Shengshou Rainbow Ball V2

ShengShou Rainbow Ball V2

With this puzzle, you don't turn layers, you slide balls. ShengShou Rainbow Ball V2 is a sphere-shaped puzzle with 12 holes. Each hole is surrounded by a coloured ring. Inside there are 11 coloured balls, so one hole is always left empty, and that empty spot is what lets the puzzle move. The goal is simple: after scrambling, you need to move each ball into the hole with the ring of the same colour. We offer the White variant.

How the Rainbow Ball works

You press a ball next to the empty hole with your finger and push it towards the free space until it clicks into its new slot. The empty space then moves to where the ball used to be. To scramble the puzzle, you repeat this move in random directions. When solving, you have to plan your moves so that you don't push out balls that are already in their rings.

The idea is similar to a classic sliding puzzle like the "15 puzzle", only on the surface of a sphere. There is no notation and there are no algorithms like on a 3x3 cube. Your first solve takes patience and a bit of logical thinking rather than knowledge of methods. For speedcubers, the Rainbow Ball is more of a fun break than a real challenge.

Who is it for?

The Rainbow Ball V2 works well as a first puzzle for a child or as a gift for someone who enjoys brain teasers but doesn't want to learn algorithms. It fits in your hand, so it's easy to take on a trip or to school. Sliding the balls is a simple, repetitive motion, which is why many people also use the Rainbow Ball as a fidget to keep their hands busy. An experienced cuber will see it more as a curiosity for their collection than a puzzle for hours of solving.

Specifications

• Manufacturer: ShengShou
• Type: sphere-shaped sliding puzzle
• Holes: 12, each with a coloured ring
• Balls: 11
• Variant: White
• Dimensions: approx. 6.3 x 6.16 x 6.1 cm