How to Solve the Gear Cube

If you’ve ever picked up a Gear Cube, you probably twisted it a few times, saw the gears spin in wild directions, and thought: “How am I ever going to solve this thing?”

Good news: despite its intimidating look, the Gear Cube (also known as the Caution Cube) is actually much easier than it seems. The gears limit the cube’s movement in such a way that the solution is far simpler than a Rubik’s Cube. In fact, if you can solve a 3×3 or even a 2×2, you’ll find this puzzle refreshingly straightforward.

In this tutorial, we’ll walk you through step-by-step how to solve the Gear Cube—even if you’ve never solved a twisty puzzle before.

Prefer to watch a video tutorial? We really like this one from CubeRazn

Step 1: Understand How the Gear Cube Works

Unlike a normal Rubik’s Cube, the Gear Cube uses gears that rotate as you turn the sides. This means:

• Every quarter-turn rotates the face and twists the adjacent edge pieces.

• Edge pieces can only move in two-gear increments. You’ll notice they can’t just sit in any orientation.

• Corner pieces behave much like a 3×3 Rubik’s Cube corner—except they twist automatically with the gears.

The key insight: Because of the mechanics, many pieces are “self-solving.” Your main job is to align the cube so everything comes together correctly.

Step 2: Solve One Face

Start by picking any color you like (white is common).

1. Choose one face and solve all four corners of that face.

   • Rotate the cube until the corners line up with the center color.

   • Don’t worry about the gears on the edges yet.

2. Once the corners are placed, turn the edges until they match up.

   • Edges move automatically with gear rotations, so a few twists will often solve them into place.

At this stage, you should have one full face complete (corners + edges).

Step 3: Solve the Opposite Face

Now flip the cube so your solved face is on the bottom.

1. Focus on solving the opposite color (usually yellow if you started with white).

2. Line up the four corners on top. The gears will spin as you do this, but that’s okay.

When you have both top and bottom faces solved, the cube will look nearly complete.

Step 4: Fix the Middle Layer

The last step is to solve the four edge pieces around the middle layer. Thanks to the gear system, this is easier than it looks.

Use this simple algorithm:

• Turn the right face 180°

• Turn the front face 180°

• Turn the right face 180° again

• Turn the front face 180° again

This will cycle the edges around until they’re all solved. You might need to repeat it 2–3 times, but don’t panic—the pieces will eventually fall into place.

Step 5: Final Adjustments

Because the gears can only land in certain positions, the cube is designed to “lock in” to solved form. If the cube looks off by a half-turn, simply rotate that face 180°.

Congratulations—you’ve solved the Gear Cube! 🎉

Tips & Tricks

• Don’t overthink it! The Gear Cube looks crazy, but it solves more like a 2×2 with training wheels than a full Rubik’s Cube.

• If the gears get stuck, don’t force them—rotate in the opposite direction first, then try again.

• For extra fun, try mixing it up with 180° turns only. This gives the cube wild patterns while keeping it solvable.

Final Thoughts

The Gear Cube is one of the most eye-catching puzzles you can own. Solving it is less about memorizing long algorithms and more about understanding the mechanics. With just a little practice, you’ll be solving it in minutes and impressing anyone who sees it spinning in your hands.