Q.U.B.E. is no stranger to “oh look, a Portal wannabe” and similar comments, but there’s frankly not much Portal-esque about this first-person puzzler. Comparing brand new IPs to classics has become almost too common though, and in this case the comparison is definitely a compliment: Portal is awesome after all, and the same goes for Q.U.B.E.
The name is short for Quick Understanding of Block Extrusion, which makes sense since this is a first-person puzzle game that revolves around cube manipulation. That said, the mechanics may be easy to wrap your head around, but Q.U.B.E. is anything but easy. Throughout the game, you’ll be tasked with sliding cubes around to bounce your way to higher levels on your way to the exit, only to find an even greater challenge just around the corner that involve brand new block types. Reaching the exit in each level can be quite satisfying after all that brain-work, and while the difficulty does its best to keep the player challenged, the fun factor manages to remain high (with the exception of a few timed puzzles, but that’s a matter of personal preference).
Following the initial PC release, Q.U.B.E. is now also available on Mac, according to this post on the official website. It can be picked up from either Steam, Desura, GamersGate for $9.99 – time to put your puzzle skills to the test!
