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With this week’s release of Monument Valley 3, we have now republished this newsletter delving into the sport’s iteration procedure. It used to be firstly revealed on October thirtieth.
Did we want to iterate, or did the appearance of iteration take over?
That used to be the central query for Ustwo Video games and Monument Valley 3 sport director Jennifer Estaris’s communicate at Video games First Helsinki 2024 as of late.
Estaris mentioned you’ll spend hours on one thing and nonetheless be unsatisfied – it may well be higher in many ways, however no longer in some others. For instance, Estaris referenced the TV display The Excellent Position, the place Ted Danson’s persona Michael makes an attempt to create the easiest model of heaven greater than 800 instances.
Estaris then became the point of interest to Monument Valley, which itself went via quite a lot of iterations. The workforce settled on structure impressed via Center Japanese and Moroccan structure.
How Ustwo labored with Taking part in for the Planet for The Misplaced Wooded area
Ustwo used to be certainly one of quite a few studios that took section within the Taking part in for the Planet Inexperienced Sport Jam.
The workforce sought after to inform a tale impressed via the lifetime of bushes talking and taking care of each and every different. The idea that went via quite a few iterations, as observed within the photographs beneath.
Estaris mentioned this “putting symbol” used to be an idea the workforce preferred, however in the end didn’t use because it saved enthusiastic about: “what does barren region imply in a sterile, architecture-based setting”?

Additional iterations incorporated:



In the end the workforce settled at the beneath, which is a picture from a bankruptcy of Monument Valley 2 – The Misplaced Wooded area.

This is the professional trailer:
Estaris famous that during a e book referred to as Lean UX, a check used to be carried out with two teams making ceramics – one workforce looking to make the easiest pot, and some other workforce that saved making more than a few iterations. The latter, subjectively, used to be rated as growing the most efficient end result.
Iteration in Monument Valley 3
Estaris went on to speak about iteration in Monument Valley 3, that specialize in the concept that of ‘sea trade’, which she described because the metamorphosis of alteration extra time. It’s no longer incremental trade, it’s step trade, she mentioned.
“At the back of the scenes the workforce has spent years iterating on what I am hoping is sea trade for Monument Valley,” mentioned Estaris .
The name has open house exploring and the power to set sail throughout a water-based international. The surroundings has a bigger map, extra puzzles, and increasing lore, with a tale about mild, loss and our courting with nature.
Listed below are some early prototypes for the sport’s new crusing mechanic.

After more than a few iterations, you’ll see the overall idea glance within the trailer beneath:
Concluding the presentation, Estaris mentioned when builders iterate, they must take into accounts what sort of iteration are they doing? Is it for refinement? To make a wild bounce, or are you creating a sea trade?
Legitimate effects can come with:
- Converting for just right
- Converting for Worse
- Converting for Other
- Or no trade
“Take into accounts iteration as a device for transformative trade, no longer simply tiny refinements,” mentioned Estaris.
“And Perhaps no longer as dangerous as a wild bounce. You’ll nonetheless do the ones, however take into accounts additionally together with sea trade. Jam it to chart your direction. And playtest playtest, playtest to substantiate.”
She added: “Every so often you find yourself going again to the strategy planning stage, and that’s k.
“I would like you all to include the uncertainty of iteration, but additionally see via its many illusions. Persist and withstand.”
You’ll watch the whole are living move right here: