Play with a 3D puzzle cube in your browser. Drag a sticker to turn its layer, drag the background to look around, or type moves in standard notation. Scramble it, race the timer and undo any turn.
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Stuck on a 3×3?
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How to use the Online Cube Simulator
Pick a cube size (2×2 to 5×5) and press Scramble.
Turn layers by dragging across a sticker in the direction you want it to move, or press U, D, L, R, F, B (hold Shift for counter-clockwise).
Look around by dragging the empty area around the cube or using the arrow keys.
Type an algorithm such as R U R' U' and press Apply moves to practise it.
Solve it: the timer starts on your first turn and stops when every face is one color. Use Undo for mistakes.
Cube notation cheat sheet
The simulator uses the standard notation from the World Cube Association regulations. Turns are always described as if you were looking straight at the face being turned.
Move
Meaning
Keyboard
R, L, U, D, F, B
Clockwise quarter turn of the right, left, up, down, front or back face
R L U D F B
R'
Counter-clockwise quarter turn ("R prime")
Shift + R
R2
Half turn (direction does not matter)
R twice
Rw or r
Wide turn: the outer two layers together
Type in the moves box
3Rw
Wide turn of the outer three layers (5×5)
Type in the moves box
2R
Only the second layer from the right (4×4, 5×5)
2 then R
M, E, S
Middle slice: M follows L, E follows D, S follows F (odd cubes)
M E S
x, y, z
Rotate the whole cube like R, U or F
X Y Z
Practise these algorithms
Name
Algorithm
Used for
Sexy move
R U R' U'
Inserting corners; repeat 6 times to return to the start
Sune
R U R' U R U2 R'
Orienting last-layer corners
T-perm
R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R' U' R U R' F'
Swapping two corners and two edges
Checkerboard
M2 E2 S2
A pattern on the 3×3 (try it on the 5×5 too)
Superflip
U R2 F B R B2 R U2 L B2 R U' D' R2 F R' L B2 U2 F2
Flips every edge; it needs 20 moves, the 3×3 maximum
How many positions does each cube have?
The number of reachable positions grows enormously with size. A 2×2 has 3,674,160 positions, and any of them can be solved in at most 11 half-turn moves. The 3×3 has 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 (about 4.3 × 1019) positions, and in 2010 a computer search proved that every one can be solved in 20 moves or fewer, a number nicknamed God's number. The 4×4 has about 7.4 × 1045 positions and the 5×5 about 2.8 × 1074.
Frequently asked questions
How do I turn the cube with the mouse or finger?
Press on a sticker and drag in the direction you want that sticker to travel. The layer that moves the sticker that way turns a quarter turn. Dragging the background around the cube rotates your view without changing the puzzle.
What does the notation R U R' U' mean?
Each letter is a face: R right, L left, U up, D down, F front, B back. A letter alone is a clockwise quarter turn as seen from that face, an apostrophe (R') is counter-clockwise and a 2 (R2) is a half turn. R U R' U' is a common trigger move used in many beginner and speedsolving methods.
How do I turn inner layers on a 4×4 or 5×5?
Put a number before the face for a single inner slice (2R turns the second layer from the right) or add w for a wide turn of the outer layers together (Rw or r turns two layers, 3Rw turns three). M, E and S turn the middle slice of odd cubes, and x, y, z rotate the whole cube.
How long are the scrambles?
Scrambles are random move sequences with no two turns of the same axis in a row: 11 moves for 2×2, 20 for 3×3, 40 for 4×4 and 60 for 5×5, similar to the lengths used for official random-move scrambles of big cubes. They are not random-state scrambles, so they are for practice rather than competition.
How does the timer work?
After a scramble the timer starts with your first layer turn (cube rotations with x, y or z do not start it) and stops automatically when every face is a single color. Turn on inspection to get 15 seconds to study the cube first. Your best time for each size is saved in your browser.
Can it solve the cube for me?
This page is a simulator, not a solver. For a 3×3, press Open in 3x3 Cube Solver: the current position is passed to the solver, which finds a short solution and shows each turn step by step.
Is my cube saved if I leave the page?
Yes. The current state and scramble for each size are saved in your browser's local storage, so the cube is still mixed up when you return on the same device.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.