Parents' Guide to

Monument Valley

By Chris Morris, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Beautiful, brain-twisting puzzle game.

App iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android , Kindle Fire Paid Puzzle Games
Monument Valley Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this app.

  • Monument Valley App: Screenshot #1
  • Monument Valley App: Screenshot #2
  • Monument Valley App: Screenshot #3

Community Reviews

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age 5+

Based on 7 parent reviews

Heawhite
Heawhite Parent of 2 and 7-year-old
December 15, 2022
age 6+

HARD

I love it

This title has:

Educational value
Easy to play/use
Jonathan F.
Jonathan F. Parent of 5-year-old
December 29, 2020
age 5+

An amazing game - with wonderful story and visual

A puzzle game that comes with a touching story and excellent design.

This title has:

Easy to play/use
See all 7 parent reviews

What’s It About?

As with most puzzle games, players try to get from Point A to Point B by tapping the screen. What makes this unique, though, is the game's landscapes. Players can drag and turn parts of certain buildings to create a path from one area to the next. And, in others, stepping on trigger squares will change gravity and have you walking along the side of a wall. The game's physics is based on perception, so if you're able to position elements so there appears to be a path, you can use it, even if that path wouldn't exist in the real world.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (7 ):
Kids say (11 ):

MONUMENT VALLEY is unlike any game you've played (until, of course, the inevitable clones hit the app store). It's a winding, brain-warping title that will occasionally frustrate you to no end, only to have you slapping yourself on the head when you figure out whatever puzzle you're stuck on. By routinely ignoring gravity and the laws of the physical world, it creates a dream world that is positively surreal. It's a very soothing title -- one that's best suited for players who need a slower pace.

The game doesn't offer much in the way of help, though, which could frustrate young players. Even basic actions are left up to the player to discover. Although it's nice to have a game not talk down to players, this is one that could have done with a little handholding in the early levels to ease people into the different style of play.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the art styles of Escher and how they blend into this game.

  • Families also can talk about how thinking outside the box can help you solve problems.

App Details

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