Meet the parents of Monument Valley 2

Ustwo Games cemented its status as one of the most admired game creators on the App Store with the arrival of Monument Valley 2 this summer. The London studio’s mastery of angular aesthetics and satisfying puzzles was evident in the 2014 original, of course – but there’s an added dimension to the sequel.

There’s real heart in Monument Valley 2, on top of the signature style. The tale of the mother Ro and her child, their separation, reunification and growth adds extra emotional weight to an already stellar game.

Creator Ustwo Games considers family so important, in fact, that it flew the parents of the entire development team into London for the game’s launch party. So, we thought we’d check for real what the Monument Valley 2 team’s parents thought of the game. Get ready for all the feels.

Senior programmer Alejandro's mum, Maria del Carmen Iglesias Piriz:
“I really enjoyed finding myself reflected as a mother in the game. Especially the parts in which the mother transmits the beliefs and skills of her ancestors to her child. As a mother I had to do that, adapting them to the present reality in a coherent way. And then I had to let my children live by themselves, just like Ro does in the game.”

Senior game designer Joel's mum, Denise Beardshaw:
“The mother and child relationship touched upon my own experiences of raising children. From protecting and guiding them, then giving them the confidence and resilience to gain greater independence as they grow, whilst still keeping a watching eye from afar – then ultimately both learning to let go.”

Senior game designer Lea's dad, Georg Prüfer-Schönfelder:
“The mother-child story resonated very well with both of us. It touched us emotionally, and was the motivator that made us play the game. We have not played any other games on our phones since Monument Valley 2 – we would like to, if there was something just as lovely.”

Lead programmer Manesh's mum, Nalini Mistry:
“I really enjoyed playing Monument Valley 2 not just because my son is involved, but the fact that the game is visually very beautiful and working out the puzzles is very interesting. The parent and child story took me back to my early parenting days. It was nostalgic. I am so very proud that my son is a part of this game.”

Monument Valley 2

A story of beauty and illusion

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