BEST PRACTICES
Sifteo Cubes are very different from other gaming platforms. The cubes are small, there is no pointing device, and there are multiple movable screens. That means you as a game designer need to rethink how you approach game design. Here are some best practices that will help you get in a Sifteo frame of mind.

• Think small. The screens are small, so keep graphics simple and uncluttered.
• Minimize text. Keep text short (half a tweet), avoid voiceover and complex audio.
• Keep cubes moving. Use cube actions: press, tilt, shake, flip, & especially neighbor.
• Use all three cubes. Cubes can all play the same role, or can play different roles.
• Also use more cubes. How can your game get even better with 4 cubes? 6? 8? 12?
• Play together. Encourage group play, around a table or standing in a circle.

OTHER GENRES TO EXPLORE
Our first wave of games being released this fall include content-heavy character-based adventure games and puzzle games. Here are other genres of games you might explore.

• Replayable games like Scrabble or card games.
• Music games along the lines of Rock Band or Just Dance. Engage your body.
• Construction games like Minecraft. May involve authoring tools living on the web.
• Party games. Very easy to learn, played in a group, makes everyone laugh.
• Gestural games. Physically active games that make good use of accelerometers.

        
 
GETTING STARTED
It can be hard to think of a game idea for a new platform. Here are some ways to get started.

• Play other Sifteo games. What good ideas can you build on?
• Start with hands. Imagine the pattern of how the player moves the cubes.
• Start with player experience. How players will interact? How will they feel?
• Start with a (nonelectronic) game you love. Can you migrate its soul to Sifteo?
• Start with technology. What unique games do Sifteo Cubes enable?