Item: Monument Valley 2+
Rating: 98
Author: Dinsun

Our Site Score

98/100

Monument Valley 2+ isn't just a game; it is a profound piece of interactive art. Ustwo Games took the groundbreaking optical-illusion mechanics of the first game and elevated them by wrapping them in a deeply touching narrative about motherhood. The way the mechanics reflect the story—initially having the child mimic your movements, then eventually separating them to solve puzzles independently—is a beautiful metaphor for a child growing up and finding their own path.

The visual design is staggering. Every single screen is so meticulously crafted, vibrant, and geometrically perfect that you could frame it and hang it on a wall. The puzzles are brilliant but never punishing. The game isn't designed to stump you for hours; it's designed to give you continuous 'aha!' moments as you shift a structure and suddenly see a pathway emerge from thin air. The sound design is equally crucial; manipulating the environment produces resonant, melodic tones, making you feel like you're composing music as you play.

The only real complaint anyone can levy against it is its length. It can be completed in a few hours, leaving you desperately wanting more. However, the pacing is so perfect and the experience so dense with quality that padding it out would have been a disservice. It is a masterpiece of mobile gaming that everyone should experience, best played with a good pair of headphones.

Reviewed on: Sat Oct 15 2022

Dinsun Review

Monument Valley 2+ is a triumph of art and design, let’s get that out of the way first. It’s one of the few mobile games that I would describe as 'essential' for anyone who cares about the medium. The way it plays with perspective and geometry is brilliant, and the relationship between the mother and child is handled with a subtlety that most big-budget games could learn from. It’s a quiet, dignified experience.

But as a gamer, I have to be honest: it’s barely a challenge. Most of the 'puzzles' solve themselves as soon as you start moving the environment around. It’s more of an interactive art installation than a game. And it’s incredibly short—I finished the whole thing in under two hours. For an Apple Arcade title, that’s fine, but as a standalone purchase, it would feel a bit thin. It’s a high-quality, conservative 80 because while it’s perfect at what it does, it doesn't do nearly enough of it.

Overall Stats

Pros & Cons

Masterclass in visual and sound design
Emotionally resonant, wordless storytelling
Genuinely clever use of perspective

Extremely short playtime
Puzzles are rarely challenging
Zero replay value once finished

Technical Report

Performance: Flawless performance; perfectly optimized for touch.

Accessibility:

Simple tap controls
Highly legible visual cues

Audience Fit

Buy if: You value artistic expression, architecture, and emotive storytelling.

Skip if: You want a long-form experience with difficult, brain-teasing puzzles.

Similar Games:

Monument Valley
Gris

Reviewer Context

Reviewer: Dinsun, 40, Hardcore Conservative Gamer
Hardware: iPad Pro (M2)
Playtime: 2 hours
Status: Finished all chapters

Monument Valley 2+ continues the legacy of its predecessor, delivering a breathtaking puzzle adventure through impossible geometries inspired by M.C. Escher. Players manipulate the environment—rotating walkways, sliding pillars, and shifting perspectives—to create optical illusions that become real paths for the protagonists, a mother named Ro and her child. Beyond its ingenious mechanics, the game is a masterclass in visual design and audio engineering, telling a poignant, wordless story about growth, separation, and maternal love. This Apple Arcade version offers the complete masterpiece ad-free.