2x2x2 Pentatrap Ghost

The 2x2x2 Pentatrap Ghost Cube started with my interest in combining different geometric ideas into a single puzzle. I wanted to take the familiar 2x2x2 cube and transform it into a shape that would look completely different while still working with the original mechanism.

For this design, I experimented with two geometric forms and combined their characteristics to create a pentagonal trapezohedron-inspired shape. I used 3D-printed extension pieces to transform the regular 2x2x2 cube into this unusual form.

Once the shape was working, I felt that something was still missing. I wanted the puzzle to be visually confusing as well as geometrically unusual, so I added a ghosted layer. This removes many of the familiar visual clues and makes it much harder to recognize the pieces and their correct orientation.

The result is the 2x2x2 Pentatrap Ghost Cube—a combination of shape modification, geometric experimentation, and ghost-puzzle mechanics.

For me, the fun of this design was seeing how two different ideas could come together and turn a simple 2x2x2 into something that looks and solves completely differently.