Rubik's FAQ
version v008 - 10/24/2001
NEW TO THE FAQ
#It has been roughly a year and a half since I last updated this page. A lot
of exciting things have happened in the puzzle community which prompted me to
once again sit down with a copy of DOS EDIT and add to this FAQ. Not the
least of which is a friendly nudge in the back by a polyhedra enthusiast
Robert Webb. Thanks Rob. Again I'll bring up the possibility of porting this
to html format, but I like hanging on to this piece of "old skool flava."
Anyway, there has been a strong resurgence of puzzle making and collecting or
so it would seem. Many puzzles are no longer the unobttainable white buffalos
that they once were. Also many new ones have hit the market although most are
just variants of previous internal mechanisms. Unfortunately some have also
ceased production and have made them quite desirable. Read on, fellow fanatic
or beginning enthusiast. This FAQ now weighs in at over 1200 lines of text.
The latest FAQ will always be found at www.chrono.org
Introduction
What is a Rubik's Cube? Where can I buy one? Who made it? How do I solve
it? Common questions like these are asked every day by people who have never
experienced the joy of owning a cube or by those whose interests have been
rekindled.
This FAQ answers puzzle questions. Rubik's type puzzles to be more exact.
Collectively, puzzles of this type are referred to as MAGIC POLYHEDRA. MAGIC
because of their often unique way of seeming to twist and turn and POLYHEDRA
which describes their general shape and appearance. This term very well may
have originated from the original marketing name for the Rubik's Cube, "Buvos
Kocka" which means "Magic Cube" in Hungarian. With this FAQ, I hope that
many basic questions can be answered in one place for the average casual
puzzler.
This document is in simple text format with page breaks. It was designed with
a maximum of 78 characters width, so that any simple DOS (if you're using DOS
or Windows derivative, like EDIT) text editor will fit it all in the screen.
I believe that Unix based text will also have no difficulties displaying this,
but I have no way to confirm.
Each of the sections have questions grouped together by rough categories.
First we attempt to answer why a FAQ is even needed. Section 2 spends a great
deal explaining about various puzzles. Section 3 pertains to the availability
of many of the puzzles described. Once you have a puzzle, the next question
is how to solve it, which hopefully Section 4 will point you in the right
direction.
In Section 5, I hope to enrich people's knowledge of the history of the cube
and all of its close cousins.
Any first person comments are from my (Time Traveler) point of view, which I
hope to eliminate in the later versions of this FAQ, except maybe for the
intro section, which you are reading now. Questions? Comments? Criticisms?
I'll accept the first two at my email address - chrono@ibm.net. What the
heck, I'll accept the third as long as it's constructive.
A word of warning: I have no doubt that there are many inaccuracies contained
within. Consider that I am typing the original draft strictly from memory, so
until people contribute facts and disprove my fallacies, THE DOCUMENT MAY BE
INACCURATE.
Let me make one last sincere statement. This project was not started on the
basis of any self interest. I WANT THIS TO BE A COMMUNITY EFFORT. If you
have an idea or suggestion, please let it be known!
- Jin "Time Traveler" Kim
Questions:
Sections and subsections that have been added, modified, or changed will have
a symbol preceding them. The symbol can be found at any level of the
questions, i.e. a section, a subsection, or further down, depending on the
significance of the update.
New text - pound(#)
Significantly updated or added - asterisk(*)
Reworded or corrected text - ampersand(&)
Section 1: The Basics
*1.1 - What is a FAQ?
1.2 - What is the purpose of this FAQ?
1.3 - What's the point of it all?
Section 2: The Puzzles
2.1 - What is a puzzle?
&2.2 - What is a Rubik's Cube?
*2.3 - What is a Cube-type puzzle?
2.4 - What is a Rubik Puzzle?
2.5 - What about other Puzzle types?
*2.6 - Which ones are Cube-type puzzles?
&2.7 - Which ones are almost Cube-type puzzles?
*2.8 - Which other puzzles will be covered?
*2.9 - Which ones are the Rubik puzzles?
2.10 - Which Rubik puzzles will be covered?
2.11 - Where can I see these puzzles?
&2.12 - Quick reference Puzzle Master List
Section 3: Availability
*3.1 - How common are the puzzles?
*3.2 - Which ones are the toughest to find?
&3.3 - Which ones can I buy retail?
3.4 - Are there any online sources for purchasing puzzles?
*3.5 - Will the Rubik's Revenge ever be remanufactured?
#3.6 - What have some been sold for?
Section 4: Solutions
*4.1 - How difficult is it to solve one?
4.2 - Where can I find solution books?
4.3 - Where can I find solutions online?
Section 5: Who's Who in Cubing
5.1 - What is the history of the Rubik's Cube?
5.2 - Who are some of the prominent figures in cubing/puzzling?
5.2.1 - Erno Rubik
5.2.2 - David Singmaster
5.2.3 - Minh Thai
5.2.4 - Uwe Meffert
5.2.5 - Jerry Slocum
5.2.6 - Douglas Hoftstadter
Section 6: Cool Links and Contact Info
*6.1 - General
*6.2 - Online Puzzle Galleries
*6.3 - Purchasing
*Credits
Contributors to the FAQ
Questions
Section 1: The Basics
*1.1 - What is a FAQ?
As stated in the Introduction, FAQ is short for Frequently Asked Questions.
Basically a FAQ is a document that attempts to answer the most common
questions posed by novices and is often used as a knowledge base for some
obscure questions.
1.2 - What is the purpose of this FAQ?
Also as stated in the Introduction, this FAQ hopes to answer the most common
questions as they relate to Rubik's Puzzles and Rubik's-type puzzles.
1.3 - What's the point of it all?
As of late, there has been a surprising resurgence of interest in puzzles, and
with the number of people coming out as being old-school puzzlers as well as
new people picking up the hobby, there has to be something to bring together
the average hobbyist. At the very least it's a way to look cool by signing
your name to a large document.
Section 2: The Puzzles
2.1 - What is a Puzzle?
Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (Online) defines a puzzle as "1. Something
which perplexes... a toy or a problem contrived for testing ingenuity;...
something exhibiting marvelous skill in making."
Puzzles were designed to challenge people to find a solution (or solutions, or
even none at all) to a particular problem. This faq deals with tangible
puzzles, ones that you hold in your hand and manipulate with your fingers.
&2.2 - What is a Rubik's Cube?
The classic Rubik's Cube was released in the States by the Ideal Toy Company
back in the early 80's. The Cube is 57mm along each side of the puzzle. Each
of the six faces of the puzzle are a distinct color. Each face seems to be
made up of nine squares. A visually similar cube can be made by arranging
nine cubes into a square on a flat surface. Nine more cubes are stacked on
top of the original nine. Finally, a third layer of nine cubes are stacked on
top, for a total of 27 small cubes (or cubelets). The Rubik's Cube appears to
be made up of 27 cubelets (with the cubelet in the center of the stack being
"invisible"). The ingenious part about the cube is that it doesn't come apart
under normal usage. A simple spring-loaded mechanism prevents the outer cubes
from falling off as the whole assembly is twisted along its turning points.
To solve the puzzle, one must twist the cube sequentially until all of the six
faces are restored to their original colors.
*2.3 - What is a Cube-type puzzle?
A Rubik's Cube-type puzzle refers to a small group of puzzles that have a
similar style of manipulation, namely, the puzzle can be scrambled and needs
to be unscrambled by turning the puzzle along its axes (turning or twisting
lines). All Cube-Type and nearly Cube-Type puzzles fall under one general
puzzle category called "MAGIC POLYHEDRA," referring to their general shape and
solving methodology. The strict Cube-type puzzle subtype must meet certain
criteria:
a) Must not come apart under normal operation.
b) pieces do not slide together or pull apart.
c) The entire puzzle itself is moved, not merely units within it.
d) The puzzle is in the shape of a regular geometric solid. (i.e. a
"platonic" or "archimedean" solid)
e) The lines along which the puzzle turns are symmetrical no matter
what face or angle the puzzle is viewed from (which barely excludes
some notable pieces that would otherwise be considered
"cube-type.")
The "near Cube-Type" magic polyhedra often violate one or more of the above
criteria but still are closely related to their cube-type brethren.
#(In my arrogance I neglected to state that this is my own interpretation of
what the various types of puzzles are. There are no set criteria but in my
humble opinion I set about rules to try and distinguish among what is a very
bewildering number of puzzles and variants. I had to draw the line somewhere
and this line seemed to be as good as any other - TT)
2.4 - What is a Rubik Puzzle?
Rubik Puzzles are puzzles which were either
a) Created personally by Dr. Erno Rubik, or
b) Originally have the Rubik name attached to them. (Which
differentiates them from puzzles which later adopted the name
officially or otherwise, e.g. Rubik's Snake)
Keep in mind that not all of Dr. Rubik's Puzzles are Cube-type puzzles and not
all Cube-type puzzles are made by Dr. Rubik.
2.5 - What about other Puzzle types?
There are numerous categories of puzzles (sliding block, disassembly, word,
mental, ring, etc..). The FAQ covers some of them, but the main emphasis is
on the puzzles that follow the guidelines for a Cube-type puzzle (Ques. 2.3),
are very similar, or have Dr. Rubik's name attached to them.
*2.6 - Which ones are Cube-type puzzles?
Many puzzles have variants which, while visibly different, may be identical
from a mechanical standpoint. In the case of the Pyraminx and the octahedron,
they may essentially be considered identical from a solving standpoint. Some
puzzles are capitalized, referring to their official name, while others may
not have a proper name associated with them. In any case, each puzzle was
listed by its major type.
Important note: In all cases, it is possible to create variants where each
piece of the puzzle has a specific spot as well as orientation. Such is the
case with the Rubik's 4th dimension, where four of the center pieces on the
puzzle had to have a small illustration line up with the others. While this
increases the relative difficulty on some of the puzzles, others may not be
affected by similar additions, as is the case with the Pyraminx due to its
relatively limited number of actual moving pieces. In no particular order:
a) Rubik's Cube: Six square faces (a cube), each face may be twisted
or sliced along four different lines. Each face has 9 squares.
Variants: May come in sphere form, but mechanically identical. May
also come truncated or shaped into other geometric solids and in
some instances may require a slightly different solving technique.
Many size variants exist as well. There are also literally
hundreds of sticker or pattern variants, such as Dan Hoey's Tartan
Cube.
Invented by: Dr. Erno Rubik
*b) Rubik's Mini Cube: Six square faces, each face may be twisted or
sliced along two different lines. Each face has 4 squares.
Variants: Many shape variants including the very exotic looking
Pyramorphix tetrahedron.
The "pyraminx ball" formerly listed in this category has been
properly identified as being a Mini Cube mechanism applied to a
dodecahedron. The puzzle has two cut lines on each face. The two
lines do not cut the faces symmetrically, other than the cut line
itself meeting the edge of a puzzle face on its middle point.
Although it may appear to violate criteria E, the cut lines
themselves are scattered evenly throughout the cube, and each face
is cut the exact same way.
Invented by: Dr. Erno Rubik?
c) Rubik's Revenge (Possibly referred to as the Rubik's Master Cube
in other countries?): Six square faces (a cube), each face may be
twisted or sliced along six different lines. Each face has 16
squares.
Variants: None known.
Invented by: Peter Sebesteny
d) Rubik's Wahn (aka master or professor's cube): No official name. A
Meffert puzzle (re. Section 5: -> Prominent Figures in Cubing ->
Uwe Meffert). Each face has 25 squares.
Variants: None known.
Invented by: Udo Krell
e) Pyraminx: Four faces made up of equilateral triangles (a
tetrahedron). Not really a pyramid, as name may imply. Each face
may be twisted or sliced along six different lines, but due to the
nature of the puzzle, the end or point pieces have a trivial effect
on the solving of the puzzle.
Variants: Size variants as well as at least one variant where the
puzzle was stellated to give it a much more complex appearance
despite being equally easy to solve.
Invented by: Uwe Meffert
f) octahedron: Eight faces made up of equilateral triangles (it is
essentially two true pyramids that have been 'stuck' together, base
to base.). Each face also turns along 6 lines, but just like the
Pyraminx, the point pieces are considered trivial. Although
mechanically different from the Pyraminx, due to the nature of the
puzzle, being able to solve the former puzzle almost guarantees
success in solving this one, and vice versa.
Variants: Christoph's Jewel, identical to the octahedron except the
point pieces are completely done away with. Otherwise mechanically
identical.
g) Megaminx: Twelve faces made up of pentagons (a dodecahedron), each
face twisting along five different lines. Due to the nature of the
slicing lines, each face appears to have a pentagram (or star) on
it.
Variants: The Supernova is nearly mechanically identical, except
the dividing lines are spaced differently than the Megaminx, which
gives each face a slightly different appearance but is otherwise
solved in exactly the same manner.
Invented by: Kersten Meier, Ben Halpern
*h) Skewb: Six square faces (a cube), each face may be turned along
four different lines. A twist on the cube results in a very skewed
cut which affects all six faces, making it a very different puzzle
from the normal Rubik's types (skew+cube=skewb).
Variants: Spherical variants of the Skewb are many and common.
There is also a dodecahedral variant among others.
Invented by: Tony Durham
i) Dino Cube: "...a cube consisting of 12 bi-triangular shaped edge
pieces. The 8 corners turn, rotating 3 edges at a time. The
earliest cube-lovers message dated May 16th 1995, describing it as
a cube with an X cut on all sides."
Variants: None known.
&j) Dogic: "Test your logic..." In the shape of an icosahedron. It
moves in the following way: "5 triangles can rotate around their
common vertex somewhat like the Impossiball. Each triangle is
again subdivided into 4 smaller triangles which move separately,
i.e. one can also rotate 5 smaller triangles around the same
vertex. Thus there are 60 "vertex" triangles and 20 "middle"
triangles, the latter are in fact equivalent to the Impossiball.
The "vertex" triangles are unicolored, the "middle" triangles have
three colours. The whole Puzzle has twelve colours, one for each
vertex." - P.K.
See the revised Contact Info and Gallery sections for links to see
a picture of this wonderful puzzle.
k) others: There are several others rumored to exist. If anybody
knows of any, please let me know.
&2.7 - Which ones are almost Cube-type puzzles?
Some of the puzzles listed here are well known by people. And while some may
argue that such and such puzzle IS a cube-type puzzle, I feel that the listed
criteria for a Cube-type puzzle are very specific. By no means does the
criteria make these inferior in any way. I personally own several of the ones
listed below. But from a strictly defined standpoint, these puzzles don't
quite make the definition.
&a) Rubik's Domino: Essentially a cube with one layer of cubes taken
out, appearing to be made up of 18 cubelets. Fails Cube-type
criteria letters D and E. The puzzle is not a perfect regular
polyhedron and is not symmetrical from all faces. In essence, due
to the nature of its twists, the puzzle essentially has only two
faces, a "top" and a "bottom."
Variants: A variant was made with raised dotes molded into the
plastic to benefit the visually impaired. The actual date of
creation of this puzzle is not known by the author, but it's most
likely safe to say early 80's.
Invented by: Dr. Erno Rubik?
b) Square-1: This puzzle's "solved" shape is a cube, but due to its
irregular sized pieces, the puzzle can take on wildly different
shapes. It fails criteria D due to its evolving shape. Like the
Rubik's Domino, this puzzle is also essentially two faced, so it
also fails criteria E.
Variants: None known to exist.
Invented by: Karel Hrsel, Vojtech Kopsky
&c) Impossiball: Spherical as the name implies. "It is a sphere made
up of triangular equilateral colored pieces which can freely rotate
along any side of the triangles. The pieces are held in place by
rubber collars and can be disassembled easily." - B.D.
Thus, the Impossiball violates criteria B, which is partly about
the spirit of a cube-type puzzle, i.e. the Rubik's Cube is not held
together by rubber bands (which is what I first envisioned when I
was 7 years old. -TT). It does not quite violate criteria D
despite being a sphere because it could have easily been shaped
into an icosahedron instead of a sphere. But some would argue that
Impossicosahedron sounds better than Impossiball. Uwe Meffert
recently reissued the Impossiball, which features new sticker
colors. Many people have commented that the new sticker colors
aren't as distinct as the original issue.
Variants: None known.
Invented by: Wolfgang Kuppers
&d) Masterball: Sphere with slicing turns that correspond to a
simplified latitude/longitude line type system. Each of the eight
"slices" in turn separate along 4 different lines.
Variants: The Masterball comes in many 'flavors,' from the very
simple (the Duomaster, which uses black and white pieces) to the
more complex (Circusmaster, depicting a "three-ring circus act.").
In every case, it was strictly "sticker" variations.
Invented by: Dr. Geza Gyovai
e) Puck: Shaped like a hockey puck, this puzzle has twelve semi-wedges
packed around a cylinder that slices down along its diameter. Due
to the nature of the scrambling method, it seems almost like a
simplified version of the Square-1 or Rubik's Domino.
Variants: Just like the Masterball, LOTS of them. Probably more.
All just pattern, or "sticker" variants.
f) Alexander's Star: In some ways similar to the Megaminx, this puzzle
has the equivalent shape of a 'great dodecahedron.' The 'Star
plays like a Megaminx without the corner pieces or a center
reference piece, and since it only has 6 colors for 12 "sides,"
there is a minor problem with solving it at the end due to the
mixing of two identically colored pieces. This is in contrast to
the Impossiball, which is effectively like a Megaminx, but only
solving the corners and no center piece. The Star mainly fails
criteria D, in that it isn't a "Platonic" polyhedron despite being
considered a stellated version of one. Otherwise it would very
much be considered a "cube-type" puzzle.
Variants: A version of the 'Star uses painted pieces rather than
stickers.
Invented by: Adam Alexander
g) Mozaika: A spherical puzzle which contains sliding square tiles
along 3 axes. The square tiles slide along the edges of 8
triangular wedges which can also be scrambled, making this puzzle
more than merely a 3-D sliding block variant. The Mozaika fails
criteria D, and due to the nature of the pieces of the puzzle, it
would not translate well into a platonic solid.
*2.8 - Which other puzzles will be covered?
There are many other fine puzzles that can be added to this list, and this one
is by no means comprehensive. I have tried to stick mainly to the "classic"
ones, puzzles that appeared originally in the 80's, but there may be several
which required mention.
a) Missing Link: A Three-dimensional "sliding block" puzzle shaped
like a rectangular box. The ends were square, and three of the
long "faces" of the puzzle had a "link" made up of 4 pieces which
required solving. The fourth face required only 3 pieces to
complete, thus allowing for one "neutral" space for pieces to be
slid around in. The challenge of the Missing Link is that the 2nd
and 3rd rows of the puzzle are "glued," while only the 1st and 4th
rows actually rotate. Otherwise the solving of this puzzle would
be equally as trivial as the WhippIt.
Variants: None known.
Invented by: Marvin Glass & Associates
*b) Whip-it: A cylinder with six different colors composed of 3 tiles
for each color. The sixth color (white, on mine) is only made up
of 2 tiles, again leaving 1 out to allow for pieces to slide
around. Another "sliding block" puzzle.
Variants: A variant with 4 color tiles for each color has been
verified. The extra color does not add much to the challenge of
this puzzle which is considered to be near the bottom or at the
bottom of the difficulty scale.
c) OrbIt (Orb-it or Orb): A gray sphere which cuts along one
hemisphere. There is a groove cut into the sphere which follows a
pattern. Within the groove moves a number of tightly packed
colored "beads" which must be reorganized into their proper
alignments. The puzzle may have originally been referred to as
something else, maybe just "TheOrb," but I have no way of
confirming this since I have seen conflicting names for it.
Variants: None known.
d) Rubik's Snake: Composed of 24 linked diagonally cut squares
(prisms), this puzzle is more of a design maker, but can be
considered a puzzle by presenting the puzzler with illustrations
and having him/her attempt to re-create the picture.
("Rubik reportedly invented this in the 60's, and still has the
original drawings for it. It was first manufactured when the cube
hit." - P.K.)
Variants: Mainly size variants.
Invented by: Dr. Erno Rubik
e) others: Many other fine puzzles have not made the list, like the
Ten Billion Barrel, the Smart Alex, the TopSpin, etc.. Some very
likely belong in the list but never became well known, while others
are farther and farther drifting from the focus of this FAQ.
Present a case for your favorite puzzle and it may be listed.
*2.9 - Which ones are the Rubik puzzles?
The Rubik puzzles are the ones with Dr. Erno Rubik's name attached to them. I
have attempted a rough chronological order of their first appearance, but no
guarantees as to its accuracy. There is great difficulty in getting exact
dates for many of the puzzles due to their wide distribution as well as
conflicting reports. Below is a compilation of "best guesses" or copyright
dates as they appeared accompanying the puzzles.
a) Rubik's Cube: Description given under subsection 2.6.a).
Hungary circa 1977
Ideal Toy Corp. circa 1980?
Oddzon c.1995(US)
b) Rubik's Mini Cube: Description given under subsection 2.6.b).
??? circa 1981?
Oddzon c.1995(US)
c) Rubik's Revenge: Description given under subsection 2.6.c).
Ideal Toy Corp. c.1982(US)
d) Rubik's Game: A standard cube with holes in each cubelet face for
pegs to be inserted into. The game was for 2 to 6 players, with
the object being to arrange the pegs into tic-tac-toe type patterns
by inserting pegs and scrambling the cube.
Ideal Toy Corp. c.1982(US)
#e) Rubik's Race: "A sliding block puzzle played by two players. The
game board consists of two trays which can hold 16 tiles in a 4x4
arrangement. They're separated by a hinged lid that can be brought
down onto either player's board. The lid has a square hold in the
middle which allows the middle 9 tiles to be seen when it's down."
- S.A.
Shake the cube scrambler and the first person to duplicate the
pattern shown wins.
Ideal Toy Corp. c.1982(US)
f) Rubik's Domino: Description given under subsection 2.7.a).
Hungary (The Magic Domino) circa 1979
??? circa 19??
g) Rubik's Magic: 8 square tiles (2x4) held together by fishing line.
Matchbox c.1986,1987(US)
Oddzon c.1995(US)
h) Rubik's Magic Master Edition: 12 square tiles (2x6) held together
by fishing line. Similar to the above.
Matchbox c.1987(US)
i) Rubik's Clock: 9 clock faces on two sides (18 total clocks) which
are changed by turning 4 dials and 4 buttons. The dials and
buttons cause different clocks to be changed, causing the clocks to
display different Times. The object was to get the clocks to all
display the same Time, 12 o'clock.
Matchbox c.1988(US)
j) Rubik's Illusion: Strategy game for 2 players. The game board has
64 cases; 32 physical and 32 "virtual" (due to a perpendicularly
attached mirror). Players take turns to place, move or turn color
pieces. Some pieces will reflect the opponent's color in the
mirror, these pieces change color with a 180 degree turn. To win,
a player must form a line of 5 pieces of his/her color (straight or
diagonally, on the physical board, in the mirror or across the
mirror).
Matchbox c.1989(US)
k) Rubik's 4th Dimension: Same as Cube, with 4 extra center pictures.
Golden(Matchbox) c.1990(US)
l) Rubik's Dice: A hollow "die" which had 7 metal plates inside that
moved. Each plate had a different set of white and red dots on it.
The object was to re-arrange the plates so that only white dots
showed through the cut-out holes on the puzzle.
Golden(Matchbox) c.1990(US)
m) Rubik's Tangle (25 pieces): Paper tiles which are arranged to make
complete loops of "rope." 25 tiles, single sided. 4 different
versions exist, differing in which tiles appear twice.
Golden(Matchbox) c.1990(US)
n) Rubik's XV (Fifteen): Somewhat similar to the famous sliding block
puzzle, Sam Loyd's 15-puzzle, but has no "neutral" space. The
puzzle has two sides, one whose object is to arrange the numerals
1 through 15 sequentially, the other whose object is to create a
magic square of order 15. Both sides cannot be solved at the same
Time.
Golden(Matchbox) c.1990(US)
o) Rubik's Triamid: 10 separate pieces held together by connectors.
The puzzle must be taken apart a certain way for solving.
Golden(Matchbox) c.1990(US)
Oddzon c.1995(US)
p) "Rubik's Snake": Description given under subsection 2.8.d).
??? circa 1980
Oddzon c.1995(US)
q) Rubik's Maze: Six cubes connected together, 2x3. The object was to
rearrange the cubes so that the maze designs on the cubes created a
single continuous loop.
Golden(Matchbox) circa 1994
*r) Rubik's Rabbits: "This looks [like] a magician's top hat. Looking
down at the hat it is divided into 8 wedges. The layers(5) are
turned until a rabbit appears in each wedge or in no wedges at
all."
Golden(Matchbox) circa 1994
s) Rubik's Tangle (9 pieces): Plastic tiles with raised molded "ropes"
which are arranged to make complete loops. 9 tiles.
Oddzon c.1995(US)
t) other Rubik's related items:
Rubik's World: Spherical 3x3x3 cube with the "globe" imprinted
2.10 - Which Rubik puzzles will be covered?
The Rubik puzzles covered by this faq have already been mentioned. They are
listed in section 2.12, the master puzzle list. All other Rubik's affiliated
puzzles will, sadly, not be mentioned in the earliest versions of this FAQ.
Due to the sheer number of different puzzles and categories, it is easy to
lose sight of the original idea of the FAQ, which is mainly about the cube
type puzzles and their close cousins.
But who knows, maybe someone else will be willing to work on a detailed FAQ
or "subset"-FAQ dealing with other puzzle types specifically.
2.11 - Where can I see these puzzles?
Check the section in the end of cool web links, 6.2 - Online Puzzle Galleries.
That section will end up being a great resource for those looking for more
info.
&2.12 - Quick reference Puzzle Master List
To have what I would consider a reasonably complete list of puzzles, I believe
that one should have most if not all of the puzzles from the first two lists
and maybe a smattering of the ones in the third.
Cube-Type
a) Rubik's Cube
b) Rubik's Mini Cube
c) Rubik's Revenge
d) Rubik's Wahn
e) Pyraminx
f) octahedron
g) Megaminx
h) Skewb
i) Dino cube
j) Dogic
Almost Cube-Type
a) Rubik's Domino
b) Square-1
b) Impossiball
c) Masterball
e) Puck
f) Alexander's Star
g) Mozaika
Other of Significance
a) Missing Link
b) Whip-it
c) "OrbIt"
d) Rubik's Snake
Section 3: Availability
*3.1 - How common are the puzzles?
Due to Oddzon's recent reproduction of various puzzles, the ones with the most
availability are:
Rubik's Cube
Rubik's Mini Cube
Rubik's Magic
Rubik's Snake
*However, many people consider the Oddzon cubes to be inferior to the originals
that they are mimicking. Oddzon uses a laminated paper of sorts for their
stickers which has the unfortunate tendency to peel off very easily, leaving
the puzzle in a messy looking state. The original Rubik's Cube is still
enjoying considerable distribution among puzzle circles.
Some puzzles which were fairly newer, were produced in large quantities, or
were just never quite as popular can still be tracked down fairly easily by
people. These include:
Pyraminx
Masterball
Square 1
Octahedron
Rubik's Wahn
The Masterball and Square 1 can be found at the occasional toy store or
specialty gift shop (Natural Wonders carried the Masterball, Toys R' Us had
the Square 1). The others can be found with some success from the list of
online sources down below.
The really rare ones also generally coincide with the question answered in
3.2, so I will end this section with this line.
Very recently a number of puzzles were completely reissued under two
different publishers. Oddly enough, both bear mention of Uwe Meffert, one in
the product name itself and the other in the form of a very prominent picture
on the package.
One series of puzzles were issued in clear plastic form fitting packages with
the banner "Meffert's Challenge," manufactured by IDI in Aberdeen, Hong Kong.
A lot of these were sold in Europe. The puzzles which are listed for this
particular run are:
Professor's Cube (5x5x5 or Rubik's Wahn)
Pyraminx (Re-issue in black plastic and new colors)
Tetraminx (Essentially a Pyraminx without the corner pieces)
Impossiball (Re-issue using 6 colors instead of the original's 12)
Megaminx (Re-issue using 6 colors instead of the original's 12)
Skewb
Oddly enough, neither the package nor the included solution booklet mention
the Megaminx or the Impossiball at all despite being sold in the packaging.
The other series of puzzles were issued primarily in the United States by
Pressman Toys. They came in a purple box with a form fitting clear plastic
insert to hold the puzzle. The package prominently displays the name of the
puzzle as well as "Think Puzzles" appearing on all of the boxes. The puzzles
which are listed for this particular run are:
Puzzle Ball (I believe it is a spherical Skewb)
Pyraminx (Re-issue in black plastic and new colors)
Megaminx (Re-issue using 6 colors instead of the original's 12)
Professor's Cube (5x5x5 or Rubik's Wahn)
Skewb
Oddly enough, the package only mentions two other puzzles in the set, neither
of which is the one in the box itself. The little booklet inside also shows
simple illustrations of other puzzles (Prof. Cube, Megaminx, Tetraminx) but
with no other mention anywhere else.
I have come to the conclusion that both runs are identical in nature since
there is a high degree of overlap in the actual product released. Also, the
little booklet which comes with each puzzle is identical (with a picture of
Uwe Meffert on the back cover) with the only difference being the main product
name on the cover of it ("Think Puzzles" vs. "Meffert's Challenge."). I'm
guessing that Mr. Meffert couldn't get a single publisher to handle the runs
both in the U.S. and Europe, which led to the current state. I am not
entirely convinced that the two puzzle runs overlap completely and one run may
or may not include a puzzle not in the other and vice-versa. In any case,
many thanks to Meffert for giving many people an opportunity to collect some
truly unique pieces.
#Recently the Rubik's Revenge was re-issued by Oddzon. While the issue with
mediocre stickers was an issue at last check, it is still a Revenge and for
those who never had the chance to attain one, now is the opportunity to get a
brand new one at a very reasonable price of $20US. Currently Oddzon sells the
Rubik's Revenge only through their web site and I doubt that retail sales are
being considered. For those looking for one of the original run Revenges,
many can still be found for sale on auction sites such as eBay (See Section
6.3).
*3.2 - Which ones are the toughest to find?
As is partially implied by the above list of availability, several puzzles are
not only highly sought after, but their limited quantities often means that
whatever stock remains is frequently competed over. Consider the following
story:
In an interesting twist, someone found six brand new Rubik's
Revenges at a local game store in the US. After holding a
quick auction on the internet, the individual made quite a
tidy sum of money. Assuming that the original purchase price
of the puzzles was around 120 dollars (or 20 dollars for each
Revenge, which seems more or less right), the individual
4x4x4's were sold off for a combined total of $529.19. Since
the bidders paid for shipping themselves, the profit can be
estimated to be about $68.20 PER CUBE. Not bad for just a
few weeks worth of work. Names have been omitted to protect
the innocent.
&As you can see, the Revenge is definitely one of the most sought after
puzzles to emerge from the 80's. A list of the rare ones would consist of:
Rubik's Domino (3x3x2)
Dogic
Megaminx (original, not the reissue)
Rubik's Revenge (4x4x4) (original, not the reissue)
Missing Link
Alexander's Star
Impossiball (original, not the reissue)
#The reissued versions of some of the originals has helped to drive down the
prices of originals quite a bit. Not only that, with the emergence of auction
sites like eBay, the general availability of puzzles has increased and except
for a few exceedingly rare pieces, the prices are well within reach for
beginning collectors.
&3.3 - Which ones can I buy retail?
Don't forget to check section 3.1 for some detailed information about the
recent availability of various puzzles in the retail market.
The Oddzon company re-released many puzzles a couple of years ago, including
the Cube, Mini-Cube, the Snake, Rubik's Magic, and the Triamid. While many of
these are no longer in production, they can still occasionally be found at
local toy stores like Kaybee and Toys R' Us. Specialty game stores in malls
and some role playing game shops have also stocked many different kinds as
well. They often carry clone Rubik's Cubes and Masterballs. Many people have
also purchased various old puzzles like the Revenge and Megaminx at garage
sales across the country. (I found my first Revenge in a plastic bucket at a
friend's garage, with most of the stickers in poor shape - TT)
3.4 - Are there any online sources for purchasing puzzles?
There are several online sources for Magic Polyhedra. Down at the bottom of
this FAQ are several people/places to contact for puzzles.
*3.5 - Will the Rubik's Revenge ever be remanufactured?
YES! There was a Time when demand appeared to far exceed supply. Prices for
pristine Revenges fetched around $100 US. Now with Oddzon reissuing the
Revenge, prices have fallen. While Oddzon appears to be out of production
now, it has still driven down the price of a Revenge to very reasonable
levels (starting at $20-30) See the list of online vendors down below.
#3.6 - What have some been sold for?
A new section which attempts to track the prices some of the pieces sold for.
$ 1025 - 3/2000 - Rubik's Domino
$ 530 - 5/2001 - Dogic
$ 405 - 8/2001 - Dogic 2
$ 316 - 10/2001 - Dogic
$ 311 - 10/2001 - Rubik's Domino
$ 250 - 8/2001 - Dogic
$ 162 - 10/2001 - Dogic
$ 112 - 8/2001 - Megaminx (Tomy)
The trend of lower puzzle prices is continuing. Perhaps more of the rare
puzzles are becoming available as more and more people get on the internet.
In some cases prices have fallen off due to re-issued lines (i.e. Rubik's
Revenge). This is not an attempt to form some sort of price guide but merely
to illustrate the demand levels of some of the most sought after pieces.
Section 4: Solutions
*4.1 - How difficult is it to solve one?
For any of you master cube-ologists, I would like you to submit a rating of
the relative difficulty of solving the base puzzles, from most difficult to
least difficult, 1 being easiest and 10 being hardest. Of course, not
everyone has solved all of the listed puzzles, but I hope to combine the data
into one master list.
Here's a chart that gives the number of possible combinations for some of the
puzzles discussed by this FAQ. Although not a definitive way to determine a
puzzle's relative solving difficulty, it can be considered somewhat of a
guide.
Dogic Test Your Logic 2.199 * 10^82
Rubik's Wahn (5x5x5) 2.8xx * 10^74
Megaminx/Supernova (12 color) 1.007 * 10^68
Megaminx (6 color reissue) 6.144 * 10^63
Rubik's Revenge (4x4x4) 7.4xx * 10^45
Rubik's Tangle (25 tiles) 1.7xx * 10^41
Alexander's Star 7.2xx * 10^34
Impossiball(Old and new) 2.4xx * 10^25
Rubik's Cube picture cube 1.772 * 10^23
Rubik's Cube 4th Dimension 1.107 * 10^22
Rubik's Cube (3x3x3) 4.325 * 10^19
Pyraminx Octahedron 8.2xx * 10^18
Rubik's Triamid 1.9xx * 10^15
Square 1 1.2xx * 10^13
*Missing Link 1.090 * 10^11
Missing Link 8.2xx * 10^10
Whip-it 5.718 * 10^8
Rubik's Domino (2x3x3) 4.0xx * 10^8
Rubik's Dice 8.3xx * 10^7
Pyraminx 7.6xx * 10^7
Dino Cube 1.9xx * 10^7
Pocket Cube (2x2x2) 3.7xx * 10^6
Skewb 3.1xx * 10^6
*There seems to be a point of contention about the correct number of possible
combinations for a Missing Link.
The Dogic puzzle recently appeared in the puzzle scene. Philip Knudsen of
Denmark estimated the puzzle to have 2.199110779324x10^82 number of possible
combinations. The number of combinations has been confirmed by Christoph
Lohe of Germany.
I have begun adding a few sticker variants here and there, mainly due to the
reissue of the Megaminx and Impossiball, both of which used to have 12 colors
but now have six in the reissues. The 6 color reissue Megaminx's number of
possible combinations is still being calculated and requires confirmation.
Thanks Christoph Lohe.
(Brief thanks to Mark Longridge, whose web page I pulled much of this out of.
I left out many of the "sticker" variants and other puzzles which weren't part
of the list, were just theoretical, or I just plain didn't have a clue as to
what they were. -TT)
This chart is by no means a scale of the relative difficulty of the puzzles,
although certainly can be used as one way to gauge.
A fellow cubist ranks some of the puzzles thusly (most to least difficult):
Square 1
Megaminx
Rubik's Revenge
Impossiball
Rubik's Cube
Pyraminx
Another prolific student of cubology rates the puzzles thusly:
Square-1 10
Rubik's Revenge 9
!Rubik's Cube with pictures 9
Rubik's Cube 4th Dimension 7
!Octagonal Cube (truncated 3^3) 7
Rubik's Cube 6
Rubik's Triamid 5
Rubik's Mini Cube 5
Alexander's Star 4
Rubik's Dice 4
Skewb 4
Pyraminx 3
!Masterball (Duomaster) 3
Missing Link 3
Rubik's Clock 2
Rubik's Magic Master Edition 2
Sam Loyd's 15 puzzle 1
WhippIt 1
Rubik's Magic 1
!Rubik's Cube with pictures - The center pieces have to have a specific
alignment with each face of the Cube.
!Octagonal Cube - Truncated cube that from the top the puzzle looks
like an octagon. Four of the center edge pieces have only a single
color so you can't tell their orientation until partly done solving
the puzzle.
!Masterball (Duomaster) - Masterball with just black and white pieces.
Fun to look at, easy to solve.
Yet a third prolific cubist contributed some puzzle data:
Square 1
!Off-Center Cube
!Masterball
!Rubik's Revenge
Rubik's Wahn
Mozaika
Rubik's Cube
!Magic Dodecahedron
Alexander's Star
Skewb
!Off-Center Cube - "...is a Cube transformation done by (name ommitted)
... Actually a shape variation of 3x3x3 that is also bandaged. A real
killer. Resembles a Square-1 in more than one way. I had this about
6 months before I solved it, all the time scrambled and ugly, laughing
at me daily."
!Masterball - "...first Masterball was a WWF edition (World Wildlife
Foundation - TT), with 32 all different tiles. This also has the
parity *thing* going on."
!Rubik's Revenge - "I find Revenge harder than 5x5x5 because of the
parity *thing* that happens with the edges. This is easier to detect
on the 5x5x5 at an earlier stage."
!Magic Dodecahedron - Reference to the Supernova or original Megaminx.
*My own list of puzzles, most to least difficult, would have to be:
Square 1 ?
Supernova(Megaminx) ?
Rubik's Wahn 9+
Rubik's Revenge 9
Rubik's Cube 8
Rubik's Mini Cube 7
*Dogic Test Your Logic 6
Masterball (Geomaster) 6
Alexander's Star 6
!Moody Ball 5
Skewb 4
Missing Link 3
Masterball (Duomaster) 2
Octahedron (Pyraminx) 2
Pyraminx 2
WhippIt 1
!Moody Ball - Spherical sticker variant of the Skewb. Change the
twelve (3 colors, 4 faces of each color) frowning faces into smiling
faces. Very cool looking.
My bias toward ranking the cubes as harder is because I solved all the puzzles
below the Mini cube without any assistance. Using some patterns and hints I
managed to solve up to the 5x5x5 cube. I have yet to solve the Megaminx or
the Square 1, which I haven't had much Time to devote to. The Alexander's
Star gave me some difficulty when I didn't realize at first that two identical
pieces could be reversed, which caused some solving difficulties in the
beginning. (Come to think of it, I may have just been inspired into finding a
solution for the Megaminx by merely typing this FAQ! -TT) (Perhaps I was
inspired to try it, but my 12 color Megaminx remains unsolved to this day,
along with my Square 1. -TT)
#The Dogic's difficulty lies mainly in the dizzying visual display. It's hard
to remain focused on the task of solving it because it has so many components.
Once the small pieces are aligned with the big pieces, the puzzle is solved in
pretty much the same way as the Impossiball.
4.2 - Where can I find solution books?
Check your local library and do a search for Rubik's Cube. Computerized
catalogs will generally show up with several entries, almost always a solution
for the 3x3x3 cube. This is also a great way to come across other puzzle
related books. If your intention is to purchase books, your best bet for
finding solutions is to check with Christoph Bandelow or Peter Beck in section
6.3. They should be able to point you in the right directions.
4.3 - Where can I find solutions online?
Pull up your favorite search engine and enter the name of the puzzle which
you are interested in. Generally you will get many hits. If you still want
specific places to check, go to the Web Links section near the bottom.
Section 5: Who's Who in Cubing
5.1 - What is the history of the Rubik's Cube?
A popular myth regarding the creation of the cube was that Dr. Erno Rubik
invented it back in the 1970's as a demonstration piece for his architecture
class. (This in fact has been verified to be an untrue rumor that has
persisted for many years and has clouded the memory and judgement of the FAQ's
author! - TT)
Dr. Rubik was a naturally curious and inventive person who just happened to
create such objects to satisfy his own personal goals. Although this can be
perceived as a much less altruistic explanation for the cube's creation, it
still does point to the creative genius of the creator.
After inventing the Cube's ingenious mechanism, it didn't take too long before
the puzzle caught on among the populace and by the early 1980's, the Rubik's
Cube was a household name. As a puzzle, it surpassed all others in its
popularity. In its short Time as a fad, the Rubik's Cube became a symbol of
the 80's. Songs were written about it, a cartoon series was based on the
puzzle, and many people caught the Cube fever. The cube also inspired many
other puzzles to be created that were similar in style (the "Cube-Type"
puzzles) before it all faded away, circa 1984. For more in depth information
on the cube, check the descriptions of the web pages in section 6.
5.2 - Who are some of the prominent figures in cubing/puzzling?
People of some significance to the history of puzzles and cubes, more
specifically.
5.2.1 - Erno Rubik
The inventor of the Rubik's Cube and other popular puzzles, he was considered
the richest Hungarian private citizen before the "fall of communism," all due
to the popularity of his masterpiece. The Rubik's Cube has undoubtedly become
the single most famous puzzle in all of history. The Rubik's Cube later
became embroiled in a breach of patent law suit, the results of which I don't
recall.
"We turn the Cube and it twists us." - Erno Rubik
5.2.2 - David Singmaster
One of the first to publish a solution book. His notation for manipulating
the Cube is still used widely by most people.
5.2.3 - Minh Thai
National Champion cube solver (was on TV show "That's Incredible."). His
record Time in late 1981 was 26.04 seconds. In an international competition
he managed to shave that record down by 2 or 3 seconds. Later he went on to
publish a booklet entitled "The Winning Solution," talking about his method
for solving the cube. It was a "corners first" approach, for those who are
curious.
5.2.4 - Uwe Meffert
Responsible for creation and/or manufacture of several magic polyhedra.
Credits include the Pyraminx, Impossiball, Megaminx, Rubik's Wahn, and very
likely more.
5.2.5 - Jerry Slocum
One of the most prominent puzzle collectors around, may have the largest
collection known. His collection is estimated at over 50,000 or so. He has
also authored and collaborated on several books about puzzles, including
"Puzzles: Old and New." He has also been known to host "puzzle parties" where
people get together and share this hobby.
5.2.6 - Douglas Hofstadter
Published several papers on the subject of cubing, two for Scientific
American in the early 80's, first regarding the cube and then another
discussing the emergence of other magic polyhedra.
Section 6: Cool Links & Contact Info
*6.1 - General
General links are those that have basic information but are not necessarily
directly involved with cubing. Generally good places to further the puzzling
need or to learn more about what's out there.
cube-lovers-request@ai.mit.edu
Cube Lovers Mailing list. Email the above for any specific info about
the list, not just to get on it. As stated by the list's moderator,
"The traffic on Cube-Lovers is highly variable. We will sometimes go
for several months with no traffic at all. Other times there will be
five messages a day for a week. So don't expect to receive any mail
anytime soon, but don't be scared off if this greeting message is
immediately followed by a small flurry of mail. You should also
expect a fair amount of methematically sophisticated discussion -- but
don't worry if you're not a professional group theorist, we also talk
about things like how to lubricate your cube, how to make pretty
patterns, and where to buy cubes and related puzzles."
http://www.rubiks.com
The whole reason this FAQ was started in the first place. Page hosted
by Oddzon, the latest manufacturers of the Cube and several other
puzzles in the same ideal.
http://web.idirect.com/~cubeman
An excellent page hosted by Mark Longridge. Information in the page
includes notes on how to solve various cubes, discussions of "God's"
algorithm, some mathematical theories, as well as other random info
regarding the cube's appearance in the culture. All in all a super
resource.
http://look.net/hockeypuck/home
Homepage of the Puck Puzzle.
http://wsd.com/masterball
Homepage of the Masterball.
#http://www.geocities.com/cmhardw/records-signup.html
Unofficial World Records for various Rubik type puzzles.
#http://hjem.get2net.dk/philip-k/puzzles/puzzlepage.htm
Philip Knudsen's personal puzzle page.
#http://network54.com/Hide/Forum/43402
Possibly the most active Cube message forum on the net.
*6.2 - Online Puzzle Galleries:
Pages with puzzle pictures and/or puzzle galleries. See what they look like
or even someTimes get to manipulate them! Unfortunately many of the links are
extinct now. Stay tuned for future FAQs with new links.
#http://www.virtualpuzzlemuseum.com/
This is possibly the most complete online museum of Rubik type puzzles
around. It's very complete and definitely worth checking out.
http://Byrden.com/puzzles/
This web page features many different geometric puzzles, some real,
others created by a twisted genius (but perhaps impossible to
manufacture). In any case, the Java puzzles available on this page
allow manipulation, so is a great page to check out your favorite
puzzles in action.
http://www.puzzle-shop.de
Has photograph galleries of many of the puzzles described here. The
page is mainly in German. Also a place to buy puzzles, run by Hendrik
Haak who is also on my "purchase from" list below. Curiously I cannot
find the gallery anymore. In the hopes that the gallery is put online
once more, I will leave his link on the page.
http://puzzlemuseum.com
Look under the link "Sequential Movement Puzzles" under "Puzzle
Classes and Definitions." Has good photographs of a wide variety of
puzzles, including the Moody Ball, fisher's Cube, and Supernova among
others.
*6.3 - Purchasing:
Online sources listed here will mostly be those that I have purchased from in
the past, what I generally consider as being good sources. Those I have NOT
purchased from before will be clearly marked. And as always, "individual
results may vary."
*http://www.puzzletts.com
Puzzletts is dead now.
Pete Beck a.k.a. Just Puzzles <Just_Puzzles@yahoo.com>
A hobby mail order seller of "Mechanical puzzles" specializing in
Rubik's Cube type puzzles. HOME answering machine is
973(formerly 201)-625-4191.
P.O.Box 267, Wharton, NJ 07885
"The FUTURE is PUZZLING,
but CUBING is FOREVER!!!" -P.B.
(I purchased puzzles from Mr. Beck twice in the early/mid 90's. He
recently sent me a video in 1998 with lots of cube related nostalgia
despite my constant pestering. Thanks Mr. Beck. -TT)
http://justpuzzles.freeyellow.com
*(Dr. Bandelow no longer sells puzzles. I leave this info in here only
as a sign of my respect for one of the early pioneers -TT)
Dr. Christoph Bandelow <Christoph.Bandelow@ruhr-uni-bochum.de>
Dr. Bandelow also specializes in Magic Polyhedra. His name is also
associated with a truncated variant of the octahedral pyraminx called
Christoph's Jewel. Also a good source for solution books.
(I purchased puzzles from Dr. Bandelow back in roughly '93. He is
still very active in the puzzle business. -TT)
&Hendrik Haak <master@puzzle-shop.de>
Hendrik Haak has been selling puzzles for quite a while now and even
has an online gallery/shopping guide for those looking for various
kinds of puzzles. His English grammar may be a bit lacking, but
communication with him isn't very difficult.
(I purchased a re-issued Impossiball and Megaminx through him some
Time ago and a Dogic when he had them. -TT)
http://www.puzzle-shop.de
http://www.ebay.com
What is this site you ask? Ebay is an online auction web site. You
fine something you like, you bid on it. Highest bidder by the close
of the auction wins and sends money in exchange for his prize. So how
is this relevant to puzzling? Do a search for the key word "Rubik."
The last Time I checked, there were 41 items with "Rubik" in the
description.
(So far I have purchased two Rubik's Revenges, a mint Missing Link,
and a Cube necklace. Other items I have seen but not yet bid on or
the auction has ended include a Megaminx, a mint condition Alexander's
Star, a Pyramorphix keychain, mint condition original Rubik's Cubes,
Rubik's Race, Pyraminx, and a ton of others. -TT)
*Credits
Thank yous to the following individuals for their contributions. If your name
should appear below and it doesn't, what are you waiting for? Email me and
let me know.
(listed alphabetically)
Stuart Adair mcai7sa2@ist4.co.umist.ac.uk
Dr. Christoph Bandelow christoph.bandelow@ruhr-uni-bochum.de
Peter Beck just_puzzles@yahoo.com
David Byrden david@byrden.com
James Dalgety puzzles@compuserve.com
Bill Dulin wdfirestar@aol.com
Philip Knudsen philipknudsen@hotmail.com
Christoph Lohe christoph_lohe@m4.maus.de
Gerardo Ortega skarabajo@usa.net
#Robert Webb robertw@kagi.com
The FAQ Author:
Jin H Kim chrono@chrono.org (The FAQ Author)