A puzzle game with no timer, no lives, no fail state
Relaxed mode takes the clock off the screen and leaves the puzzle. There is nothing to run out of in Cubo: no lives, no energy meter, no move limit and no leaderboard to fall down.
Free on iPhone.
What Relaxed mode removes
Cubo has two ways to play the same generated boards. Speed shows a running timer at the top of the screen and stores a best time. Relaxed does not draw the timer at all. Same boxes, same pieces, same controls, minus the number that makes you hurry.
| Pressure a puzzle game can apply | In Cubo |
|---|---|
| Countdown timer | Not present. Speed counts up, Relaxed shows nothing. |
| Lives or hearts | Not in the game. |
| Energy that refills | Not in the game. |
| Move limit | Not in the game. Rotate and reposition as long as you like. |
| Leaderboard | Not in the game. Best times stay on your device. |
| Losing a round | Not possible. A round ends when the box is filled. |
| Streak | Only on the daily board, and nothing is locked behind it. |
Why the placement rules make it calm
A quiet puzzle is not only about removing the clock. In Cubo the position arrows walk only through spots where the active piece actually fits, and the Place button stays inactive while nothing fits. You cannot wreck a board with a careless tap, so there is no reason to play carefully rather than comfortably.
Making it quieter still
- Sound off. Settings has a toggle. The click on a placed piece and the solve sound go with it.
- Haptics off. A separate toggle, so you can keep the sound and drop the vibration, or the other way round.
- Easy boards. Four by four, one layer, four pieces. Short enough to finish before you put the phone down.
If you want the opposite
The same boards are available with a clock on them. Speed mode records a best time per difficulty and scores the solve, which is the same game with the pressure put back.
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Questions about pressure
Is there really no timer in Relaxed mode?
The clock is not shown at all in Relaxed mode. It is not hidden while still running against you: nothing counts down, nothing expires, and the round has no end other than the one you reach by filling the box.
Can I lose a round in Cubo?
There is no losing state. A round ends when the box is full. If a board is not going your way, the restart arrow at the top right builds a new one, and nothing is deducted for it.
Are there lives or an energy meter?
No. Cubo has no lives, no energy, no hearts that refill over time, no move limit and no in game currency. Nothing gates how many rounds you can play in a sitting.
Can I turn off the sound and the vibration?
Yes. Settings has a toggle for sound and a separate toggle for haptics, and both take effect immediately. The game plays exactly the same with both off.
Do ads interrupt a relaxed round?
No. A full screen ad can only appear after a puzzle is finished, never during a solve. It also waits for at least three completed puzzles since the last one and at least three minutes, and it never appears in your first session.
Play a board with no clock on it