Loren Schmidt’s magnum opus (so far), Strawberry Cubes, is a puzzle-platformer wrapped in a glitchscape wrapped in an enigma. It’s the most perplexing game I’ve played since Starseed Pilgrim. And it’s equally as compelling, driving me to continue plumbing its depths and attempting to map its quixotries.
Strawberry Cubes’ superficial similarities with Starseed Pilgrim don’t end there. You learn the purpose of various objects and abilities as you go along, you plant seeds, and you would probably benefit from drawing a map.
It’s a testament to Schmidt’s design sense and artistic talents that Strawberry Cubes is engaging, intoxicating, and fun even when you don’t know what the hell you’re really doing. There are clues strewn all over the game, but it’s hard to figure out to what they apply and if they are even more than window dressing.
When you enter the world of Strawberry Cubes, you don’t know the rules. You have no obvious objective. And you’re immediately overwhelmed by the aesthetic.
Playing the game is like dropping digital acid, and I wonder if that’s the author’s intent. Is “Strawberry” a reference to Strawberry Fields Forever and The Beatles’ psychedelic period? Is “Cubes” a reference to using sugar cubes as a dosing medium for LSD?
The game mechanics themselves are obscure, but it soon seems to begin to unfold into kind of a crypto-metroidvania. Even calling it simply a puzzle-platformer is problematic. Where is the jump button? At first, I was surprised by the lack of a jump ability. But then I realized it’s okay because you can climb walls by making use of a deliberate glitch. You can ascend in other ways, too; you can scale ladders and flower stems.
Pretty soon, you’ll start picking up seeds, and you’ll learn that you can plant them in order to instantly grow giant, climbable flowers. Later, you’ll pick up on other abilities, such as the ability to spawn frogs. I’m fairly certain that many of the game’s mysteries can be unlocked by proper use of powers that seem ridiculous. Creating clones of yourself and morphing into different physical forms may play roles, as well.
I can’t pretend to have unlocked the secrets of Strawberry Cubes. Honestly, I feel like like I’m barely clawing at the surface like someone buried alive ripping shreds in the underside of their coffin lid. But I’m going to continue exploring, experimenting, and just enjoying the trip.
Strawberry Cubes (Windows and Mac) is PWYW, with a suggested minimum of $4.00. It’s well worth it.
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