The light of the world is fading and the only person who can banish the darkness is a young lighthouse keeper’s apprentice named Noor. She can’t do it alone, however. If she’s going to succeed she’ll need your help negotiating a series of devious puzzles that flip conventional laws of physics on their head.

The original Monument Valley won an Apple Design Award in 2014, as well as being named our iPad Game of the Year. This third entry in British developer Ustwo Games’ series continues that stylish tradition. This is your gateway to a beautiful, highly stylised environment, an ocean of stunning architecture realised in minimalist isometric graphics.

Setting sail from a magical lighthouse, Noor must explore vast oceans in the Boatem (a totem pole transformed into a boat) as she continues her quest to recover the light that’s been scattered around the world.

But nothing is entirely as it seems. While at first glance it looks like guiding Noor to her goals will be easy (a quick tap of the screen is all that’s required to point her in the right direction), the game has very different ideas.

As you slide or rotate elements of each level, the landscapes tend to be constructed on physical impossibilities – whether it’s walkways that only line up when you’re looking from the right direction, or Möbius strip islands. Some levels collapse or sink while you’re busy planning your route, while others deploy portals to transport you across the screen. Some even leave you questioning what is up and what is down, as if Noor’s taken a detour into an MC Escher painting.

While Noor is a new lead protagonist for the series and Ustwo has shaken up some of the rules of the Monument Valley world, fans will feel right at home with both the gameplay and the characteristic visual style.

We asked Lili Ibrahim, lead artist on Monument Valley 3, about how the visual style has evolved for the newest game in the series.

“We research graphic design trends to understand what’s fresh in the design world. This inspires our shape languages and colour palettes. We continuously review our work progress side by side with previous Monument Valley worlds to see where we introduce new ideas and where we stay close to pay homage. We do this in an intentional way to make sure that new players feel excited to play Monument Valley 3, but old players also feel a level of recognisability,” Ibrahim says.

This third instalment also recaptures the series’ unique fusion of problem-solving, three-dimensional thinking and adventure, as you embark on a puzzle game that will break your heart as much as it makes you scratch your head. It’s safe to say that Monument Valley 3 will give you a new perspective on the world.