(Click to Enlarge)

The Seven Star UFO looks straight out of a sci-fi magazine. Maybe an alien device of some sort. It has quite a striking design and it's difficult not to be awestruck by it. It was designed by Leslie Le in 2017 and produced by VeryPuzzle.

The mechanism and movement of the puzzle is rather complex. No wonder, as it's made with seven independent spherical 2x2x2 and on top of that, they're embedded in a two layer shell. It's a very intimidating puzzle to solve. There are a few versions of this puzzle, but the ones available at PuzzleMaster are the clear body and black. Both featuring stickers.

The puzzle is somewhat difficult to operate, unfortunately. The individual 2x2x2 spheres are so small (about 2cm) that it makes its movement feel like you're operating a delicate machine, not to mention the top-bottom shell rotation, where the spheres need to be properly aligned to allow the layers to rotate freely. There's a magnetic positioning system, which does make the layer rotation a bit more satisfying and helps you know when all the parts are in place.

Knowing how a 2x2x2 cube works will help you in the solving process and will make the puzzle more fun and enjoyable. Even if the movement is not as smooth as you'd like, the design makes it really interesting to solve, which ultimately makes for a whole new experience.

Closing Comments:

The Seven Star UFO is definitely a unique puzzle. While the movement can be a little frustrating at times, the peculiar design and interseting mechanism more than compensates for its shortcomings. Be aware though, this is not a simple puzzle for a casual puzzler. It's complex and it's challenging.

Availability: The Seven Star UFO is available at PuzzleMaster for $32.99 CAD. Check out other puzzles by VeryPuzzle.