Cubature is an Indie puzzle game that combines unique mechanics with an aesthetic inspired by art installations. It is distinguished by its visuals and sound design. It is a raw image and an analog, hand-made scenography based on a cube with an edge of 1m. Cubature emphasizes its analogue nature at every step, which is why its inhabitants are filmed rather than rendered. The game involves moving and connecting modular chambers that create the neural tissue of Cubature.
Game Play
Cubature is a puzzle game in which players manipulate a modular array of cubes to guide characters to the exit. The cubes vary in functionality – some are movable, others are frozen, and still others have unique properties such as elevators, switches, and drive mechanisms. By arranging the cubes appropriately, players discover their functions and create interactions that unlock the next levels.
Each level ends when all characters reach the exit, requiring the player to think logically and experiment with the layout configuration. The game tracks progress, recording the number of characters and mechanics discovered in the game progress tab.
The game's narrative evolves with the game – the chamber layout turns out to be a sentient being that comments on the player's actions and gives the game emotional depth. Between levels, short animations and cinematics reveal the micro- and macro-scale structure, enriching the visual and narrative experience.
Cubature combines intuitive mechanics, rich narrative, and advanced aesthetics to offer immersive gameplay.
Game Play – Game Mechanics
Cube Manipulation
• The player can move and rearrange cubes, modifying their position on the board.
• Cubes vary in functionality: some are frozen and are fixed points of the system, others are mobile and can react to interactions with neighboring elements.
Cube Reactions and Functions
Cubes can have unique features, such as:
• Elevator: allowing characters to move between levels.
• Drive mechanism: setting other elements in motion.
• Switches: activating specific actions, such as opening new paths
Properly positioning cubes can trigger reactions, such as discovering the exit to the next level.
• The player can move and rearrange cubes, modifying their position on the board.
• Cubes vary in functionality: some are frozen and are fixed points of the system, others are mobile and can react to interactions with neighboring elements.
Cube Reactions and Functions
Cubes can have unique features, such as:
• Elevator: allowing characters to move between levels.
• Drive mechanism: setting other elements in motion.
• Switches: activating specific actions, such as opening new paths
Properly positioning cubes can trigger reactions, such as discovering the exit to the next level.
Exploration and Interaction with Characters
• The player indicates the direction of movement for characters by clicking on the appropriate cubes.
• As characters progress, they move around the system, discovering new functions and paths.
Game Objectives
• Each level ends when all characters reach the exit located in a special cube.
• In the initial levels, the player controls a single character, and over time the number of characters and the complexity of the layout increase.
• Each level ends when all characters reach the exit located in a special cube.
• In the initial levels, the player controls a single character, and over time the number of characters and the complexity of the layout increase.
Game Progress
• The number of characters and cubes discovered is saved in the game progress tab.
• The player has access to a collection of discovered mechanics and cube functions.
• The number of characters and cubes discovered is saved in the game progress tab.
• The player has access to a collection of discovered mechanics and cube functions.
Narrative and Immersion
• As the game progresses, the player discovers that the layout of the rooms is more than just a structure - it becomes a thinking being who issues commands, comments on the player's actions, and engages in dialogue.
• Short animations and videos are presented between levels that build the narrative and introduce the game's atmosphere.
• In later stages, distant views of the layout of the rooms reveal a huge structure resembling a galaxy. Although the game still takes place on a micro level, the macro scale adds context and depth to the logical gameplay.
• As the game progresses, the player discovers that the layout of the rooms is more than just a structure - it becomes a thinking being who issues commands, comments on the player's actions, and engages in dialogue.
• Short animations and videos are presented between levels that build the narrative and introduce the game's atmosphere.
• In later stages, distant views of the layout of the rooms reveal a huge structure resembling a galaxy. Although the game still takes place on a micro level, the macro scale adds context and depth to the logical gameplay.
Cubature offers complex, multi-level gameplay that combines intuitive mechanics with rich narrative, creating an immersive experience for players looking for intellectual challenges.
Sample level layouts. Layouts without elaborate puzzles and a scripted walkthrough.
Types of Chambers
Below we present selected mechanics of how chambers work. Chambers can have common properties, which means that one chamber can perform different functions at the same time. For example, a transitional chamber can also have the features of a regular chamber, which allows it to be rearranged and incorporated into different board configurations.
Level design
An example of a basic level in which we lead its inhabitant to the exit.
Gameplay Development
As the game progresses, players will begin to explore levels where the relationships and logic mechanisms are presented on a macro scale. At this stage, zoomed-out views of the Cubature structures are revealed, showing their complexity and expansiveness. However, the main gameplay remains focused on the micro level, with players still manipulating cubes as part of the basic gameplay.
Macro views serve a narrative and visual function, developing the story of Cubature’s evolution and scale. These distant perspectives not only emphasize the sophistication of the structures, but also provide a backdrop for the deeper story, adding an additional artistic and immersive dimension to the game.
Between levels, the game introduces commentary and tasks using macro-scale images of the Cubature structure. This effect is achieved by smoothly zooming out from the gameplay screen, showing the vast system of chambers from a macro perspective. After a moment, the view returns to a micro level, allowing the player to continue playing at a standard scale.
In addition to text, Cubature communicates with the player through images, symbolizing interaction with the AI. This effect is shown by the smooth zooming out of the game to a macro perspective, where rooms are almost pixel-sized, making the player aware that the boards on which the game takes place are just a small part of a much larger, expansive structure.
Interface
In the interface, the user has the option of starting a new game, viewing saved levels in the "game progress" tab, and starting the game over as a new player. Settings are also available, such as enabling audio description and adjusting the color scheme for people with visual impairments, which increases accessibility and comfort of the game.
In the interface, the user has the option of starting a new game, viewing saved levels in the "game progress" tab, and starting the game over as a new player. Settings are also available, such as enabling audio description and adjusting the color scheme for people with visual impairments, which increases accessibility and comfort of the game.
Marketing
Below is an example of a billboard ad and an Instagram view
Making of
The cubes were mostly created one-to-one in a 1-meter-side construction. They were handcrafted to keep an analog feel.
Zespół Cubature
Dominik Cymer – Designer / Art Director
Działa na pograniczu dizajnu, sztuki i reklamy. Prowadzi studio Cyber Kids on Real które zajmuje się komunikacją marek, instytucji i idei, projektowaniem graficznym, brandingiem, UI, motion designem. Współpracuje z wieloma artystami, markami oraz instytucjami w Polsce i zagranicą. Ma na swoim koncie wiele wyróżnień i nagród w w konkursach graficznych, reklamowych i projektowych. Organizuje wystawy z pogranicza nowych mediów i sztuki jak “Demony’, “Dreams and Marketing”, “Indunature”.
Oliwia Hajn – Executive Producer
Oliwia Hajn specjalizująca się w zarządzaniu operacyjnym, wdrażaniu działań
z zakresu społecznej odpowiedzialności biznesu (CSR) oraz implementacji zrównoważonych rozwiązań
w organizacjach. Ukończyła ESG Management w Szkole Biznesu Politechniki Warszawskiej.
Realizuje innowacyjne projekty na styku biznesu, kultury i integracji społecznej.
Jej doświadczenie obejmuje budowę strategii komunikacji dla klientów biznesowych, zarządzanie różnorodnymi zespołami oraz współpracę z organizacjami publicznymi.
Piotr Połoz
Piotr Połoz to kompozytor muzyki do gier, filmów, reklam i projektów artystycznych, znany z pracy przy takich tytułach jak „Cyberpunk 2077” i anime „Edgerunners”. Jego kompozycje, były prezentowane na prestiżowych festiwalach, takich jak Unsound Festival, Wien Modern, OFF Festival i Club Transmediale.
Jacek Kołodziejski – Fotograf / Reżyser
Jacek Kołodziejski - uznany fotograf, twórca filmów i instalacji artystycznych, który z sukcesami działa zarówno w obszarze fotografii komercyjnej, jak i artystycznej. Absolwent Wydziału Komunikacji Multimedialnej Akademii Sztuk Pięknych w Poznaniu, studiował również Film i Fotografię w Wyższej Szkole Sztuki i Projektowania w Łodzi.
Jego unikalny styl łączy estetykę fotografii reklamowej z elementami sztuki współczesnej. Jego prace były prezentowane na prestiżowych międzynarodowych wystawach, takich jak International Festival of Photography in Arles, Tec-Tece Exhibition in Arles, Month of Photography w Bratysławie oraz International Festival of Photography in Los Angeles.