Flip Side

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Flip-Side is a recent puzzle by Thinkfun. It consists of a frame containing 10 numbered blocks in two rows of five. In the centre of the frame is a turntable that holds 3 blocks from each row. When turned, the three blocks in the top row swap with the three blocks directly beneath them. Each row can slide left or right, so you can choose which three adjacent blocks in a row are flipped to the other row. The blocks are numbered, and the aim is of course to arrange them in numerical order after they have been mixed, i.e. 01234 on the top row, 56789 on the bottom row. Several possible patterns are suggested on the Flip-Side packaging. These are shown below: One In Front Right To Left Evens And Odds Upside Down Cycle Reverse Cycle 12345 67890 43210 98765 02468 13579 56789 01234 01234 98765 98765 01234 Flip-Side was invented by Ferdinand Lammertink, who also invented Topspin, Backspin, and Triple Cross. The puzzle's patent, US 2006/279041, was published 14 December 2006. If your browser supports it, you can click on the link below to play with a Javascript version of Flip-Side.