This article was taken from the July 2012 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
The Rubik's Cube was one of the best-selling toys ever. Revisit the classic, then try solving its mutant offspring.
Perfect for: Getting idle hands tied up in Gordian knots.
Wired twist: It's the spitting image of a microbe. Also, 12 strings and 24 knobs ensure that one wrong move will result in a tangled snarl.
£12
Dayan Gem Cube III
Perfect for: Puzzling with flair -- you can decorate it yourself.
Wired twist: Known in the puzzle biz as a "helicopter dodecahedron", this 12-sided figure with spinning faces may be the Airworlf of geometric puzzles.
$42 (£27)
V-Cube 7 Illusion
Perfect for: Channelling the spirit of 2 Tone.
Wired twist: First, this bulging black-and-white cube hits you with optical illusions. Then it melts your brain with a giddy 49 squares per side.
£34.99
Perfect for: Busying your brain while you watch 80s cartoons.
Wired twist: Pit your skills against others at the World Cube Association. The youngest speed-champ?
Three-year-old Shengzhi Gao at 1:02:30.
£9.99
Perfect for: Throwing ninja-style at your sibling's head.
Wired twist: One for true masochists. Turn the spikes to match the colours, but remember -- this toy flips inside-out, and you have to match that side, too.
$17 (£11)
Perfect for: those who find stress-relief balls too relaxing.
Wired twists: The ergonomic, sleep design lets you rotate and align like-coloured planets. But mind the craters, which can lock neighbouring balls' ability to rotate.
£10
Perfect for: Getting in touch with your inner gearhead.
Wired twist: Inspired by an idea from BitTorrent cofounder Bram Cohen, this toothed menace triple-scrambles its colours every turn.
£19.99
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
