Qvoid Review

By , on July 26, 2011


Qvoid
Download on the AppStore
5 out of 5

PROS

  • Simple, intuitive controls - swipe to move, two-finger twist to rotate the screen.
  • Subtle puzzle challenge based around movement of your cube.
  • Cute, clean 3D visuals; bold colors and soft textures are pleasing to look at.

CONS

  • Usually only one real solution; not a huge problem, but it can mean a lot of backtracking searching for the one misstep.
  • Repetitive music; stick with iTunes or turn it off to keep the simple sound effects.

VERDICT

With nothing more than a cube, some colored squares and a 3D world, Qvoid presents players with a charmingly simple, yet dastardly puzzle challenge that sinks its teeth in to you from the outset.


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Some of best puzzle games base themselves around a simple concept that, when restricted in subtle ways, presents a whole new challenge to test your reasoning and logic. Qvoid by Gavina Games is one of these types of puzzles and while the idea of rolling a cube around and matching colors may seem easy enough, something as small as a 3x3 grid can turn in to a serious mind-bender.

On each of the 96 currently available stages your aim is to smoosh all the colored squares on the level together to restore the land to a pristine and clean black and white state. Your happy-go-lucky white cube provides the perfect surface for retaining color and by swiping the screen you can roll around the grid-like world, picking up colors on one of the faces of your cube in order to transport it somewhere else. Here-in lies the first obstacle as colored surfaces can't touch the black ground (or incorrectly colored panels), limiting your movement as soon as you pick up a color. Things get even trickier when the amount of grid spaces you have are limited or new obstacles in the form of rotating platforms or needing to mix colors forces you to think outside the almost literal box.

Progression through Qvoid can be slow, though not without its rewards as each stage either refines a puzzle concept that has been recently introduced or attempts to teach you something new. In this way the challenge always feels fresh and while some puzzles can prove stickier than others, viewing it again with fresh eyes later on (puzzles can be skipped) might provide the answer you're looking for.

The presentation of Qvoid is almost perfect - the clean 3D style is bold and clear, making each puzzle easy to absorb at a glance while also providing subtle touches such as changing expressions on the white cube; gently rocking forward to show you can't move that way; and showing your movements in reverse with tracking lines when undoing the last move you made. If anything is lacking it's the repetitive soundtrack, but iTunes tracks can be played in the background if you need something to keep you focused.

Qvoid is a great pick up for fans of puzzle games after something simple, clean and challenging. Instead of opting for grandiose levels filled with obstacles and hazards, the very act of movement becomes your biggest obstacle to overcome and whether or not you feel the need to conquer each level perfectly, simply finishing the game is rewarding all by itself.

Screenshots

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