TH

My favourite puzzle, the Pyraminx

My personal favourite twisty puzzle is the Pyramix. It is my favourite because it is an intuitive and fresh yet surprisingly familiar take on the original 3×3 Rubik’s cube. The turning action of the Pyraminx rivals the turning actions of most high-end speedcubes such as the Gans or the Shengshou. The stickers, in all my time solving the Pyraminx, have barely been scratched at all (I have been solving for about a month, for the record).

pyraminx puzzles

The colour scheme of the stickers, too, is something that deserves praise. It is bright and vibrant and colourful. All of my 3x3s have rather dark colours, so it is a nice contrast. These, I can honestly say, the best stickers I have encountered during my time solving puzzles, better than any of the ones on my several 3x3s. Another reason I enjoy the Pyraminx is that it is a WCA event, something that the Mastermorphix, a puzzle similar in shape to the Pyraminx that I thoroughly enjoy, is not. This means that if I ever got enough confidence to enter a WCA tournament, my favourite puzzle would be an option. Perhaps the reason that I bought the puzzle in the first place is the reason I love most; the Pyraminx is easy to solve. Speedsolving a Pyraminx is still challenging, but is easy enough to hold my attention, something that the Fridrich method almost lost for 3×3. Solving competitively is fun and challenging, but I love the Pyraminx the most when I solve it while I focus my attention on something else. In other words, I solve it almost subconsciously.

There is something really satisfying about the rhythm of my fingers and the soothing clicking noise that come from the puzzle, all the while knowing that it is (almost) automatic. The final reason why the Pyraminx earns a spot of honour on my bedside table is that it looks beautiful. I’m not talking about the stickers or the colours, although they look nice too. What I’m talking about is the shape of a puzzle. In my mind, nothing says perfection quite like a pyramid. While a 3×3 cube, when on a desk or displayed, just sort of squats there and looks ungainly; whereas with the Pyraminx, it holds itself with a dignified air. It looks elegant yet tough, sleek yet stable. The Pyraminx’s turning is on point, stickers are excellent, the balance between challenge and ease drew me in, its beauty captivated me. All in all, the tetrahedron puzzle known as the Pyraminx is an all-rounder, and is worthy of the title of ‘my favourite puzzle’. It is truly beautiful.