Monument Valley is an elegant little puzzle platformer for mobile devices. You control the main character as she attempts to recover the geometry that she’s stolen and find forgiveness for her actions.
The game’s hallmarks are its minimalistic dreamy graphics, excellent soundtrack, and creative puzzles that use the landscape and architecture.
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Best Games Like Monument Valley
Suppose you’re a fan of Monument Valley and have already tried Monument Valley 2. In that case, there are still lots of fun puzzle games and puzzle platformers to try. Just think of your favorite parts of the game and try to find one that incorporates that element.
Here are some different aspects to consider:
- Minimalism. Monument Valley is a minimalistic game without realistic graphics, busy backgrounds, or complicated controls.
- Music. One of the hallmarks of the Monument Valley series is how fantastic the music is. Fans love the relaxing tunes that play as they attempt to navigate the levels.
- Seeking out treasure. In Monument Valley, the main character is seeking something she’s lost. There are many puzzle games with similar themes which send their main characters on a journey of discovery.
- Fantasy atmosphere. Monument Valley is a game that isn’t based in the real world. Instead, it takes place in a fantasy world with magic and moving architecture.
Look for these things when you evaluate games like Monument Valley. No game will be the same, but many will have similar themes and gameplay.
Evo Explores
The first thing you might notice in Evo Explores is how similar the game looks to Monument Valley. The levels are built with the same kind of floating minimalistic structures as the beloved series. The colors are soft pastels against the gentle colors of the sky behind the levels.
Evo Explores shares another quality with Monument Valley — you move your character through the levels by solving puzzles. However, you will also explore a background story throughout the game, giving you extra incentive to get the puzzles right.
That they’re so similar makes sense when you consider the developer’s claim that Monument Valley is what inspired Evo Explores in the first place.
You can play Evo Explores on Android or iOS.
Mekorama
Mekorama is an overlooked gem in the world of puzzle games. It is equally addicting, graphically stunning, and in some cases, more difficult than monument valley.
The game plays on a simple isometric building with puzzled loops, bricks, and elevators. You are a WALL-E-like robot who must solve a puzzle to reach its destination. Seems easy right? Wait till you level up.
Mekorama is available on Android and IOS
Kensho
Kensho appears to be a simple puzzle game at first — you just have to slide the tiles to complete each challenge. It has more depth than that, though. Explore the different features and consider every move carefully to progress.
Like Monument Valley, Kensho has a professional and relaxing soundtrack that you can enjoy while working on the puzzles. They also share quality characters. You might even find yourself getting attached to some of the characters in Kensho as you progress through the levels.
Kensho is available on Android and iOS.
Lumino City
Lumino City is a puzzle adventure, like Monument Valley. You complete puzzles to make a journey that takes you around the city and beyond in an attempt to save your kidnapped Grandfather. Characters figure out how to use different devices to move through the world and bring him home.
The game has beautiful graphics, even if they’re a little different than what you might expect. The characters and sets were actually made from paper and move as if they were created with stop-motion animation. Everything in the game was formed from paper, cardboard, glue, lights, and motors.
Play Lumino City on Android and iOS.
Wonderputt
Wonderputt shares a dynamic world floating above the ground with Monument Valley. It’s a golf game where you land your putts, and then the very environment around you changes. Each course you complete gives you new opportunities and areas to access.
There are other considerations beyond the putter, ball, and direction. Weather can be your friend or your foe, depending on how you use different conditions. You’ll also meet up with various animals and silly machines that can help you get the ball into the hole and move on to the next one.
Wonderputt is available on Android and iOS.
Starman
If you love the architecture of Monument Valley, try Starman. The architecture of each level is a significant gameplay feature that has to be considered when you try to solve the puzzles. It’s not a fast-paced game; you’ll make more progress and have more fun if you stop and think about the consequences of each move before you make it.
The main character exists in a world without light, and it’s up to him to bring it back. The world as a whole has gone dark, but you play a being of light who can change things. It’s a slow and ponderous game but one you might enjoy relaxing with.
You can play Starman on Android and iOS.
Samorost 3
If you play Monument Valley for the surreal images and challenging puzzles, try Samorost 3. You play as a space gnome with a magic flute that can help you travel to different worlds as you search for the truth of the universe. The puzzles you solve to progress can be tricky and aren’t necessarily for the faint of heart.
Like Monument Valley, the developers seem to have put a lot of care into this game. There are plenty of little details to discover that help make the game more immersive. Since there aren’t many tutorials, it’s the kind of game you have to just start playing and interacting with to figure it out as you go along.
Try Samorost 3 on Android and iOS.
Shadowmatic
Simple, charming atmosphere and gameplay are what you’ll find in Shadowmatic. Like Monument Valley, it isn’t an overly complex puzzle game at first glance — but there’s a lot of depth below the surface. The game itself is lovely and calming to play since it has such a peaceful mood.
Like making shadow puppets on the wall when you were a child, you’ll have to turn objects in just the right way to make a shadow that looks like something in the world. Some levels even have more than one object, which offers a more difficult challenge. However, each shadow solution will have something to do with the environment around you.
Play Shadowmatic on Android and iOS.
Outfolded
Outfolded is a minimalist puzzle game where you unfold shapes to make your way across the landscape. Like Monument Valley, there aren’t many flashy images or physics to distract you from the puzzles. Instead, it’s just a relaxing game where you swipe to unfold and try to figure out how to move from one block to the next.
The game has soothing colors, a great score, and hundreds of levels. There are hints if you get stuck. It also offers a daily puzzle so that you have fresh content every day, no matter how far into the game you progress.
Outfolded is available on Android and iOS.
Faraway
In Faraway, you gather clues about your father’s disappearance as you travel through ancient ruins. The puzzle game shares similar themes with Monument; since you’re searching for something to fix a problem in your life, as Ida does in the original Monument Valley.
Both your characters in Faraway and Ida in Monument Valley are on a journey to be proven worthy and fix a wrong that has affected your life.
Faraway has a more grounded setting, with 3D temples and ruins to traverse. As you travel, you’ll have to interact with devices and solve puzzles. Get through them, and you’ll be able to find pages from your father’s diary to discover what happened in the past.
Play Faraway on Android and iOS.
Umiro
A quick glance at the layout of Umiro’s levels might remind you of Monument Valley. Each map is set on a minimalistic background and looks like it could pop right up through the screen. The two protagonists are trying to recover sacred crystals and restore color to the world.
While the game does get more difficult as you progress, the story will keep you wanting to solve the puzzles to get more information. Since you control both Huey and Satura, you have to think about both their actions if you’re going to beat the levels, find new difficulties to overcome and meet other characters.
You can find Umiro on Android, iOS, or Steam.
Games like Monument Valley bring puzzles, adventures, and magic stories to your phone screen. Each one will be a little different but will carry the spirit of the original.
2 Comments
great review, this is exactly what I was looking for. It’s so hard to search in the app store for what you want.
Thank you! It really can be difficult to dig through everything on it to find just the right thing.