Mekorama vs Monument Valley - Which is the better game?
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| Mekorama

There are plenty of games on the App Store that are comparable, and fit snugly next to each other in that big drawer marked 'genre'. Mekorama and Monument Valley are two of those.

So we thought we'd take this opportunity to put the games side-by-side and tell you which one comes out on top. It's a fight to the death, a scrap with no holds-barred, and probably a bunch of other things as well.

We'll look at a list of different attributes, then wrap it all up and tell you which one we think is best. It's like a review, it's like a feature, it's like a whole load of things, and now you get to read it. Lucky so-and-so.

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Gameplay

Both games are about manipulating the environment. In Mekorama you're controlling a little robot. Tap the screen and he'll scurry to that point.

There are switches to move around as well, with swipes and prods, and you need to make a safe path for the little chap to get to the exit.

But there's a jerkiness to Mekorama's play. Where Monument Valley is fluid and gorgeous, here spinning around the levels feels clunky, and you're often left with a view of the next challenge that's less than perfect.

There are a couple of times while I've been playing Mekorama that I've ended up catapulted off a level and been left wandering around in the white expanse that surrounds each of the challenges.

Winner: Monument Valley


Presentation

Monument Valley is a unique, almost haunting experience. It draws inspiration from a vast range of sources, and tells its story with style and skill. There really isn't anything else like it on the App Store.

Mekorama, er, isn't any of that. It looks okay, but it lacks any of the ingenuity that made you want to spend as much time as possible rolling around in Monument Valley's gorgeous universe.

It's not a terrible looking game, and it's reasonably well polished. But compared to Monument Valley it does look a little bit creaky.

Winner: Monument Valley


Value

This one's a little more difficult to judge. You certainly get a bigger chunk of content with Mekorama, and if you want to see things through to the end it'll take you longer than playing through Monument Valley.

At the same time though there's something to be said for the compactness of Monument Valley. It never waffles or wanders, and every level is like a little slice of joy.

But in terms for pure bang for your buck, I think it's only fair to give Mekorama praise where it's due. Don't get me wrong, it's not a terrible game - not by any means - and you'll have some fun with it.

Winner: Mekorama


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Innovation

A much clearer cut case this one. Monument Valley drips with new ideas. It relishes them, puts them in a bath, and sits in them for long enough that its skin gets wrinkly. And then it uses those wrinkles as other new ideas.

Mekorama has a few, here and there, but they're never as sharp as Monument Valley's. And some of them are just downright frustrating. The levels where you need to push another robot around, for example, are really quite dull.

Monument Valley is a one-off. It gives you something special to play around with, and you'll enjoy every concept that it drops onto your device.

Winner: Monument Valley

Overall

Well, I'm pretty sure the winner here is clear. It's not a clean sweep, but Monument Valley comes out on top in most regards. It's sharper, wiser, and even now it feels fresh and exciting.

Don't get me wrong, Mekorama isn't terrible, and if you've rinsed Monument Valley then it might be worth picking up if you've got some time to spare.

But if you're yet to get your fingers on usTwo's amazing adventure, definitely do that before giving Mekorama a go.

Winner: Monument Valley

Check out our awesome guides for Mekorama below.

Levels 1-10
Levels 11-20
Levels 21-30

Mekorama vs Monument Valley - Which is the better game?

Mekorama has its moments, but compared to Monument Valley it just isn't up to the task
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Harry Slater
Harry Slater
Harry used to be really good at Snake on the Nokia 5110. Apparently though, digital snake wrangling isn't a proper job, so now he writes words about games instead.