Introduction

The four puzzles in the collection are very different. Each one sets its own special challenge and has its own unique appeal. Rubik's Tangle sets intriguing visual patterns and demands an intuitive approach. Rubik's Dice is an mechanical marvel which calls for manual dexterity in addition to logical deduction. Rubik's Fifteen is a double puzzle, feels good in the hand and has a compulsive action. Rubik's Triamid divides and re-combines with each move and reaches to the depth of the unforgettable Cube.

These four puzzles, different as they are, were chosen to form the first collection of the master's work for one principal reason. They are all hugely enjoyable playthings in themselves, and will capture the imagination of a wider public, well beyond the genius puzzle freak, as I am. All four puzzles are in my collection, although the Rubik's Triamid I have is from The selection from 1993.

Rubik's Tangle puzzle has 25 square tiles. Each tile has the very same pattern of ropes, but the colors of the ropes varies. The object of the puzzle is to form a 5x5 square with all the tiles, in such way that each colored rope forms it's own line. In other words: The colors on the edge of one tile must always match the colors of the adjacent tile. It's possible to make 174.600.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000 different combinations. Only two of them offer the correct solution. There are 4 different Tangle puzzles. Each one has a different solution. If you use all 4 puzzles, you can form a giant 10x10 square perfectly solved. Good luck.

The second puzzle of this collection is a special one: Rubik's Triamid. This is the only mechanical Rubik's puzzle that can be 'reset'. The puzzle can be dismantled into 10 colored elements and four black connection blocks. The object is to unscramble the puzzle. But there is one very strict rule, that comes along with this puzzle: The only action allowed is to take the top of the tetraeader (4 colored elements, connected by a black connection block) and put it back on the base again. There are 12 ways to do this. If you play the puzzle this way, you can stumble into 1.870.000.000.000 different combinations.  A nice way to scramble the puzzle is to change one or two of the top elements. Sometimes the puzzle can fall apart. So get a good grip when you play it.

This is Rubik's dice. This puzzle differs itself from other Rubik's puzzles because it's not only an intellectual and mathematical challenge. This puzzle needs dexterity too. The object is to re-arrange the plates within the cube 9in such way that the Dice has white spots only. In addition to understanding where and how the plates move, you also have to learn when to press in a plate, how fast to turn the cube and exactly how soft or hard to shake it. Only when you've learnt to manipulate the plate both mentally and physically, you've truly mastered Rubik's Dice. The number of possible combinations is 82.575.360. There is only one correct solution.

The last puzzle in the '90 collection is Rubik's Fifteen. Actually, this is two puzzles in one. The first one is a sliding tile puzzle with roman numbers from I to XV. The object, of course, is to arrange the numbers in correct order. The second puzzle is on the other side. This is a 3x3 grid, where tiles with the numbers 0 to 15 appear and disappear when playing the puzzle. The object is to form a magic square of 15. The difficulty is that tiles don't move individual, but in columns, rows or blocks.  Second, some buttons can block other buttons in certain positions. The puzzle is fun to play with and hard to solve. It's difficult to find the right order of movements.

The use of the pictures and logo is for non-commercial purposes. For information about this page and it's contents,  please contact: maarten.vermaak@planet.nl. Rubik, Rubik's and Rubik's Cube are trademarks of Seven Towns Ltd. All Rights reserved. The layout of this page is based on the flyer that comes with the puzzles.