MF8 Oskar Jumble Prism I

MF8 Oskar Jumble Prism I

At first glance it's a simple triangular prism that looks easier than a 3x3 cube. In practice, it's the other way round. MF8 Oskar Jumble Prism I is a shape-shifting puzzle in which every move is a jumbling move. After a few turns, the pieces no longer return to their original positions, the shape of the puzzle changes, and some moves become temporarily blocked by other pieces (bandaging). This version has a black body and stickers in three colours: red, yellow and blue.

Where it came from

The idea for the Jumble Prism came from Bram Cohen, who presented it to Oskar van Deventer in 2007. Oskar designed the 3D model, and MF8 produced the mass-market version. According to Oskar, it is the second jumbling puzzle in history (after the Helicopter Cube) and the first one not based on a Platonic solid. It is often called the textbook example of jumbling, because with such simple geometry every move leads to scrambling the puzzle.

How to solve it

3x3 algorithms won't help you here. You need to understand which moves are possible in a given position and which ones block each other. The turns themselves aren't difficult - the problem is that after a few moves it's easy to lose your bearings, because the puzzle no longer looks like a proper prism. People who have solved it usually do it in stages and use their own move sequences. There are far fewer ready-made tutorials than for popular cubes. You can adjust the tension of the mechanism with the adjustment screws.

Who is it for?

For those who have already mastered classic cubes and want to try something completely different, and for collectors of puzzles bearing Oskar's signature. This is not a speedcubing puzzle and it is not allowed in official competitions. For a child's first puzzle, a classic cube is a better choice. There is also a Jumble Prism II version, which differs only in sticker colours (white, green, orange).

Specifications

• Type: shape-shifting puzzle (jumbling), triangular prism
• Manufacturer: MF8
• Design: Oskar van Deventer (idea: Bram Cohen)
• Body colour: black, red, yellow and blue stickers
• Dimensions: approx. 63 x 55.3 x 66.2 mm
• Weight: approx. 78 g
• Adjustment: adjustment screws
• Release year: 2020
• Official competitions: no