Octahedron (2018)

Intelligent puzzle design, striking visuals and a soundtrack straight out of late 90s raves make for one of the most interesting titles I've experienced so far this year, even if it is occasionally marred by difficult and frustrating puzzle design.

For just under a tenner, Octahedron is a mightily impressive package. Its '80s-derived neon-aesthetic is a very cool backdrop for one of the most impressive 2D platforming experiences on offer so far this year. The sense of challenge is very finely-tuned and progressive, being unforgiving while still managing to keep the player coming back for yet another round. While there's a very detached introductory cut-scene, which is weird and ultimately is context that nobody needs, the gameplay itself is addictive, inventive, and something all indie platforming fans will want to try out. It looks amazing and runs at a smooth 60fps, which really helps the sense of fluidity. In addition, the chiptune and electronic soundtrack is so good that Cubed3 just had to bust out the studio monitors. The only disappointment relating to the music soundtrack is that it couldn't interact with the gameplay further than platforms moving to the BPM.

OCTAHEDRON isn't for everyone, but if you like challenging games, you might want to take a look at this one.

Octahedron is a bombastic, prismatic, punishing rhythm game that is a ton of fun, while it lasts.

Octahedron can take a while to click, but once you're past the early stages and get over the denial of your abilities it really surprises with its inventiveness.