Several months ago, mostly out of boredom, I bought a Rubik's cube and decided to learn how to solve it. I was hooked right away, and started buying other twisty puzzles. Now look at my collection! I've never been sucked into a new hobby so intensely.
I can solve all these puzzles, though usually pretty slowly. I did learn basic F2L, 2-look OLL and 2-look PLL on 3x3, but with most other puzzles I'm at a beginner level, maybe intermediate. I'm gradually learning, there's just so much out there!
anyway, I wanted to share my thoughts about some of the puzzles, and before I knew it I made a full tier list. There's no real criteria, just my random opinions.
SS Tier
5x5 Cube: This is the perfect size and complexity for me. I’m still learning how to make centers and pair edges efficiently, and it’s so rewarding to figure things out through creativity and intuition.
Master Pyraminx: This isn't nearly as complex as the 5x5 cube, yet it still hits the sweet spot for me. It’s straightforward and familiar and always a joy to solve.
S Tier
3x3 Cube: It's a classic because it nevers get old.
5-Layer Pyramid Tower: This is a higher-order Jing’s pyraminx. It’s about the same complexity as the 5x5 cube, and its tetrahedral form is nice way to spice things up.
Kilominx: I generally don’t like dodecahedrons because there’s so many faces and edges that they get a bit repetitive. The kilominx is a fairly quick solve though, and simple enough that I can work on improving move efficiency.
Square-1: I was intimidated at first by the shape-shifting and the notation. But I find the edge/corner shapes and white/yellow faces add a consistent visual aspect that helps greatly for learning and understanding algorithms. I still dread parity.
A Tier
4x4 Cube: I wouldn’t put it in the same tier as 5x5 and 3x3, but it’s still a decent size for a quick fun solve.
2x2 Cube: A quick fun solve, yet more complicated than it looks like it should be.
Jing’s Pyraminx: I think this is the real tetrahedral version of the 3x3 cube. I like that it's a fresh new twist and also a quick fun solve.
Mirror Cube: I actually don’t enjoy solving it that much. But I’m awarding it points for looking cool. It looks even better when scrambled.
3x3x2 Cuboid: It's fascinating how different this is from a normal cube. There's a sense of familiarity but it has its own twist.
2x2x3 Cuboid: Same as above, only somewhat easier.
B Tier
4-Layer Pyramid Tower: Between the rough hardware and the parity, I certainly don’t enjoy this as much as the 5-Layer and Jing’s pyraminx.
Pyraminx: Somewhat like the Jing's pyraminx, except it doesn't have centers. I'd rather just solve either the master pyraminx or the Jing's pyraminx.
Megaminx: The dodecahedral version of the 3x3 cube. Doesn't feel as fresh and exciting as the tetrahedrons though.
Clock: It’s an interesting challenge to try and solve without flipping. I am not good at this, so there’s always a moment of suspense as I flip it over. It’s exhilarating when I succeed, and devasting when I fail.
Super Ivy Cube (Rex Cube): It's somewhat fun to solve. I like it for its educational value at a beginner-to-intermediate level. Goes great with pyraminx and skewb.
OS Cube: It's pretty basic, but I'm awarding it a ton of points for being quirky and amusing.
C Tier
7x7 Cube: I like it on paper, but in practice, I’m slow and it takes too long.
Skewb: It's alright. It feels like a beginner tutorial for other puzzles.
Redi Cube: This is the ideal beginner-level corner-turning puzzle in my opinion. It covers the fundamentals, it's easy to grasp the mechanics, can be solved fairly intuitively, and doesn't get frustrating.
Ivy Cube: My mind was blown when I found out it’s a pyraminx with no tips and no edge (petal) orientation. anyway, it’s pretty simple.
Clover Cube: On a technical level, this probably deserves to be higher. But I jumbled it once and it was awful.
D Tier
6x6 Cube: Like the 7x7, but with more parity.
Master Kilominx: As with the 7x7, I like the idea on paper but it takes too long to solve. The hardware is not great but that's understandable. I don't ever want a gigaminx.
Dino Cube: Another beginner tutorial I guess.
Gear Ball: I simultaneously don’t know how to solve this, but also know that I can solve this if I keep turning.
So ... what's next? Part of me wants to get better at 3x3 and 5x5, the other part of me wants to try new puzzles, heh heh. What would you folks recommend? Are there any particular puzzles I'm missing out on? Let me know what you think!
I can solve all these puzzles, though usually pretty slowly. I did learn basic F2L, 2-look OLL and 2-look PLL on 3x3, but with most other puzzles I'm at a beginner level, maybe intermediate. I'm gradually learning, there's just so much out there!
anyway, I wanted to share my thoughts about some of the puzzles, and before I knew it I made a full tier list. There's no real criteria, just my random opinions.
SS Tier
5x5 Cube: This is the perfect size and complexity for me. I’m still learning how to make centers and pair edges efficiently, and it’s so rewarding to figure things out through creativity and intuition.
Master Pyraminx: This isn't nearly as complex as the 5x5 cube, yet it still hits the sweet spot for me. It’s straightforward and familiar and always a joy to solve.
S Tier
3x3 Cube: It's a classic because it nevers get old.
5-Layer Pyramid Tower: This is a higher-order Jing’s pyraminx. It’s about the same complexity as the 5x5 cube, and its tetrahedral form is nice way to spice things up.
Kilominx: I generally don’t like dodecahedrons because there’s so many faces and edges that they get a bit repetitive. The kilominx is a fairly quick solve though, and simple enough that I can work on improving move efficiency.
Square-1: I was intimidated at first by the shape-shifting and the notation. But I find the edge/corner shapes and white/yellow faces add a consistent visual aspect that helps greatly for learning and understanding algorithms. I still dread parity.
A Tier
4x4 Cube: I wouldn’t put it in the same tier as 5x5 and 3x3, but it’s still a decent size for a quick fun solve.
2x2 Cube: A quick fun solve, yet more complicated than it looks like it should be.
Jing’s Pyraminx: I think this is the real tetrahedral version of the 3x3 cube. I like that it's a fresh new twist and also a quick fun solve.
Mirror Cube: I actually don’t enjoy solving it that much. But I’m awarding it points for looking cool. It looks even better when scrambled.
3x3x2 Cuboid: It's fascinating how different this is from a normal cube. There's a sense of familiarity but it has its own twist.
2x2x3 Cuboid: Same as above, only somewhat easier.
B Tier
4-Layer Pyramid Tower: Between the rough hardware and the parity, I certainly don’t enjoy this as much as the 5-Layer and Jing’s pyraminx.
Pyraminx: Somewhat like the Jing's pyraminx, except it doesn't have centers. I'd rather just solve either the master pyraminx or the Jing's pyraminx.
Megaminx: The dodecahedral version of the 3x3 cube. Doesn't feel as fresh and exciting as the tetrahedrons though.
Clock: It’s an interesting challenge to try and solve without flipping. I am not good at this, so there’s always a moment of suspense as I flip it over. It’s exhilarating when I succeed, and devasting when I fail.
Super Ivy Cube (Rex Cube): It's somewhat fun to solve. I like it for its educational value at a beginner-to-intermediate level. Goes great with pyraminx and skewb.
OS Cube: It's pretty basic, but I'm awarding it a ton of points for being quirky and amusing.
C Tier
7x7 Cube: I like it on paper, but in practice, I’m slow and it takes too long.
Skewb: It's alright. It feels like a beginner tutorial for other puzzles.
Redi Cube: This is the ideal beginner-level corner-turning puzzle in my opinion. It covers the fundamentals, it's easy to grasp the mechanics, can be solved fairly intuitively, and doesn't get frustrating.
Ivy Cube: My mind was blown when I found out it’s a pyraminx with no tips and no edge (petal) orientation. anyway, it’s pretty simple.
Clover Cube: On a technical level, this probably deserves to be higher. But I jumbled it once and it was awful.
D Tier
6x6 Cube: Like the 7x7, but with more parity.
Master Kilominx: As with the 7x7, I like the idea on paper but it takes too long to solve. The hardware is not great but that's understandable. I don't ever want a gigaminx.
Dino Cube: Another beginner tutorial I guess.
Gear Ball: I simultaneously don’t know how to solve this, but also know that I can solve this if I keep turning.
So ... what's next? Part of me wants to get better at 3x3 and 5x5, the other part of me wants to try new puzzles, heh heh. What would you folks recommend? Are there any particular puzzles I'm missing out on? Let me know what you think!
