How the Speed Cubing Community Turned Rubik's Cube into a Competitive Genre

Explore the fascinating transformation of Rubik's Cube from a popular toy to a competitive sport in this 2019 GDC session. Discover how independent players and organizations revolutionized the puzzle-solving community in 2003, creating a thriving competitive genre. Delve into the basics, TPS (turns per second), organizational structure, and the role of the World Cube Association. Examine the innovations, sustainability efforts, and collection aspects that have shaped the speed cubing world. Learn about strategies for attracting new participants and growing the community. Gain insights into the evolution of this unique competitive genre through Andrew Fray's comprehensive analysis of the speed cubing phenomenon.

Intro
The Basics
TPS
Organization
WCA
Innovation
Sustainability
Collection
Getting People In
Conclusion