CubeCross (Android) - the whole cube laid flat - looking for feedback

[oyster1525]

Hi all! I'm the developer of CubeCross, a puzzle game where the cube is unfolded flat, so all six faces are visible at once. You drag a row or column to turn that layer. It has 2x2, 3x3 and 4x4, plus simplified step-by-step lessons that teach the 2x2 (Watch → Follow along → Your turn).
It's in closed testing on Google Play, and I'd really value feedback from people who actually solve cubes:
- Does the flat view feel natural, or confusing compared to a real cube?
- Do the 2x2 lessons make sense to a beginner? Testers who don't cube said the controls feel intuitive but solving was out of reach - what would you add to bridge that?
- Would a small live 3D cube next to the flat one, turning as you drag, help? Or maybe switch between flat and 3D modes?
To try it (free, offline, no account):
1. Join the test group: https://groups.google.com/g/cube-cross-testers
2. Opt in: https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.spacekubegames.cubecross
3. Install: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.spacekubegames.cubecross
Any feedback is very welcome - whether you liked it or not.

 

[Freddy]

Tried it on a Pixel. Answers from someone who solves and also builds cubing software:
Flat view: natural for reading state, unnatural for turning. The back face is the problem — depending on how you unfold, B ends up rotated 180° relative to what my hands expect, so R/L turns that touch B feel mirrored. Worth testing which unfolding your testers get wrong least.
2x2 lessons: "Watch → Follow → Your turn" is the right ladder. What's missing between Follow and Your turn is recognition: before the learner executes, ask them to point at which case they're in. Non-cubers can follow moves; they can't yet see cases. That's the bridge.
Yes to a small live 3D cube beside the net, turning as you drag — and let the user grab either one. The net is better for seeing everything, the 3D is better for feeling the move. Switching modes loses the link between the two; showing both keeps it.
Good luck with the release.