Home /
Arcade

Q*bert

Arcade

Arcade

Hop Q*bert up and down the steps of a "three-dimensional" pyramid, changing each step's color as he lands. Complete the entire pyramid, and Q*bert moves to a more challenging pyramid. But look out! The crafty arcade creatures are here, too, and they're after Q*bert. Hop out of danger fast - or so...

Download

2.0/5 Votes: 1

Report

Developer
Gottlieb

Released on
1982

Size
1–2 Players

Version
Arcade

Requirements
Arcade

Downloads
Platform

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

Wikipedia
View article →

Report this app

Images

Description

Hop Q*bert up and down the steps of a “three-dimensional” pyramid, changing each step’s color as he lands. Complete the entire pyramid, and Q*bert moves to a more challenging pyramid. But look out! The crafty arcade creatures are here, too, and they’re after Q*bert. Hop out of danger fast – or soar to safety on a flying disc. But watch where you move Q*bert. One hop off the pyramid and he’ll be lost in space!

Q*bert

Overview & History

Released by Gottlieb in 1982, Q*bert stands as a monumental pillar of golden-age arcade gaming, conceived by designer Warren Davis and graphic artist Jeff Lee. Originally titled Cubes, the game underwent several iterations—including a proposed protagonist with a suction-cup nose—before settling on the iconic, orange, long-nosed, profanity-spewing creature known as Q*bert. Distinct from the frantic maze-chasing of Pac-Man or the vertical shooting of Galaga, Q*bert introduced players to an isometric, pseudo-3D pyramid constructed from 28 glowing cubes. The overarching storyline revolves around this irate yet endearing protagonist hopping across the colorful steps to alter every block to a target hue while desperately evading a colorful rogues' gallery of adversaries, including Coily the snake, Ugg, Wrongway, and Slick and Sam.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

The core gameplay loop requires Q*bert to jump diagonally across the top of the isometric pyramid. Every single cube he lands on changes color, and the level is successfully cleared only when every block in the pyramid reaches the designated target shade. Players must master timing and spatial awareness, especially since enemies constantly spawn from the top. Safety is occasionally found on rotating discs flanking the pyramid; hopping onto one whisks Q*bert away to the safety of the apex, while frequently baiting the predatory snake Coily off the edge of the board altogether. Across multiple rounds, the color requirements become increasingly complex, demanding flawless execution across cascading tiers of isometric chaos.