Medium Difficulty

Void Cube A 3×3 With No Centers — And a Hole

The Void Cube is a 3×3 Rubik's Cube with all center pieces removed, leaving a visible hole through the middle. Without centers to serve as fixed color references, you can end up in a "parity" state that's impossible on a normal 3×3. This makes it deceptively harder than it looks.

Pieces 20 (8 corners, 12 edges — no centers!)

Permutations 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 × 2 (parity factor)

God's Number 20+ (with parity)

World Record ~20s (unofficial — not a WCA event)

Inventor Katsuhiko Okamoto

Year 2006

Interactive 3D Void Cube

Interactive 3D Void Cube Solver — scramble the puzzle and watch the step-by-step solution.

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History & Background

Designed by Japanese puzzle inventor Katsuhiko Okamoto in 2006. The Void Cube won the Puzzle of the Year award at the International Puzzle Party (IPP). It was mass-produced by LanLan and later by other Chinese manufacturers. The parity twist makes it a favorite among puzzle collectors who want a 3×3 with extra challenge.

Notation Guide

The Void Cube uses standard 3×3 notation — R, L, U, D, F, B. Middle slice moves (M, E, S) are especially interesting since you can see through the hole when executing them!

R Right layer clockwise (same as 3×3)

R' Right layer counter-clockwise

U Upper layer clockwise

U' Upper layer counter-clockwise

M Middle slice (visible through the hole!)

M' Middle slice counter-clockwise

E Equatorial middle slice

Visual Guide & Cheat Sheet

A complete visual guide illustrating the puzzle's structure, standard layer movements, and key solving stages.

Step-by-Step Solving Guide

Step 1: Determine Face Colors (Mental Centers)

Since there are no physical center pieces, you must mentally assign center colors based on corner and edge relationships. Inspect the cube carefully — each corner touches 3 faces, so the colors of 2 corners that share a face tell you that face's color.


                                                No algorithm — pure observation and deduction

Use the standard color scheme as your guide: White opposite Yellow, Red opposite Orange, Blue opposite Green. Two adjacent corners can reveal an entire face's identity.

Step 2: Solve Like a 3×3

Once you've mentally assigned all 6 face colors, solve using standard 3×3 techniques — cross, F2L, OLL, PLL. Treat the empty center spaces as if invisible center pieces were there.


                                                Standard 3×3 CFOP algorithms

Keep your mental model of face colors consistent throughout the solve. If you second-guess mid-solve, it can lead to parity confusion.

Step 3: Handle Parity (if needed)

If you end up with exactly 2 edges swapped — a state impossible on a normal 3×3 — you've hit Void Cube parity. This happens because you may have mentally assigned one face's color incorrectly. Apply the parity algorithm to fix it.


                                                R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R'

Void parity happens because without fixed centers, the puzzle has twice as many reachable states. The parity algorithm essentially shifts the cube's internal reference frame.

Key Algorithms

Name	Algorithm	Use Case
Void Parity Fix	`R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R'`	Fix the impossible 2-edge swap
Standard 3×3 Algorithms	`CFOP / Beginner method`	Regular 3×3 solving after mental center assignment
OLL Edge Fix	`M' U M' U M' U2 M U M U M U2`	Fix edge orientation using middle slice

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Assuming face colors mid-solve without verifying first — this leads to solving on the wrong color scheme and guarantees parity.

Not checking for parity until the very end — experienced solvers learn to recognize the signs early to save time.

Forgetting that standard 3×3 technique works — once you know the face colors, solve it normally. Don't overcomplicate it.

Confusing Void parity with regular PLL cases — if you see an impossible 2-edge swap, it's always parity, not a missed PLL.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the Void Cube have parity?

On a normal 3×3, center pieces fix each face's identity. Without centers, two different color assignments can look identical from the outside but lead to different solving states. When you guess wrong, you hit a parity state that requires a fix algorithm.

How do I determine face colors without centers?

Look at corners! Each corner touches 3 faces. If a white-red-blue corner is in a certain position, you know those 3 faces must be white, red, and blue. Use 2-3 corners to deduce all 6 face identities.

Is the Void Cube a WCA event?

No, the Void Cube is not a WCA competition event. It's a popular collector's and challenge puzzle enjoyed by cubers who want a twist on the standard 3×3 experience.

How often does parity occur?

Roughly 50% of the time when you don't verify face colors carefully. However, experienced solvers who deduce face colors correctly from the start can avoid parity entirely — it only occurs when you guess a face color wrong.

Pro Tips & Tricks

The key challenge is determining which face is which color WITHOUT center stickers as reference. Master this deduction skill first.
Standard color scheme: White opposite Yellow, Red opposite Orange, Blue opposite Green. Memorize this for quick face identification.
If two edges need to be swapped and nothing else works — it's parity. Don't panic, just apply the parity algorithm once.
The Void Cube is excellent training for blindfolded (BLD) solving, where you also must track pieces without relying on visual center references.
The LanLan Void Cube and QiYi Void Cube are the most popular and readily available options.
Try solving with your eyes closed for the ultimate challenge — you already can't see centers, so why not go all the way!

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