Shift Quantum

For those who view the world in terms of black and white.

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Shift Quantum is a puzzle platformer game with a unique mechanic called Shifting, which allows you to invert black and white worlds to create negative space and solve brain-drilling levels. The game features 8 new gameplay elements and a level editor to create and share custom levels with the Bohemia Interactive community across all platforms. Challenge your limits by solving an unlimited amount of community-created levels.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

60%

Audience ScoreBased on 23 reviews

replayability3 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

Shift Quantum features a unique and mind-bending mechanic that allows players to shift the world, creating complex and engaging puzzles.
The game has a striking art style and a well-integrated soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
The inclusion of a level editor adds significant replayability, allowing players to create and share their own challenges.

The story is minimal and often feels empty, failing to enhance the gameplay experience.
Some puzzles can feel artificially difficult, relying on precise timing rather than logical reasoning.
The atmosphere can become repetitive and bland due to its minimalistic design and lack of engaging sound effects.

gameplay
19 mentions
16 % positive mentions
68 % neutral mentions
16 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a blend of innovative mechanics and challenging puzzles, effectively utilizing elements like gravity shifts and movable blocks to create engaging brainteasers. However, some levels suffer from artificial difficulty, relying on precise timing rather than clever problem-solving, which can detract from the overall experience. While the core mechanics are well-integrated and offer a fresh take on puzzle-solving, the minimalistic atmosphere may lead to a repetitive feel for some players.
- “It implements cohesive mind-bending gameplay very well, and makes for a challenging puzzle solver.”
- “Takes the concept (shifting between black/white ground tiles) and established variations (gravity/rotation) and adds a bunch of new components to explore and expand on the core gameplay mechanic.”
- “Quantum introduces a variety of new blocks and mechanics which keeps the game fresh.”
- “For a few select levels, the difficulty feels artificial, requiring perfectly timed jumps rather than clever reasoning (looking at you, last of the trap levels) or an abundance of distractions (erroneous gameplay elements) requiring you to find the correct thing that you need to get out.”
- “But its bland and minimalistic atmosphere is disappointing, and ultimately hurts the gameplay by making it look and feel like a repetitive slog.”
- “For some reason, the inverting mechanic was a really hard concept for me to grasp from a visualization perspective.”
story
15 mentions
20 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
20 % negative mentions
The story in the game is described as minimal and open to interpretation, providing a sweet but ultimately empty narrative experience. While it features intriguing elements and community levels that enhance replayability, many players feel the story lacks depth and clarity, often overshadowed by the gameplay. Overall, it serves more as a backdrop to the puzzles rather than a compelling reason to engage with the game.
- “Often crossing the line between art and entertainment, it is impossible not to be impressed by how it interactively tells you a dystopian story using nothing more than its minimalist aesthetics.”
- “But personally, I want a puzzle game that brings a bit of story, or charm, or atmosphere, or character, or something to draw me in and keep me there.”
- “The story is something empty but very sweet to follow.”
- “It's intriguing enough that I was curious where they'd take it, but this is not a game you should play specifically for the story.”
- “There is technically a story.”
atmosphere
10 mentions
30 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game has been widely criticized for being bland and minimalistic, often compared to a dull crossword puzzle, which detracts from the overall experience. While some players appreciate moments that attempt to add depth through story or mystery, many feel that the lack of charm and character ultimately makes the gameplay feel repetitive and uninspired. Overall, the atmosphere fails to engage players, leaving them wanting more substance to enhance their puzzle-solving experience.
- “But personally, I want a puzzle game that brings a bit of story, charm, atmosphere, character, or something to draw me in and keep me there.”
- “Yet, they both kept me engrossed and entertained as I worked out each puzzle largely because of their atmospheres.”
- “Shift Quantum adds a new dimension to the action puzzle-platformer, with an element of mystery that makes it incredibly atmospheric.”
- “Honestly, this game has all of the atmosphere of a crossword puzzle in a newspaper: black-and-white and devoid of charm.”
- “But its bland and minimalistic atmosphere is disappointing, and ultimately hurts the gameplay by making it look and feel like a repetitive slog.”
- “But personally, I want a puzzle game that brings a bit of story, or charm, or atmosphere, or character, or something to draw me in and keep me there.”
music
7 mentions
29 % positive mentions
29 % neutral mentions
43 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it uninteresting and repetitive, which detracts from the overall experience. Others, however, appreciate the soundtrack, describing it as amazing. Overall, the music seems to be a significant point of contention, with some recommending players listen to their own music for a more enjoyable experience.
- “The game has more puzzle elements, great art, and a nice soundtrack.”
- “The soundtrack is amazing too!”
- “This means the audioscape is largely left to the soundtrack which, at least to my taste, falls flat.”
- “The music is uninteresting and repetitive, and that just really kills my score for this game.”
- “With the minimalistic visual design, the music was really the last hope that this game had to keep the player engrossed in an experience that was something more than just some abstract puzzle.”
graphics
5 mentions
40 % positive mentions
20 % neutral mentions
40 % negative mentions
The graphics of Shift Quantum are praised for their minimalistic yet striking art style, effectively conveying a digital-dystopian theme that enhances the gameplay experience. Reviewers highlight the impressive way the visuals intertwine with the narrative, creating an engaging atmosphere that elevates the puzzle platformer. Overall, the aesthetic is seen as a significant strength of the game, contributing to its replayability and enjoyment.
- “Shift Quantum is a very well done puzzle platformer with an arresting art style and some genuinely good puzzles.”
- “The visuals are minimalistic in a sort of digital-dystopic way.”
- “The visuals are minimalistic in a sort of digital-dystopian way.”
- “Often crossing the line between art and entertainment, it is impossible not to be impressed by how it interactively tells you a dystopian story using nothing more than its minimalist aesthetics.”
replayability
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability, highlighted by its community-created levels and a level editor that enhances the experience beyond the main missions. Players appreciate the enjoyable puzzle platforming and the engaging art style, contributing to its overall replay value.
- “It features community levels in its endgame content, adding a great deal of replayability to the experience long after you've completed the main missions.”
- “The level editor adds nice value and replayability.”
- “Enjoyable puzzle platformer with a neat art style, some genuine head-scratchers, and a great deal of replayability courtesy of community levels.”
stability
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players have reported experiencing several glitches during gameplay, indicating that stability may be an issue for some users.
- “I encountered a few glitches while playing (and I don't mean the in-game collectibles).”
humor
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Reviewers note that the humor and playfulness present in the original games are noticeably lacking, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “The humor and playfulness of the original games are truly missed.”
- “The witty dialogue and clever puns kept me laughing throughout the game.”
- “I love how the game incorporates humor in unexpected ways, making every moment enjoyable.”