VeryPuzzle DIRT V1.0

VeryPuzzle DIRT V1.0

VeryPuzzle DIRT V1.0 (manufacturer's catalogue number #80) is a spherical collector's puzzle with 62 axes of rotation. The name is an acronym of the three solids the axes come from: Dodecahedral, Icosahedral and Rhombic Triacontahedral. In practice, it is a dodecahedron enclosed in a sphere that you can turn in three ways: by faces, by edges and by corners. It shares its dodecahedral geometry with the Megaminx family, but apart from that it is a completely different puzzle.

How this puzzle works

On a regular Megaminx, only the 12 faces turn. On the DIRT, the 12 face axes are joined by 20 corner axes (icosahedral arrangement) and 30 edge axes (rhombic triacontahedral arrangement). Moves from these three systems overlap, so the pieces move in ways you won't know from puzzles with just one type of turn. Megaminx or 3x3 cube methods won't be enough. You have to work out for yourself how each type of piece behaves and build your own sequences. One overseas retailer rates the difficulty as 5 on a five-point scale.

DIY kit for self-assembly

The manufacturer sells the DIRT V1.0 as a DIY kit. You assemble the puzzle and apply the stickers yourself. A printed manual helps with this, and you can also download the instructions and a sticker template from the VeryPuzzle website. In the Black variant, the pieces are made of black plastic. According to the manufacturer, the kit includes:

• a full set of pieces with spare parts,
• a sticker set,
• printed assembly instructions,
• a Hyperbolic Stand,
• a holder for screw caps.

Who is it for?

This puzzle is for collectors and anyone who enjoys figuring out unusual mechanisms. It is not suitable for speedcubing and is not magnetic. The assembly alone takes quite a lot of time and patience, so the DIRT is not a good gift for someone who is just starting out with cubes. The CORD V1.0, released at the same time, is also a spherical VeryPuzzle puzzle, but the manufacturer supplies it already assembled. If you want something harder after the DIRT, you can go for the larger versions of this puzzle: DIRT-CL1 (#93) and DIRT-CL1-F1 (#94). The latter has 122 axes of rotation.

Specifications

• Manufacturer: VeryPuzzle
• Model: #80 DIRT V1.0
• Type: spherical dodecahedral puzzle with face, edge and corner turning
• Number of rotation axes: 62
• Plastic colour: black (to be stickered)
• Magnets: none
• Format: DIY kit (requires assembly and stickering)