Perplexus, originally released as Superplexus, is a 3-D ball-in-a-maze puzzle or labyrinth game enclosed in a transparent plastic sphere. By twisting and turning it, players try to maneuver a small steel ball through a complex maze along narrow plastic tracks. The maze has many steps (varying across puzzles). The number of steps ranges from 30 in the Perplexus Twist to 225 in the Perplexus 3x3 Rubik's cube Hybrid. Some levels drop the ball into a cup or a small rim to utilize its 3-D nature. Players must complete obstacles varying in difficulty to reach the end.
Perplexus LLC is the manufacturer and a wholly owned subsidiary of Spin Master Ltd (since 2017).[1]
History
Perplexus was co-invented by college professor Michael McGinnis and toy inventors Brian Clemens and Dan Klitsner of San Francisco-based KID Group—known for inventing Bop It, HyperDash, and other game titles. McGinnis first drew pictures for 3-D labyrinths in the late 1970s. In 1999, he showed drawings and rough prototypes to Clemens and Klitsner. After a year of collaboration and many prototypes, they perfected the toy's gameplay. It was easy enough for a young child to start, yet challenging any age for its many levels.