The illusion of iteration with Monument Valley

Did we need to iterate, or did the illusion of iteration take over?

That was the central question for Ustwo Games and Monument Valley 3 game director Jennifer Estaris’s talk at Games First Helsinki 2024 today.

Estaris said you can spend hours on something and still be unhappy – it might be better in some ways, but not in some others. As an example, Estaris referenced the TV show The Good Place, where Ted Danson’s character Michael attempts to create the perfect version of heaven more than 800 times.

Estaris then turned the focus to Monument Valley, which itself went through a variety of iterations. The team settled on architecture inspired by Middle Eastern and Moroccan architecture.

How Ustwo worked with Playing for the Planet for The Lost Forest

Ustwo was one of a number of studios that took part in the Playing for the Planet Green Game Jam.

The team wanted to tell a story inspired by the life of trees speaking and caring for each other. The concept went through a number of iterations, as seen in the images below.

Estaris said this “striking image” was a concept the team liked, but ultimately didn’t use as it kept thinking about: “what does wilderness mean in a sterile, architecture-based environment”?

Further iterations included:

Ultimately the team settled on the below, which is an image from a chapter of Monument Valley 2 – The Lost Forest.

Here’s the official trailer:

Estaris noted that in a book called Lean UX, a test was done with two groups making ceramics – one team trying to make the perfect pot, and another team that kept making various iterations. The latter, subjectively, was rated as creating the best result.

Iteration in Monument Valley 3

Estaris went on to discuss iteration in Monument Valley 3, focusing on the concept of ‘sea change’, which she described as the metamorphosis of alteration overtime. It’s not incremental change, it’s step change, she said.

“Behind the scenes the team has spent years iterating on what I hope is sea change for Monument Valley,” said Estaris .

The title has open area exploring and the ability to set sail across a water-based world. The setting has a larger map, more puzzles, and expanding lore, with a story about light, loss and our relationship with nature.

Here are some early prototypes for the game’s new sailing mechanic.

After various iterations, you can see the final concept look in the trailer below:

Concluding the presentation, Estaris said when developers iterate, they should think about what kind of iteration are they doing? Is it for refinement? To make a wild leap, or are you making a sea change?

Valid results can include:

• Changing for good
• Changing for Worse
• Changing for Different
• Or no change

“Think about iteration as a tool for transformative change, not just tiny refinements,” said Estaris.

“And Maybe not as risky as a wild leap. You can still do those, but think about also including sea change. Jam it to chart your course. And playtest playtest, playtest to confirm.”

She added: “Sometimes you end up going back to the drawing board, and that’s okay.

“I want you all to embrace the uncertainty of iteration, but also see through its many illusions. Persist and resist.”

You can watch the full live stream here: