Rubik's Mini Cube (2x2x2)

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The Rubik's Mini Cube (aka the Pocket Cube) is a simpler version of the original Rubik's Cube. It is constructed simply from the 8 corner pieces of the Rubik's Cube while omitting the edge and center pieces, thus having a 2x2x2 layout instead of the familiar 3x3x3 of its older sibling.

This puzzle was actually invented 4 years before the Rubik's cube, in 1970, by Larry D. Nichols. He called it the "Twist Cube" and used magents for its mechanism. Following the success of the Rubik's Cube (3x3x3), the Rubik's Brand (currently owned by Canadian toy corporation Spin Master) patented their own design of this puzzle in 1983 and has been selling it ever since.

Due to its simpler layout and fewer moving parts, the number of possible permutations is relatively low - only 3,674,160. Solving the Rubik's Mini Cube is equivalent to solving only the corners of the original Rubik's Cube.

The Rubik's Mini Cube is an official WCA puzzle, and the current world record for solving it is 0.43 seconds. It was set by Teodor Zajder at the Warsaw Cube Masters 2023.