Cubicle Quest

About

Cubicle Quest is a single player role playing game with a historical theme. It was developed by Ian Isaro and was released on February 25, 2015. It received positive reviews from players.

In "Cubicle Quest," you play as an office worker on a humorous RPG-style journey to defeat tedious tasks and colleagues, seeking escape from the monotony of everyday office life. Along the way, you'll upgrade skills, battle bosses, and uncover hidden secrets, all within the confines of your uninspiring workplace. This unique game transforms the mundane into an adventurous quest, providing a lighthearted, pixelated experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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82%

Audience ScoreBased on 467 reviews

story30 positive mentions

grinding36 negative mentions

The game features a clever and humorous concept that combines RPG mechanics with real-life financial struggles, making it relatable and engaging.
The writing is well-crafted, with many fourth-wall-breaking moments that add to the humor and charm of the game.
Despite its flaws, the game offers a unique experience that can be enjoyable for fans of old-school RPGs, especially when played with the right expectations.

The gameplay can be frustrating due to a lack of clear direction, confusing mechanics, and unbalanced combat that often leads to unexpected deaths.
Many players have reported issues with the game's graphics and sound, as it relies heavily on default RPG Maker assets, which can detract from the overall experience.
The game is criticized for its grinding requirements and the misleading claim that grinding is not necessary, leading to a tedious experience for some players.

story
97 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
66%
3%
The story of "Cubicle Quest" is described as a quirky and relatable exploration of life's challenges, particularly focusing on themes like student debt and mundane work life, delivered with humor and sarcasm. While some players find the narrative engaging and thought-provoking, others feel it lacks originality and clarity, with certain gameplay elements being confusing. Overall, the writing is praised for its cleverness, making it a worthwhile experience for those who appreciate a good story in RPGs.
- “It's one of those games whose story can get into your soul, especially its ending.”
- “Jokes aside, Cubicle Quest is an expertly made game, with amazing music and a good, thought-provoking story.”
- “It's literally like how the store page said: through the story, the game teaches you how life can suck, with dead-end jobs, repetitive obligations, irritating coworkers, and also love.”
- “The story was just ehhhhhhh, didn't get me going even after an hour in.”
- “Cubicle Quest does suffer from a lack of explanation in regards to what its 'elements' and 'afflictions' mean, and suffers from a lack of ability to clearly understand exactly what's going on or how to beat almost any move/enemy in the game.”
- “No new story, no new dialogue.”
humor
94 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its cleverness, quirkiness, and ability to break the fourth wall, often drawing comparisons to classic RPGs with a satirical twist. While many players find the comedic elements to be entertaining and even inspirational, some note that certain jokes can be cringe-worthy. Overall, the humor is a standout feature that enhances the experience, despite the game's gameplay issues.
- “This game is hilarious and awesome!”
- “The humor has teeth, and entertains.”
- “Though the gameplay is the same as with many other indie RPGs, this game has a fresh theme and dialogues that had me laughing non-stop.”
gameplay
82 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
69%
4%
The gameplay of this RPG Maker title is a mixed bag, featuring standard turn-based mechanics and a unique finance system that adds depth, but it suffers from flaws that can lead to frustrating experiences, such as grinding and unclear objectives. While the humor and engaging writing elevate the experience, players may find themselves wandering aimlessly or getting stuck in dungeons. Overall, the game offers a blend of fun and challenge, making it worth exploring for those who appreciate its satirical themes and character interactions.
- “I highly enjoyed playing this game, was surprised how easily it drew me into its world with its RPG elements, and I'm not normally a fan of this style of combat and gameplay, but due to its mix of fantasy and real-world job aspects I was quickly hooked.”
- “The gameplay is interesting and engaging and does pose a challenge.”
- “The gameplay is engaging, the writing is top notch, and it really commits to its premise.”
- “The core idea is ingenious and the humor is very funny, but the gameplay is atrocious.”
- “Downside: gameplay mechanics are seriously flawed.”
- “Without the knowledge you need to be able to play the game's mechanics as the developer likely intended, grinding is definitely required.”
grinding
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
9%
86%
Players generally find the grinding in this game to be excessive and often frustrating, despite the developers claiming that it isn't necessary. Many reviews highlight that significant grinding is required to progress, especially for tougher bosses, and that the game is padded with random encounters, making the experience feel slow and tedious. While some appreciate the rewards from grinding, the overall sentiment leans towards it being a burdensome aspect of gameplay.
- “Yet the game's tutorial says no grinding is required.”
- “Since the game wasn't designed around being ground out, the grinding experience is often painful and slow to boot.”
- “My only complaints are that it's somewhat grindy and the endgame content is locked beyond a boss that's supposed to be meta, but mostly comes off like the devs just sort of gave up when they ran out of ideas.”
- “The instructions state the game is not grindy, but I'm level ~30 and I see in comments elsewhere it's better to tackle at level ~60.”
music
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
66%
10%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it generic and overly loud, making it difficult to enjoy alongside other audio. While some appreciate the catchy battle and boss themes, the inability to adjust or turn off the music has been a significant drawback for many. Overall, the music is described as enjoyable yet unoriginal, overshadowed by the gameplay experience.
- “Jokes aside, Cubicle Quest is an expertly made game, with amazing music and a good, thought-provoking story.”
- “The battle music is catchy, and I find it enjoyable when I listen to it.”
- “The boss music is even better; I really felt the tension while I was playing these boss battles.”
- “You ever play the same encounter over and over, and the music repeats from the beginning at the same point.”
- “Second, there isn't a settings screen, so I can't lower the music or sound effects. Shame too since this is the kind of game I can play while listening to a podcast.”
- “Only bad thing is not being able to turn off the music...”
graphics
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
75%
8%
The graphics of the game are primarily based on RPG Maker's default assets, leading to a perception of blandness and lack of originality. While some players find the graphics passable and not detrimental to the overall experience, others express disappointment in the reliance on generic sprites and music. Overall, the visuals are considered adequate but not a selling point, with many reviewers suggesting that the game's strong narrative compensates for its graphical shortcomings.
- “Overall a good game, good graphics and a good map.”
- “Yes, the game uses the default RPG Maker graphics and sound, but to be honest, it doesn't hamper the game all that much.”
- “As said earlier, the game has generic sprites, portraits, music, etc., but it is done very well to the point where the actual gameplay overshadows the graphical part.”
- “The graphics were what I would expect from an RPG Maker game.”
- “I definitely share the sentiments of the other reviewers and discussion board posters that are appalled by this game using almost entirely non-original RPG Maker sprites, artwork, and even music.”
- “If you see it on sale for $3 or less then you should maybe get it, but with the huge lack of creative artwork content and music, it's not worth $10.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its unexpected emotional depth, transitioning from a seemingly lighthearted tone to a more contemplative and heartfelt experience. However, some players feel that the music does not always match the emotional weight of the scenes, and the characters could be more developed to enhance the themes of friendship and emotional support.
- “A thoughtful, surprisingly deep RPG that first comes across as silly, non-serious, and odd, but turns into deep, contemplative, and heartfelt.”
- “Making friends, offering emotional support, and forming relationships are all core concepts to this game, so I feel like it could have used some more robust characters.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The game is considered short but offers some replayability, though opinions vary on its overall replay value. Many players express interest in a sequel, suggesting that while the current experience may be limited, it leaves them wanting more.
- “Short, yet replayable.”
- “I doubt there's much replay value, but I'd definitely be interested in a sequel.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
Players report that optimization in the game is challenging, as they frequently need to experiment with different armor sets to survive encounters in various areas, often resulting in a trial-and-error approach. This has led to a mixed perception of the optimization system, with a rating of 6 indicating room for improvement.
- “Oftentimes you would walk into an area to get one-shotted by the enemies, reload, and try different armor until you find the set optimized for that area.”
- “Oftentimes you would walk into an area to get one-shot by the enemies, reload, and try different armor until you find the set optimized for that area.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is consistently rated as average, with a score of 6 out of 10. Reviewers note that while it has some engaging elements, it lacks the depth and immersion that could elevate the overall experience.