| A Monster's Expedition | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Draknek & Friends |
| Publisher(s) | Draknek & Friends |
| Producer(s) | Syrenne McNulty |
| Designer(s) | Alan Hazelden |
| Programmer(s) | Benjamin Davis |
| Artist(s) | Adam deGrandis |
| Writer(s) | Philippa Warr |
| Composer(s) | Eli Rainsberry |
| Engine | Unity |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | 10 September 2020
|
| Genre(s) | Puzzle |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
A Monster's Expedition (Through Puzzling Exhibitions) is a 2020 puzzle video game developed and published by Draknek & Friends. Gameplay involves exploring a series of islands by solving Sokoban-based puzzles. The player navigates a two-dimensional grid, rolling logs to create bridges and rafts to traverse between islands. The islands comprise a museum of human civilization, featuring exhibits of everyday objects, accompanied by humorous descriptions written from the perspective of an outsider. The game incorporates open world elements, having a nonlinear, branching path of levels, but is primarily a puzzle game. Developed over more than three years, the game was first released in September 2020 for iOS and macOS through Apple Arcade and Windows, and later for Linux, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.
The game received positive reviews, especially on Nintendo Switch. Reviewers praised the puzzle design, describing the puzzles as elegant and conducive to being played in short sessions. They also complimented the game's method of introducing puzzle mechanics, and the general atmosphere, which they described as relaxing. The open world aspects of the game received mixed feedback, with some feeling that the player choice encouraged experimentation and avoided frustration, but others commenting that the game felt aimless or the difficulty arbitrary. Multiple publications listed A Monster's Expedition as one of the best games of 2020. The game received an honorable mention for the Seumas McNally Grand Prize at the 2021 Independent Games Festival, and was a finalist for several other awards.