The forthcoming Sifteo Cubes are toys that seek to bridge the gap between physical objects you manipulate, like wooden blocks, and screen-based technology that provides visual cues.

Use your hands to move, shake, flip, rotate and neighbor your Sifteo cubes—you'll be entertained and inspired by Sifteo's unique gameplay.

...We're bringing together two great play traditions, combining classic play patterns from games like chess, dominoes and jigsaw puzzles with the richness of interactive game technology for an experience that is exciting, challenging, and fun.

The "Chroma Shuffle" game in the video looks like the kind of thing you find inscrutable but which your five-year-old will whip through, while the "Booker the Penguin" demo seems it would be immediately addictive.

Sifteo was founded by fellow brainiacs David Merrill and Jeevan Kalanithi, both of whom hold degrees from MIT and Stanford. The duo's mission is to develop games that, aside from being diverting, encourage thinking skills in categories like "spatial reasoning," "patterns & perceptions," "cooperation & collaboration" and others. Learn more about their methodologies here.