QiYi 3x3 Mirror Blocks (Luminous)

QiYi 3x3 Mirror Blocks (Luminous)

QiYi 3x3 Mirror Blocks (Luminous) is a Mirror Cube from QiYi made of glow-in-the-dark plastic. This one comes in transparent blue (Blue variant). The mechanism is the same as in a regular 3x3 cube, but the pieces have different thicknesses. When you scramble it, the colors don't get mixed up. Instead, the cube turns into a shape with uneven steps. Once solved, it returns to a cube shape.

Solve by shape, not by color

All pieces are the same color, so you don't recognize colors at all. You have to tell each piece apart by its thickness and match it to its neighbors. The moves and algorithms are the same as on a classic 3x3, so if you can solve a regular cube, you can solve this one too. You just need to switch to looking at shapes. At first, the hardest part is usually orienting the edges and corners correctly, because a piece can look like it's in the right place even when it's flipped.

Glow in the dark

The Luminous plastic first needs to be charged with a lamp or daylight. After that, it glows for a while in dim light or after you turn off the lights. How long and how brightly it glows depends on how much light it absorbed beforehand. This finish doesn't make solving easier, but it looks great on a shelf and makes a nice gift.

How it turns

This is a cube for fun and puzzling, not for breaking records. The pieces have different dimensions, so according to user reviews, corner cutting is limited. For relaxed solving, though, the turning is smooth enough. For TPS-focused turning, a regular speedcubing cube is a better choice.

Who is it for?

For people who already solve the 3x3 and want to try something other than colors. Mirror Blocks teaches you to look at the cube differently and understand what an algorithm actually does. It's also a good gift for a child who already knows the basics of the classic cube. For your very first cube, a regular 3x3 is a better choice.

Specifications

• Type: 3x3 shape mod (Mirror Cube / Mirror Blocks)
• Manufacturer: QiYi
• Finish: glow-in-the-dark plastic (Luminous), single color, stickerless
• Color: transparent blue (Blue)
• Size: 57 mm
• Weight: approx. 99 g