LanLan Pisces Cube

LanLan Pisces Cube

On the outside it looks like an ordinary cube, but the LanLan Pisces Cube works in a completely different way from a standard 3x3 cube. It is also sold as the Pitcher 4-Corner Cube. This is LanLan's mass-produced version of the 4 Corners Cube puzzle designed by David Pitcher. Its key feature is right there in the name: only four of the eight corners turn. The other four are part of the core and stay fixed.

How the Pisces Cube mechanism works

The cuts correspond to the faces of a triakis tetrahedron (a solid with twelve triangular faces) inscribed in a cube. Each moving corner has three axes of rotation, which gives 12 in total. It is a jumbling puzzle, meaning some turns do not bring it back to a cube shape. After a few moves the puzzle loses its shape, and some turns block others, so certain axes become unavailable. You can't solve it with memorized algorithms alone the way you would a 3x3. A big part of the fun is finding which moves are actually possible in a given position.

Even scrambling can be tricky. If you turn it randomly, the puzzle quickly locks up, so it's better to start with a few deliberate moves. The four fixed corners leave fewer ways to rearrange the pieces than you might expect at first glance.

Turning out of the box

Buyers usually say that a new Pisces turns fairly stiffly. The mechanism breaks in over time, and lube noticeably improves how it turns. This is not a speedcubing puzzle. There is no point in judging its speed or corner cutting, because what matters is the puzzle itself and figuring out its mechanics.

Pisces or Gemini?

LanLan also makes the 4-Corners Plus Cube (Gemini), an extension of this design by Seth Holiday. It has four additional cuts that allow 60° turns, so the puzzle changes shape even more once scrambled. The Pisces is the original version, with one type of move on each axis. It works well as your first encounter with this type of mechanism.

Who is it for?

For collectors of unusual puzzles and for those who have already tackled the Skewb, Rex Cube or other shape mods and want something where knowing algorithms is not enough. For a child's first cube, a classic 3x3 is a better choice. The Pisces can easily discourage someone who is just learning to solve.

Specifications

• Manufacturer: LanLan
• Design: David Pitcher (4 Corners Cube)
• Type: cube-shaped jumbling puzzle
• Axes of rotation: 12 (three on each of the four moving corners)
• Size: 58 mm
• Weight: approx. 151 g
• Body color: black