- Set-up
- Under a minute
- Reading
- None
The quick verdict
Full verdict ↓Great for A first Perplexus for a child of about 8 who likes puzzles but might give up on a harder maze
Think twice if You want a game the family plays together: only one person can hold it at a time
How we rate it
Learning curve. Nothing to learn, and it is the beginner maze of Spin Master's range: a European retailer calls its 70 obstacles relatively simple. It still takes many tries to reach 70.
Luck & skill. No luck at all: steady hands, patience and learning each section by feel decide how far you get.
Interaction. A solo puzzle. Others can only watch, take turns or compare best scores.
Set-up. Nothing to set up: open the box and start at the START marker.
Reading. Only the numbers along the track.
Learning curve: 1 = UNO or Connect 4; 3 = Catan; 5 = a heavy strategy game. These describe the experience, not an overall score.
Is Perplexus Rebel right for you?
Great if
- A first Perplexus for a child of about 8 who likes puzzles but might give up on a harder maze
- Screen-free time on train journeys, long drives and school holidays
- A birthday or return gift that needs no batteries and has no pieces to lose
- Trying Perplexus before moving up to Beast or Epic
Skip it if
- You want a game the family plays together: only one person can hold it at a time
- The player already enjoys hard puzzles: Perplexus Beast or Epic will last longer
- The child is very young or upset by restarting; a drop always means going back to START
How Perplexus Rebel plays
Perplexus Rebel is a puzzle toy rather than a board game. Inside a clear plastic sphere a twisting track runs from a spot marked START, and a small ball rests at the beginning. There is nothing to put together: take it out of the box and start turning.
- Time to teach: about 1 minute.
- Reading and language: There is nothing to read: the track carries numbers, and the only rule is to roll the ball from START along them. It works the same in any language at home.
Spin Master Games | Perplexus | The 3D Maze Game · Spin Master Games · Official
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A turn, step by step
- 1Start
The ball waits at the START marker inside the sphere; there is nothing to set up.
- 2Turn
Twist and tilt the sphere so the ball rolls along the numbered track past each obstacle. A drop sends you back to START.
- 3Finish
Get the ball past all 70 obstacles to the end of the track to beat Rebel; until then, chase your best number.
The full explanation: how a game of Perplexus Rebel goes
Hold the sphere in both hands and flip, twist and turn it right round so that gravity rolls the ball along the track. The track is numbered from 1 to 70, and each number marks an obstacle; Spin Master names a few, such as the igloo, the terrible tube and the scary stairs.
If the ball falls off, you bring it back to START and try again. The number you reached is your score, so you can play in short bursts and aim to beat yesterday's best. A steady, medium pace works better than very slow or quick movements.
You beat the maze when the ball gets past obstacle 70 to the end of the track. Rebel is the first step in Spin Master's range: it has 70 obstacles, Perplexus Beast has 100 and Perplexus Epic 125, and Spin Master suggests moving up to those once Rebel is mastered.
Rebel was sold as Perplexus Rookie until 2019, and the Rookie was described as a little smaller than the Original (now Beast) and Epic. Brothers, sisters and cousins can still make a contest of it by taking turns to see who gets furthest.
What's in the box
- 1Perplexus Rebel sphere
clear plastic sphere with the numbered 70-obstacle track and the ball sealed inside - 1Instruction sheet
From Spin Master's description as repeated on an Indian store's page ('Includes: 1 Perplexus Rebel, 1 Instruction Sheet'), which matches the Amazon.in listing facts. Funskool's page lists no other parts. No batteries are needed.
Where to buy
How to make sure you get a genuine copyEditions and the details worth checking.
What reviewers and players say
Little has been written about Perplexus Rebel on its own, and no forum thread about it could be read, so this rests on Spin Master's description, an older review of its predecessor and Wikipedia. Spin Master pitches Rebel as easy to play and hard to master, and sends players on to Beast and Epic once it is beaten. A 2011 gift-guide review of the Perplexus Rookie, Rebel's earlier name, found it quick to get the hang of and called it a great place to start with Perplexus. As with every Perplexus, a dropped ball means going back to the start.
What people love
- A gentler first maze: 70 obstacles rather than 100 or 125
- Quick to get the hang of, with a clear next step to Beast and Epic
- No batteries, no reading and no loose pieces
- Named obstacles like the igloo and the scary stairs give clear targets to beat
Common complaints
- A drop sends you right back to START
- Only one person can play at a time
- Confident puzzlers may finish it fast and want a harder Perplexus
Based on 4 reviews and discussions
- Review 2011 holiday gift guide: Perplexus Epic and Perplexus Rookie maze games (Valerie, November 2011) · From Val's Kitchen
- Reference Perplexus Rebel product page (Funskool, read October 2026) · Funskool
- Reference Perplexus · Wikipedia
- Reference Superplexus history (Michael McGinnis) · superplexus.com
Summarised in our own words from the sources above. We don't use Amazon reviews or ratings.
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| Compare the games.The details that make a difference. |
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Perplexus Rebel
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Perplexus Beast
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Perplexus Epic
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Brainvita
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Why consider it | This game A first Perplexus maze: 70 obstacles to twist, tilt and beat | A different fit The next step up: the original Perplexus track, with 100 obstacles | A different fit The hardest of the three main mazes, with 125 obstacles | A different fit Another one-player puzzle, solved by careful thinking rather than steady hands |
| Players | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Best with | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Play time | 5–30 min | 5–60 min | 5–60 min | 5–20 min |
| Age | 8+ | 8+ | 8+ | 6+ |
| Rules | Easy | Easy | Easy | Easy |
| Indian edition | Available | Available | Available | Available |
| On this page | Explore Perplexus Beast | Explore Perplexus Epic | Explore Brainvita |
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The original Perplexus maze ball: 100 obstacles, one steady pair of hands
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Give a clue for a dreamlike picture, but not too obvious
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Play a card, claim its space, and make five in a row.
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Rummy with tiles: build runs and groups, then rearrange the table
Dobble
Race to spot the one picture any two cards share
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Different games. A familiar kind of fun.
Perplexus Epic
A one-player 3D maze ball with 125 obstacles to beat
Perfection
Race the clock, or a friend, before the shape tray pops
Perplexus Beast
The original Perplexus maze ball: 100 obstacles, one steady pair of hands
Super Math Spy
Race to build an equation that hits your mission number
Brainvita
Jump marble over marble until only one is left, in the centre
Questions people ask about Perplexus Rebel
How is Perplexus Rebel different from Perplexus Beast and Epic?
Rebel has 70 obstacles, Beast 100 and Epic 125, and they get harder in that order: Rebel is the beginner maze. All three are one-player spheres played the same way. Start with Rebel for a first-timer or a younger child, and move up once it is beaten.
Is Perplexus Rebel smaller than Beast and Epic?
Spin Master and Funskool don't publish the sphere sizes. An earlier review of Perplexus Rookie, Rebel's old name, described it as a little smaller than the Original (now Beast) and Epic. What clearly changes is the track: 70 obstacles instead of 100 or 125.
What age is Perplexus Rebel for?
Spin Master's description and Funskool's page say 8 and up. A European retailer lists its German edition as 6 and up, and Rebel is the easiest of the main Perplexus mazes, so a patient 6- or 7-year-old can try it with help.
Is Perplexus Rebel the same as Perplexus Rookie?
Yes. Spin Master renamed Rookie to Rebel in 2019, and it is still the beginner maze of the range. Older reviews use the Rookie name, and some online listings for Rebel still mention it.
Does Perplexus Rebel need batteries?
No. The ball rolls by gravity as you turn the sphere, and the box holds just the sphere and an instruction sheet.
Game facts
- Designed by
- Michael McGinnis, KID Group
- Publisher
- Spin Master
- In India
- Funskool (India) Ltd, which sells Spin Master's Perplexus range in India; Funskool's page names Micro Plastics Private Limited, Harohalli, Karnataka, as manufacturer, packer and importer
- Players
- 1
- Barcode
- 778988568361
- Language
- No reading – There is nothing to read: the track carries numbers, and the only rule is to roll the ball from START along them. It works the same in any language at home.
Sources & photo creditsThe references behind this guide.
Facts on this page come from the publisher, the Indian maker or distributor, and the sources below. Photos are credited under each one.
- Funskool - Perplexus Rebel (product code 6053147)
- Toycra - Spin Master Perplexus Rebel 3D Maze Game (Spin Master's description, SKU 6053147, barcode)
- Galaxus - Spin Master Perplexus Rebel (German edition: age, EAN)
- Perplexus - Wikipedia
- From Val's Kitchen - 2011 holiday gift guide: Perplexus Epic and Perplexus Rookie (November 2011)
- Superplexus history (Michael McGinnis)