Pleasantly puzzling

Quantum Conundrum is a first-person puzzle video game developed by Airtight Games and published by Square Enix. The game is available on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

The protagonist of Quantum Conundrum is the 12-year-old nephew of the brilliant but peculiar Professor Fitz Quadwrangle. He is sent to stay with Quadwrangle, who is unprepared for his arrival as he is presently working on an experiment. The experiment goes awry, causing Quadwrangle to become trapped in a pocket dimension – although he is suffering from memory loss, Quadwrangle can still watch and communicate with his nephew.

The failed experiment has also left portions of the Quadwrangle mansion in flux between several dimensions with alternate properties. Quadwrangle guides the protagonist to acquire a glove that can tame these fluxes – thus, he can safely travel through the labyrinth of rooms to reach three separate power generators and restart each. Quadwrangle believes that this will allow him to escape the pocket dimension. As Quadwrangle guides his nephew, he tries to recall the exact events leading to the current situation.

After starting the three generators, the house begins to shake and Quadwrangle realises that a fourth generator must be started. The protagonist begins to activate the device, but Quadwrangle remembers too late that restarting the device had nearly killed him before and he had escaped to the pocket dimension for safety. With the device started, the house begins to shake violently and Quadwrangle instructs his nephew to the safety of the pocket dimension, while Quadwrangle can now work out how to resolve the problems of the half-ruined mansion.

Quantum Conundrum is a puzzle game viewed from a first-person perspective. 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 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 players may need to activate certain switches or other devices before the exit can become available. Most puzzles require the player to manipulate the room and objects within it using four different dimensions which impart unique physical properties to the world.

The game has so far received reasonably favourable reviews. The only evident negative points are that some of the environments are dull, while at times, the physics is inconsistent.

A technology enthusiast who has his own blog at www.itnewsblog.com.