It’s 50 years since Ernő Rubik unleashed his mesmerising magic cube on the world. But why, despite the growth in digital games, is the plastic puzzle as popular as ever, asks Kyle MacNeill
It’s 50 years since Ernő Rubik unleashed his mesmerising magic cube on the world. But why, despite the growth in digital games, is the plastic puzzle as popular as ever, a two-day competition revolving around a simple aim: solving a Rubik’s Cube, and other twisty puzzles, in the fastest time possible – sometimes even while wearing a blindfold.
So much so that the Young V&A acquired and archived it in its very first year of production. “It’s an iconic object to have within our collection as it’s one of the most successful puzzles in the world,” says Tanaya Basu De Sarkar, assistant curator at Young V&A. “Ernő Rubik designed the cube perfectly to take on the go. It’s pocket-sized, lightweight and very difficult to break.”
Over the last few years the puzzle has enjoyed an upturn in its popularity. “We’ve gone through a huge growth in the last few years,” Chan Pak Hoong says of the WCA tournaments. “We have to turn people away.”were taking place around the world, from Mexico to Mongolia. Kyle , another delegate who only picked up a cube for the first time in 2022 and is now a blindfolded event specialist, went to 53 competitions last year and had just returned from one in Bristol the day before.
While the world of toys, puzzles and general entertainment has become far more technologically advanced, Susz believes this physical quality is important. “As much as we’ve seen the digital age explode we haven’t seen our desire to interact with tangible objects stop,” he says. Events such as Manchester Winter 2024 epitomise this excitement factor. “It’s a real dopamine rush to beat your best time,” Kyle says, pointing out a slew of national and world record holders that look barely old enough to buy a scratchcard.
For Kyle, it’s done wonders. “When I started a year ago, I had really bad social anxiety. Now, I’m going up and making announcements on stage. I’ve had so much personal growth,” he says, explaining that many neurodivergent cubers like himself have found something in common with each other.
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