{"product_id":"two-piece-tic-collection-all-5-two-piece-tics-by-andrew-crowell","title":"Two-Piece TIC Collection - TIC Starter Set","description":"\u003ch2\u003eTwo-Piece TIC Collection\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery two-piece turning interlocking cube Andrew Crowell has made, in one set. Five cubes by \u003ca href=\"\/ja\/collections\/andrew-crowell\"\u003eAndrew Crowell\u003c\/a\u003e, two pieces each, all of them asking the same deceptively simple thing: make a solid 5x5x5 cube. Medium difficulty, 30-60 minutes per solve.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBest for:\u003c\/strong\u003e Collectors completing their Crowell shelf in one go, solvers making their first attempt at a turning interlocking cube, and gift buyers who want a set that looks like an object rather than a toy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy Two Pieces Is the Place to Start\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTIC stands for Turning Interlocking Cube. The pieces do not slide apart, they rotate apart, and that one difference is what stops people who are already good at interlocking puzzles - the move you need is the move you have been trained not to try.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat rotation needs somewhere to happen. Every TIC carries hollow space inside the finished cube - internal cavities the pieces turn through on their way out. You will never see them, because every outer face is solid. It is also why these five are 5x5x5 while Crowell's 4 and 5-piece TICs are 4x4x4: two pieces turning past each other need the extra room to do it in.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith two pieces there is nowhere for that rotation to hide. You are not managing five components and a build order, you are looking at one seam and working out which way it turns. That makes this set the natural on-ramp to Crowell's 4 and 5-piece TICs, where the same mechanic is buried under a lot more geometry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePuzzles Included\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/ja\/products\/ecstatic-puzzle\"\u003eEcstaTIC\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e - the original two-piece TIC, and the gentlest introduction to the turning mechanic\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/ja\/products\/emphatic-two-piece-cube-puzzle\"\u003eEmphaTIC\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e - the one that shows its hand. The teal piece reads as clean bands from the outside, so you can trace exactly where it sits and still fail to get it out. The natural second solve.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/ja\/products\/ecliptic-two-piece-cube-puzzle\"\u003eEclipTIC\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e - the one that punishes a clean face. The top looks like a lid you could lift straight off. It is threaded into the body and will not move until it turns.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/ja\/products\/enthusiastic-two-piece-cube-puzzle\"\u003eEnthusiasTIC\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e - the one with no lead piece. Both halves grip in more than one direction at once, so nothing works loose gradually - it stays solid until suddenly it is not.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/ja\/products\/eclectic-two-piece-cube-puzzle\"\u003eEclecTIC\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e - the one with nothing to read. The seam wanders across every face instead of settling into a plane, so there is no flat side to study. Leave it until last.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSpecs\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e5 puzzles | 2 pieces each | 60x60x60mm | Medium difficulty | 30-60 min per solve | Ships assembled\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFAQ\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"gp-faq\"\u003e\n\u003csummary\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat is in the Two-Piece TIC Collection?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"gp-faq__a\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFive turning interlocking cubes by Andrew Crowell: EcstaTIC, EmphaTIC, EclipTIC, EnthusiasTIC and EclecTIC. Each is built from two pieces that rotate together into a solid 5x5x5 cube.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"gp-faq\"\u003e\n\u003csummary\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAre two-piece puzzles too easy?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"gp-faq__a\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo. Piece count is not what makes a TIC hard - the rotation is. All five are rated Medium and take 30-60 minutes, because the pieces have to turn past each other rather than pull apart, and that is not a move most solvers reach for.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"gp-faq\"\u003e\n\u003csummary\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIs this a good first set of TIC puzzles?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"gp-faq__a\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is the best starting point in the store. Two pieces teaches the turning mechanic with the least noise around it, which is exactly what you need before moving to the \u003ca href=\"\/ja\/products\/tic-bundle-1\"\u003e4 and 5-piece TICs\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"gp-faq\"\u003e\n\u003csummary\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDo they arrive solved?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"gp-faq__a\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes, all five ship assembled as finished cubes. Taking the first one apart is your first puzzle, and it is reliably easier than putting it back.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e","brand":"Greg Puzzles","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51452397584551,"sku":null,"price":145.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0668\/2827\/1783\/files\/two_piece_tic_collection_hero.jpg?v=1790927156","url":"https:\/\/gregpuzzles.com\/ja\/products\/two-piece-tic-collection-all-5-two-piece-tics-by-andrew-crowell","provider":"Greg Puzzles","version":"1.0","type":"link"}