indicating that there may be room for improvement in certain areas.
- “The game runs smoothly even on cheap phones like mine.”
- “The game is beautiful, has gorgeous sound, is really nicely optimized and tells us a short but fine story.”
- “This game has amazing graphics and it runs smoothly; I just love this game.”
- “Has stuttering sound issue; while closing the game on my Pixel 6 Pro. Please fix the issue, devs.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
70%
Overall, the stability of the game is mixed; while many users report a flawless experience with no glitches or bugs, several others have encountered significant freezing issues, particularly at critical stages and during expansions. These stability problems detract from the enjoyment for some players, despite the game's otherwise engaging puzzles.
- “Flawless puzzles and encountered no glitches or bugs.”
- “There have been no glitches!”
- “No glitches, just enjoyment.”
- “It always stops at stage 3; it freezes and restarts my phone.”
- “Freezes at the end of Forgotten Shores, and even when I force quit and go back in, it puts me back at the end credits.”
- “My only complaint is my device freezes when trying to load the final expansion level.”
character development
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
60%
Character development in the game is noted as lacking depth, with some players feeling that the story and character arcs are underdeveloped. However, the character design is praised for its creativity and engagement, contributing positively to the overall experience despite the narrative shortcomings.
- “The character design is creative and engaging.”
- “Truly a masterpiece of game design and subtle story/character development.”
- “The graphics, the sound, and character design, the puzzles, the story... it's a bit of a shame the game is pretty quick to finish playing, but I'm not complaining; everything else definitely makes up for it.”
- “It seems there's a story trying to be discovered, but with no plot or character development to be seen.”
- “The graphics, the sound, and character design are great, but it's a bit of a shame the game is pretty quick to finish playing, and the character development feels lacking.”
- “Truly a masterpiece of game design, but the subtlety in story and character development leaves much to be desired.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and monotonous, with puzzles that become repetitive and frustrating over time. The final level, in particular, is noted for its boredom and lengthy waits, detracting from the overall experience.
- “Tedious but simple puzzles, agonizing waits.”
- “The final level was so boring and tedious that the ending felt anticlimactic.”
- “Once you get the knack of it, the puzzles become just tedious.”