A look at Monument Valley, a puzzle game developed by ustwo that won Apple's design award in 2014 and stood out in a market dominated by free-to-play titles
A scene as still and pure as it is confounding: towers stretching up, flags billowing gently in the wind, stone walkways appearing to defy the principles of architecture. Mastodon: @adriaan@mastodon … . X: @westisnoweast , @ringer , @langealexandra , @lewis_gordon , @harrynesbitt , @mamawindu , @lewis_gordon , @lewis_gordon , @ethangach , @asallen , and @lewis_gordon Mastodon: Adriaan de Jongh / @adriaan@mastodon.gamedev.place : Fantastic reflection piece on ‘the premium mobile games era’ to which I proudly contributed! https://www.theringer.com/... X: Erik Talmadge / @westisnoweast : A great article by @lewis_gordon re: one of my most favorite games. #MonumentValley is beauty in simplicity. A great look into the history of the game, insight into how mobile gaming has changed, & the subscription model consumes another industry. https://www.theringer.com/... @ringer : In 2014, ustwo's wistful puzzle game ‘Monument Valley’ was a smash hit at launch, the flagbearer for gaming on iOS, and a guiding light for a cohort of similarly artful mobile titles. @lewis_gordon: https://www.theringer.com/... Alexandra Lange / @langealexandra : I loved Monument Valley so much I tracked down the architectural influences https://archive.curbed.com/... Lewis Gordon / @lewis_gordon : @ringer @ustwogames Featuring four members of the original dev team, @Dan_Gray, @mnshm, @DavidFHuerta, @gravykun, as well as the makers of other wonderful mobile games, @harrynesbitt, @AdriaandeJongh, @mcloister, and journalists, @KyleOrl, and @ethangach. https://www.theringer.com/... Harry Nesbitt / @harrynesbitt : Always a pleasure chatting with @lewis_gordon, and what better way than to celebrate 10 years of such an impactful game made by some of my dearest friends in the industry. Happy anniversary Monument Valley and much love to @ustwogames! ❤️ Gül Ümit Gürak / @mamawindu : “Now, free-to-play titles reign supreme, and the dream of premium mobile gaming is a distant memory.” 😔 Lewis Gordon / @lewis_gordon : The past ten years sure have been a trip https://www.theringer.com/... [image] Lewis Gordon / @lewis_gordon : The piece is about a wonderful game, of course, but also the fading dream of premium mobile, Apple's role in marginalising these experiences (having once championed them), & the way we've all been pulled deeper into the “machine zone” over the past decade. https://www.theringer.com/... @ethangach : It's hard not to associate this period with the iPad and iPad Mini and Apple's bet on more aesthetically-driven and intentional tech interactions which promised premium mobile games and a glossy mag digital media experience. Instead we ended up with slot machines in our pockets. Andy Allen / @asallen : Still one of the most beautiful games... mobile or otherwise. https://www.theringer.com/... Lewis Gordon / @lewis_gordon : Monument Valley, arguably the definitive gaming experience on the iPhone, is 10-years old. To mark the occasion, I reported for @ringer on how @ustwogames optimized for beauty and quality rather than analytics, monetization, and attention capturing. https://www.theringer.com/...