PERPLEXUS is a maze game where players maneuver a small marble around challenging barriers inside a transparent sphere. Unlike traditional flat-surface mazes that are composed of one path, PERPLEXUS houses various challenging tracks with 100 barriers providing a frustrating three-dimensional experience. Players select the track they would like to attempt and must work with gravity to carefully shift, flip, and twist the sphere to guide the marble. Players can race each other or the clock.
Perplexus was invented by Santa Rosa Junior College art teacher Michael McGinnis, and was named 2013 Game of the Year. Read more about Michael McGinnis here.
Here is a quote from the article, "Integrating Education," by Melanie Wann.
"...Perplexus is a brain game, designed to engage children and exercise their minds. It can be played and passed around to several people, or played alone. Children can race their friends, race the clock, or just enjoy the game. It’s unique in its 3-dimensional multi track maze design, and is the perfect game to have at a children’s party. Its distinctive design encourages problem solving and motor skill development, and ultimately the children can gain a sense of accomplishment when completing a mentally stimulating game."
You can read the full article here.