Common Sense Media Review
By Chad Sapieha
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fun first-person puzzler combines physics with brainteasers.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
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Quantum Conundrum
What's It About?
QUANTUM CONUNDRUM, designed by one of the co-creators of the award-winning Portal puzzle games, puts players in the shoes of a kid exploring a vast mansion/laboratory, accompanied only by the disembodied voice of his uncle, who offers a mixture of light jibes and helpful advice. Kids encounter scores of physics-based puzzles as they progress through the house that can only be solved by shifting dimensions. The "fluffy" dimension, for example, transforms objects into light, pillow-y versions of themselves and makes them easy to toss around, while the "heavy" dimension turns things into metal -- which can comes in handy should you need to weigh down a pressure switch or block an energy beam. As the game progresses players will need to quickly switch between dimensions while applying their common sense understanding of real world physics. By asking themselves questions (such as: What will wind do to a lighter object? What sort of item would break a glass window?), kids should be able to noodle out solutions to conundrums that become ever more multifaceted.
Is It Any Good?
It's almost impossible not to compare Quantum Conundrum to Valve's beloved Portal games, but this new contender can hold its own in that comparison. Its puzzles are wonderfully designed -- ingenious, fun, and fair. Figuring out that you must quickly switch between the fluffy and heavy dimensions to change the weight of a box on a rotating handle in order to spin a crank can result in a kind of satisfaction not easily dismissed. This is a game that makes you feel smart and clever, and that's a powerful motivation to keep playing.
That said, it comes up a hair short of Portal in the personality department. John de Lancie (better known as Q from Star Trek: The Next Generation) does a fine job portraying the game's uncle character, but hasn't been given a script as quirky or as sharp as Portal's. However, this may end up working in the game's favor, since its dialogue remains broad enough for a wide audience. Long story short, it's a top-notch physics puzzler with next to no violence that just about anyone can enjoy. Buy with confidence.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about puzzles. Solving them is only part of the fun. Have you ever tried to reverse engineer a puzzle to figure out how its creator made it? Do you think you'd be good at designing puzzles yourself?
Families can also discuss what it's like to play a first-person game without much violence. Can you think of other games besides this one that players view from the perspective of their avatar and that don't involve guns and weapons? Why do you think such games are so rare?
Game Details
- Platforms : PlayStation 3 , Windows , Xbox 360
- Subjects : Science : gravity , momentum , physics
- Skills : Thinking & Reasoning : analyzing evidence , deduction , solving puzzles , Creativity : developing novel solutions , imagination
- Pricing structure : Paid
- Available online? : Not available online
- Publisher : Square Enix
- Release date : June 21, 2012
- Genre : Puzzle
- Topics : STEM
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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