Z-Cube 1x2x2 Cube

Z-Cube 1x2x2 Cube

Z-Cube 1x2x2 is a flat cuboid from Z-Cube, a maker of budget puzzles. You can think of it as a single layer of a 2x2 cube: it consists of four pieces arranged in a square and is half as thick as a regular cube. The puzzle has brightly coloured stickers and comes in two body colours: Black and White. It has no magnets and no UV coating, so it's a simple, affordable puzzle without the extras you know from speedcubing cubes.

How the 1x2x2 cuboid works

The 1x2x2 cuboid only turns by 180 degrees. You flip one half of the puzzle: the left or right half, or the front or back half. There are no quarter turns like on a 3x3. With only four pieces, the number of possible positions is small and solving it usually takes just a few moves. This puzzle won't keep you challenged for long. Instead, it makes it easy to understand how cuboids work and why some moves are impossible when the dimensions are uneven.

The pieces are the same size as on a classic 2x2 cube, so the cuboid sits comfortably in your hand and isn't too small. The mechanism is simple and, according to distributors' descriptions, turns smoothly, but with this type of puzzle it's hard to talk about feel or speed in speedcubing terms.

Who is it for?

For a child who is just starting out with puzzles, and for an adult who wants to see how a cube with dimensions other than NxNxN works. Z-Cube 1x2x2 also works well as an inexpensive small gift or as the first cuboid in a collection that you can later expand with 2x2x3, 3x3x2 and other cuboids. If you're looking for a more challenging cuboid, larger models will suit you better, as this one is solved very quickly.

Specifications

• Type: 1x2x2 cuboid (4 pieces)
• Manufacturer: Z-Cube (ZCube)
• Dimensions: approx. 50 x 50 x 25 mm
• Magnets: none
• Surface: no UV coating
• Colour scheme: stickers
• Body colour: Black or White