When I saw the achievement names of Cubway, I was certain I'd be in for something weird and wonderful - or something awfully pretentious. The likes of "I saw the wheel of Samsara," "Death is the Road to Awe," and "Touch the art" don't really hint at lightweight casual fun. Turns out the following experience was neither wonderful nor pretentious - in fact, I don't know how to feel about Cubway. It utterly defies interpretation.

Accompanied by a somewhat foreboding drone, you steer a small cube through complex-looking levels full of geometric shapes which interact with your presence. Move left to right, don't mess up by running into things, repeat. There is a feeling of wandering, of a journey, and the visual minimalism somehow seems to imply that it's a very basic concept I'm struggling with here. In any case, I'm lost.
According to the developers Armnomads, the game is about the abstract lifecycle of rebirth, called Samsara. Without further delving into Indian religions, I'm afraid that this information will be of little use to most players. What remains is an elegant puzzle game that offers a somewhat relaxing, but later mostly infuriating experience and which could probably be compared to last year's Expand due to a similar vibe.

You can purchase Cubway on iTunes ($0.99) or on Steam ($2.99) for an expanded version. Developers Armnomads can be found on Twitter and on Facebook.

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