Puzzle Cubicle is very honest about what it is. It presents players with several jigsaw puzzles (usually no more than a few dozen pieces) that have only one correct way to be assembled. They generally depict an overhead view of workplace cubicles, so many pieces initially look alike until you realize they have different carpet colors. It’s your job to assemble the cubicles so they all have matching colors and complete walls. This may not sound very ambitious, but for a dollar it only has to deliver on the basic concept. Thankfully, it does just that.

The controls are very simple to learn; left stick or d-pad moves your cursor, A picks up and drops pieces, B cancels what you’re doing, triggers rotate the currently held piece, and the bumpers change what music you’re listening to. Beyond that, it’s mostly trial and error until you figure out where each part of the puzzle goes. You’re not totally left to fend for yourself, though. The aforementioned carpet colors on each piece give you at least a basic idea of which things go together, and you are outright told where the first few pieces go. Combined with the rules on how walls must be assembled, you’ll eventually figure out what to do. Puzzles are divided into Easy, Medium, and Hard categories, though players can jump between most of them as you wish.

Beyond the puzzles, the only noteworthy elements lie in its presentation. The graphics are simple but functional, which is all a game of this sort really needs. On the other hand, the music is surprisingly fitting. Most tracks are slow, softer pieces that fit the pace of having to think things through, and you’re welcome to cycle between music mid-puzzle. None of this is particularly amazing work, but it’s good enough and does add a little to the package.

With a game this simple, it’s fair to wonder who would benefit from Puzzle Cubicle. Your $1 USD/80 Microsoft Points buys several puzzles plus some decent music to go with it, and that is pretty much the sum of the product. I think two groups will be well served by it, though. The first is anyone seeking a very inexpensive time-killer, while the second is families. So long as your child has basic problem solving skills, this could make for a great ’teamwork game’ between parents and kids for a few evenings. For a mere dollar, that’s not bad at all.

This review was based on a download of the Xbox Live Indie Games/Xbox 360 version, provided by Geek Mode Games.