A relaxing puzzle game to keep the mind engaged.
Developed by Thomas Van Bouwel and published by Vanbo, Cubism has spent more than five years on the virtual reality (VR) market.
This cozy puzzle game is simple: a translucent shape floats before you and you need to combine the colourful puzzle pieces around you to fill in the shape. Accompanied by a light soundtrack, the experience is almost meditative as you work to complete dozens of puzzles.
The game starts you off easy – simple shapes with only a few pieces that you need to arrange in the correct configuration – but gets progressively harder as you work your way through each level. While you may find yourself rushing through the early puzzles with a growing sense of overconfidence, that will hit a wall sooner rather than later, as complex shapes and increased pieces can confuse even the sharpest of minds.
The game has expanded over the years, adding new puzzles along with modes and quality of life updates. Things such as hand tracking have been added over the life of the game as the Quest headsets have become more technologically advanced.
Gameplay here is straightforward and intuitive. As the shape sits before you – whether in full VR or mixed reality (MR) to play in your space – all you need to do is reach out – either via controllers or hand tracking – and grab it. Turn it, flip it, examine the goal and determine how best to use the pieces at your disposal, before placing them in the correct spots.
Hand tracking works amazingly well and solidifies itself as the best and most immersive way to play this game; same can be said for the MR mode which allows you to play immersed in your space.
For those who want a break from reality and a chance to dive into the virtual world, the VR mode offers up a simple space for you to complete these puzzles. There’s no distracting scenery or items which can pull your focus from the puzzles. Instead, the easy light or dark backdrops provide you a space to dive into what you’re there to do – solve puzzles.
Graphically the game is extremely well done, with the power of a Quest 3 full-colour passthrough making play in MR standout even more. The design is as simple as the premise of the game and that works to add even more charm to what the game is all about.
Overall, Cubism is an experience for anyone who enjoys brain teasers and puzzles. This is at its core, a very simple game that can provide hours of engagement to challenge your brain and is appropriate for all ages.
For those looking for an experience that can be played at home on the couch, or while flying halfway around the world, Cubism is the puzzle game for you.
Cubism, was reviewed on the Quest 3 after receiving a key from the developers.
