I picked up Qbeh-1: The Atlas Cube a couple days ago for $1. I've been on a puzzle trip lately and I saw this; I didn't expect much from it but it looked interesting so I grabbed it anyway. At first glance it almost looks like a Minecraft mod or something. Nothing too special. But it actually is quite a special game.

The premise is simple. There's no story, it's just you and the cubes. The game is broken up into six worlds, and each world has six separate levels. Each level is almost like a "test" from Portal. You explore these strangely beautiful environments and solve puzzles, trying to get to the exit. Like Minecraft, you solve these puzzles by placing blocks and jumping around, so I guess it's a 3D puzzle-platformer. At first the levels are very simple and predictable, nothing special. But as you progress, things rapidly become much more interesting. Instead of just placing normal cubes and jumping on them, you're introduced to new types of cubes that have different properties; for example there's a gravity cube which gives you something like moon gravity within close proximity to that cube. As you find more cubes and the levels become larger, the game expands and the puzzles become much more complex and interesting.

Likewise, the environments also change in each world. The environments are always these strangely-floating ruins, but the devs have managed to make some truly gorgeous surroundings from these simple tools. The choices of light, splashes of colour, odd bits of rubble and plants add flavour to the surreal spaces. Additionally, the gameplay is accompanied by a wonderfully calm synthesised soundtrack. The light notes and tones, combined with these beautifully serene ruins create this indescribable atmosphere and it's truly unique. There's no narration, no timer, no rush; it's just you and the cubes, floating on a gentle breeze. I don't know if I've ever felt so relaxed while playing a videogame, it almost feels like meditation. Like the strange calm you might get from reading a book by the fireplace on a rainy day: you're calm and relaxed and yet your mind is quietly stimulated.

I haven't yet beaten the game, but after a handful of hours I'm certain that I have a good sense of the overall picture. I was surprised by this game; it proves that you can't judge a book by its cover. In terms of puzzle difficulty, I'm only about half-way through and it's not too intense, it's not on the level of something like The Witness, it's a bit more laid back. But if you really want a challenge, you can do challenges (kind of like a hard mode), play community maps, or create your own! I really want to give this game 5-stars because it's such a simple, relaxing, thoughtful little game. I think I've been hypnotised by it (but I think I've been too generous with my 5-star ratings lately). Highly recommended if you want a relaxing puzzle game with beautiful environments, especially because it's often on sale for one or two dollars.

Edit: After completing the game I've decided to give it a 5-star rating. This takes into consideration both the overall quality of the game, the design, the atmosphere, the ingenuity/balancing of the puzzles and the price. I've gleaned countless hours of enjoyment from this simple little $1 indie game, much more than many of the $30+ games that I've purchased recently.