One of the most iconic puzzle toys of the last 50 years has evolved to become a novel way to play mobile games. First announced earlier this year, the Rubik’s WOWCube is a simpler 2×2 version of the puzzle that trades colored squares for 24 tiny color LCD displays. It still rotates like a traditional Rubik’s Cube, but instead of aligning colored squares those mechanics are used to play mobile games such as guiding a race car to the finish line by lining up track pieces scattered across its various screens.
In addition to being able to rotate the 24 screens, the WOWCube features sensors allowing games to be played by tilting the entire cube, shaking, or tapping it. Through a mobile app you have access to the WOWCube’s app store which includes a mix of free and paid titles that are sent to the device wirelessly over Bluetooth. Cubios also offers an SDK for developers wanting to make their own apps or games.
The selection isn’t anywhere near as expansive as what you’ll find on Apple or Google’s app stores, but it includes versions of popular games like Space Invaders, 2048, and Cut the Rope that have been customized with unique gameplay for the WOWCube. There are also productivity apps like timers, screensavers that create tiny aquariums, and widgets that can display the weather, upcoming appointments, and even stock prices.
And yes, the WOWCube can even function like a traditional Rubik’s Cube. Should you fail to solve it on your own, instead of having to peel and reposition stickers to realign the colored squares, you can just reset it.
