QiYi FTO (Face Turning Octahedron)

QiYi FTO (Face Turning Octahedron)

The FTO, or Face Turning Octahedron, is an octahedron that turns along its faces, much like a 3x3 cube. QiYi FTO is the newer tiled version of this puzzle. The colors aren't stickers but tiles set into a black body. This is one of the more affordable FTOs, so it's an easy way to find out whether this kind of puzzle is for you before you buy a more expensive one.

What is an FTO?

An octahedron has eight triangular faces, and each of them can be turned. If you've solved a 3x3, Pyraminx or Skewb, you'll recognize some familiar pieces here: corners, edges and centers. Solving the FTO still requires learning its own methods, though, because your cube habits won't carry over one-to-one. The FTO is not an official WCA event, but it has a large group of fans who are campaigning for it to be added.

Tiled design and popping resistance

• Colored tiles instead of stickers, so there's nothing that can wear off or peel.
• Anti-popping design. Dual-track guides and extended corner feet keep the pieces together even during more aggressive turning.
• An anti-stick pattern on the inner surfaces of the pieces reduces friction and helps keep the lube in the mechanism.

How it turns

User reviews describe the QiYi FTO as smooth and fairly quiet. Some people note that it can be locky straight out of the box and only turns better after lubing and slightly loosening it. It's a budget model: good enough for learning and casual solving, and you can also train for time on it quite reasonably. If you want to compete seriously in FTO, you'll usually reach for a more expensive, more refined puzzle sooner or later.

Standard or magnetic version?

QiYi makes the FTO in two versions: standard and magnetic. This product is the standard version, without magnets. The layers don't snap into place on their own, so you need to align them more precisely, but the puzzle is lighter. The magnetic version gives a more distinct "click" with every move.

Who is it for?

For cubers who already know the 3x3 and other basic puzzles and want to try something new without spending much. It also works well as another puzzle for your collection. For a child's first puzzle, a classic 3x3 cube is a better choice.

Specifications

• Type: FTO (Face Turning Octahedron), face-turning octahedron
• Manufacturer: QiYi
• Finish: tiled (colored tiles instead of stickers)
• Body color: black
• Size: 60 mm
• Weight: 101 g
• Magnets: none (standard version)
• Mechanism: dual-track guides, extended corner feet, anti-stick pattern inside the pieces