Shape library
The Shashibo Shape Library — every fold, one page at a time
A Shashibo looks like a simple patterned box until you find one of its two opening corners. Then the 12 hinged pyramid pieces start to roll through each other, 36 rare-earth magnets pull them into place, and a new shape clicks together in your hands.
The official guide numbers more than 70 shapes, and the brand now counts 100+. That is a lot of folds to remember, so we gave the most-searched ones their own pages: what each shape looks like, where it sits on the beginner route, how hard it feels, and what to do when the pieces push back.
Where the official instructions spell out the moves — opening a corner, Crown, Star, Ball, closing back to the cube — we write them out step by step. For the rest we describe the target and how to find it by feel, because the honest truth of the fold is this: if it doesn't flow, it doesn't go.
The official beginner route
The instruction sheet that comes with the cube walks one path in order: Cube, then Crown, then Star, then Hive, then Pyramid, and finally a flat hexagonal disc that looks a lot like a UFO. Each stop teaches your hands something the next one needs. The Crown shows you how a corner opens, the Star shows how far the ring can spread, and by the time you reach the Hive and the Pyramid you are folding by feel instead of by picture. Walk the route once in order before you jump around the library — the later shapes get much friendlier when the earlier ones are in your fingers.
One-cube shapes
Shapes with two or more cubes
Folding tips that work on every shape
- Only 2 of the 8 corners open — if a corner refuses, try another one instead of forcing it.
- Go slow and let the pieces fold through themselves; the magnets do half the work.
- A clean click is your signal that you have landed a shape.
- If a move resists, back up one step and try the fold from the other side.
- Use the outer pattern as your map when you head back to the cube.
- Stuck on a later shape? The brand's free app has video for 70+ shapes.
Shape questions
How many shapes can a Shashibo make?
The official shape guide for the classic cube shows 72 numbered shapes, and the brand's current count is 100+. The smaller OCTA makes 30+ shapes and the ICOSA XL makes 200+.
What is the easiest Shashibo shape to start with?
The Crown. You get it by opening one corner of the closed cube, and it is the first stop on the official beginner route. The Star follows right after it.
How do you make a star with a Shashibo?
Open one corner to make the Crown, then open the Crown's closed corner. The ring spreads into a six-pointed Star with a hexagonal hole in the middle. Our Star page walks it step by step.
What shapes can you make with 2 Shashibo cubes?
Shashibos connect through their outer magnets. A well-known two-cube build is a Ball set into the hole of a Star, which gives a star with a cube-like core. More Stars stack into larger star sculptures.
Is there a video guide for Shashibo shapes?
Yes. Fun In Motion Toys has a free app for Apple and Android with instructional videos for 70+ shapes, which pairs well with the descriptions in this library.