You would be doing yourself a disservice by learning too much about this game before playing it. For that reason I'll avoid talking about specific puzzles in this review.
Antichamber regularly breaks the rules. It does so very carefully, building upon its own kind of logic. Puzzle solutions that might seem too random or illogical if they were in another game, here are made to work through a masterful progression that subtly teaches you how to explore each new challenge.
In many ways it feels like you are visiting another universe that is similar, but not entirely the same as our own. As you play you are constantly questioning things that you otherwise would take for granted in order to learn the laws of this place. As you look around, the visuals are simple and easy to discern, yet often striking. Occasionally there are some uninteresting white rooms but by and large their use of line weight, perspective, color and contrast make for a memorable display.
The most familiar and comforting aspects of this world are its sounds. Sounds of nature, from birds chirping to thunderclaps, are at times paired with the right swaths of color to evoke serene feelings of home. The music is mostly content to quietly set the mood until the final stages of the game where it livens up slightly with a primal drum beat. This is at once both unexpected and strangely fitting with all the sounds of the wilderness featured prior.
Each of the puzzles you solve typically rewards you with, and is sometimes preceded by, a sign on the wall that has a picture and a short phrase. They are written with a double meaning: part lifestyle mantra, part hint or clever tie-in to the puzzle you've just completed. I've seen some negative responses to these posters, calling them pretentious and full of themselves. I disagree. I see them as cute, tongue-in-cheek rewards for our efforts that are meant to be taken about as seriously as a fortune cookie. They may also be teaching you to play more than realized. Without a discernible over-arching story to the game, they further add to the game by giving it a voice and a bit of personality.
My chief complaint stems out of a system that I don't want to detail in order to avoid spoilers. Let's just say that in the middle portion of the game you are sometimes able to manufacture materials needed to solve puzzles. However, the process to do so isn't interesting and got tiresome as I had to repeat it while piecing together the proper solution to the problem at hand. It may be that I played things too conservatively by making more than I needed, but in a game that throws you so many curveballs, can you blame me? This problem is alleviated toward the end, but I would argue that this relief should have been fit in sooner.
Antichamber exceeded my expectations and ranks in as one of the best puzzle games I've ever played.