Monument Valley is firmly within the realm of art games. In fact, Ken Wong, the lead designer of the game, wrote in an article titled “The Precipice, and Games as Art,” that his hope for the game was to “contribute to the argument that the medium of entertainment we call video games is in fact art.”<ref>[https://monumentvalleygame.squarespace.com/blog/2014/1/16/the-precipice-games-as-art "The Precipice, and Games as Art"]</ref> He further explains that this means recognizing games as a medium of expression through which game creators can convey experiences and ideas, and understanding their cultural significance, through which “we can understand some small part of what it means to be a living, loving, dying, feeling, thinking being.”<ref>[https://monumentvalleygame.squarespace.com/blog/2014/1/16/the-precipice-games-as-art "The Precipice, and Games as Art"]</ref> This is quite complementary to Bogost’s thoughts on art in the realm of videogames. Using this definition, if we look at Bogost’s spectrum of games, Monument Valley occupies a space that is more towards the art side, although I think it is definitely also entertainment.

[[File:Monument-valley-1.gif|thumb|Chapter 4, "Water Palace". This shows how players have to move the architectural elements. Here, the pink circles indicate a movable element. Many of the puzzles rely on 'impossible structures' and optical illusions.]]

The poetic experience can be described as a close consideration of the user/player’s experience. The main theme of the game hinges on a journey, and the story, which is described in the introduction, is one of exploration, regret, and forgiveness. Ida must embark on a journey to seek forgiveness for stealing something called “Sacred Geometry.” This encourages the introspective aspect that Bogost mentions, as the puzzles could be seen as a metaphor for the long and challenging path to seek forgiveness. However, this story is a very subtle, open-ended and often overlooked piece of the game, and there is a lot of room for players to reflect and think deeply as they play.

The gameplay is focused on the player’s interaction with the game mechanics and dynamics. Manipulating the architectural elements with touch replicates the familiarity of moving blocks and manipulating objects (or physical puzzles), easing players into the interactions of the game. It is both mechanically simple and conceptually familiar, playing into Bogost’s definition of habituation. These interactions delight players so much that many have played the game over and over again, and as such there is no need for any in-game reward, other than completing the puzzle and moving on to the next level, and enjoying the user interface and aesthetic experience.

Looking at the user interface design, there are no menus or unnecessary details. There is only the tactile input from the way the player’s finger moves across the screen, and this simplifies the player’s interactive experience. The form and visual design is essential to the game. Every visual element and sound effect is carefully and thoughtfully added to echo or amplify this experience, and it adds a meaningful layer to the gameplay. For example, the sound effects of friction and sliding the blocks as well as the totem’s movement, and Ida’s walking, signify essential elements of play throughout the player’s experience. Additionally, calling the levels “chapters” emphasizes the theme and signifies to players that this is a different kind of game. It also encourages players to view this as a story that unfolds through play.

Further, it “de-emphasizes visual fidelity in favour of the experience of movement” (Bogost 15). Monument Valley is a game that hinges on movement, the movement of ida walking, climbing, jumping; the movement of the totem and the way its movements aid and complicate ida’s movements; the crow’s movements that stop ida’s movements; the movement of the architecture emerging and twisting to create the gameplay; the movement from level to level into more and more intricate forms of architecture.