VR Experiences: Puzzling Places Review

An Atmospheric VR Puzzle Game

Puzzling Places is a game where once you start, you can’t stop. It’s one of the most satisfying games I’ve played so far on the Oculus Quest, but the most magical part isn’t what you think. The minimalist style really helps, and the UI/UX has a very clean look. You are able to customize the colors of the background objects and the skybox, which is a nice touch. The controls are snappy and easy to understand. Your hands are translucent, spherical orb shapes that squish when you pick up a puzzle piece. I enjoy this method of interaction, as I didn’t get distracted by virtual hands improperly gripping the puzzle piece.

What really sells this game though is the audio. The ambient noise is simply enthralling, mixed with the premium sound effects when you connect specific puzzle pieces together is amazing. For example, when you connect a clock tower, it starts chiming the bell, or a pool table making ball sound effects. As more pieces become connected, the sounds build on top of each other, resulting in an immersive experience while you are looking at the photo scan of the place of interest.

Final Thoughts

I highly recommend checking out Puzzling Places. The $15 price tag is well worth it, and it seems like the developer, Cubism VR, is adding more expansions to the game as time goes on. I still go back to this application to relieve stress and hear the sound effects. If you have headphones, I would recommend using them with this app for a more immersive experience. I recommend this game to anyone who loves puzzles, as well as those who want to interact with 3D scans of historical sites.

— Brendan Hutchins, Developer