Fun Patterns

So you’ve solved the cube. Now what? You put it on the shelf? No! You make it look cool.

Here are some patterns that make it look like you’re a wizard, even if you just memorized a string of letters.

The Checkerboard

The classic. The “I just learned this 5 minutes ago” pattern. It looks complex but is ridiculously simple.

M2

E2

S2

(Wait, what are M, E, S? Just turn the middle slices twice in every direction. Or do R2 L2 U2 D2 F2 B2 if you want a workout.)

Cube in a Cube

This one melts brains. It looks like a corner twisted in on itself.

U'

L'

U'

F'

R2

B'

R

F

U

B2

U

B'

L

U'

F

U

R

F'

Pro Tip: Do it 3 times to get back to solved (or just cry and resolve it normally).

Cube in a Cube in a Cube

Yo dawg, I heard you like cubes. So I put a cube in your cube in your… you get it.

U'

L'

U'

F'

R2

B'

R

F

U

B2

U

B'

L

U'

F

U

R

F'

(Note: This is the same as above. To get the 3rd level, you usually need a 4x4 or 5x5. On a 3x3, it just looks really cool.)

The Superflip

This is mathematically the “most scrambled” state possible (20 moves away from solved). Every single edge piece is in the correct place, but flipped upside down. It’s beautiful chaos.

U

R2

F

B

R

B2

R

U2

L

B2

R

U'

D'

R2

F

R'

L

B2

U2

F2

Anaconda

A snake winding around the cube.

L

U

B'

U'

R

L'

B

R'

F

B'

D

R

D'

F'

Six Spots

Also known as “The Donut”. Centers are swapped.

U

D'

R

L'

F

B'

U

D'

(Or just M E M' E' if you want to be fancy).