WitEden Octahedron Mixup 30 I 30-Degree cube

WitEden Octahedron Mixup 30 I

WitEden Octahedron Mixup 30 I is a shape-shifting puzzle from the Mixup series by the Chinese manufacturer WitEden. It has the shape of an octahedron, which is two pyramids joined at their bases, and it uses a Mixup mechanism with a 30-degree turn. It is closest to the 3x3x3 Mixup 30-Degree-Turn cube, but in an octahedral version with added bandaging. The shop offers it in black.

How a 30° Mixup works

On a regular 3x3 cube every piece has its fixed place: an edge stays an edge and a center stays a center. In Mixup puzzles you can turn layers by a partial angle, so pieces of different types start swapping places. In this model the thin middle layer turns by 30 degrees. This gives you many more possible moves while scrambling, and after just a few turns the puzzle looks completely different from its solved state.

Bandaging, meaning pieces permanently joined together, blocks some of the moves. Before you make a turn, you need to check whether it is possible in the current position at all. This changes solving quite a lot: muscle memory trained on a 3x3 helps less here, and more depends on planning.

How it differs from other WitEden octahedral Mixups

WitEden makes several octahedral Mixups: Type I, I Plus, II, III, IV and the 30-degree versions. The "30" marking refers to the mechanism with a 30° turn, and the numeral I refers to the shape and bandaging variant. This model is the 30 I version. Don't confuse it with the Octahedron Mixup 30 II, which is noticeably larger and has a different geometry, or with the regular Octahedral Mixup I without the 30° turn.

Who is it for?

This is a puzzle for collectors and people who enjoy unusual puzzles, not a speedcubing cube. Knowing how to solve a 3x3 will come in handy. It's also good if you have already tried a regular Mixup cube or another shape-shifting puzzle, because edges and centers swapping places, along with the bandaging, can be surprising at first. For a child's first puzzle, it's better to choose something simpler.

Specifications

• Manufacturer: WitEden
• Type: shape-shifting puzzle, octahedral Mixup
• Mechanism: Mixup with a 30° middle-layer turn, bandaged
• Based on: 3x3x3 Mixup Cube 30-Degree-Turn
• Color: black