Quantum Conundrum

 PC
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 60 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 45 out of 60
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 60
  3. Negative: 1 out of 60
  1. ActionTrip
    Jul 6, 2012
    74
    It can be entertaining...The obvious downside is that despite the occasionally interesting puzzle-solving, you still waste too much time on numerous platform-related challenges.
  2. PC PowerPlay
    Jul 31, 2012
    70
    Unique puzzle mechanics provide some intriguing conundrums, but things end up stuck in the flat dimension. [Aug 2012, p.62]
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  3. Eurogamer Germany
    Jul 5, 2012
    70
    Even if the premise is not as self-contained as it should be and the basic design not as fascinating, as in the game that helped Swifts rise to fame: Friend of Portal-esque puzzles will find enough to do for two long afternoons - and at a reasonable price point, too.
  5. Gamer.nl
    Jun 30, 2012
    70
    Quantum Conundrum might look a lot like Portal, but the execution is wholly different thanks to the four dimensions that'll change the properties of the game world and all items in it. Unfortunately an interesting context for dropping the puzzle cubes in place is absent.
  6. Gamer.no
    Jun 29, 2012
    70
    The puzzling part of Quantum Conundrum is highly enjoyable and satisfying. Unfortunately, there are a number of frustrating parts where you really need superhuman reflexes to succeed, and the overall experience suffers a bit as a result.
  7. DarkStation
    Jun 25, 2012
    70
    Kim Swift will make amazing games for family audiences at Airtight Games. But as a watered down version of Portal with a forgettable world and gameplay that makes you pound your desk in fury, Quantum Conundrum is a step backward.
  8. Joystiq
    Jun 21, 2012
    70
    If you can ignore the jarring, clipped dialogue and attempted story, play Quantum Conundrum to enjoy the tranquility of practiced physics – tranquility that may frustrate you to the point of destroying a beautiful keyboard, but tranquility nonetheless.
  9. GameSpy
    Jun 21, 2012
    70
    There's no disputing that Quantum Conundrum has some great ideas here, and perhaps it's even something this creative team can build upon. I just hope they dial back the amount of first-person platforming involved to solve these puzzles the next time around, and create a more-compelling world that I actually want to explore.
  10. PC Gamer UK
    Aug 12, 2012
    69
    Clever puzzle concepts fail to coalesce into anything scintillating, undermined by inconsistent physics and a rather witless world. [Sept 2012, p.100]
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  11. Riot Pixels
    Jan 29, 2013
    60
    Quantum Conundrum lacks many things that made Portal so entertaining. It never shocks you with amazing possibilities. It doesn't make you head spin with ingenious ways to solve a trite problem. It doesn't force you to look at the problem at a completely different angle. This is just a puzzle about moving boxes from one place to another.
  12. Edge Magazine
    Jul 3, 2012
    60
    It's the misjudged reuse of ideas like this that makes the game feel like a classic '80s rock song being played by the band's contemporary line-up.
  13. Guardian
    Jun 26, 2012
    60
    Quantum Conundrum feels like the PC's answer to a smartphone app – a simple idea, well executed but never quite reaching the level of a "real" game. You'll play it for a few hours, enjoying the experience and then suddenly think: "Well, that's enough of that," and never go back. It is what it is; a small slice of casual gaming at a slightly inflated price.
  14. BigPond GameArena
    Jul 24, 2012
    55
    If the shift powers had been less drip-fed, the puzzles more open to experimentation, the dimensions less generic and the general conceit more fully realised, Quantum Conundrum may well have blown us away as much as Portal did.
  15. Eurogamer
    Jun 26, 2012
    50
    A budget game, and Swift and her team can't be expected to match the perfect cohesion of Portal. The disappointment is that, in trying to do just that, they've undersold their own good ideas as well as inviting unflattering comparisons with a classic. Despite its frequent frustrations, it's a solid, intelligent puzzle adventure and represents good value for money, but it could have been much more by trying to be a bit less.

Awards & Rankings

73
#73 Best PC Game of 2012
92
#92 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 198 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 112 out of 198
  2. Mixed: 62 out of 198
  3. Negative: 24 out of 198
  1. czerro
    Jul 1, 2012
    9
    This is a really great game at a ridiculously low price. You will definitely get more than a bang for your buck. Infact, the one kindaThis is a really great game at a ridiculously low price. You will definitely get more than a bang for your buck. Infact, the one kinda irritating thing is just HOW much this game wants to give you. The voice over work for the uncle is quite good...but it's SO MUCH. It will start to grate on you after a while. Seriously, stop talking at me, Uncle Crazy! I wish there was a little less attempt at theatrics and a little more making this a tight puzzler as the story is essentially non-existant...but man your ear gets talked off about it. This is a lame complaint though, considering how much you are getting at a 15 dollar price tag. Play it for the puzzles and just try and tune out the continuous Vincent Price-esque monologue that's ever in your ear.… Full Review »
  2. DynamicJul
    Jun 28, 2012
    0
    I was excited to play this after I saw the different dimensions in trailer and started to imagine what amazing puzzles could be made withI was excited to play this after I saw the different dimensions in trailer and started to imagine what amazing puzzles could be made with them. Unfortunately, every puzzle is way too easy, I bet even 10 year olds could figure them out quickly. I was in and out each room with ease. The only times I got stuck was when the execution of the puzzles was too clunky and needed multiple tries. Unlike Portal, you never have to think outside the box. Top that off with a lackluster story, a GLADOS rip-off commentary which makes no sense and is supposed to be funny but ends up annoying, and an obsolutely anticlimatic ending, there is no way I could have given it more than a 6.

    P.S. Metacritic is not allowing me to give it a proper rating, so I guess it will have to be a 0.    … Full Review »
  3. pablol
    Jun 25, 2012
    3
    This game is nothing compared to portal. Its biggest failing are badly designed puzzles. After figuring out what to do, I spent way too longThis game is nothing compared to portal. Its biggest failing are badly designed puzzles. After figuring out what to do, I spent way too long trying to throw a box or something else just in the right spot. Very frustrating. Also if you fail, you usually have to start again, resetting almost all items.

    Writing is also average at best. Paintings and other assets are mostly recycled from previous levels. There is nothing that makes the player keep playing. Bottom line, don't waste your money.    … Full Review »
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