How to open your first Shashibo (without forcing it)

Before the first twist

A new Shashibo arrives as a neat cube, and the first instinct is to pull. Don't. The pieces are joined by hinges and held by magnets, so the cube opens best when you let it choose the direction. Hold it in both hands with one corner pointing up.

Step 1 — open one corner

Press gently on a corner and let it fall open toward you. You will feel the magnets let go and catch again. That half-open shape is often called the crown, and it is the doorway to most of the others.

Step 2 — find the star

From the crown, fold the closed corner across to meet the open side. Keep turning the cube in your hands and the points will rise into a star. If a piece resists, back up one move — the rule of the fold is simple: if it doesn't flow, it doesn't go.

Step 3 — back to the box

Reverse the last two moves to return to the crown, then close the corner. Getting home to the cube is the skill that makes every other shape less scary.

Where to go next

Once the star feels easy, try connecting two cubes edge to edge. Two Shashibos open the mirrored shapes, and four start building real structures.