The 2x2x4 Rubik's Cuboid Finale

[@XiphosCreates]

If you turn the face 180 degrees, there's no difference between R and R'. Same goes for turning B twice. Also, B usually stands for back, not bottom. We use D for down.

[@renaton1215]

Very nice Fleb! Congratulations for your admirable effort to solve this, very interesting!

[@skallos_]

At 0:09, I would not call it a "2x2x4 Rubik's Cuboid", but rather a "2x2x4 Cuboid". It is true that the first mass-produced 2x2x4 was made by Rubiks, however the one you have is mass produced by WitEden. Anyways, nice video! Very intuitive for those who are just starting with twisty puzzles.

[@paullaurance1991]

Small point of order: you never made an R or R' move, it was always 2R or 2R' (for shape preservation), and of course the two 180 flips are interchangeable

[@kevinmartin7760]

I noticed right away that the end of your sequence read B'R'BR but you said and perhaps did BR'B'R. As someone already mentioned, R and R' are the same move. What R and R' should really be is a quarter turn, so the shape-preserving moves you did should have been RR and R'R'. Also, BB = B'B' (this is also true for the R operation as I just described it), so to avoid having to concern yourself unnecessarily with rotation direction when it doesn't matter, perhaps this should be written as B²

[@micheleturrina3478]

Great series!! But in the rubik's community B isn't the bottom face. For us B means BACK and D for DOWN (the bottom face)

[@annarostagno8599]

This series is amazing! I am learning so much too! I am a humble 3x3x3 Rubik's cube player, and I am really enjoying the journey

[@brankin421]

Woo! That was some drama! Good solve though. Pulled it out in the end.

[@UltraLuigi2401]

For the 4x4x4 I would suggest doing: 1. solve centers 2. pair edges 3a. solve as 3x3x3 3b. fix parities

[@monohymn]

This comment is a parody, should we fix it?

[@UltraLuigi2401]

AESTHETIC Why did you respond to a two month old comment? I saw his new video on it, and I know that he's doing it like that instead. When I figured out the 4x4, I thought it made the most sense to do it the way I do.

[@burnedapplepie613]

@@UltraLuigi2401 Ha, responding to a two month old comment? I only respond to comments that are atleast 3 years old.

[@acattalkinshit]

@@UltraLuigi2401 at least 5 years

[@Robertlavigne1]

I've really been enjoying this series!! Well done!

[@evo9467]

I like your approach, in creating your own algorithms. The 2x2x4 presents its own challenges, with forcing all the double moves on the length of the puzzle. There are many other scenarios which can come up when solving the 2x2 centre first, and the extensions last. I am looking for a way to move the last 3 pieces, when one end has 3 correct pieces, and the other has 2 correct pieces. There is a fairly simple algorithm which I once knew, but lost it, and have not yet been able to figure it out. Thanks for this video. I will study your thinking, it might help me out!

[@M.athematech]

My experience is that the simplest way to solve the 2x2x4 is to first get it back to cuboid shape disregarding colors. This can be done by treating the puzzle as a 2x2x2 where each corner consists of two cubies moving together. Build one layer of this equivalent 2x2x2 by using normal Rubik's cube first layer insertion techniques to place the 2-cubie corners (disregarding color) in correct orientation so that one half of the cuboid shape is achieved. Use standard Rubik's cube "Sune" and/or "anti-Sune" sequences to orient the 2-cubie corners of the second layer of the equivalent 2x2x2 (again disregarding colors). This will restore the entire puzzle to cuboid shape. Once we have cuboid shape proceed with only shape preserving moves. The way to solve the whole cuboid is to now convert into an equivalent of a 2x2x2 but this time considering colors. This is done by pairing up pieces so that we end up with the cuboid being an equivalent of a 2x2x2 but this time with 2-cubie corners being made up of correctly matched cubies. This can be achieved for example by turning the top layer to find a matched pair, then using a double long side move (such as R2) to move the matched pair to the bottom which we use as a storage area for matched pairs as we build. If no match can be found by turning the top layer, doing a move like R2 and trying again will allow a match to be found if we do it so that unmatched pairs at the bottom get moved to the top. You will need to move the stored bottom matched pairs our of the way so that you avoid moving them to the top when storing or if moved to the top, placed in a position where it will be moved back to the bottom together with the next pair. Once there are four matched pairs on the bottom, you will be able to turn the top layer so that that either all or only 2 top pairs match (if you get 1 match keep turning to get 2). If you have 2 and they are adjacent, hold them so that they are top left and do U2 L2 Dd L2 Dd2 F2 Dd F2 U' and all top pairs will match. If you have 2 opposite pairs matched on top doing this once will get 2 adjacent matches and doing again gets all matched. Now the whole thing is equivalent to a 2x2x2 with correctly colored corners and additionally, as we have been preserving cuboid shape all these 2-cubie corners will automatically be oriented correctly!! You can now solve like a 2x2x2 but ideally we don't want to use any 2x2x2 methods that mis-orient the corners, this can be done using domino (2x3x3) algorithms.

[@NDPuzzles]

The way I though abot this puzzle is that I figured out how to solve a 2x2x3 and used that method in combination with a 2x2 for this puzzle. If you create commutators and insert a corner on the bottom layer which you then return to another spot you will be able to find a suitable algorithm for that puzzle. Therefore it is useful to start with a solved puzzle. That however can be done once you know how to solve either the inner or the outer 2 layers as they behave similarly. Your method is fascinating as well! I like how you go on such a complicated task with patience and think before turning anything!

[@DoonTheFox]

I love this series FLEB!! :D I'm excited for your 4x4x4 video! I've solved it before on my own, so I'm interested to see your strategy :)

[@pupperjackcheese]

Ive never been so tense watching a video before

[@thatonekid9432]

I love watching you!

[@josh34578]

If you haven't tried the "curvy copter," I recommend it. It's an edge turning cube that can shape shift in certain... non trivial ways. I don't want to spoil it.

[@JamesCoyle95]

For that PLL I get headlights on the left (two corners with the same color) and then do R U' R U R U D' R U R U' R D or the same with the U and D primes inverted. Swaps the two corners and two edges on the top layer (which are hidden on a 2x2).

[@Msgdos]

James Coyle, Thanks!

[@portacanman3478]

I can’t believe I caught your mess up the first time XD good job I would never be able to do this

[@raspberryslush]

I know this is a difficult puzzle, but it's no 1x1 We need a 1x1 journey, I know people like me are having major difficulty with it.

[@Zacht1980]

Evil Toaster You should try the dreaded giraffe puzzle. That thing can make a person go crazy!

[@wfrck]

a team of 100 scientists spent a week on the giraffe puzzle, and never solved it... it is impossible!

[@ember_9]

The 3x3x5 fisher cube was just released, you should get it because it will be a good midpoint in your path.

[@marcelvdberg]

Wow, great stuff! I learn every time i watch your video's. Keep them coming and give your daughter a hug :-)

[@pothocket]

Great solve. I'm still trying to understand how to come up with my own algs. I just used ones I already knew to solve the 2x2x4 though, Sune and Anti-Sune to orientate the top two layers and Headlights to solve them.

[@renorock3411]

I didn't understand a thing. But I did find out something new. That is. My nose is a pressure relief that keeps my head from exploding.

[@bg6b7bft]

If you're turning it 180 degrees, what is the difference between B and B' ?

[@Trexrush1]

bg6b7bft you mean R and R'? No difference

[@bg6b7bft]

Yes, R and R' is what I meant. Thanks.

[@theblackbeltcuber6626]

Why at around 4:30 you are calling d moves b moves

[@sungahn7386]

Awesome!

[@Trexrush1]

Keep in mind that in this case, R and R' are the same move. Other than that, good video!

[@The_Wosh]

Be careful when you solve the 4x4x6, there are algorithms that change pieces arround in the same center

[@khzhak]

2:10 odd number of corners out of position. 2:16 if you just turn the top layer so the green face is complete, you only have two corners out of position. Did nobody else notice that? I have one of those puzzles, and I put it back into its original shape, then solve the outer layers, then solve the inner cube, then parity, a nine move algorithm solves those last two in parity if it happens, I'll let you look it up if you'd like.

[@henrysiebs1680]

awesome but B is actually back and D is the down side, and also if you want to do D two times than its D2

[@bivamishra4044]

Can i send you a puzzle through fan mail?

[@sing55out]

いつものことながら、すばらしいです。

[@KevinMilligan]

when it went wrong i would've just given up on life

[@socialrxdad]

:o my first time being somewhere near first!

[@BrianCohen]

R' and R are the same moves xD

[@RainbwRobyn]

Actually they're not. An R move is when you turn the right face clockwise and an R' is when you turn the right face counter clockwise. It's not much of a difference but it will mess up the algorithm if you do it wrong. In most cases this mistake can lead to the part of, or even the entire puzzle being mixed up. This actually happened in the video when he said B but did a B'. FLEB got lucky having only a small portion of the puzzle mixed up.

[@BrianCohen]

Actually, when he says R or R' he means 2R/2R' ('cause he's actually moving that face twice, 1 to put it horizontal and 2 to put it vertically again but the other way around) so yeah, for what he did it's exactly the same R or R' since he's moving it twice xD

[@Hauketal]

Dahson In this special case they are identical. Fleb wanted shape preserving moves only, so neither R nor R', but R². It doesn't matter what you write down if the only move at your disposal is 180°. For T and B you are right.

[@isaacmyron1692]

I noticed that too, they're both just 180 degree turns

[@blaken2880]

Dahson, B and B' are different but R and R' are the exact same thing, since you're rotating it 180 degrees. That's what Brian meant.

[@royklein12]

Why did you differentiate R and R'? they are both the same move at 180, the move you are actually doing is R2

[@HPOfficeJetProAll-In-One]

Hey dude if you’re only doing shape preserving moves, there is no R’ L’ F’ or B’ cuz its the same as R L F and B 😂

[@FreakyFred18827]

“Pleb... Oh Sht I mean Fleb”

[@experimentx8493]

Hey there fleb we are puzzlers

[@sirenssorrowsolemn]

Oh no what has happened HUNNY

[@ctc514]

2 things wrong with your notation, you wrote B even though it should have been D, and there is no difference between R and R'

[@newacct126]

I want his brain!

[@lenhister]

You should invest in a good mic!

[@asciivision]

It was B prime. The cringe!

[@ettorenarciso4657]

Wrong notation :(

[@Alex-eu6bg]

1st