A desolate white desert and a sky filled with shimmering mirages; a world bathed in crimson hues, fading into death, where only the echoes of emptiness and silence remain. Within it, a broken soul wanders, dragging a weighty cannon—a burden as heavy as the soul itself. A journey toward an end, pursued for its own sake: Quiet Universe Quietus.

The following review contains no spoilers.

I initially bought q.u.q. because I wanted to support the creator: Motijan. I have been engaged with Motijan's art and, by extension, the vocaloid producer Image44; I trust their work. However; after fully experiencing the game and relationships of all the characters, I can say with full honesty and admiration that I am so very glad I bought it and would buy it again even if I didn't know Motijan.

First of all, the music. It’s exceptional, exactly what I've come to expect from Image44. Every track fits so perfectly with the tone of the game, and really increases the immersion and emotional scenes. The sound design in q.u.q. is so immersive—sometimes I would find myself just sitting in a scene, letting the music wash over me because it added so much emotional depth. It’s hauntingly beautiful, it's a video-game soundtrack you listen to long after you've played the game. I even bought the official OST right here on Steam to show my admiration.

But beyond the music, what intrigued me were the characters. The way they’re written, their, while short background, incredible. I found myself genuinely caring for them, which I sometimes have issue doing in visual novel games, feeling with them. Each character feels real and multi-faceted. Unfortunately, it feels like we don't get to learn a lot about each character. The main characters are a little exception to this, as we are given a brief look into their experience growing up. Given it's a short game, the characters aren't so fleshed-out; Which is my only complaint really, besides just wishing the story was touched on more and, along with that, more gameplay. There are times in which you are left wondering "what in the world?" at points in the story with no real explanation. Paths of storyline end in seemingly dead-ends and are only sometimes given a somewhat explanation with an ending to the game. This makes q.u.q. feel a bit cryptic at times. I am really sad that I have anything bad to say about the game, but my complaints end there with the exception of grammar (and that this game isn't more popular).

The dialogues feel natural for what they are (there are some grammar hiccups, spelling mistakes, and situations in which saying the same thing a different way sounds more natural. This is just for the English localization though, and the number of languages the game can be experienced in is impressive, especially for an indie sh*t post game [Motijan's words, not mine] like this), and the interactions between them is like watching a deep, solemn yet silly story unfold, but you're right there alongside them.
I can't stress enough how much I love these characters; Every single one.

q.u.q.'s atmosphere is something you have to experience to fully appreciate. It’s surreal and thought-provoking, but it never feels unnecessarily overwhelming. There are moments in which you are supposed to feel overwhelmed, nauseous even; But it's tasteful. The art style is minimalistic yet so appealing, with each visual carrying emotional weight. It’s one of those games where every scene feels like the artist poured hours and hours into every detail.

I really didn’t expect to be this invested. What I thought would be just an interesting game by a creator I love, turned out to be an emotional, immersive experience that I won’t forget anytime soon. If you’re a fan of games that explore deep relationships and heavy topics, or if you just love the beautiful artstyle that comes neatly packaged with the game, q.u.q. is an absolute steal. Even if I hadn’t known the creator, I would still be recommending this game in a heartbeat. It’s that good.

Motijan, I understand this game is just a "short (kinda sh*t post) VN..."
(Motijan's words),
however, I think this game has a greater potential. I believe that this game could reach further with every update, and I desire so deeply for that.

And to you, reader, buy the game;
It's good.

Q.U.Q is a really short experience full of charisma and also simbolism. The game is about the trauma of the protagonist and her best friend. I recommend checking out all the endings, if not you will miss information and some slapstick.

Really short and really good, give it a try!