Cube World

38%
Game Brain Score Based on 9,283 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • grinding
Cube World Game Cover
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Cube World is a voxel-based adventure game with a focus on exploration and combat. Players can create their own unique characters, embark on quests, and discover exotic landscapes filled with creatures, treasures, and mysteries. With a variety of weapons, spells, and skills to choose from, Cube World offers a rich and immersive open-world experience.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Cloud
  • Linux
  • NVIDIA GeForce NOW
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

38%
Audience ScoreBased on 9,283 reviews
gameplay190 positive mentions
grinding378 negative mentions
  • The graphics and art design are amazing.
  • The gear system has improved from the alpha version, offering a star rating instead of simple numbers.
  • The game is extremely fun if played with friends, providing a unique exploration experience.
  • The game has a flawed region locking system that makes all equipment useless when entering a new area.
  • The leveling system is terrible, relying on collecting artifacts that provide minimal stat increases.
  • The game feels repetitive and lacks meaningful progression, leading to a lack of motivation to continue playing.
  • gameplay880 mentions

    The gameplay of Cube World has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing disappointment over the removal of core mechanics from the alpha version, such as leveling and skill trees. The introduction of region-locked items has been particularly criticized, as it forces players to restart their progress in new areas, leading to a repetitive and often frustrating experience. While some players find enjoyment in the game's exploration and combat mechanics, the overall consensus is that the gameplay feels shallow and lacks the rewarding progression that many expected.

    • “The actual mechanic of killing things and looting random armor from them is great!”
    • “This is an amazing game with great gameplay and awesome ultra-realistic HD graphics.”
    • “The gameplay is actually really fun but fuck me if the game ever gets updated.”
    • “The gameplay is boring and it feels unfinished.”
    • “Turns out your items are region locked, making all gameplay from each little area on the map nullified as soon as you leave.”
    • “This current progression system, which is the core gameplay of the game, is so trash that nobody plays this game except people who use mods to roll the game back to how it was before he made those design choices.”
  • story682 mentions

    The game's story is largely criticized for its lack of depth and coherence, with many players noting that it feels more like a series of repetitive fetch quests rather than a cohesive narrative. While there are numerous quests available, they often lack meaningful rewards and variety, leading to a sense of monotony. Overall, players express a desire for a more engaging storyline and better quest design to enhance the gaming experience.

    • “A lot of times I will speak to someone and they will add a quest to the map for an item to get or someone to save, or even just a rumor they heard, and it feels very dynamic, not just 'oh here's a quest, check it off, here's your reward'.”
    • “There's also quite a nice bit of story to explore.”
    • “It's a game designed around the idea of satisfying a wanderlust; seeing through a story of an adventurer who learns of the kingdoms in and around the area they spawn in, hunts for the treasures found within each land, and uses any and all means to see through their goals.”
    • “No story, wasted potential.”
    • “There is no real storyline (of what I could tell).”
    • “The quests are boring and do not add to a story or lore behind the world, they are just tasks that oftentimes do not reward you enough for the effort.”
  • grinding382 mentions

    The grinding aspect of Cube World has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it excessively tedious and unfulfilling due to the region-locked gear system that renders hard-earned items useless in new areas. While some enjoy the grind as part of the exploration experience, others feel it detracts from the game's potential, leading to a repetitive cycle of starting over without meaningful progression. Overall, the grinding mechanics are seen as a significant flaw, making the game less enjoyable for those who prefer a more rewarding gameplay loop.

    • “The game's concept of not requiring endless farming and instead focusing on completing regions by defeating bosses and obtaining artifacts is quite good and creative compared to other games. However, I miss a leveling feature that allows players to actually get stronger, as the current gameplay often involves tackling three-star enemies with only one-star items, which can be quite challenging.”
    • “The idea of grinding in this game is refreshing because it encourages players to engage with the story and bosses rather than just farming endlessly for resources.”
    • “While grinding can be intense, the game offers a unique approach that makes it feel less tedious and more rewarding when you finally defeat a challenging enemy.”
    • “The game's grinding mechanics are absolutely terrible; it region locks items unless you just happen to find an item that can bypass borders.”
    • “When you enter the new regions, you will very quickly notice that all the grinding and collecting items was worthless, because the items are 'region locked' and can only be used in that region until you find the same items in the new region.”
    • “You are just endlessly grinding with no goal or reward.”
  • graphics194 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming voxel art style and vibrant aesthetics, which many players find appealing and nostalgic. However, some reviews note that while the visuals are impressive, they lack depth and complexity compared to other titles, leading to a perception of the game as visually attractive but ultimately shallow in content. Overall, the graphics are considered a strong point, though opinions vary on their execution and the game's overall substance.

    • “The graphics are amazing and the art and design is great.”
    • “The art style of the game and the landscape are both incredibly appealing and satisfying to explore and look at, ranging from massive mountains to dense forests or frost-covered tundras!”
    • “The graphics, animations, music, etc. are all amazing, but the system itself overshadows all of this.”
    • “This game's riddled with lots of graphical bugs and gameplay in my experience is more like a game prototype than a completed game.”
    • “1/10, it's got a modest execution with decent graphics and a pretty world to look at, but has no depth to any of its content or systems, lacks an actual development team, and at best is a cash grab from someone who had a lot of ideas but perhaps just didn't have any time to execute them.”
    • “I had all of the graphics settings all the way down, and I only get 3 fps with nothing else open, my computer is above the minimum spec and this is what I get, also the options button is jank.”
  • music158 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric quality and variety across different biomes, enhancing the overall experience of exploration and gameplay. While many players find the soundtrack beautiful and reminiscent of classic titles like The Legend of Zelda, some note that it can become repetitive over extended play sessions. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and immersion.

    • “The music is fantastic and the visuals are superb.”
    • “Beautiful looking game with an atmospheric, well-composed soundtrack enchanting your every activity, which simply leaves you in awe with how well everything works even on slower devices.”
    • “The soundtrack is absolutely amazing and there is no point to listen to music outside the game, since the one in the game is calm and relaxing, nicely fitting the game.”
    • “Since the music in this game, while not sounding bad at first, starts giving you a headache after around ~30 minutes.”
    • “Every song sounds the same with slight changes or one different instrument.”
    • “- the music in those 'woods' regions is depressing and sad.”
  • replayability64 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its potential for endless exploration and cooperative play, while others criticize the experimental systems and region-locking as forced and repetitive. Many feel that the current iteration lacks the depth and enjoyment found in the alpha version, leading to a perception of limited replay value despite some fun mechanics. Overall, while there are elements that encourage replayability, significant improvements are needed to enhance the experience.

    • “So many people have dissed on this game, that it has encouraged people to not purchase the game, this game is great, it has loads of replay value, and it's a great game to play to pass the time and to hang out with friends on.”
    • “A lot of games nowadays are £40+ and give me 8 hours and that is literally it, this game has infinite replay value and I appreciate it.”
    • “Each district you adventure to is a clean slate, so the replayability is seemingly endless.”
    • “While it was a fun game to play with your friends, it didn't have much replay value to it.”
    • “There are differences between repetitive and replayable, and Cube World leans into repetitive rather than replayable.”
    • “Very clever, making the game 'replayable' by forcing the player to start over again at nothing with minimal buffs so they continue to play.”
  • optimization56 mentions

    The game's optimization is a mixed bag, with some players reporting smooth performance on high-end PCs, while others experience severe stuttering and frame rate drops, particularly in certain areas. Despite some positive remarks about the graphical engine and world generation, many users express frustration over ongoing performance issues and a lack of significant improvements after several years. Overall, while some find it playable, a substantial number of players feel the game is poorly optimized and in need of urgent fixes.

    • “Performance-wise, it is quite polished.”
    • “Optimization - this entire, massive game is a nineteen second download on my computer, and it runs like a charm, even though the world (which is all already mapped, by the way), has an essentially infinite stretch of discrete distance.”
    • “The world generation is overwhelmingly good and literally infinite and super optimized (so no loading screens like in Minecraft), the biomes are super varied with their minibiomes and structures, and so on.”
    • “Nothing can save Cube World, even the mod creators (God bless their hearts) can't undo the mess that is this game. It's poorly optimized, boring, grindy, and has no goal.”
    • “The game is poorly optimized, dropping to 1.5 seconds per frame in some areas.”
    • “The game won't even run; it's so poorly optimized that rendering new terrain can take minutes.”
  • monetization54 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has been overwhelmingly criticized by users, who describe it as a blatant cash grab with minimal content and depth. Many reviewers express disappointment in the developers for prioritizing profit over quality, feeling that the game exploits nostalgia without delivering meaningful updates or improvements. Overall, the sentiment is that the game fails to justify its price, leading to frustration among players.

    • “The Cube World Trilogy - not so subtle, but at least it's not filled with microtransactions, so props to them.”
    • “It's truly a shame to see what this game has become: a literal cash grab. The game was infinitely better in 2013, and I will never forget that masterpiece, but this is horrible—a repetitive, boring mess I have ever seen.”
    • “I don't want to yell 'cash grab,' but that's how it feels right now. Sadly, he won't accept any negative reviews or criticism; he will just block you straight away.”
    • “To unsuspecting buyers, just be warned that this game is likely a cash grab. Spend your money wisely, unlike me.”
  • humor54 mentions

    The humor in the game is often highlighted as a key aspect, with many players finding it particularly enjoyable when playing with friends, leading to shared laughter and amusing moments. While some reviews note that the humor can feel repetitive or not funny on its own, the chaotic and unpredictable nature of gameplay—such as unexpected deaths and quirky interactions—contributes to a lighthearted experience. Overall, the game is described as funny, especially in a social context, though opinions vary on its comedic effectiveness.

    • “Spawn in, woah the scenery is cool, spent an hour figuring out what I was doing, died a lot, found funny creatures, tamed a chicken, threw the chicken off a cliff, cowered from all enemies I found as I was so weak at the beginning, got my first piece of armor which was rogue and not the class I was!”
    • “Spent 30 minutes in the dark and accidentally hit 'F', realized I had a lantern, tried to give a beetle an epileptic fit, ate mushrooms, found more mushrooms, had onions and mushrooms, felt like I was on a drug trip when I saw sentient berries and vegetables (probably the mushrooms), found gloves, woo, had 807 HP, felt confident, found a lake, realized I could drown, proceeded to drown to get home, managed to kill the weapon vendor NPC, went boss hunting, brought the boss back to town, got aided by a local pig, sheep, and dog, funny to watch a boss get beaten up by them, got a sick chest plate, realized I played 7 hours straight, found out that this is a good game.”
    • “Honestly, I don't know what I'm doing, but it's fun. The constant exploration and trying not to die to everything is funny in its own way. I enjoy just casual gaming and this is it, man. Just running around without a single care, and that's by yourself. With friends, it's even better and there is an actual story; it just takes time to understand because the world is so large you need to find clues and stuff, convoluted, but fun. P.S. no tutorial, so have fun figuring everything out, lmao.”
    • “This game is like a not funny joke; strongly not recommended to buy this crap.”
    • “It's not funny without friends.”
    • “Not funny, didn't laugh.”
  • emotional40 mentions

    The emotional responses to the game are mixed, with many players expressing deep disappointment over its perceived decline from an earlier, more enjoyable version, leading to feelings of nostalgia and heartbreak. Some reviewers lament the game's abandonment and the developers' perceived greed, while others find joy and fun in the current iteration, suggesting that emotional attachments vary widely among players. Overall, the game's emotional impact is significant, with strong sentiments of both loss and enjoyment reflected in the reviews.

    • “It's so disappointing that I cried when I bought it.”
    • “I played the beta and honestly I want to cry; it would have been my number one game for years on end, and it's so sad to see it go this way.”
    • “You could not believe the surprise and anger I felt; I have never written a review in my life, this being my first one because this game has a special emotional connection to me.”
  • stability34 mentions

    The game is plagued by numerous bugs and glitches that significantly hinder gameplay, particularly in online modes, making it frustrating for both new and experienced players. While some reviewers acknowledge the game's potential and development progress, they emphasize that it currently requires substantial polish and stability improvements to be truly enjoyable. Overall, the consensus is that the game is too buggy to be considered playable at this stage.

    • “In conclusion, this game has a lot of personality, it's really well developed, runs great, works nicely and looks amazing.”
    • “The concept is there, but as of current it is just too buggy to be playable.”
    • “While gameplay is fun and somewhat engaging, there are several glitches with online play that interfere with battles (sometimes even singleplayer is glitchy).”
    • “A depressing, buggy mess that doesn't even run on Windows 7.”
  • atmosphere16 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its beautiful visuals and enchanting soundtrack, which enhance the overall experience and create a vibrant, immersive world. While many players appreciate the lively environment and the charm it brings, some express concerns about the game's longevity and purpose after initial exploration. Overall, the atmosphere, combined with engaging gameplay elements, contributes significantly to the game's appeal.

    • “Beautiful looking game with an atmospheric, well-composed soundtrack enchanting your every activity, which simply leaves you in awe with how well everything works even on slower devices.”
    • “The new quest system is absolutely brilliant, the game is even more lively and atmospheric than before, and I personally like the concept of artifacts.”
    • “The perhaps biggest charm of Cube World is the atmosphere it creates.”
    • “It's a recommendation for me solely because the soundtrack, atmosphere, mounts, gameplay, general control scheme, etc. all feel really good.”
    • “Atmosphere, music, gameplay.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

70% average critic score

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Play time

10hMedian play time
14hAverage play time
5-16hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 98 analyzed playthroughs

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