LanLan Snake 24-blocks

LanLan Snake 24-blocks

A classic "snake" from LanLan. LanLan Snake 24-blocks is made of 24 triangular prism blocks joined into one chain. Every joint can be rotated, so you can turn a simple snake into a ball, animals, letters or geometric shapes. The Stickerless Bright version is made of coloured plastic without stickers, so there is nothing that could wear off or peel.

How the Snake puzzle works

A Snake works differently from a 3x3 cube. There is no scrambling and no single solved state. Between neighbouring blocks there is a joint that turns in 90-degree steps and has four positions. The shape depends on how you set each joint in turn. You can recreate ready-made figures from diagrams or invent your own. The task often seems easy until you try to build a specific figure and then return to a straight snake. That is when you quickly find out how well you can picture the arrangement of the pieces in space.

What to expect

This is a simple, inexpensive puzzle without magnets, not speedcubing gear. Each turn clearly clicks into the next position. According to user reviews, the mechanism can squeak and is not as smooth as in more expensive snakes. That doesn't matter much here, though, because with a Snake it's not about time but about what you can build with it. It also works well as something to fiddle with in your hands, for example while studying or at your desk.

Who is it for?

A good first puzzle for someone who doesn't know algorithms or cubes yet. You don't need to learn anything to start building right away. For parents, it's an affordable gift that trains spatial imagination. Cubers and LanLan puzzle collectors will enjoy it as a break from cubes and an addition to their collection. 24 pieces is the classic snake length. For more complex figures you need a longer snake or several connected together.

Specifications

• Type: Snake puzzle (magic snake)
• Manufacturer: LanLan
• Number of pieces: 24 blocks
• Rotation: joints turn in 90-degree steps, four positions per joint
• Magnets: none
• Colour: Stickerless Bright (coloured stickerless pieces)
• Weight: approx. 98 g (without packaging)