French maker Grégoire Pfennig releases his record-breaking 33x33x33 Rubik’s Cube, a complex puzzle featuring 6,153 3D printed parts.

With the holiday season quickly coming up right around the corner, the shelves of toy stores are spiraling into disarray as people rush to get presents for their family and friends. For those of us with brainiacs on our Christmas gift list, complex puzzles and toys are ideal candidates to sit underneath the tree.

Since its inception in the ’70s, the Rubik’s Cube has become a staple toy for puzzle solvers. Although the concept is quite simple, the idea of this 3D combination puzzle has advanced alongside the rise of 3D printing.

French engineer Grégoire Pfennig has taken the Rubik’s Cube to the extreme, releasing a record-breaking 33x33x33 version. This ambitious puzzle includes 6,153 3D printed parts, and is being released through his startup Greg’s Puzzles.

33x33x33 Rubik’s Cube Showcases 3D Printing in Record-Breaking Fashion

Instead of recreating the traditional stack of cubes, Pfennig designed his version in a more creative light. Each layer if the cubes are just 4.1mm thick, minimized to allow the 6,153 3D printed pieces to move properly.

The puzzle offers an outrageously excessive 1.159 x 10 to the power of 4,094 possible combinations. Each piece was produced by the Dutch 3D printing supplier 3D Fabriek, and took around 205 hours. The service provider utilized SLS 3D printing technology to create the puzzle pieces.

The unfathomable 3D printed puzzle now holds the world record for the largest and highest order Rubik’s Cube ever made. At 33x33x33, this Rubik’s Cube outshines the 22×22 3D printed version developed by Cuber Corenpuzzle last year.

Pfennig will distribute the 3D printed Rubik’s Cube through the Budapest based retailer Oliver’s Stickers. This gargantuan puzzle comes at a hefty price, available for pre-order at 15,200 €.

The combination puzzle will take three months to produce. Each cube must be 3D printed, assembled, and coated with stickers before being shipped. Pfennig has also made his other FDM-printable puzzle designs available for download.

If you want to learn more about how this colossal Rubik’s Cube was created, check out the video below.