The Skewb Diamond from SengSo, ShengShou’s line, is an octahedron-shaped puzzle that turns around its eight triangular faces. It’s also sold as the 2x2 FTO, because it’s the two-layer version of the FTO (Face Turning Octahedron). The original Skewb Diamond design is credited to the German inventor Uwe Mèffert.

• BrandSengSo (ShengShou)
• TypeSkewb Diamond / 2x2 FTO
• MagnetsNo
• FinishStickerless
• WeightAbout 68 g

How it works

Each turn rotates half the octahedron around an axis that runs through the centre of a triangular face, so the cut divides the puzzle in half. It has fourteen moving pieces: six at the vertices and eight triangular centres. It’s the “dual” puzzle of the Skewb: it shares its mechanism and number of pieces, but with the shape inverted, so anyone who knows the Skewb will recognise some of the logic.

Which level

Shops present it as an affordable way to get into the FTO family before the much more complex three-layer FTO. It’s stickerless (no stickers: the colour is in the plastic itself). Always turn complete halves and don’t twist the vertices, as they can break; if a piece pops out with use, it can be put back by hand.