Professor Layton and the Curious Village

Puzzle 117: Painting a Cube

Original diagram for Puzzle 117: Painting a Cube

How many different ways can you paint a cube in three colours so no touching faces match?

Chapter
Chapter 6
Location
Tower Road
Picarats
30 picarats
Type
Write Answer
Region
Same in all versions
Hint 1: A gentle nudge. Tap to flip.
Hint 1

Each face of a cube touches four others. Only one face doesn't touch it.

Tap to flip back
Hint 2: The key idea. Unlocks after the previous card is flipped.
Hint 2

How many faces can one colour cover without two of them touching?

Tap to flip back
Hint 3: Almost there. Unlocks after the previous card is flipped.
Hint 3

Three colours, six faces. Does that leave you any choice?

Tap to flip back
Answer: See the answer. Unlocks after the previous card is flipped.
Answer

The answer is 1.

Tap to flip back
Solution, FAQ and sources

Solution

1. Each face touches four of the other five faces. The only face it doesn't touch is the one directly opposite. 2. So one colour can cover at most two faces, and only if they're opposite each other. 3. With three colours and six faces, each colour must cover exactly one pair of opposite faces. 4. Any two such paint jobs only differ in which colour went on which pair — a swap the puzzle says doesn't count.

There's **1** pattern.

About this puzzle

You want to paint a paper cube with three colours, every face painted, so that no two faces that touch share a colour. Patterns that only differ by swapping which colour goes where don’t count as different. How many different patterns are there?

Unofficial fan guide, not affiliated with LEVEL-5. Puzzle description, hints and solution written by Hint by Hint.

Similar puzzles: Puzzle 116: The Largest Total, Puzzle 123: Tons of Triangles, Puzzle 102: Aces and the Joker, Puzzle 108: Not Knots

All Professor Layton and the Curious Village puzzles

FAQ

What is the answer to Puzzle 117, Painting a Cube, in Professor Layton and the Curious Village?

The answer is 1.

Where do you find Puzzle 117 in Curious Village?

Puzzle 117 appears in Chapter 6, in the Tower Road area.

How many picarats is Curious Village Puzzle 117 worth?

30 picarats.

Sources

Facts checked on November 14, 2026

Unofficial fan guide. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by LEVEL-5 Inc. Professor Layton, The New World of Steam, and all related names, characters, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.