Sunday, August 7, 2011

3x3x2 Cuboid

The 3x3x2 Cuboid is a twisty puzzle where, due to its cuboid shape, the side faces can only be turned 180°. Well, actually you can turn them 90° also (and anything in between) but if you want to do any other turns, 180° is the go. This makes for a different movement of pieces than we see on the Rubik's cube.

The Basic Plot
  1. Solve the edges.
  2. Solve the corners.
Step 1: Solve Edges

The first step is to solve the edges. This is straightforward and can be done by simple twists or using edge piece series.

If you need to swap two edges, this video will show you how.

Step 2: Solve Corners

Now that the edges are solved, we can solve the corners using the corner piece series for cuboids.

(U R2 U' L2) x 2 cycles UBL->DFL->DFR

Have a look at the above carried out on a solved 3x3x2:

And now we'll see it on a scrambled puzzle:

If you need to swap two corners, this video will show you how.

And a final video showing the endgame.

And that's it. Your 3x3x2 Cuboid is now solved. I trust this site has been helpful. If you have any questions or want some clarifications, please use the comments to do so.


  1. Thanks once again for another great tutorial and a solve that doesn't require one to remember long algorithms! Much apprecited all your hard work. To swap the two corners, after doing the 90° twist of one face, i found it easier to use the "pushing out and pairing up" method that you have used in other solves such as the 4x4 to resolve the 4 pairs of edges

  2. One comment. In the original ultimate solution, two corner piece series are given, with one basically being a mirror of the other. You use one or the other, depending on which corners you want to move and where, in each situation.

    Here you give only one, and while it's obvious to anyone who has experience with the ultimate solution, what the other is and what it does, it may be easier for beginners to have it spelled out. In some cases the corners will be naturally arranged for one of them, and not the other.


    And similarly:
    (U' L2 U R2) x 2 cycles UBR->DFR->DFL