Reference

Turning & building shapes

Two ideas run through every puzzle: a shape can be turned without changing, and any build is a stack of flat layers. Back to the lab anytime: Open the shapes lab →

• Turned vs flipped

  A rotation TURNS a shape — you could do it with your hands without ever lifting it into a mirror. A mirror FLIPS left and right, like your reflection: same-looking, but you can never turn a left glove into a right one. In Rotation Station, only the true turn is right.

• The 24 turns

  A solid block shape can be turned into exactly 24 different positions in space (6 faces it can sit on × 4 spins each). A candidate that matches one of those 24 is a rotation; anything else is a mirror or a different shape.

• Layers, bottom-up

  Every 3-D build is a stack of flat layers. Layer z=0 sits on the ground; each layer above adds blocks on top. Build the bottom layer first, then climb — just like real blocks, you can’t place a block in mid-air with nothing under it.

• Across, forward, up

  Every block sits at three numbers: across (x), forward (y), and up (z). In Layer Cake you pick the layer (up), then tap the across-and-forward grid to place or remove a block on that layer.

Turning shapes in your head is a skill, not a talent — every puzzle you try makes the next one easier. Try a puzzle →