Rubik's Magic

Lore & Background

Rubik's Magic was first manufactured by the Hungarian company Politoys (later Ideal Toy Company) in 1986. Professor Rubik holds both a Hungarian patent (HU 1211/85, issued 19 March 1985) and a US patent (US 4,680,680, issued 11 August 1987) on the mechanism. In 1987, Matchbox distributed Rubik's Magic: Master Edition, with 12 silver tiles in a 2×6 rectangle showing 5 interlinked rings, solved into a W shape. Around the same time, Matchbox distributed Rubik's Magic Create the Cube, a 'Level Two' version solved by folding into a cube with matching tile colors; it had limited release and is rare. Later, in the late 1990s, Oddzon released Rubik's Magic Create the Cube and a red-tiled version of the original puzzle.

Reader's Guide

Rubik's Magic is significant as a mechanical puzzle that, like the Rubik's Cube, was invented by Ernő Rubik and became a popular challenge in the 1980s. Its mechanism, using wires and hinges to allow folding, distinguishes it from twisty puzzles. The puzzle was an official World Cube Association event from 2003 to 2012, with world records set by Yuxuan Wang (0.69 seconds single, 0.76 seconds average of five). The Master Edition, with 12 tiles, is considered simpler due to more hinges allowing isolated work. The puzzle's analysis reveals 32 possible 2×4 rectangle forms from eight distinct chains, and 64 heart-shaped forms. Its legacy includes influencing other folding plate puzzles and being a collectible item, especially rare versions like Create the Cube.

Did You Know?

• The puzzle's tiles were changed from black to red with goldish rings in a later release by Oddzon, not in 1997.
• The world record for a single solve is 0.69 seconds, set by Yuxuan Wang.
• The total number of 2×4 rectangle forms possible is only thirty-two.
• An unlicensed 2×8 version was produced with spheres instead of rings.