The isometric take on puzzles games isn’t new, but Monument Valley did it with such panache, that it started a revolution in the mobile arena. It’s such a good premise for a limited amount of screen real estate, as the view allows you to take in gigantic landscapes without getting lost, or wanting for more. Ghost of Memories ($0.99) follows that same principle, but it’s  not quite as exciting as its competition.

First off, I really dig the 2.5D perspective that ghost of Memories provides. Again, it’s nothing new, but it’s presented with a ton of vivid colors, unique designs, and clear grid-like floors to really set it apart from the rest. The entire narrative is artsy in nature, with a minimalist story that never really goes anywhere, and basically serves as an excuse to solve a bunch of puzzles. The atmospheric feel in general is great though, and the soundtrack alone serves players well when it comes to nudging them along.

Movement is as simple as it gets, as a quick tap will bring you to your desired location, and icons above your avatar’s head will initiate actions like teleporting or the use of objects. There’s a bit of finickiness when it comes to manipulating objects in the world, but since the game isn’t time sensitive or action-oriented in any way, these minor hiccups are more forgivable.

Where Memories falters is in its clarity. For some missions, there’s not even a hint as to what the objective is, which can become problematic for larger maps. Now, I’m not suggesting that the game should be easier, as there’s nothing wrong with a proper challenge, but when you’re wandering around an area aimlessly trying out solutions in a trial and error fashion, it’s not ideal. There needs to be some form of signposting to at least direct players into the general concept of a solution, then let them figure it out from there. It’s not a good feeling to hit a random object and suddenly solve an entire puzzle.

This is especially frustrating for levels that feature floating blocks, where players have to individually swipe them in a specific direction. Here, you’ll need to painstakingly head to certain areas that may take a minute or two to reach, before you quickly realize that you actually need to backtrack and grab another required item. The developers had the right idea, but it’s not designed particularly well. This goes double for some of the latter levels, which are so sprawling that you’ll need to scroll around and plan out your every move.

All said and done Memories should take you roughly three hours to complete, which isn’t terrible given the pricepoint, and the fact that there’s no microtransactions present. For those of you who really dig the art style and like getting lost in puzzling worlds, Ghost of Memories is probably worth checking out at some point. For the rest of you, waiting for a potential sequel to iron out the aforementioned issues is probably for the best.