How to make a Rubik's cube pattern
Every Rubik's cube pattern on this page starts from a solved cube. Hold it with white on top and green in front, then do the moves in order. The 3D cube above plays each pattern from solved: pick one in the gallery, press play, or step through one move at a time. The flat picture on each card shows the finished pattern as a net (top, then left, front, right, back, then bottom).
Reading the moves. R, L, U, D, F and B turn the right, left, top, bottom, front and back faces a quarter turn clockwise as you look at that face; ' means counter-clockwise and 2 a half turn. M, E and S turn a middle layer: M like L, E like D, S like F. The notation guide animates every move.
All patterns
| Pattern | Moves | Turns | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Checkerboard | M2 E2 S2 | 3 | Easy |
| Checkerboard with face turns | U2 D2 F2 B2 L2 R2 | 6 | Easy |
| Superflip | U R2 F B R B2 R U2 L B2 R U' D' R2 F R' L B2 U2 F2 | 20 | Hard |
| Superflip checkerboard | U R2 F B R B2 R U2 L B2 R U' D' R2 F R' L B2 U2 F2 M2 E2 S2 | 23 | Hard |
| Six spots | U D' R L' F B' U D' | 8 | Easy |
| Four spots | F2 B2 U D' R2 L2 U D' | 8 | Easy |
| Cube in a cube | F L F U' R U F2 L2 U' L' B D' B' L2 U | 15 | Medium |
| Cube in a cube in a cube | U' L' U' F' R2 B' R F U B2 U B' L U' F U R F' | 18 | Hard |
| Cross | U F B' L2 U2 L2 F' B U2 L2 U | 11 | Medium |
| Plummer's cross | R2 L' D F2 R' D' R' L U' D R D B2 R' U D2 | 16 | Hard |
| Plus and minus | U2 R2 L2 U2 R2 L2 | 6 | Easy |
| Six T's | F2 R2 U2 F' B D2 L2 F B | 9 | Medium |
| Stripes | F U F R L2 B D' R D2 L D' B R2 L F U F | 17 | Hard |
| Kilt | U' R2 L2 F2 B2 U' R L F B' U F2 D2 R2 L2 F2 U2 F2 U' F2 | 20 | Hard |
| Gift box | U B2 R2 B2 L2 F2 R2 D' F2 L2 B F' L F2 D U' R2 F' L' R' | 20 | Hard |
| Exchanged peaks | F U2 L F L' B L U B' R' L' U R' D' F' B R2 | 17 | Hard |
The level only counts turns: easy is 8 or fewer, medium 9 to 15, hard 16 or more. A long sequence is not harder to understand, but it is easier to slip on one move.
Getting back to solved
To undo a pattern, do its moves backwards: read the sequence from the end and turn each face the other way (R becomes R', half turns stay half turns). The checkerboard and the superflip are their own undo: doing the same moves a second time returns the cube to solved. If you lose track, the 3x3 solver solves any position you paint in.
How the patterns were checked
Each sequence was played on a cube model in a test, and the result was checked against the description on its card: for example, that the superflip leaves every corner and center solved and every edge flipped in its own place, or that six spots leaves each center alone with the eight other stickers of the face in one other color. Sequences we could not check that way are not on this page.
Solver tested . Found a problem? Tell us.
Questions
What is the easiest Rubik's cube pattern?
The checkerboard: three middle-layer half turns, M2 E2 S2. If you prefer outer faces only, U2 D2 F2 B2 L2 R2 gives the same checkerboard.
What is the superflip?
The position where every corner and center is solved but all twelve edges are flipped in place. It needs 20 moves when any face turn counts as one move, the most any 3x3 position needs.
Do the patterns work in any hold?
Yes, the moves make the same shapes whichever color is on top, but the colors in the pattern change. Hold white on top and green in front to get exactly the colors shown here.
Why does my pattern look wrong?
Usually one move was turned the wrong way or skipped. Start again from solved and step through the moves one by one with the 3D cube, checking after each move.
Can I make patterns on other cubes?
Sequences with outer turns only can be played on a 4x4 or 5x5 too, but the result looks different because the inner layers stay put. Try any sequence on the cube simulator, which turns 2x2 to 5x5 cubes.