Calvins Puzzle Traiphum Megaminx Ball (12-color)

Calvins Puzzle Traiphum Megaminx Ball (12-color)

A Megaminx turned into a sphere. The Calvins Puzzle Traiphum Megaminx Ball is a shape mod designed by Traiphum Prungtaengikt, a Thai puzzle designer. Calvin's Puzzle brought it into mass production in 2014. Under the round shell is the mechanism of a regular Megaminx: 12 faces that turn around fixed centers. This version has a black body and stickers in 12 colors, so every face has its own color.

How to solve the Megaminx Ball

The algorithms and methods are the same as for a classic Megaminx. If you can solve one, you can solve this ball too. What changes is how the puzzle feels in your hands. The ball has no flat faces or sharp edges, so it is harder to hold securely and harder to see at a glance where each layer runs. During your first solves, you will usually spend more time getting oriented than actually turning.

The manufacturer and sellers describe the turning as smooth. Still, this is a puzzle for casual solving and collecting, not a speed cube. It has no magnets or tension adjustment, and it was not tuned for high TPS. For WCA competitions you need a standard Megaminx.

Why 12 colors?

The Megaminx Ball also comes in a 6-color version, where opposite faces share the same color. The 12-color version uses the same color scheme as a classic Megaminx and makes pieces easier to recognize, because each piece can be matched to exactly one position. With the 6-color version, you also have to keep track of which of the two same-colored faces is the right one.

Who is it for?

For people who can already solve a Megaminx and want a familiar puzzle in a new form, and for collectors of shape mods. It is not the best choice for your first Megaminx. It is better to learn the method on a standard model first and only then move on to the spherical version.

Specifications

• Type: Megaminx, ball-shaped shape mod
• Manufacturer: Calvin's Puzzle
• Designer: Traiphum Prungtaengikt
• Body color: black
• Color scheme: 12 colors
• Material: ABS plastic, PVC stickers
• Size: approx. 74.5 mm
• Weight: approx. 180 g
• Magnets: none