Kubic, a mind-boggling Escher-inspired puzzler for Windows 10

Available for Windows 10 PC and Mobile, Kubic delivers a host of mind-boggling puzzles inspired by M.C. Escher's art. The game has a minimalist design where you must reassemble puzzle pieces to match a goal configuration. While it sounds easy, Kubic can drive you nuts with the abstract targets.

The free game is a great option for times you have just a few minutes to spare for gaming or feel the need to be challenged by a brain twister of a puzzle.

Kubic greets you with a minimalist layout that highlights your puzzle progress, the number of hints available, and the option to jump into a game. A secondary menu is available by swiping up from the bottom of the display with options to mute the sound and music, like and share the game, and view the developer credits.

The concept of Kubic has a goal or target configuration positioned at the top of the screen and an assortment of puzzle pieces scattered along the bottom of the display. The goal is to position the puzzle pieces in a manner that they match the target design.

Puzzle levels are separated into six groups, each with a distinct geometric style. These groups offer a healthy mix of 2D, 3D, convex and concave puzzle designs.

Kubic's first few puzzles can easily be described as a cake walk, allowing you to get used to the mechanics. You tap and drag (click and drag with the mouse if you're using a non-touch device) pieces to the middle of the screen and stack them accordingly. You can tap on a piece to have it pop to the front most layer, and puzzle pieces can be overlapped. Keep in mind that puzzle pieces cannot be rotated. It's a nice twist, adding to the game's difficulty.

As you progress through the puzzle levels, the pieces you have to work with are often assembled into a shape of their own. This requires you to disassemble this shape in order to use the pieces when building the target design. There is no time or move limits, giving Kubic a casual pace. The trick is not to let the frustration of the puzzle get under your skin. Should you hit a brick wall in solving a puzzle, Kubic has hints available to point you in the right direction.

Overall Impression

Simply designed puzzle games can make great time wasters and Kubic definitely qualifies as such. The game developer concentrated his efforts into delivering over 60 challenging puzzles for a game that doesn't need much window dressing.

Kubic can be a very tricky game to master, and it helps to work on your solution from back to front. I did find myself tapping on a piece by mistake, pulling it to the forefront, requiring me to start building the solution from the start. I would have liked to have seen the option to zoom into the puzzle to allow for more precise movements.

All in all, Kubic is a very good puzzle game to lose track of time with. I like the casual pace this game offers, allowing you to concentrate more on the mental aspects of finding a solution instead of the speed. If you have given Kubic a try, let us know what you think of things in the comments.

Download Kubic from the Windows Store

George Ponder

George is the Reviews Editor at Windows Central, concentrating on Windows 10 PC and Mobile apps. He's been a supporter of the platform since the days of Windows CE and uses his current Windows 10 Mobile phone daily to keep up with life and enjoy a game during down time.