A guide to Minimalism, PixelMouse's tiny cube platformer: how its key-and-door maze works, how to survive the spike-heavy later levels, and a clear plan for all 165 Steam achievements (including the letter and kana collectibles people use to decorate their profiles).
Researched September 2026. Current as of the last developer update (controller support, 20 March 2017). The game hasn't changed since. Check the linked sources if something differs.
Minimalism (PixelMouse, released 8 February 2017) is a very cheap, very small platformer. You play a cube. The world is a labyrinth of levels, and you move between them by opening doors with keys you collect. There are 30 levels of increasing difficulty, minimalist visuals and a soundtrack. It costs around the price of a snack (check the store page for your region's price) and is often bundled.
Its Steam reviews are Mixed overall (about 63% positive of roughly 685 reviews), though recent reviews run more positive. The two recurring complaints are floaty controls and unforgiving spike hitboxes. Most people who own it are here for the 165 achievements.
The game is built as one connected maze. Levels are "rooms," and doors between them are locked until you have collected enough keys. This means:
The game uses simple move and jump controls on keyboard or controller. Check the options menu for the exact bindings on your setup. If keyboard movement feels imprecise, try a controller.
| Levels | What to expect | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 5 | Learn movement, keys and doors | Explore fully and get used to the jump |
| 6 to 15 | More spikes, longer rooms | Practise short hops near spikes |
| 16 to 25 | Precision platforming | Slow down and learn each jump |
| 26 to 30 | Hardest rooms | Expect retries. Take breaks |
The achievement data backs this up: about 20% of players finish level 1, 12% level 5, 10% level 15, and about 8% reach level 30. The curve flattens near the end, so most players who reach the 20s go on to finish.
For the completionist achievements, Comprehending Zen (all levels) sits around 5% and Trapper letters (every letter and character) just behind it, so the collectibles add only a small extra step once you've beaten all 30 levels. Figures are from Steam's global achievement stats and drift over time.
| Group | Count | How to unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Play | 1 | Start the game |
| This is just the beginning | 1 | Start the first level |
| Level 1 completed to Level 30 completed | 30 | Finish each level |
| Comprehending Zen | 1 | Complete all levels |
| Latin letters (A to Z) | 26 | "You picked up the letter X" |
| Japanese kana (あ, い, う, and so on, including combos like きゃ, しゅ, ちょ) | 105 | "You picked the character X" |
| Trapper letters | 1 | Collect all the letters and characters |
Each letter and kana achievement has its own character icon, which makes Minimalism a popular pick for profile decoration. With Steam's Achievement Showcase, you can arrange unlocked achievements to spell a word or name on your profile. Steam Community guides for the game show off names and phrases spelled in kana this way. If that's your goal:
Some community guides point to third-party achievement unlocking tools. These violate the spirit of achievements and some communities frown on them. Unlocking legitimately is the safe choice for your account's reputation.
| Problem | Try this |
|---|---|
| An achievement didn't unlock | Make sure Steam is online (not Offline Mode), then repeat the action. Achievements sync when Steam is connected |
| Controller not detected | Enable Steam Input for the game (Properties, Controller) or turn it off if double inputs occur |
| Game window too small or blurry | Check the in-game options for resolution and fullscreen, or toggle fullscreen with Alt+Enter |
| Input feels delayed | Close overlays and recording software, and play fullscreen |
| Stuck at a locked door | You're missing keys. Backtrack through earlier rooms |
Precision platformers reward deliberate practice more than raw attempts:
PixelMouse also published Space Distant and Distant Space 2 on Steam, which it promoted through Minimalism's news feed.
How many achievements does Minimalism have? 165: 30 level completions, 26 Latin letters, 105 kana, plus Play, This is just the beginning, Comprehending Zen and Trapper letters.
How long does 100% take? It depends on your platforming skill. The early levels are short, but the later ones can take many retries.
Where is the hidden letter? Community guides titled "Hidden letter location" and "Location of hidden letter" on the Steam Community cover it. Check them if you're missing one.
Why can't I open the last level? You probably haven't collected everything needed. Revisit earlier levels for missed keys.
Does Minimalism support controllers? Yes, since the 20 March 2017 update.
Why do people buy this game? Cheap price, trading cards and the letter achievements for spelling words on Steam profiles.