Welcome back! This month’s puzzle is the 2×2 Rubik’s Cube—often called the “mini cube”. It might look easier than its big brother, the 3×3. But don’t be fooled—this little puzzle can still twist your brain in knots! The good news is that solving the 2×2 is much simpler than the 3×3, and you only need to learn a few moves to master it.

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How to Solve a 2×2 Rubik’s Cube

In this tutorial, I’ll walk you step-by-step through solving a 2×2 cube, no prior experience required. By the end, you’ll be able to pick up any scrambled 2×2 and solve it confidently.

Note: Would you rather learn by video? We love this video tutorial by JPerm!

Step 1: Learn the Basics

Before we start, let’s cover some cube lingo:

• Face: One side of the cube.

• Layer: A row of pieces (on a 2×2, there are only two layers—top and bottom).

• Notation: We describe moves using letters:

  • R = Rotate the right face clockwise

  • R’ = Rotate the right face counterclockwise

  • U = Rotate the top face clockwise

  • U’ = Rotate the top face counterclockwise

  • F = Rotate the front face clockwise

  • F’ = Rotate the front face counterclockwise

Think of it as shorthand so you can follow the algorithms.

Step 2: Solve the First Layer

Pick a color to start with (most people use white).

Your goal is to solve the entire first layer: not just the white face, but also making sure the side colors match up.

How to do it:

• Find a white piece.

• Place it correctly by turning layers until it lines up with its matching corner.

• Keep repeating until the whole first layer is solved.

👉 Pro tip: Don’t worry about speed yet. Focus on correct placement.

Step 3: Orient the Last Layer

Now flip the cube over so the solved layer is on the bottom.

The top (last layer) will look scrambled. The goal here is to get all the top face pieces the same color, even if the sides don’t match yet.

Algorithm to learn:

👉 R U R’ U R U2 R’

Run this sequence until the top face is solved. You may need to do it multiple times depending on the scramble.

Step 4: Permute the Last Layer

Now the top face is the right color, but the pieces may be in the wrong spots. Time to fix that.

Case A: Two pieces need to swap

• Hold the cube so the two correct pieces are on the left and back.

• Perform: R U’ R U R U R U’ R’ U’ R2

Case B: All four pieces are out of place

• Do the algorithm once to make Case A appear, then repeat.

Step 5: Celebrate!

That’s it—you’ve solved your first 2×2 Rubik’s Cube! 🎉

From here, you can practice until it becomes second nature. With time, you’ll be able to solve it in under a minute.

Final Tips

• Don’t memorize moves blindly—try to see what each algorithm is doing.

• If you want to get faster, learn more efficient methods like the Ortega method.

• Be patient! Even though it’s “just” a 2×2, it can still be tricky at first.

We’ll see you next month with your next challenge!