Qvoid Offers A Deep And Universal Puzzling Experience

Qvoid ($1.99) by Gavina Games is a must have puzzle game for the iPhone and iPad.

This universal offering comes with massive depth, an easy learning curve, and 96 levels of pure, neuron pumping action. Qvoid will test your puzzling abilities to the limit, but always with a cubed smile.

Qvoid is most similar to the classic Sokoban style of gameplay, though it has progressed far beyond that original concept.

Players are asked to rotate a cube about a grid, collecting colors along the cube’s white faces. Those colors must then be carried to a corresponding spot elsewhere on the board. When two like colors are combined, they vanish, leaving behind a blank square and a free pass to the next puzzle.

The game makes this difficult just about every way it can: Colored faces cannot be placed against a black square, nor can black squares (which are left after a match is made) be placed facedown either. And just when you think it’s safe to go back in the water, the game throws moving tiles, numbered squares, and color mixing into the equation. It’s a wicked concept, and one that’s split across all 96 handmade levels, with each requiring a higher level of cerebral concentration than the next. All in all, there’s easily 12 hours worth of gameplay hidden within Qvoid’s walls; potentially more, if you’re puzzle dumb like me.

In fact, with so much quality content, it’s hard to find Qvoid’s downside. The game is a whole dollar above the 99 cent sweet spot, but considering the number of levels offered, the developers can hardly be faulted. Not to mention Qvoid’s absolutely gorgeous graphics.

And they are gorgeous, trust us. Everything about the game’s look feels alive and springy, from the menus right down to the cube’s facial expressions. The developers have created a puzzling world that’s both challenging and good looking, a feat that immediately puts Qvoid above its competitors.

Qvoid also comes with Game Center integration, meaning players can enjoy global leader boards, as well as some (stiffly earned) achievements. The value of the leader board is debatable, however, as it’s simply a tally of players’ collected stars. Considering there’s a finite number of stars available in-game, the reasoning behind this bit of online stat-tracking is questionable at best.

The achievements, however, will require a large amount of effort on the player’s part. That likely comes as a boon for those requiring a truly masochistic puzzling experience on the iPhone. In fact, that may be Qvoid’s only real fault: The game can be hair-tearingly difficult at times.

Depending on the level, players may spend several minutes or several days deciphering a puzzle. The game’s learning curve is excellent, spacing out discovery with difficulty at exactly the right places. This means that no matter how hard the puzzle, the answer is within your grasp. Just try not to throw the iPhone against a wall, please.

At the end of the day, Qvoid offers one of the best puzzling experiences available for iOS. The game provides deep gameplay, more puzzles than one can shake a stick at, and graphics that feel right at home on the Retina display. All in all, it’s a $1.99 gem, and an absolute steal. If you’re a fan of puzzle games, get this app.