IN THE MAKING: USTWO GAMES

The team at UsTwo Games come from a mix of backgrounds and disciplines, and often not through formal routes of studying game design. Strong visual design principles and heritage from graphic and product design informs a truly beautiful game, where stills could be captured from any level or moment to make standalone pieces of art.

Lili discussed some of the influences behind the game design, from architecture inspired by wooden sculptures and the Makako Floating School in Nigeria; to colour palettes informed by drag queens and sweets. Architecture is a main character throughout the Monument Valley games, where interactive, geometric structures act as a puzzle for the player to navigate through.

Buildings are both familiar in their real-world influence and magically dream-like, incorporating optical illusions inspired by the Penrose triangle and work of M. C. Escher. Lili shared insight into the technical processes that go into creating each level, including the challenges of balancing functionality with design.

After the talk attendees filled out into our kitchen space to debrief over a drink or two, discussing the merits of the Keanu Reeves scale and what goes into making a platform-perfect game. Huge thanks to everyone who joined us and to Lili Ibrahim for the inspiring presentation.

In the Making was designed to create space for community and collaboration by inviting artists, creators and studios to come and talk about their process in the hopes of inspiring new ideas and approaches.

It is open to all, no matter your discipline or background. To join our creative community or be the first to find out about our next event, please register your interest here.