Interactive bits of art always provide a relaxing experience, especially as they play out, showcasing an intriguing creation. Monad is what I’d call interactive art, but almost breathing and living artwork that you can play with.
On a large black background, you can basically place dots on the screen that start pulsing and coming to life like splashes on water. There is a slider to one side which seems to change the size of the dots you place. The circle continues moving and shifting while you watch, allowing you to create some very interesting art. You can, of course, clear it all away and start again with a black background. If you are clicking on black, you’ll make a white circle and if you’re clicking on white, you’ll make a black circle to contrast whatever is behind it.
There isn’t any score or end goal – instead, Monad just has you creating something interesting to watch. I got the chance to play around with it over at EGX 2019, and watching from behind people and seeing what they made of the game was art in itself. Having games with no goals and no score to achieve is super relaxing, especially as the game comes to life, just begging to be watched and tapped so that you can make your own little experience.
The game is stated to be best played in a dark room, on a large projector to get the full experience, but I found Monad just as captivating within the loud, busy venue, drawn over to the strange movements of the circles that were being displayed on the screen.
Monad is playable now on itch.io.