There was a time when Dan Gray would have sworn up and down that Monument Valley 2 was never going to happen. As the head of Ustwo Games, Gray had previously stated publicly, and with absolute conviction, that his team was completely finished with Monument Valley. That original title, an isometric puzzle game defined by its impossible architecture and mesmerizing visual style, had captured the imaginations of millions, racking up more than 50 million downloads globally since its initial release in 2014. For the creators who poured their time and creative energy into building it, moving on felt like the only logical path forward.
For a while, the studio’s actions heavily reflected that sentiment. In the months immediately following the launch of the original game, Ustwo released Forgotten Shores, an expansion pack containing a curated set of extension levels designed to extend the journey of the base game. Not long after that, the team pivoted dramatically into uncharted territory, developing and releasing its very first virtual reality title, Land’s End, which served as a gorgeous, contemplative exploration of what the medium could achieve. Following these rapid-fire releases, the studio went relatively quiet, pulling back from the glaring spotlight of the mobile gaming industry to reevaluate its internal structure and future direction.
Beneath the surface, however, a profound and transformative period of activity was taking place at the studio. Ustwo Games underwent a major corporate restructuring, officially splitting from its parent company, Ustwo, to establish itself as an independent, self-sustaining game development studio. Alongside this newfound autonomy, the team expanded its core staff from a tight-knit group of eight people up to twenty. With fresh talent and creative freedom, the studio began to experiment with various concepts, mechanics, and narrative ideas to see what creative territory they might conquer next. The ultimate answer to that experimentation turned out to be the exact opposite of what Dan Gray had originally anticipated and publicly promised: the studio was making a full sequel to Monument Valley.
Following that period of intense development and internal evolution, Ustwo Games officially released Monument Valley 2, a 16-level narrative follow-up to their 2014 blockbuster mobile hit. At first glance, the game operates like a funhouse mirror reflection of the original. On the surface, it looks, feels, and plays remarkably like the first Monument Valley. Yet, a closer, more attentive look reveals a fundamentally deeper, smarter, and more mature game than its predecessor, blending familiar mechanical frameworks with entirely new emotional and artistic ambitions.
Into the Valley
The very first thing players will notice upon booting up Monument Valley 2 is a powerful sense of familiarity. The opening scene introduces an avatar named Ro, sitting quietly atop a magnificent piece of geometric architecture. For anyone who revisits the first game, the resemblance is striking. The opening tableau features nearly identical elements—the same dusty blue color palette, the same mind-bending architectural design principles, and an overall aesthetic atmosphere that instantly transports veterans back to 2014. Even the protagonist, Ro, bears a striking physical resemblance to Ida, the iconic main character from the original adventure.
Despite these immediate visual callbacks, it does not take long for players to notice all the subtle and profound differences woven into the experience. Ustwo deliberately set Monument Valley 2 in a completely different corner of the very same fictional universe. The core gameplay loop still revolves around solving intricate architectural puzzles that feel manageable, intuitive, and reassuringly familiar to returning fans. However, that is precisely where the similarities begin to taper off. Monument Valley 2 is noticeably and sophisticatedly more advanced than its predecessor in almost every technical and artistic metric.
Reflecting on the evolution of the series, Dan Gray notes that returning to play the original Monument Valley today reveals that it now feels somewhat retro. In contrast, the sequel incorporates small, thoughtful enhancements—such as a sleeker, modern sans-serif typeface and dynamic generative audio that organically shifts and evolves whenever the player activates specific architectural mechanics—that make the entire package feel contemporary and polished. The development team also stretched its artistic boundaries across various levels, boldly replacing the game’s signature isometric geometry with flat, two-dimensional drawings in one specific world to completely alter the player’s spatial perception.
The most monumental change integrated into the sequel, however, is not found in its geometry or its audio design, but rather in its storyline. In only the second scene of the game, players are introduced to an entirely new character: Ro’s tiny, nameless daughter, who faithfully accompanies her mother on the winding, arduous journey through the valley.
A Maternal Narrative
The introduction of a deeply maternal narrative thread into Monument Valley 2 was far from a mere coincidence or a superficial creative whim. The development cycle of the sequel coincided precisely with a major life stage for the members of the Ustwo team, many of whom were starting to have children of their own. This shared personal experience naturally sparked deep, reflective conversations among the developers regarding the broader video game industry and its historically narrow, often regressive depictions of mothers.
Dan Gray points out that the team quickly realized there simply were not nearly enough games exploring the complex, multifaceted realities of motherhood. Furthermore, when mothers did occasionally appear in digital media, they were far too often pigeonholed into roles defined purely by vulnerability or framed as mere objects that needed protecting by the protagonist.
Ustwo deliberately subverts that tired, common narrative trope by acknowledging the deeply nuanced, evolving relationship between parents and their children. Throughout the game, Ro and her child travel side-by-side from world to world, actively relying on one another to manipulate monuments, shift perspectives, and solve spatial puzzles. In the early stages of the adventure, the child closely follows behind Ro, faithfully mimicking her every movement across the structures. Later on, however, the dynamic shifts; Ro actively encourages her growing child to take the lead, make independent choices, and forge her own unique path through the increasingly complex levels. In many ways, the game functions as a living metaphor for the natural, ever-shifting relationship between a child and a parent—a bond that transitions dynamically from utter reliance, to mutual respect, and eventually to a complete reversal of caregiving roles.
Through this narrative lens, Monument Valley 2 begins to feel less like a traditional, big-budget mobile product and much more like an authentic creation born out of the independent game development world. Independent titles frequently prioritize atmospheric immersion and character-driven storytelling over arbitrary points, high scores, and other conventional metrics of commercial success. That is not to suggest that the game lacks direction or structure. Unlocking the full narrative arc of Monument Valley 2 still requires players to successfully conquer puzzles and ascend through the various levels. Yet, the overtly heart-tugging narrative framework provides players with a profound sense of intrinsic purpose that they might not have felt while playing the original game.
Ultimately, the emotional core built around the relationship between mother and child creates a much deeper, more resonant bond with an experience that might otherwise be easily dismissed as simply a visually stunning puzzle game. Dan Gray refers to this deliberate design philosophy as "trojan horsing" emotion. Explaining the studio’s strategy, he notes that they engage players first with gorgeous visuals, charming mechanics, and impossible geometry. By capturing the audience’s attention with these accessible elements, the team manages to successfully reach a wide audience of players who might not have initially realized they wanted emotional storytelling from their video game experiences.
