How to practise different puzzles online
Cubeathon guide · Reviewed October 2026
Cubeathon's timer covers all eleven WCA puzzles: the 2×2 to 7×7 cubes, Pyraminx, Skewb, Megaminx, Square-1 and Clock. Each one gets its own scrambles, sessions, PBs and averages, so practising a side event never mixes with your 3×3 numbers.
This guide covers switching puzzles, reading each puzzle's scrambles and checking you applied them correctly.
Switch puzzle
- On the timer, tap the puzzle name above the timer.
- Pick a puzzle. A new scramble for it appears, and the session switches to that puzzle's sessions.
Links can open a puzzle directly: for example /timer?puzzle=222 opens the timer on the 2×2. Each scramble generator page also has Time this scramble, which opens the timer with that exact scramble.
Every puzzle at a glance
| Puzzle | Scramble | WCA format |
|---|---|---|
| 3×3 | About 20 moves, random state | Average of 5 |
| 2×2 | About 11 moves, random state | Average of 5 |
| 4×4 | About 45 moves, random state | Average of 5 |
| 5×5 | 60 moves, random move | Average of 5 |
| 6×6 | 80 moves, random move | Mean of 3 |
| 7×7 | 100 moves, random move | Mean of 3 |
| Pyraminx | About 11 moves including tips, random state | Average of 5 |
| Skewb | 11 moves, random state | Average of 5 |
| Megaminx | 7 rows of 11 moves (77 in total), random move | Average of 5 |
| Square-1 | About a dozen / slices, random state | Average of 5 |
| Clock | 14 dial moves plus y2, random dials | Average of 5 |
Cubeathon shows Ao5, Ao12 and mean of 3 for every puzzle; the WCA format column says which one competitions use for that event.
Reading other puzzles' scrambles
- 2×2 and 3×3 — the six face turns (U D R L F B),
'for counter-clockwise, 2 for a half turn. - 4×4 to 7×7 — face turns plus wide turns such as
Rw, where the outer face and the next layer turn together; bigger cubes add deeper wide turns. - Pyraminx — capital U L R B turn a corner with the layer below it; lowercase letters turn just the tip.
- Skewb — U L R B turn the half of the puzzle around that corner.
- Megaminx — rows of R++ / R-- and D++ / D-- moves, each ending with a U turn.
- Square-1 — pairs like (1, 0) turn the top and bottom layers; / turns the right half 180°.
- Clock — a pin position and how many hours to turn, ending with y2 to turn the clock over.
Each puzzle's scramble page explains its notation in full, with the starting orientation. For the 3×3 basics, see cube notation.
Check your scramble
Under each scramble the timer draws the scrambled puzzle. Compare it with yours before you start: if they differ, a move was missed and the solve won't be comparable.
- Cubes (2×2 to 7×7) show a flat net. Tap it to replay the scramble move by move and find the mistake.
- Pyraminx, Skewb, Megaminx, Square-1 and Clock show that puzzle's own model.
- The arrows either side go back to an earlier scramble or forward to a new one.
Separate sessions and PBs
Every puzzle keeps its own sessions, PBs and averages. Your 4×4 Ao5 lives with your 4×4 solves, and the Performancepage shows whichever puzzle is active. To organise each puzzle's practice further, see tracking solves and sessions.
Practising without a connection
3×3 scrambles work offline from the start. Other puzzles' scramble programs are saved the first time you use them online; see using Cubeathon offline.
Practise a competition round
For nine events (2×2 to 5×5, Pyraminx, Skewb, Megaminx, Square-1 and Clock), the competition prep page starts a practice round in its own session with WCA inspection on. Ending it puts your previous settings back.