Austin takes the Mona Lisa’s place in a playful look at every smile, worried glance, and dramatic reaction he makes during a Gardenscapes level.
For centuries, people have stood in front of the Mona Lisa trying to decipher her expression. Is she really smiling? Is she sad? Is she hiding a secret? Or is she simply tired of posing? Leonardo da Vinci managed to fit all of those questions into a single face.
Austin accomplishes something even more remarkable: he fits nearly every possible human emotion into a single Gardenscapes level.
That is exactly why placing Austin in the Mona Lisa’s seat works so well. The only problem is that his portrait could never stay the same for long. It would need to change every few seconds, depending on what was happening on the board.
The Mysterious Smile Before the First Move
Recent changes to the Gardenscapes interface have brought Austin closer to the action, where his face now sets the mood before the first move is even made. He smiles confidently, even when the board contains fifteen obstacles, almost no open space, and a move limit that would make Leonardo himself put down his paintbrush.
At that moment, Austin’s smile is genuinely mysterious. Has he spotted a solution that we cannot see, or has he simply not checked how many moves we were given?
The Eyes That Follow Every Mistake
People say the Mona Lisa’s eyes follow you wherever you stand. Austin’s eyes do something worse: they follow every move you make.
When you create a powerful combination, his entire face lights up. When you make a move that accomplishes almost nothing, his expression shifts ever so slightly. He says nothing, but his eyes seem to ask, “Was that really the best move available?”
The Mona Lisa watches without judging you. Austin tries to do the same. He is not always successful.
From Confidence to Panic in Just a Few Moves
At the beginning of the level, Austin is smiling and full of confidence. A little later, he becomes curious. Then surprised. Then concerned. Once the remaining moves begin to disappear, the Renaissance portrait suddenly turns into a detailed study of human panic.
The Mona Lisa needed centuries to inspire so many different interpretations. Austin displays all of them in about ninety seconds.
His mouth tightens, his eyebrows rise, and his eyes grow wider. He does not need a message, a warning, or a line of dialogue. His face makes it perfectly clear that things are no longer going according to plan.
The Disappointment of a Man Who Cannot Take the Phone Away
When a good opportunity is wasted, Austin looks almost personally disappointed. For a moment, he seems to forget that we are playing the level while he is merely watching.
He looks like someone who saw the mistake coming, tried to warn us using only his eyes, and must now live with the consequences. He cannot touch the board, undo the move, or take the phone out of our hands. All he can do is watch.
Perhaps the Mona Lisa’s mysterious expression finally has a reasonable explanation: maybe she was also watching someone make the wrong move.
One Lucky Cascade and the Renaissance Returns
As soon as an unexpected chain reaction changes everything, Austin’s face comes back to life along with the board. His concern disappears, his eyes widen with excitement, and his smile returns as though he never doubted us for a second.
This emotional turnaround stands out even more within the newer level interface, where visual reactions have become part of the action. A few seconds earlier, Austin looked ready to accept defeat. Now he acts as if he personally planned every explosion.
It is an impressive recovery and possibly the one area where the Mona Lisa cannot compete with him. She maintains her composure. Austin celebrates the removal of three obstacles as if he has just witnessed the fall of an empire.
With Only a Few Moves Left, the Mask Comes Off
The real test of Austin’s face begins when only a few moves remain. At that point, any attempt at mystery disappears. There is no longer any doubt about what he is feeling.
He worries. He hopes. He loses faith. He finds it again. He looks at the board, looks at us, and probably wonders how we all ended up in this situation.
If Leonardo had painted this particular moment, art historians would not be discussing the “mysterious smile.” They would be discussing “the look of two moves left and four objectives remaining.”
And Then Victory Arrives
Once the level is completed, Austin moves on to his final and most dramatic expression: pure joy. His relief and excitement are so overwhelming that we almost forget he did not make a single move himself.
He celebrates as though he personally survived the entire ordeal—and in a way, he did. He witnessed every smart decision, every mistake, every missed opportunity, and every lucky comeback. He may not touch the board, but his face plays a level of its own.
Those expressions mirror the way players process a match-3 level, shifting from confidence to doubt, tension, surprise, and finally relief. Austin does not simply watch that emotional journey; his face performs it for us.
The Final Verdict on the Portrait
The Mona Lisa became famous because no one can say with certainty what her expression means. Austin would become famous for exactly the opposite reason: his face tells you the entire story of the level.
From the optimism of the first move to the tension near the end and the excitement of victory, every expression becomes a live commentary on our gameplay. Austin does not need to speak. His eyes, eyebrows, and smile have already said more than we wanted to hear.
The Mona Lisa leaves us with one question: “Why is she smiling?” Austin leaves us with a much more personal one: “Why is he looking at me like that?”
Maris Papa, Creative Humor Editor
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