Rubik’s 360

Approx. price: £14.99

Age range: 8+

Website: www.drumondpark.com

Many puzzles have attempted to tap into the success of the original Rubik’s Cube, but although we’ve enjoyed Rubik’s Sphere, Rubik’s Revenge and even an infernal 7×7x7 version, nobody has hit the heights of Professor Erno Rubik’s first creation.

The Rubik’s 360 is the kindly professor’s latest attempt to drive us all barmy – and this time the approach is distinctly different. Where previous puzzles have all involved a broadly similar concept – twisting and turning sections of the puzzle to get it back to its original state – the 360 is a different concept entirely.

This is a striking piece of engineering, with three transparent spheres holding six coloured balls (in those familiar Rubik’s Cube colours). The inner spheres rotate freely when you roll the outer sphere in your hand and there’s a simple pleasure in this alone. The 360 is pleasantly weighty and, depending on your outlook, it could work as a stress-busting toy.

We say “depending on your outlook” because, of course, there is a point to rotating the spheres, and once you get to grips with that it’s possible your stress levels will start to rise.

Each of the six coloured balls has a home – a colour-coordinated dome on the outer sphere. The aim is to guide each ball through holes in the interior spheres and into their designated domes, with the force of gravity working as both ally and enemy.

In our testing we found it fascinating to see the different tactics employed by different people. Some tried to move the 360 slowly, to creep the balls towards the hole in the inner sphere. Others adopted a scientific approach and talked about exploiting centrifugal forces created by steady spinning, while a six-year-old simply shook the whole thing enthusiastically and found that a coloured ball had indeed made its way into a dome. It wasn’t the correct dome, but it was still further than anyone else had got.

At last week’s Christmas in July event in London we had the pleasure of meeting Emily Dixon, a Rubik’s Cube expert who has also mastered the 360. A trapeze artist by trade (perhaps that gives her enhanced spatial awareness?), Emily was able to guide the balls into their domes with a technique that mixed careful positioning with rapid movement. It’s difficult to describe and it must be said that copying the technique hasn’t worked for us yet.

The key point is that this puzzle is hard. It is also thoroughly absorbing and, in one critical area, Professor Rubik has shown mercy. A simple locking mechanism means that you can securely lock in any balls that you have placed in their correct domes, allowing you to put the 360 down for a while (perhaps to run outside and scream) without undoing all your progress.

The Rubik’s 360 is a beautifully designed puzzle that offers a serious and original challenge. It’s irresistible and compelling and although matching the phenomenal success of the original Cube is all-but impossible, this is sure to be a big hit.

Durability: 4/5
Longevity: 5/5
Value: 5/5
Score: 92%
Conclusion: In our opinion this is the best puzzle to come out of Professor Rubik’s imagination since the original Cube.