Creating Games That
Celebrate What Matters
Our beliefs about play, connection, and cultural authenticity guide everything we create
Back to HomeOur Foundation
Everything we do at Sunforge stems from a few core beliefs about what makes arcade games meaningful and how they can enrich people's lives.
Games Bring People Together
We believe the most valuable arcade experiences are those that create connections between people. Games should enhance celebrations and gatherings, not replace human interaction with isolated screen time.
Culture Shapes Experience
Cultural context fundamentally affects how people engage with games. What resonates in one setting may feel disconnected in another. We honor these differences rather than ignoring them.
Joy is Worth Pursuing
Creating experiences that bring genuine joy matters. We take our craft seriously while never losing sight of the fundamental purpose: helping people have fun together.
Honesty Builds Trust
We value transparent communication about what's possible, what's challenging, and what we recommend. Our relationships are built on honesty rather than promises we can't keep.
Our Vision for Arcade Gaming
We envision arcade games as cultural celebrations rather than mere entertainment products. When games honor the cultural context in which they're played, they become part of how communities celebrate, connect, and create shared memories.
This vision drives us to create experiences that feel both familiar and fresh, accessible to newcomers while rewarding for experienced players, and designed to enhance rather than interrupt social moments.
We believe arcade gaming has the potential to bring people together across cultures while respecting and celebrating what makes each culture unique. This balance between universal joy and cultural specificity guides our development approach.
What We Believe
Accessibility Invites Participation
Games should welcome everyone, regardless of their gaming experience. When people can jump in and immediately understand what to do, they're more likely to try, enjoy, and remember the experience. We believe complex depth can coexist with intuitive accessibility.
Music Carries Cultural Memory
Sound and music aren't decorative elements but fundamental to how people experience games. In Latin American contexts especially, music carries cultural significance and emotional resonance that can make the difference between a game that feels foreign and one that feels like home.
Context Shapes Meaning
A game played at a birthday party creates different experiences than the same game in a competitive setting. We design with these contexts in mind, understanding that arcade games often live in celebration spaces where the social environment matters as much as the gameplay.
Quality Means Caring About Details
Excellence shows in the small touches: how controls feel, how feedback responds to actions, how visual and audio elements work together. We believe players notice when developers care about these details, even if they can't articulate exactly what feels right.
Sustainable Success Takes Time
We don't believe in shortcuts that compromise quality. Games that resonate deeply take time to develop, test, and refine. We'd rather invest that time upfront than rush to launch and spend years correcting problems that could have been avoided.
How Beliefs Become Actions
Philosophy means little unless it shapes how we actually work. Here's how our beliefs translate into practice.
We Test in Real Social Environments
Because we believe context matters, we test games in actual party venues, celebration spaces, and social settings. We watch how people interact with games when they're together, having fun, and sometimes distracted. This shows us what works and what doesn't in the real environments where arcade games live.
We Involve Cultural Consultants Early
Our commitment to cultural authenticity means bringing cultural expertise into the development process from the beginning, not as an afterthought. We work with people who understand regional nuances, preferences, and contexts to ensure games feel genuinely connected to their intended audiences.
We Prioritize Player Observation Over Assumptions
Rather than assuming what players will enjoy, we watch how people actually engage with our games. This observation-first approach helps us see patterns we might miss if we relied solely on our own preferences or industry conventions.
We Build Relationships Beyond Projects
Our belief in honest partnership means we stay connected with clients after projects complete. We're interested in how games perform over time, what we can learn from their experiences, and how we might work together again as needs evolve.
Putting People First
Every decision we make starts with people: the players who will experience our games, the venue operators who will host them, the communities that will gather around them, and the clients who trust us with their vision.
This human-centered focus means we consider accessibility from the start, design for diverse abilities and preferences, and create experiences that respect people's time and intelligence. We don't manipulate or exploit; we invite and welcome.
It also means we communicate clearly with our clients, respect their expertise about their own audiences, and work as partners rather than vendors. Your success matters to us because we're invested in creating games that genuinely serve their purpose.
Thoughtful Innovation
We innovate not for novelty's sake but to better serve our purpose of creating joyful, connected experiences.
Learning from Tradition
We respect what arcade gaming has been while imagining what it can become. Classic arcade design principles often endure because they work, and we build on this foundation rather than discarding it.
Adapting to Change
Markets evolve, technologies advance, and player expectations shift. We stay current not by chasing every trend but by understanding which changes genuinely improve the experiences we create.
Cultural Evolution
As cultures change and blend, we adapt our approach while maintaining respect for cultural authenticity. We recognize that "traditional" doesn't mean "frozen in time."
Continuous Improvement
Every project teaches us something. We actively learn from our experiences, our partners' feedback, and the broader industry to continuously refine our approach.
Built on Trust
Trust requires both honesty and reliability. We commit to being upfront about what we can deliver, what challenges we foresee, and what recommendations we have based on our experience.
This means sometimes saying "we're not sure" or "this might not work as hoped" rather than overpromising. It means acknowledging when we make mistakes and working to correct them. It means treating your project goals as genuinely important, because they are.
Clear Communication
We explain our reasoning and keep you informed throughout development
Honest Assessment
We share realistic expectations about opportunities and challenges
Reliable Follow-Through
We deliver what we promise when we promise it
Growing Together
We believe in the power of collaboration and community, both within our team and with our partners.
Our studio thrives on diverse perspectives and experiences. We bring together developers, cultural consultants, musicians, and designers who each contribute their unique expertise. This collaborative environment helps us create games that feel complete and considered from multiple angles.
We also see our clients as collaborators rather than customers. Your knowledge of your audience, your market insights, and your vision are essential to creating successful projects. The best outcomes emerge when we work together, combining our technical and cultural expertise with your understanding of what you're trying to achieve.
Building for the Future
We're not interested in quick wins that compromise long-term success. Every game we create should continue bringing joy months and years after launch, maintaining its appeal even as markets evolve.
This long-term perspective influences how we design, test, and support our work. We think about maintainability, adaptability, and cultural longevity. We build relationships meant to last beyond single projects.
We also consider our broader impact on the arcade gaming industry and the communities we serve. We want to contribute to an ecosystem that values quality, respects cultural diversity, and creates meaningful experiences for players worldwide.
What This Philosophy Means for You
These aren't just words; they shape every interaction you'll have with Sunforge.
You'll receive honest guidance about what's realistic for your project, market, and timeline. We won't overpromise to win your business.
Your cultural context will be respected and integrated throughout development, not added as an afterthought.
We'll design for real players in real social environments, not just theoretical ideal conditions.
Quality will take priority over rushing to launch, because we believe better outcomes justify the investment.
Our relationship will extend beyond project completion, because we're interested in your long-term success.
Work With a Studio That Shares Your Values
If our philosophy resonates with your vision for arcade gaming, we'd welcome the opportunity to explore working together.