Calvins Puzzle 3x3x5 Siamese Mirror Short Cube (84mm)

Calvins Puzzle 3x3x5 Siamese Mirror Short Cube (84mm)

This is two Mirror cubes joined into one shape. The result is a 3x3x5 cuboid in which both halves share a common section. The Calvins Puzzle 3x3x5 Siamese Mirror Short Cube is the shorter of the two versions of this puzzle (alongside the Tall version). It has black plastic and silver stickers. As with every Mirror, colour gives you no hint about where each piece belongs. You solve it by the shape and height of the pieces, and the goal is to restore a smooth, rectangular block.

How a Siamese puzzle works

Each half works like a regular 3x3 Mirror cube, but the two share some of their pieces. Because of this, you can only turn one half when the shared section is aligned correctly. In practice this is bandaging: not every move is always available, and you have to plan in which order to solve the two sides. On top of that comes the challenge of the Mirror itself, where the shape of the whole block changes as you scramble it.

This is a collector's puzzle for relaxed solving, not for setting times. What counts is figuring things out and spatial awareness, not TPS or corner cutting.

Short version and Silver colour

• Short: the shorter, more compact variant. The Tall version is the same idea in different proportions.
• Silver: black body with silver stickers. Versions with gold stickers and with gold-and-silver stickers are also available on the market.

Who is it for?

For those who can solve a regular 3x3 Mirror cube and want something more challenging. Without knowing a 3x3 method and having experience solving by shape, it's easy to get stuck here, so for your first puzzle of this kind it's better to choose a classic Mirror. The Siamese Mirror also makes an interesting piece in a collection of shape mods and fused puzzles.

Specifications

• Type: 3x3x5 Siamese puzzle (two Mirror cubes joined together)
• Manufacturer: Calvins Puzzle
• Version: Short
• Length: 84 mm
• Colour: black plastic, silver stickers (Silver)
• Use: recreational and collector solving