Polyhedra 

Polyhedra - octahedron, dodecahedron and icosahedron puzzles

Octahedra, dodecahedra, icosahedra, pentahedra, prisms, rhombohedra and puzzles from the Gem Cube series. This category gathers polyhedron-shaped puzzles, in other words everything that goes beyond the classic cube. The models come from LanLan, YuXin, DianSheng, ShengShou (SengSo), FanXin, MF8, ZePuzzles, DaYan and Calvin's Puzzle. You will find simple modifications of well-known cubes here, as well as puzzles with more than ten axes of rotation that will make even an experienced cuber stop and think.

Shape mod or a mechanism of its own?

Some polyhedra are shape mods, meaning a familiar cube in a different shape. One example is the LanLan 4x4 Octahedron: inside it has a face-turning 4x4 mechanism, but because of the octahedral shape the pieces look different and it is harder to see where everything belongs. If you can solve the cube a given model is based on, you have a starting point. The rest you have to figure out yourself.

Other puzzles have their own cut pattern and require a completely new approach. The number of axes often appears in the name, e.g. Lanlan 12-axis Dodecahedron, Lanlan 6-Axis Curvy Rhombohedron or YuXin 20-Axis Soccer Cube. More axes mean more directions of rotation and usually more pieces to solve.

What turns: faces, edges or corners

Two puzzles with a similar shape can work completely differently, because what the layers turn around matters too. In face-turning models the faces rotate, just like on a regular cube. In the LanLan Edge Turning Octahedron the axis of rotation passes through an edge, and in the DianSheng Corner Turning 3x3 Ball Core through a corner. Jumbling puzzles, such as the MF8 Oskar Jumble Prism I, form a separate group. Some turns on them can be made at unusual angles, which changes the shape of the puzzle and makes solving much harder.

How to choose a polyhedron to start with and one for your collection

• First step beyond the cube: shape mods of smaller cubes, e.g. Lanlan 2x2 Dodecahedron, SengSo 2x2 Pentahedron or DianSheng Diamond Cube. The shape is new, but the solution is not very different from what you already know.
• For those looking for a challenge: puzzles with many axes and an unusual mechanism, e.g. Lanlan 12-axis Dodecahedron, YuXin 20-Axis Soccer Cube or Calvins Puzzle Evgeniy Icosahedron Standard, which is based on the MF8 Crazy Megaminx mechanism.
• For collectors: shapes with unusual geometry, like the DaYan Gem Cube VI from a series resembling cut gemstones, or the Lanlan SunFlower.

Variants of a single model can differ considerably. Compared to the basic version, the YuXin Petal Icosahedron Ultimate has an extra cut on each petal, so there are more pieces and solving takes longer. Most of these puzzles are not WCA events, so when choosing, construction and difficulty matter more than turning speed.