SAN FRANCISCO, CA — (Marketwire) — 03/25/13 — Sifteo Inc., the creators of , today made two significant independent game development announcements at the Game Developers Conference.
The first, Sifteo-s Indie Game Pack, is a collection of three games developed by independent developers on the Sifteo platform using the company-s open SDK. Second are the winners of a competition Sifteo developed in conjunction with the Experimental Gameplay Project, a group of indie game developers who work on selected projects monthly and hold design/development competitions. Game developers interested in building on the Sifteo platform can learn more about creating uniquely physical games and interactive applications, and can download the free SDK by visiting:
The unique interactions Sifteo-s platform provides, and the well-equipped SDK are attracting top talent. Independent game developers , a collective based in Montreal that includes Fez creator Phil Fish, have signed up to develop a game for Sifteo Cubes coming this August 2013. “Kokoromi has a real passion for mischief-making and unorthodox gameplay. What kind of game can you ONLY make with Sifteo cubes? We want to find out,” said the Kokoromi group.
“Sifteo was founded by makers to define interaction at the inch scale,” said David Merrill, co-founder of Sifteo Inc. “Mobile phones and tablets have become great game systems, but we felt the need to develop a platform that was fundamentally tactile, merging physical and digital play to a level way beyond any other platform.”
The Indie Game Pack explores unique modes of play capable only on the Sifteo game system. Players can find these new releases and more on the Sifteo games site, .
The Indie Game Pack titles offer rich, exciting, multi-faceted play experiences. The diversity of ideas in the indie game developer community and the unique affordances of Sifteo Cubes is represented in all three game releases. The Indie Game Pack includes the following three games.
by Die Gute Fabrik (J.S. Joust) and Chris Osborn, (BIT.TRIP). Players stack, blast, and bobble a tower of Sifteo Cubes — without knocking them down. Players build physical structures, a wall, tower, or pyramid, using all but one of their cubes. Cute creatures called Dots cower, collide, and cheer as the Cubes they inhabit slide and collide with each other. Take turns trying to hit the structure by flicking the remaining cube. Try to hit the wall or tower as hard as possible without knocking it all down.
by Josh Lee (Floor is Lava), Multiplayer game. Players compete calling bluffs, and stealing each other-s highest scores. Players shake a cube to roll a number and let the secrecy and strategizing begin. Low Roller is a cross between popular card-based poker games, and dice games like liar-s dice. Conceal your roll from other players to keep them guessing. Roll the lowest score and receive a special bonus action. Easy to play, the social dynamics of Low Rollr make it great for kids and adults alike. Add up to 12 cubes and 12 players for a full house of fun.
Mark Essen (Flywrench), Minusbaby (Monobomb Records), & Chris Osborn (BIT.TRIP). F.R.E.S.H is a music-based game where users rock 34 mini-games to unlock fresh beats. Some of Cool DJ SDK-s favorite music has gone missing. You can help get his jams back by getting through fast moving, physical puzzle sequences. Players unlock music tracks by beating fun, addictive mini-games that are all about speed and style. Game mechanics include tuning radio dials, making a robot dance, and rhyming words in a rap battle. Once players unlock Cool DJ SDK-s eight missing tunes, they enter Mix Master Mode to mix the tracks and make the beats their own.
The EGP is a group of indie game developers including Kyle Gabler (World of Goo) that holds monthly competitions based on a single theme. Sifteo and the EGP recently teamed up on a community-based game development competition and received 41 total game submissions. Of the those submissions , and two winners emerged. Each winner receives a publishing deal that includes $25,000 in funding to finish the games for release on the Sifteo platform. The winners also receive dedicated developer support from Sifteo-s talented in-house game team as well as marketing support to spread the word about their games.
The winners:
– by One Life Remains, best in multiplayer. Players race bicyclists through minimalist mazes by neighboring and swapping cubes back and forth. The fast-paced game mechanic taps into the unique tangible properties of Sifteo play. The deftness and dexterity required is impossible to achieve with a keyboard, touchscreen, or analog stick.
– by Frank Force, best in single player. With elegant spatial puzzles set in a large open world, Squaresville takes advantage of the tangible, distributed nature of Sifteo Cubes. Players rotate cubes to shift the perspective, realigning rooms and changing the direction of gravity. This allows them to explore literally every side of the world. Floors become walls and ceilings, bottomless pits become long hallways, and impassible floor spikes become hanging doom.
“We don-t have the monopoly on creativity here at Sifteo, so we-re reaching out to top developers all over the world,” said Jeevan Kalanithi, co-founder, Sifteo. “We-re helping them turn their awesome concepts into fully realized games that they can share with everybody.”
Attendees can connect with Sifteo during the Game Developer-s Conference, March 27-29, in San Francisco, CA, at booth #238, Moscone Center-South Hall, near the IGF pavilion.
You can find out more about Sifteo by visiting
Colin Crook
Knock Twice, for Sifteo
P: 650.269.5235
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T: @colincrook
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