The Rainbow Ball Cube, often referred to simply as a Rainbow Ball, is a spherical fidget puzzle similar to the Rubik's Cube but simpler in concept. It consists of a hollow ball with multiple colored holes and small balls inside, which can be pushed around to move between these holes.
Key Features:
Shape: Unlike traditional cube-shaped puzzles, the Rainbow Ball is spherical, with typically 12 colored holes on its surface.
Balls Inside: Inside the sphere are smaller, movable balls, each of a different color. These balls can be pushed around to different positions inside the sphere.
Empty Hole: There is one empty hole, which allows you to push the other colored balls around, similar to how you move pieces in a sliding puzzle.
Objective:
The goal of the puzzle is to scramble the colored balls and then return them to their matching colored holes.
Movement:
The balls are moved by pushing them into the empty hole, allowing for the other balls to be shifted around until all the colored balls match the holes of the same color.
Difficulty:
Compared to more complex puzzles like the Rubik's Cube, the Rainbow Ball Cube is simpler and more suited for casual puzzlers or younger players. It is often used as a stress-relieving fidget toy due to its ease of play and satisfying tactile feedback.
Solving:
Solving the Rainbow Ball Cube involves moving the balls around one by one until all the colored balls are in their corresponding slots. Since there are fewer pieces and simpler movements involved, it's more of a fun and relaxing puzzle rather than a mentally taxing one.