QiYi Ice Amber IVY

QiYi Ice Amber IVY

QiYi Ice Amber IVY is an Ivy Cube from the Ice Amber series. The body is made of clear plastic with an ice effect, and instead of stickers it has transparent coloured tiles. The mechanism is the well-known QiYi Ivy Cube, a Skewb shape mod that QiYi developed together with Eitan, the inventor of this puzzle. The same series also includes a 3x3, Fisher, Axis, Windmill, Mirror and Pyraminx Duo, among others.

How to solve the Ivy Cube

The Ivy turns diagonally around its corners, just like a Skewb. However, it has only 10 pieces: 4 corners and 6 leaf-shaped centers. This makes it one of the simpler puzzles of this type. Many people solve it intuitively, without learning any algorithms. The Ivy is a good starting point before moving on to the Skewb. It is not a WCA event, so people buy it mainly to solve for fun and for their collection.

Feel and limitations

This version has no magnets. Buyers describe the turning as smooth and quiet, but without magnets the layers don't "click" into place. You need to align them a little more precisely than on a magnetic Ivy. Corner cutting is limited, which rarely gets in the way of casual solving on an Ivy. If you want to practice for speed, the magnetic version of the QiYi Ivy Cube will be a better choice. The tiles are glued to the pieces and may come off if the puzzle is dropped on a hard floor, but they are easy to stick back on.

Who is it for?

For anyone who wants an inexpensive way to try diagonally turning puzzles, for kids starting out with puzzles and for collectors of the Ice Amber series. The transparent body lets you look inside and see how the mechanism works.

Specifications

• Manufacturer: QiYi (QiYi MoFangGe)
• Type: Ivy Cube, Skewb shape mod
• Series: Ice Amber
• Color: Transparent (clear body, transparent coloured tiles)
• Magnets: none
• Puzzle weight: approx. 86 g