"Monument Valley"... the first time I played it, I was using an iPhone 5s. At that time, the mobile game market was just booming, and the screen was full of cards, or cards that cost 999. You know, in that era, it was sandwiched among a bunch of krypton gold games, quiet and quiet, like a building growing out of a dream.
Not to brag, it's really a work of art. Geometric trompe l'oeil, Escher-style architecture, and a quiet princess. There aren't many words, but every step tells something. It's a bit like the feeling of being amazed when we played "Snake" in the Symbian era, but now this one is thousands of times better.
Let's get back to the trend.
Today's mobile games are so popular. Open world, real-time battles, assembly line guarantees, monthly cyber cards... The technology is indeed getting better and better, and the graphics are getting more and more high-definition, but to be honest, sometimes I feel empty after playing too much. Everyone is busy doing daily tasks and running around the map to open treasure boxes. How many people still remember the game with no meter bars, no red dots, and no combat power system?
Monument Valley is that exception.
It doesn't urge you to recharge, it doesn't force you to play daily, and it doesn't even prepare many levels. When you walk in, it's like opening a picture book. You walk slowly and think about it. Occasionally, you will be detoured by a road and your head will be full of questions. Then you suddenly wake up - that feeling is like the first time you discovered when you were a child that you can draw directly on the screen of your mobile phone. It is pure and surprising.
The developer is Dream World. To be honest, this manufacturer is really good at selecting works in the domestic mobile game circle. But what is truly admirable is that they are willing to maintain this "work" in such an era of traffic. It's not a product, it's a work.
The mobile game industry has become more and more like fast fashion in recent years. Many things evaporate within three months of being popular. To put it bluntly, most manufacturers are grabbing users' time instead of giving users time worth cherishing. Monument Valley can become a benchmark not just because of its beauty, but because it proves one thing. Mobile games don't have to be just a pastime, but can also become a small sacred place in the heart.
Sometimes I go back to the photo album on my phone and see screenshots from when I played "Monument Valley". It was also late at night, and the song "The End" was playing in the headphones. The princess slowly walked toward the door, and the whole world slowly spun behind her. As an old man, I can't say I was touched, but I suddenly felt that games are really great.
Too much chatter.
In short, if you want to play something different and find some quiet power, you can try it.
As for me, I will probably continue to live in confusion in this fast food world of mobile games, but every time I look back, Monument Valley is there, like a building that will never disappear, quietly reminding me that games used to be less urgent, and people could not be so anxious. 🕊️