Rubik's FAQ version v009 - 03/07/2003 NEW TO THE FAQ #Yet another year and some months have passed since I updated the FAQ. Perhaps this sort of annual update is more appropriate for the hobby. In that year and a half however quite a few things have changed and many new puzzles have been introduced. Despite the fact that this is the first revision of the FAQ that is actually shorter in overall length than its previous version, it is certainly not from a lack of enthusiasm for puzzles. Indeed, as puzzle availability increased since the last revision, less text was needed to try and explain where puzzles could be acquired. It almost seems that we are seeing a sort of puzzle Renaissance and the hobby appears to be increasing in participants. Lately the biggest trends have been custom puzzle building. One of the early pioneers of custom puzzle making was Tony Fisher of the UK. His work extending existing puzzles has always been popular among enthusiasts and his latest creation, Fisher's Golden Cube" seems to have reached the limits of what can be done while constrained with existing puzzle mechanisms. Recently the spotlight was taken by the prodigious puzzle extensions created by Katsuhiko Okamoto of the Japanese site 3D Puzzle Construction Studio. Along with several of his compatriots he has managed to produce some truly spectacular puzzles such as the Master Pyraminx (a 4th order Pyraminx) and the Lattice Cube (a higher order Dino Cube built on a Rainbow Cube). On the European front, Laurent of France built the first known working 6x6x6 cube. The years have not passed idly for puzzle collectors. While very few puzzles are likely to be created based on unique mechanisms, it seems obviously that imaginative minds will always push forward the boundaries of what is possible to visualize and then make a reality. Hats off to those who dare to push the limits of imagination. 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@chrono.org. 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. Invented by: ? 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: The Rainbow Cube made by the Bethel Company in Japan is a Dino Cube with the corners truncated into a Cuboctahedron. Invented by: ? 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. *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. Two different mechanisms for the Domino have also been identified. 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 Whip-It. 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 "The Orb," 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 Lloyd'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. This list does not cover size, shape, or sticker variants which can often be considered unique puzzles due to the new rules to solving they introduce. *Cube-Type a) Rubik's Cube b) Rubik's Mini Cube c) Rubik's Revenge d) Rubik's Wahn e) Pyraminx f) Megaminx g) Skewb #h) Rainbow Cube *i) Octahedron (rare) *j) Dogic (rare) *k) Dino Cube (rare) Almost Cube-Type a) Square-1 b) Impossiball c) Masterball d) Puck e) Alexander's Star f) Mozaika *g) Rubik's Domino (rare) 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? The vast majority of puzzles are readily available today from various sources. While retail stores may or may not carry certain items, the internet has opened up a world of possibilities for anybody looking for something. However the rarest of the rare puzzles are still difficult to find and even more difficult to obtain at a reasonable price. #3.2 - Which ones are the toughest to find? There was a day when the demand for the Rubik's Revenge far outstripped its availability. Those days are clearly behind us now. The Revenge is currently being produced by several companies and can be purchased online and in retail stores at a number of locations. A list of the rare ones would consist of: Rubik's Domino Dogic Magic Octahedron Dino Cube Reissued puzzles and online auctions (eBay) have helped to drive down prices on most of the semi-rare items. These puzzles only seem retain some value if they are still new and unopened in their original issued containers. Some of those include: Megaminx (Tomy) Deluxe Rubik's Cube (Ideal) There are several special edition items which are very seldomly seen (or not at all) that could potentially fetch high prices if they ever go on sale if new in box. Some of these items are: Ivory Rubik's Cube (Ideal, white plastic) Missing Link - Special Edition (Ideal) While the Missing Link above has been sold occasionally, a new example in its original pristine box has not yet been spotted. Perhaps it was put on sale but maybe slipped by unnoticed due to an improper description during its sale. The Ivory Cube however has not yet been spotted and it would be interesting to see if collectors will jump on this, whether it's new in box or not. 3.3 - Which ones can I buy retail? 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. 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? This question is now moot. Aside from the numerous original Revenges being sold on eBay, there are two companies producing new ones, Meffert's and Rubik's. *3.6 - What have some been sold for? A new section which attempts to track the prices some of the pieces sold for. (nib. = new in box) $ 1025 - 3/2000 - Domino $ 530 - 5/2001 - Dogic (nib) $ 405 - 8/2001 - Dogic 2 (hybrid) $ 250 - 8/2001 - Dogic (nib) $ 112 - 8/2001 - Megaminx (Tomy nib) $ 316 - 10/2001 - Dogic (nib) $ 311 - 10/2001 - Domino $ 162 - 10/2001 - Dogic (nib) $ 255 - 02/2002 - Domino $ 787 - 02/2002 - 2 Dominos (1 nib, 1 used) $ 290 - 03/2002 - Dino Cube $ 800 - 03/2002 - Domino (nib) $ 153 - 04/2002 - White Octahedron (custom made) $ 105 - 05/2002 - Domino (used) $ 108 - 06/2002 - Domino (used) $ 325 - 06/2002 - Dogic (nib) $ 169 - 06/2002 - Domino (used) $ 410 - 07/2002 - Dogic (nib) $ 325 - 08/2002 - Domino (used) $ 280 - 09/2002 - Domino (used) $ 200 - 09/2002 - Domino (used) $ 108 - 09/2002 - Rubik's Maze $ 208 - 09/2002 - Rubik's Cube (signed by Erno Rubik) $ 115 - 09/2002 - Octahedron (plus 2 misc puzzles) $ 320 - 10/2002 - Dogic (nib) $ 172 - 11/2002 - Rhombic Dodecahedron (custom made 3x3x3 or 2x2x2) $ 99 - 11/2002 - Domino (used plus 18 misc puzzles) $ 81 - 12/2002 - Domino (used) $ 305 - 12/2002 - Dogic (nib) $ 148 - 12/2002 - Octahedron (plus 6 misc puzzles) $ 280 - 12/2002 - Domino (nib plus 9 misc puzzles) $ 198 - 01/2003 - Octahedron (PG CO nib) $ 153 - 02/2003 - Rubik's Rabbits $ 359 - 02/2003 - Dogic (nib) $ 230 - 02/2003 - Dogic (nib) $ 159 - 02/2003 - Domino (used, NOT sold) $ 228 - 02/2003 - Octahedron I have no explanation as to why a Domino sold for 99 dollars while bundled with 18 other puzzles. My only theory is that the seller did a poor job of posting his auction and didn't realize that among his common puzzles was a rare gem that was also undervalued due to lack of knowledge. As for the $81 Domino, it's hard to say. Aside from being mislabeled it seems that the American market is more popular for these things than in the UK or Germany. 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 Whip-it 5.718 * 10^8 Rubik's Domino (3x3x2) 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 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 omitted) ... 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 judgment 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. *http://www.rubiks.com The whole reason this FAQ was started in the first place. Seven Towns is the current copyright holder for the Rubik's Cube. You can buy puzzles from the official Rubik's Cube line from this page. #http://www.twistymegasite.com Not only is this page a wonderful resource for building custom puzzles, but it is also the new home of the best internet message forum for all things puzzle related. &http://www.cubeman.org 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.speedcubing.com Unofficial World Records for various Rubik type puzzles. *6.2 - Online Puzzle Galleries and personal collections: 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.twistypuzzles.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. #http://home.wwdb.org/drsevern/rubik/dodd_collection_001.htm Excellent personal collection along with detailed individual pictures. #http://www20.brinkster.com/cubomania Another great personal collection and custom puzzle maker. http://hjem.get2net.dk/philip-k/puzzles/puzzlepage.htm Philip Knudsen's personal puzzle page. *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.rubiks.com Home of the Rubik's Cube. A good resource for information as well as having a large online shop for purchasing official products. #http://www.mefferts.com An excellent overseas shop to purchase a number of cube type puzzles. &Hendrik Haak http://www.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. #http://www.thepuzzlestore.com About the only place to buy the Rainbow Cube (the truncated Dino Cube) is through Tyler of the US unless you want to buy from Japan. Pete Beck a.k.a. Just Puzzles 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. *http://www.ebay.com eBay has certain increased its profile among the puzzle community. When before listings numbered in the dozens it is now numbering in the hundreds. 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)