What it is
Monument Valley is a quiet puzzle game. You pay for it in the app store, then you play. There is no energy timer, no crate, and no reason for a card to stay saved on the phone afterwards.
What it costs: one purchase. What it does not cost: a weekly pass, extra lives, or random prizes. If a “free” app uses the same name, that is a different download. Read the maker before you install it.
What to look out for
- A free copy with a similar name that then asks for payment inside the game.
- A card still saved in the app store after you have paid.
- A child who thinks every puzzle game will also be this calm. Most phone games are not.
Ways to stay safe
These steps are for Monument Valley. The house rules still apply on every app.
- Do not put your card details on their device. Not in the App Store, Google Play, the game, or PayPal. If you choose to pay, type the card in yourself for that purchase, then remove it.
- Buy it yourself if you want it, then remove the card.
- There is nothing to subscribe to. If the game asks for a subscription, you have the wrong app.
- It is a useful comparison when they ask for a “free” game that is not actually free.
In the news
Published reports you can read yourself. A headline is the proof, not a set of instructions, and this page does not repeat graphic detail.
- Games that sell random prizes are getting higher age ratings This report is about games that keep charging. Monument Valley is the opposite: you pay once. The card still comes off the device afterwards.
A way to start the conversation
You can say: "This one we pay for once, and then it stops asking. A free game that wants money every day is a different deal. We will look at that before we say yes."
Video
Parent briefing
A short video for this guide can be added by an editor. Until then, the written briefing above is the one to use.