Monument Valley design concept is learning is earning

We call those legendary, promising and unique companies unicorns, and Monument Valley is no unicorn in the gaming field? This legendary game has fascinated us for a whole year, and we can't stop playing in the unforgettable world and the dazzling and exquisite scenes, which makes us curious about how this game was born. Today, we will uncover the secret.

You must be familiar with the award-winning and famous mobile game Monument Valley. Princess Ada, who has never shown her face or spoken a word, takes you through a series of exquisite and gorgeous mazes to explore the way out and seek forgiveness.

There are no enemies in this game, and there is no killing in the story. However, this game, which goes "contrary" to the cruel reality, has sold 5 million copies since its launch in April 2014, generating more than 13 million US dollars in revenue, attracting users of different ages and cultural backgrounds. Even President Underwood in "House of Cards" was inspired by it and decided on his propaganda strategy for the presidential election.

Ken Wong, USTWO's chief designer, completed the design of Monument Valley in his London studio. The success of the product proves that gamers don't have to be dead nerds squatting in the basement playing antisocial games.

In an interview with Bridge's Designer Foundation, Ken bluntly stated that games appeal to both men and women, children and the elderly, from China to the Middle East, and that the scope of games does not only include pornography and violence.

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Ken shared many of his thoughts during the panel discussion at the Designers Foundation. “Games can encompass cancer and care, love and friendship,” he said. “Everything in your life can be made into a game, just like movies and books, and that’s why every second of designing a game is so exciting.”

Ken's fascination with architecture was an important source of inspiration for the design of Monument Valley.

The inspiration for Monument Valley actually comes from Ken's fascination with architecture and Dutch artist MC Escher. At the beginning of the design, Ken did intend to lead the game in a new direction. And his game users and players also cover a variety of types, including skill-oriented players, battle masters, ordinary users seeking fun, and traditional RPG fans who are happy to slay dragons.

But at the same time, he also hopes to polish an interesting story, create full-bodied characters, and use stunning visual design and ear-pregnant sounds to satisfy those who are truly "addicted to a whole new world and happy to discover strange and interesting new things."

Ken's early design for Monument Valley

Simple, subtle, elegant

Monument Valley breaks the mold of traditional game design in many ways:

Its design is quiet and restrained: Princess Ada wanders in a world that is not chaotic, and the Zen version of the addictive music replaces the noisy soundtrack in traditional games
No artificial rewards to motivate users
Princess Ada does not have a distinct personality, and users cannot imagine her thoughts, nor can her story resonate with users.

The concept of less is more runs through the entire game. "Maybe when a movie is not needed, a short experience may be more cathartic than a game." Ken said, "If you want to design a great game, don't be afraid to break traditional wisdom."

Another important factor for the success of Monument Valley is its elegant new user guidance process. When you first enter the game, the beautiful illustrations will visually attract users. Of course, there are still many users who are naturally skeptical about new games, and Ken said: "They need some encouragement, but after a little exploration, they will take the initiative to explore."

The world of Monument Valley under construction

When talking about the design and development of Monument Valley, Ken sketched out the prototype of this building-based game and then the development team took it over and gradually iterated through frequent failures. The design of this game is not just as simple as visual design.

Their 8-person design team has been seeking a balance between art and design for the game, and hopes that it can become a close combination of art and design.

“The game presents a highly interactive operating experience, so we need to focus on user experience.”

At the same time, the entire team never relaxed in the interactive design. They focused on the interaction between users and the game. The different levels of architectural structures in the game are suspended in the void, so how will users enter this "small world" and how will they shuttle through it? This is something they need to consider carefully.

Once users are drawn into this "small world", they need to uncover all the puzzles along the way. These carefully designed architectural structures and potted plants will change with each operation, and all of these are obstacles to solving the puzzle.

Monument Valley not only appeals to traditional gamers, but it also fascinates users who don't consider themselves gamers.

Designing games with soul

"To design a great game you don't have to be afraid to overturn conventional wisdom, and you don't have to worry about conventional gamers," Ken said.

Of course, ustwo is not a gaming company, but the overall environment has been constantly reminding designers that many people may not hate games even though they don’t play them, and they are very likely to have a smart device. “We have been thinking, are those people who don’t play games deciding to give up gaming because the games are too difficult? Which games are designed to be anti-human? Are there some games that are only for men or women?”

After figuring out this problem, the next step is to come up with a great story, and it’s best not to start this story with “Once upon a time there was a mountain.”

Instead, it seemed better to use a simple video to show the beginning of a story, then gradually build out the world, introduce characters, choose a compelling goal, and then, gradually, Monument Valley will look like a game.

Don't treat users as fools. Repeated levels and repeated frustrations are anti-human designs. Experimental visual effects, creative typography, bright and attractive colors, and unique personality should be the characteristics of new-era games.

"We tried to find the soul of the game in this process," Ken said. Games are interactive art, and user experience plays an important role in it. "There are many similarities between how users use apps and how they operate games," Ken said. "The user experience-driven design method allows our design team to design games from a higher perspective: what kind of experience is the most amazing on mobile devices?"

Ken's early concept sketch

Game designers are keenly interested in what games are and what players want. But in Ken's opinion, the game industry "has not really grasped the core of excellent games." He sees games as digital interactive experiences, as emerging art forms, and as organisms that bring together game elements and bring the most interesting gifts to users.

"Thousands of games are trying to be more aesthetically pleasing and exploring different fields such as architecture, dance and photography," he said. "So why don't we make games more cultural and meaningful?"

Tips

If you move up from the hardcore gamer perspective to a higher level, your user base should be everyone.
Your inspiration should come from your interests, passions, and things that fascinate you.
Only a truly unique and exciting magical world with full characters and unique stories can keep users coming back.
Games are art and interactive experiences. Only design methods driven by user experience can create wonderful products.