Quantum Conundrum

 PC
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

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Mykwon
    Dec 29, 2012
    7
    Game feels like Portal with different gaming mechanisms. So, it is quite entertaining. The timed jumps can be frustrating though, mainly due to the first person view. Sometimes, it's difficult to see how far you can go in order to jump - especially under the pressure of time - and you end up wondering if you're doing what is necessary to solve the puzzle or just failing at jumpingGame feels like Portal with different gaming mechanisms. So, it is quite entertaining. The timed jumps can be frustrating though, mainly due to the first person view. Sometimes, it's difficult to see how far you can go in order to jump - especially under the pressure of time - and you end up wondering if you're doing what is necessary to solve the puzzle or just failing at jumping properly. So it leads to a lot of trial and error where you keep dying. But overall, that's a good game, with interesting puzzles/concepts. This game has a lot of potential; if it had the Steam Workshop feature enabled where players could submit their puzzles, it would become exponentially richer and famous. Ultimately, getting it at a good discounted price (like 75%) is a good deal.… Expand
  2. Izitmee
    Jun 27, 2012
    7
    Probably because Quantum Conundrum's developer is Kim Swift, which was one of the minds behind the first Portal, this game actually feels like a casual version of Portal. Instead of targeted teleports and strange substances though, our weapon of choice influences ("shifts") the whole environment, making everything ultra-heavy, ultra-light, super-slow-motion, or gravity-inverted. It'sProbably because Quantum Conundrum's developer is Kim Swift, which was one of the minds behind the first Portal, this game actually feels like a casual version of Portal. Instead of targeted teleports and strange substances though, our weapon of choice influences ("shifts") the whole environment, making everything ultra-heavy, ultra-light, super-slow-motion, or gravity-inverted. It's actually quite fun. Like Portal, all puzzles are divided in rooms, and a sarcastic voice follows you throughout your gameplay. Unlike Portal though, this game doesn't deliver in many aspects. The atmosphere is quite bland. The story is utterly un-compelling. The sarcasm is usually nice but nothing special nor peculiar. The platform elements are annoying (as in any first-person platformer), though not terribly awkward.
    Anyway, considering the price range, it's a nice little game, with relatively easy but entertaining puzzles.    … Expand
  3. Resplendent
    Jul 23, 2012
    6
    An entertaining, if frustrating game. The cartoonish environments are unique, though they quickly become repetitive. John de Lancie's performance delivers his usual wit, though the character still manages to lack personality. Professor Quadrangle is no GLaDOS. I did enjoy the game mechanics; they did have a Portal-esque planning-requirement when solving puzzles. I did find some puzzlesAn entertaining, if frustrating game. The cartoonish environments are unique, though they quickly become repetitive. John de Lancie's performance delivers his usual wit, though the character still manages to lack personality. Professor Quadrangle is no GLaDOS. I did enjoy the game mechanics; they did have a Portal-esque planning-requirement when solving puzzles. I did find some puzzles were too lacking in direction, as if they hadn't been playtested enough (but I admit I may just be a bit of a dolt). The lack of a real conclusion was rather annoying, with the climax over before it really has a chance to begin. Don't expect nearly the level of polish and awe that you got with Portal. A somewhat overall repetitive environment and series of puzzles leaves the game feeling both too long and too short- as if the designers simply ran out of ideas and decided to add in more of the same until it met an arbitrary length requirement. Overall, QC is something to pick up on sale to kill some time.… Expand
  4. Indrigis
    Aug 12, 2012
    6
    This game is constantly compared to Portal (game designer and all), but the problem is that whatever likeness to Portal has been diluted, painted pastel colors and dumbed down so severely that it's more of a Farmville FPS. Slightly boring toothless kind-of-fun for the whole family. You repeat the same pseudo-entertaining tricks for six hours, like a slightly stupid dog jumping throughThis game is constantly compared to Portal (game designer and all), but the problem is that whatever likeness to Portal has been diluted, painted pastel colors and dumbed down so severely that it's more of a Farmville FPS. Slightly boring toothless kind-of-fun for the whole family. You repeat the same pseudo-entertaining tricks for six hours, like a slightly stupid dog jumping through hoops, in process discovering almost nothing about almost nothing, and, for lack of a worthy narration, entertaining yourself by looking at various paintings in various dimensions (they change, somewhat predictably, in a cringe-inducingly fun way). Now that I think of it... the game is a dementia simulator. You don't know who you are, you are locked in a strange place with no reason and you do strange things because a condescending voice in your head tells you to. Meanwhile learning the laws of physics and enjoying the view.… Expand
  5. mathmike
    Aug 5, 2012
    5
    I think this game has a really good sense of humor and voice acting. The puzzles weren't as hard as I would have liked them to be and I found the controls hard to get used to. I thought the controls felt slippery and the character ran too fast to make some of the jumps easily.
  6. Fijut
    Jul 17, 2012
    7
    An enjoyable puzzle game, regardless of it's obvious similarities to portal. The lack of graphics options didn't really bother me so much, as it's just a casual puzzle game, but the choice should still be there. There is not very much i can flaw, apart from the puzzles being too easy, some repetetiveness (both in the puzzles and especially the voiceover), and most annoyingly, you are givenAn enjoyable puzzle game, regardless of it's obvious similarities to portal. The lack of graphics options didn't really bother me so much, as it's just a casual puzzle game, but the choice should still be there. There is not very much i can flaw, apart from the puzzles being too easy, some repetetiveness (both in the puzzles and especially the voiceover), and most annoyingly, you are given HINTS constantly by the voiceover when you don't need them.

    Also, i don't know if i missed it, but the game never really explains what IKE is, either.    … Expand
  7. badluck29
    Jul 8, 2012
    7
    I found myself really trying to like this game. It had all the things that it needed to be a great game. And it might be. In a few patches. This game came from Kim Swift, known for working on Portal, a GREAT GAME, and for another first-person physics puzzler I expected it to be a lot like Portal. But I think Portal somehow did the concept and pulled it off much better. While I was playing,I found myself really trying to like this game. It had all the things that it needed to be a great game. And it might be. In a few patches. This game came from Kim Swift, known for working on Portal, a GREAT GAME, and for another first-person physics puzzler I expected it to be a lot like Portal. But I think Portal somehow did the concept and pulled it off much better. While I was playing, I was getting a lot of frame lag so as the game was nearly unplayable. I looked at the system requirements and found that my computer was only 0.1 Ghz away from being able to run this game well enough, and I'd just like to make a point to the developers - if you're going to create a game with such an intensive physics engine, make some freaking graphics settings. Anyways, I continued playing it on the PC in my living room which could run the game better, and I actually started enjoying it a lot, and only found a few things that were very bad about the game. Either the jump length is much to high or the rooms are much too small, because you had to stop yourself most of the time when jumping to the next object. Also, sometimes the safes fell and just tumbled into patterns that made the test lengthier as you had to wait for another one. This wasn't game ruining, but it was annoying.… Expand
  8. Funksatron
    Jul 17, 2012
    7
    There is good reason to compare QC to Portal. Both games are FPS puzzlers that employ physics manipulation. QC is a solid game in its own right. The graphics are friendly, the characteristics of the alternate dimensions are interesting and the premise is adequate. The puzzle difficulty seems to be either too easy or maddeningly reliant on high precision twitchery. If you just want to solveThere is good reason to compare QC to Portal. Both games are FPS puzzlers that employ physics manipulation. QC is a solid game in its own right. The graphics are friendly, the characteristics of the alternate dimensions are interesting and the premise is adequate. The puzzle difficulty seems to be either too easy or maddeningly reliant on high precision twitchery. If you just want to solve puzzles, this game may not be for you. After thinking your way through a puzzle, you must then execute your plan which is sometimes much easier said than done. The conclusion is unsatisfying, you won't be playing this game for plot. The game is pretty short and encourages replay for various bragging rights (not dying, fast completion, fewest dimensional shifts) if that's your cup of tea. All in all, because of the low cost of this game ($9 on sale), it's worth the investment. Just don't expect it to be Portal 3.… Expand
  9. spydercanopus
    Feb 23, 2013
    6
    Resolution only gots up to 1920x1200 have to force geforce drivers to enable antialiasing and other standard graphics features. Menus optimized for controllers and not mouse. Unrealistic expectations for "time goals". Very frustrating to be a quarter second off after playing through a crappy level 10 times having to listen to the scientist tell the same joke each time. Slippery feel toResolution only gots up to 1920x1200 have to force geforce drivers to enable antialiasing and other standard graphics features. Menus optimized for controllers and not mouse. Unrealistic expectations for "time goals". Very frustrating to be a quarter second off after playing through a crappy level 10 times having to listen to the scientist tell the same joke each time. Slippery feel to movement controls (Tip: turn off mouse smoothing to reduce the "slippery" controls.)… Expand
  10. bedsidetrash
    Apr 28, 2013
    6
    pros: Interesting mechanics and a couple really good puzzles. some decent platforming levels. cheap.
    cons: half the game is filler not real puzzles. The story is awful and same with the dialogue. The environment is very boring Antechamber has an awesome environment even though its an Indie but this game tried to imitate the environment of bigger budget games on the cheap.
    If you    pros: Interesting mechanics and a couple really good puzzles. some decent platforming levels. cheap.
    cons: half the game is filler not real puzzles. The story is awful and same with the dialogue. The environment is very boring Antechamber has an awesome environment even though its an Indie but this game tried to imitate the environment of bigger budget games on the cheap.

    If you like puzzle games, don't mind playing games directed at children (or you are a child), and you're bored, its worth 10 dollars.    … Expand
  11. JimCorbett
    Nov 17, 2012
    7
    This game does become very frustrating at times, especially if you're trying to reach the time and shift goals in each level. The environments do get a bit repetitive as well, but the addition of new dimensions throughout the game keeps the experience fresh. The puzzles are challenging to get right and require a bit of thought. Like most puzzle games, the story is non-existent, but thatThis game does become very frustrating at times, especially if you're trying to reach the time and shift goals in each level. The environments do get a bit repetitive as well, but the addition of new dimensions throughout the game keeps the experience fresh. The puzzles are challenging to get right and require a bit of thought. Like most puzzle games, the story is non-existent, but that doesn't keep it from being a rather pleasant experience.… Expand
  12. dumle
    Nov 29, 2012
    5
    Quantum Conundrum is a clever little game. The commentator is nice and quirky and the visual design is pleasantly unique. The puzzles work overall well enough, it should be mentioned that a lot of them is based on platforming which might scare some people away. The platforming works alright considering that its a first person game. A couple of puzzles later in the game does get a littleQuantum Conundrum is a clever little game. The commentator is nice and quirky and the visual design is pleasantly unique. The puzzles work overall well enough, it should be mentioned that a lot of them is based on platforming which might scare some people away. The platforming works alright considering that its a first person game. A couple of puzzles later in the game does get a little bit annoying since the platforming gets a little bit harder and you really start to feel the limitations of the first person view. But overall they puzzles are quite nice though a little bit samey. What i do think the games six hour-ish campaign is missing though is impact. Even the ending is abruptly finished and never reaches the big climax. QC is a nice little puzzle game but no more. I would still recommend it though if you are a fan of the genre.… Expand
  13. ArMoRofGOD
    Nov 25, 2012
    5
    This game is not worth your time. Anyone who compares it to portal as if it is any where near it is mistaken. Portal already has done everything this game set out to do, it is unnecessary and not worth the purchase, regret buying.
  14. Doghealer
    Aug 19, 2012
    5
    This game tries - perhaps a bit too hard - to be like Portal. All the key components are there.

    There's just one HUGE thing wrong with it. It's got a heck of a lot more platforming than it should have. I strongly believe that platforming and 1st person cameras will never, ever work, and my death pattern throughout this game would back that up. It's still definitely a puzzler like Portal    This game tries - perhaps a bit too hard - to be like Portal. All the key components are there.

    There's just one HUGE thing wrong with it. It's got a heck of a lot more platforming than it should have. I strongly believe that platforming and 1st person cameras will never, ever work, and my death pattern throughout this game would back that up. It's still definitely a puzzler like Portal with a similar difficulty curve to Portal 2 (IE, rather easy), but those nagging platforming sections seriously dilute the thinking challenge I feel this game intended to deliver.

    Long story short: Obvious parody, decent (and new!) idea, off-target execution.    … Expand
  15. PeanutsKill
    Nov 9, 2012
    7
    While I enjoyed this game, it was certainly not the experience that I was hoping for. The puzzles are fun for a while but seemed to get stale after playing the game for very long. At many points in the game it feels more like a platformer than a puzzle game as I spent too much time on moving a safe or box into the perfect spot or failing to execute a jump properly. The story is sub-par atWhile I enjoyed this game, it was certainly not the experience that I was hoping for. The puzzles are fun for a while but seemed to get stale after playing the game for very long. At many points in the game it feels more like a platformer than a puzzle game as I spent too much time on moving a safe or box into the perfect spot or failing to execute a jump properly. The story is sub-par at best and while the Professor's dialogue throughout the game can be amusing at time it just feels like a bit too much. The game is definitely worth playing and I feel like I should enjoy it much more than I do but something about it just leaves me unsatisfied.… Expand
  16. cscalfani
    Nov 18, 2012
    5
    Unlike Portal, this game is all about performance not intellect. Nothing is more frustrating than spending 2 minutes solving the puzzle and 20 mins trying to execute it.

    The biggest problem with this game is that shifting physics do NOT lend themselves to interesting puzzles that require real thinking. So, the game designers had to resort to jumping and timing. Now anyone who's    Unlike Portal, this game is all about performance not intellect. Nothing is more frustrating than spending 2 minutes solving the puzzle and 20 mins trying to execute it.

    The biggest problem with this game is that shifting physics do NOT lend themselves to interesting puzzles that require real thinking. So, the game designers had to resort to jumping and timing.

    Now anyone who's played any FP game knows that no one, and I mean no one, can jump accurately in FP mode. It's like walking around your house while looking through a rolled up newspaper and trying not to get injured.

    If your unlucky jumping doesn't kill you, don't worry, the next one will. There are so many requirements for jumping and jumping and jumping where the final jump is your doom. This sends you back to the last checkpoint, which is usually not too far back and one of the game's strong points. And it's a good thing too because it would be unplayable otherwise.

    And then layer on timing requirements. Don't jump in the right direction at the right time and it's back to the checkpoint for you.

    This game suffers from the traditional solution that most designers resort to when a game is too easy. Death. Death everywhere. Any false move and death. Die, die, die. That'll slow them down.

    Dying is fine when I've made a mistake. But when you rely on continuously killing your player off to extend the play time, you've failed.    … Expand
  17. Qarren
    Mar 7, 2021
    6
    I've been lied to. The biggest conundrum here isn't the quantum one, but the conundrum of whether this game tries too hard to be Portal, or doesn't try hard enough. Quantum mechanics ain't got nothin' on the intricacies of Game Feel.
    And that's just it. The mixed reviews Quantum Conundrum receives always circle around this game's connection to and clear influence from Portal, and to what    I've been lied to. The biggest conundrum here isn't the quantum one, but the conundrum of whether this game tries too hard to be Portal, or doesn't try hard enough. Quantum mechanics ain't got nothin' on the intricacies of Game Feel.
    And that's just it. The mixed reviews Quantum Conundrum receives always circle around this game's connection to and clear influence from Portal, and to what extent that was achieved. I'm shamed to say that I won't be breaking the mould today. There's no opinion on this game so controversial that it can't be reasoned by the simple fact that this game is inherently going to compared to a game often considered a masterpiece. But alas, they tried and I'll never discourage that in game development. If you stop trying, you'll start developing ANTHEMs; and nobody wants that.
    So why do people consider this an inferior Portal? Let's see.
    Storywise, there's little to tell. You're a boy dropped off at his genius Uncle's mansion, experiment goes wrong, Uncle gets trapped in another dimension and you have to save him. You're the good ol' silent protagonist type, like Portal, in order to allow the player to insert themselves into the character. Except, finding portraits of yourself sulking during previous visits to the manor starts to rub away that blank slate that defines a silent protagonist. Not a big deal, but it's a small example of a rolling snowball that demonstrates how this game misses the Portal mark in the most nuanced ways.
    Also remember that Portal immersively and subtly created a dark atmosphere of suspense surrounding the whimsical cover? And how that added depth to a story with little actual driving action? Conundrum doesn't do that. Conundrum has the depth of a piece of paper left in an industrial hydraulic press. Also remember how GLADOS was a well-written and witty narrator that was utilised sparingly so as to not become annoying? Well guess which parts of that sentence Conundrum got switched around! About 3 throwaway one-liners or lines giving useless information per puzzle make your Uncle a less-welcome entertainer and narrator than Adam Sandler was an adult.
    Besides a shallow rendition of the Portal identity that reads as a blurb to the real text, what else can a humble Valve fan expect to revisit? Gameplay structure, that's what.
    A puzzle platformer that uses science-fiction devices to manipulate the game world to open the door at the end of the room, and rinse and repeat. Weight, time and gravity are yours to toy with, and instead of using this godlike power to rule the world, or at least mess with PS5 scalpers, you silently vow to save the Uncle who rejects you in favour of a Cheshire Cat cosplayer. 2/3 of this game these bargain-bin-infinity-gauntlet puzzles are good. They may seem to replicate Portal's straightforward mechanics in a highly controlled environment, but you'll soon learn. The last hour or 2 of the game becomes less about puzzle and solution, and more about ridiculous precision platforming. And suddenly these aren't highly controlled environments anymore. Eventually, you'll befall the ironic fate of relying on chaos theory. Rather than waste time attempting to time actions out to the nano-second and having to wait an hour for mistimed set-pieces to align in your favour again, the real solution is just to play God's Playground with quantum reality until eventually things kind of just work out. If Portal had suddenly changed genre in the final act, and had been this loose and undefined with its setups then that classic Valve fear of 3 might have been 2. I don't suppose Quantum Conundrum 2 fixed these problems, considering that improvement has a pre-requisite of actually f&$king existing.
    Okay, so it focuses too heavily on platforming in the end. Plenty of games change their gameplay towards the end. So does it do so to make you adapt the skills you learned to a new, unique set of challenges? Maybe. Hard to tell because of the simple fact that this kind of formula twist only works when the foundational mechanics are still designed to f^#king support it.
    The simple platforming in the early game is usable, and actually quite fun. But precision platforming when the FOV at its smallest means you can't see the floor for about 3 metres in front of you, and the largest, only a few points later, warps the world worse than wearing drunk goggles while high on shrooms tends to mean that you have no sense of space... in a 3D platformer. Not to mention how much of this requires the manipulation of momentum, otherwise known as the one physics concept you have absolutely no control over. Sure, just time out this jump when you can't move your platform more than 1 metre per minute so you won't reach the thing you're supposed to land on without buying airline tickets first.
    So that's Portal, except with less character, consistency and attention to detail. I had a good time mostly. I just wish Ike hadn't become my goofy sleep paralysis demon.    … Expand
  18. Wrathzo
    Mar 22, 2022
    7
    Quantum Conundrum is a puzzle-platform game developed by Airtight Games and published by Square Enix. As the boy protagonist, the player can run and jump, interact with various switches, and lift light objects. The player can die by falling into toxic liquids, bottomless pits, or falling from too great a height, and if hit by destructive lasers; this will restart the player at the start ofQuantum Conundrum is a puzzle-platform game developed by Airtight Games and published by Square Enix. As the boy protagonist, the player can run and jump, interact with various switches, and lift light objects. The player can die by falling into toxic liquids, bottomless pits, or falling from too great a height, and if hit by destructive lasers; this will restart the player at the start of a puzzle or a checkpoint if passed. The goal of each room is to reach its exit door, though it may be necessary to activate certain switches or other devices before the exit can become available.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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. 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.
    Read full review
  2. Pelit (Finland)
    Oct 14, 2012
    76
    Interesting puzzles, marred by dull environments and stupid requirement for jumping, seemingly with roller skates. [Sept 2012]
  3. PC Master (Greece)
    Aug 31, 2012
    79
    If you enjoyed Portal, puzzle games in general, or… Mirror's Edge (due to the first-person platforming), buy Quandum Conundrum with no second thoughts. It's not a perfect game, technically it's somewhat mediocre and the humorous personality of Portal is absent, but the gameplay is fun and- like always- that's what it's all about. [August 2012]
See all critic reviews »