Puzzles. I’ve never really been into puzzles. They’ve never really piqued my interest. But there is one puzzle that has always intrigued me, but I never took the time to learn how it works. The HEYKUBE is based on that famous puzzle, and it’s designed to help you learn how to solve that timeless mystery.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
The HEYKUBE can be solved like a normal puzzle, but it also offers different levels of assists to help you learn the algorithm. You can use the assists and decrease them, eventually leading you to not needing them at all. My 11-year old son already knows how to solve it and never needed to use the assists, but I did need them. Read on for the full review of HEYKUBE.
Specifications
The HEYKUBE has the following features and specifications:
- Rechargeable battery via MicroUSB
- Real-time guidance
- Position and orientation tracking
- The audio output helps indicate progress
- Bluetooth
- Low power technology
- Open API
- Fully programable Python Library
What’s In The Box
- HEYKUBE
- Proprietary charger
- MicroUSB cable
- Manuals and Documentation
Design
There’s not a whole lot to say about the design of the HEYKUBE. It looks almost identical to the original puzzle and is made of plastic. It’s not heavy, and the materials feel well made, not cheap or easily breakable.
My son used the HEYKUBE the most, and we noticed that it would jam up on him when he tried to solve it quickly. Given that he already knows how to solve the puzzle, he didn’t need the assists, and his record is 45 seconds with his original puzzle.
The HEYKUBE actually added 10-15 seconds to his time because it would jam up if he moved the tiles too quickly. For dopes like myself, it’s not an issue because even with the assists, I was still moving at a fairly moderate pace. But he quickly got frustrated with it. He eventually came back to it and was able to hit closer to his record with it.
I don’t think this will be a huge issue for most people. But it is something to be aware of, especially for those already used to one version of the puzzle. It’s probably more of a getting used to the feel and build of this puzzle versus others.
The charging method used for the HEYKUBE is a proprietary magnetic pin unit that is cleverly designed to use the puzzle tiles. Sadly, it uses MicroUSB and not USB-C, plus it is proprietary. It would have been better to have put a USB-C port on one of the corner tiles and called it a day.
Overall, the design is familiar, and the build quality feels nice. I wish they would have used MicroUSB without a proprietary charger, and I wish it were USB-C.
App/Software
The app that comes with HEYKUBE is actually very robust and offers many different things you can do. You can have the software show you how to make a pattern with HEYKUBE. Patterns include checkerboard, Sixspots, Cubeincube, Anaconda, Tetris, and more.
You can also perform challenges. These include shooting after the world record, challenges sent to you by friends, and your own daily challenge.
There’s also a tutorial section that gives you a plethora of basics, notations, patterns, and more. There is also a timer you can utilize, and you can turn hints on or off here.
The app is really where the value of HEYKUBE is. There are a lot of different options here that can keep most people occupied and entertained for hours.
Overall, the app isn’t needed to use HEYKUBE, but it does make the device much more robust and entertaining.
Performance
I’ve already mentioned that those who know how to solve this puzzle and are used to other cubes may need to take a few rounds to get used to the hardware. My son, who uses his cube almost daily, had to use it several times before getting used to it.
For novices and idiots like me, the HEYKUBE performed just fine, I think most people will just have fun with it, and most of us will never hit world-record speeds. The fact that the cube has LED lighting that guides you through each step is invaluable. Add the subtle sounds it makes when you make each move, and it really does breeze you through the process.
Overall, the performance of this cube is fine. It could use a bit of tightening up for some users, but some may like its feel.
Price/Value
The HEYKUBE is priced at US$99.99, and Amazon sometimes has it on sale for US$79.99. That’s a good chunk of change for a cube you can get for US$20 or less elsewhere. I think the value is in the app/software, but I don’t think everyone is willing to cough up this much for even that experience. I think this would be an excellent value at US$69.99, and maybe the company will drop the price soon. But for those who have always wanted to figure this puzzle out, this is an excellent way to do that.
Wrap Up
If you can get past the high price, the HEYKUBE is an entertaining toy and can help you learn how to solve this puzzle without any help at all, eventually.
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