Cube Escape: Paradox
Genres: Puzzle, Escape Room, Horror, Mystery, Point & Click, Story Rich, Atmospheric, Adventure
Play modes: free, singleplayer
Release Date: 20-9-2018
Developer: Rusty Lake
Our verdict
9/10
- Difficulty: Medium
- Players: 1
- Playtime: 2–4 h
Cube Escape: Paradox is the tenth Cube Escape game from Rusty Lake, a point-and-click escape room starring detective Dale Vandermeer, who wakes up in a strange room with no memory and caught in a game set by an old enemy. It was released alongside a live-action short film that holds clues for the game. The first chapter is free; a second, paid chapter continues the story with multiple endings. It suits solo players who like eerie, surreal puzzle stories.
Players love it: about 96 percent of more than 3,000 Steam reviews are positive. Reviewers praise the hand-painted rooms, the unsettling atmosphere and the way the film and game feed into each other. The puzzles are described as well structured and occasionally tough; a few players reached for a guide once or twice.
The caveats are small. The story raises more questions than it answers, it stays in a cramped set of cube rooms, and one Linux player could not get the film to play in the client. With chapter one free there is no reason not to try it, and players who enjoy it widely recommend buying the second chapter.
Pros
- Free first chapter, with a paid second chapter and multiple endings
- Tie-in short film hides clues that matter in the game
- Hand-painted rooms and an unsettling soundtrack
Cons
- Story leaves much of its mystery unexplained
- Confined to small cube rooms, little variety in setting
- A couple of puzzles send players to a guide
About
When the infamous detective Dale Vandermeer wakes up in an ominous room without any recollection of his past, he soon finds himself part of a bizarre game orchestrated by an old foe. Dale must solve increasingly challenging puzzles to escape the room and recover his memories.
Cube Escape: Paradox Features:
- A unique, never-before-seen, game/film crossover experience
- The absorbing gameplay, atmosphere and wealth of puzzles fans would expect from the tenth Cube Escape game
- A ton of connections and interactions with Paradox - A Rusty Lake Short Film
- There will be two different chapters available (one for free and one premium) with multiple endings
- Beautiful paintings handmade by Johan Scherft
- Immersive and atmospheric soundtrack by Victor Butzelaar
- Powerful voice-overs by Bob Rafferty and lead actor David Bowles
- Supporting 14 different languages
