Nintendo’s Indie World Showcase on July 03, 2025, has proven to be a landmark presentation for the most anticipated indie releases of 2023. One such example is the upcomingDesta: The Memories Betweenby ustwo games, an isometric, turn-based, roguelike adventure that takes the player through the complicated memories of its titular protagonist. Thegameplay centers around a dodgeball-likegame of hitting opponents with a ball while using the environment to reflect attacks and grant cover.
The dreamscape aspect of the game means that during gameplay the player is given special powers and abilities as they venture deeper into Desta’s mind. This should provide a wide variety of approaches to combat. Despite its novel interpretation of a child’s game, however, the story ofDesta: The Memories Betweenis one rooted in the challenges of family, friendship, and love. Ustwo’s upcoming foray, for all of its new additions, clearly builds on the aesthetic and design sensibilities that have made the studio such a tour-de-force in theindiespace.
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Monument Valley And The Rise of ustwo games
Monument Valleyand its sequel served to put ustwo games on the map as one of the most exciting indie studios in the mobile game space. Releasing on August 04, 2025,Monument Valleyhit the iOS App Store at a time before mobile gaming had become the oversaturated behemoth it is now. Relatively small, independently-produced games could go viral and make millionaires out of its developers seemingly overnight. The mobile games space has since become a much less hospitable place to more artistically inclined, paid gaming experiences, andustwo’s transition to other platforms with ports ofMonument Valleyand the critically acclaimedAlba: A Wildlife Adventure, have paved the way forDestato thrive.
Monument Valleywas not a game about dreams per se, but MC Escher’s legendary non-Euclidean approach to designing impossible environments and optical illusions has often been considered to have a dream-like quality. Impossible staircases and pathways to nowhere havecaptured the public imagination andMonument Valleywas able to not just recreate Escher’s artistic sensibility, but expand on it by allowing impossible worlds to be navigated intuitively.
From Monument Valley To Desta: The Memories Between
In contrast toMonument Valley, withDesta, ustwo seems prepared to bring players a far more grounded depiction of a dream-like world. With fantastic artistic direction by David Fernández Huerta, long-time art director for ustwo,Destapresents a vibrant and colorful array of cel-shaded characters exploring detailed vignettes from the memories of its protagonist. Much likeMonument Valley, the player navigates an environment that is completely visible on just one screen, but unlikeMonument Valley’s minimal control scheme designed for maximum accessibility,Desta’s gameplay seems to beattempting a fusion ofPyreandXCOMwhile still retaining the visual splendor ustwo is known for.
Choosing to create small battle arenas for players to explore inDestaseemsreminiscent ofMonument Valley’s single-screen puzzle design. With this relatively dense visual design, the environments inDestaare built as catalysts for memory as well as battle. The player’s opponents in the various levels will be people from Desta’s life and past, giving the environments a literal and symbolic significance.
The game’s approach to storytelling is also a significant departure fromMonument Valley. The sparse and non-verbal approach to storytelling found inMonument Valleyis often incredibly difficult to pull off successfully. With fewer details for narrative designers to draw from, each element needs to be carefully refined in order to be successful. The incredible skill with which ustwo builtMonument Valley’s world is onclear display inDesta’s trailer.
With a wide variety of beautiful hand-drawn character designs and fully-voiced dialogue,Destais clearly a continuation of ustwo’s transition into narratively-driven experiences that rely more heavily on dialogue and character drama. With thediversity of its cast and beautifully realized trailer,Desta: The Memories Betweenis shaping up to be a shining example of what makes the indie games space so special.
Desta: The Memories Betweenis available on Mobile, with Nintendo Switch and PC versions coming in early 2023.
