Video of Perplexus 3D maze toy

Mark Frauenfelder 12:34 pm Wed Jan 13, 2010

Kevin Kelly shares my enthusiasm for the Perplexus, a 3-D maze toy.

We've found the puzzle to be extremely addictive to anyone who gets started. Because it's like a 3D video game without the electronics, the very physical nature of playing — turning it this way and that — is very satisfying. In addition, the maze is like a sculpture, the design of the route is geekily brilliant, and the elegance of the eternal return of the steel ball within the sphere is a stroke of genius. Perplexus has the glow of a work of art. It makes me happy just to pick it up.

A couple of years ago I asked Michael McGinnis, the creator of the Perplexus, to write a Make story about how he designed and produced the toy. It turns out that the Perplexus has been a lifelong obsession. He now makes giant size Perplexii for museums. You can read the story and see photos of early prototypes here.

After being out of production for a number of years, the Perplexus is back and available on Amazon. I love this toy.

Brilliant 3D Maze: Perplexus

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