QiYi 2×2 Gear Ball (Tiled)

QiYi 2×2 Gear Ball (Tiled)

A 2×2 that is not a cube at all — it is a sphere, and the faces are interlocking gears. Turn one side and the neighbouring gears turn with it, so nothing moves in isolation and the scramble builds in a way a normal 2×2 never does.

The mechanism is solid and the turning is smooth for a shape this odd. Coloured tiles instead of stickers, so nothing peels or fades no matter how much it gets handled.

Not a WCA event and not a speed puzzle — this is the one that sits on the desk and gets picked up by everyone who walks past. Easy enough to solve once you see how the gears pair up.