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How to build the Soma cube snake

The snake uses all seven Soma pieces, 27 cubes in total. Here is one solution: first the finished figure, then the pieces one by one from the floor up, in an order you can follow with real pieces.

VLZAPBT
The finished snake, seen from the front left and above: the front is at the lower right, the left side at the lower left.
  • Vsmall corner
  • LL shape
  • TT shape
  • Zstep (Z shape)
  • Atwist A
  • Btwist B
  • Pbranch

Open in 3D, piece by piece

Opens the solver with this figure. Press "Next" to place one piece at a time, and drag to turn the view.

Step by step

Build in this order from the floor up, lowering each piece from above. Every piece rests on the floor or on pieces already placed.

  1. V

    Step 1 · Place piece V (small corner) on layer 1, at the front. It lies flat, with its bend at the back left corner.

  2. L

    Step 2 · Place piece L (L shape) on layer 1, at the front right. It lies flat: a row of three from left to right, with the fourth cube at the back right corner.

  3. Z

    Step 3 · Place piece Z (step) on layer 1, in the middle. It lies flat as a zigzag from left to right: the left end is at the back, the right end at the front.

  4. A

    Step 4 · Place piece A (twist A) on layers 1–2, at the back. Three of its cubes lie on layer 1, and one sticks up onto layer 2.

  5. P

    Step 5 · Place piece P (branch) on layers 1–2, at the back left. Three of its cubes lie on layer 1, and one sticks up onto layer 2.

  6. B

    Step 6 · Place piece B (twist B) on layers 1–2, at the front right. Only one cube is on layer 1; the other three lie on layer 2.

  7. T

    Step 7 · Place piece T (T shape) on layer 2, at the back left. It lies flat: a row of three from left to right, with the fourth cube sticking out to the back from the middle. All 7 pieces are in place and the figure is finished.

Layer by layer, seen from above

Layer 1 is the floor. In each plan the top edge is the back of the figure and the bottom edge is the front.

VLLLVVBLZZPZZAPPAA
layer 1 · floor
BBBTTTPTA
layer 2

Tip

Only pieces A, B, and P can fill the cube at the front right of layer 2. Try those there first.

About this figure

Open in 3D, piece by piece