Calvins Puzzle Evgeniy Icosahedron Standard

Calvins Puzzle Evgeniy Icosahedron Standard

Calvins Puzzle Evgeniy Icosahedron Standard is a puzzle shaped like a regular icosahedron, a solid with 20 triangular faces. It was designed by Evgeniy Grigoriev and produced by Calvin's Puzzle. The same designer is behind many of the bandaged and unusual puzzles in Calvin's range. Inside is a modern megaminx mechanism, the same one used in the mf8 Crazy Megaminx. In our shop this model is available with a black body.

Colour scheme and difficulty

In the Standard version, each of the 20 faces has its own colour. Each face has 4 large triangular stickers in the same colour, so the puzzle uses 20 sticker colours in total. Of the three versions in the series, Standard is considered the easiest. According to users, it starts out easy, a bit like the first layer of a 3x3. The closer you get to the end, the harder it becomes, and at the very end you may be left with a swap of two adjacent pieces, which requires a well-thought-out sequence. With 20 colours, some shades are fairly similar, and some people find them hard to tell apart.

How it turns

This is a collector's puzzle, not speedcubing gear. It has no magnets. It comes unlubed and quite stiff out of the box. Corner cutting is practically non-existent: you need to align the layers precisely, otherwise lockups happen easily. Users also report that the triangular parts of the corner pieces can separate and jam the mechanism. Lube and calm, precise turning help a lot. Popping is rare.

Standard, Dogix or Carousel?

All three versions share the same mechanism and shape; they differ in their stickers, which in practice means difficulty:

• Standard: 20 colours, each face a single colour. The easiest version in the series.
• Dogix: 12 colours in a layout inspired by the classic Dogic, with large and small triangles on the faces. Medium difficulty.
• Carousel: 20 colours, with faces split in half by colour. The pattern resembles a carousel. The hardest of the three.

Who is it for?

For collectors and for anyone who has already solved a megaminx or other unusual puzzles and wants to try an icosahedron without jumping straight into the hardest version. Expect a rather clunky mechanism, but the puzzle looks impressive on a shelf. For a child's first puzzle, it's better to choose something simpler and more forgiving.

Specifications

• Manufacturer: Calvin's Puzzle
• Designer: Evgeniy Grigoriev
• Shape: icosahedron (20 faces)
• Mechanism: megaminx mechanism, as in the mf8 Crazy Megaminx
• Stickers: 20 colours, 4 triangular stickers per face
• Magnets: none
• Body colour: black
• Weight: approx. 400 g (puzzle only), approx. 466 g with packaging