Monument Valley

Turning impossible buildings in Monument Valley

Monument Valley follows Ida, a silent princess, through a series of buildings that could not exist. Staircases loop back on themselves, and a path that looks broken joins up once you rotate the tower it sits on.

Your job is to manipulate the architecture. The developer, ustwo games, describes pushing, pulling, raising and lowering parts of each monument to reveal paths that would otherwise be impossible. Optical illusions are at the heart of every puzzle.

The Crow People occasionally block your way, but they are obstacles to steer around rather than enemies to fight.

The developer describes discovering beautiful architecture and transforming landscapes as you progress, and the visual style is part of the pleasure: clean shapes, soft colours and a sense of quiet space.

Each puzzle tends to have a moment where the illusion clicks and an impossible path suddenly connects. That small surprise is the game's main reward.

The worlds are described by the developer as surreal and mysterious, and moving between them feels like turning the pages of an illustrated book. Short chapters keep the pace steady.

The meditative pace of Monument Valley

The developer calls Monument Valley a meditative and calming puzzle game, and says it is designed for players of all ages and experience levels. Steam lists it as playable without timed input and supporting save anytime.

PEGI notes some tense moments, such as platforms crumbling with slightly ominous music, but adds that characters are never harmed and tense situations resolve quickly.

Each chapter is a self-contained monument, which gives you a natural point to stop.

Its controls are simple: the Steam listing describes pushing, pulling, clicking, raising and lowering, and lists mouse-only play and full controller support. On phones and tablets, it is played with touch.

Monument Valley is also notably short, built from a series of compact chapters. In our editorial view that is a strength for calm play: it never outstays its welcome, and it is easy to replay a favourite chapter just to enjoy the illusions again without any pressure to do better.

Monument Valley for younger and newer players

Because there is very little text and the puzzles are visual, Monument Valley works well for children and for adults who rarely play games. A child can spot the path while an adult rotates the pieces, or the other way round.

Our guide to calm games for kids covers what to check on mobile before handing over a phone or tablet, including purchase controls, since the Android version lists in-app purchases.

Because chapters are short, it also suits sharing over several evenings with a child: one monument each night, with the child deciding which piece to turn next. The visual puzzles mean reading ability matters very little.

Adults who enjoy optical illusions, puzzle books or architecture tend to find it especially satisfying. It rewards looking carefully rather than reacting quickly.

Versions of Monument Valley you can buy in the UK

Monument Valley began on mobile. On the UK App Store and Google Play it is a paid app, and Google Play lists in-app purchases as well. Steam lists a PC version released in July 2022.

On consoles, the PEGI database lists Monument Valley - The Trilogy for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5, released in October 2025, rated PEGI 3. The trilogy bundles the series' games together.

If you like its gentle puzzles, A Little to the Left offers a homelier kind of logic.

If you are choosing between versions, the console trilogy is the simplest way to get the series on a television, while the mobile and PC versions suit shorter, more personal sessions.

Whichever version you choose, there is no online play and nothing to keep up with between sessions.