Rubik’s Cubes may feel impossible to solve, but the reason it holds so many memories for families is no mystery.
The nostalgic toy officially launched in 1980 and has been a sense of joy for 40 years. For decades, kids have been labeled as geniuses when they finally crack the code, and those who haven’t quite gotten it still love using their quick-thinking skills to keep trying.
To celebrate the toy’s 40th anniversary, Winning Moves Games has a bunch of modern-day versions of the puzzle that can bring kids a whole new wave of fun.
Rubik’s 40th Anniversary Metallic Cube was made just for the occasion, featuring the same design as the classic toy with updated, ’80s-inspired metallic coloring. Kids ages 8 and up can test their matching skills and compete to see how long it takes them to solve it.
Kids today have the distinct advantage of being able to just Google search 40 years worth of information on how to figure out the cubes, so they may need a new puzzle to solve — that’s where the Rubik’s Color Blocks and Rubik’s The Void come in. Both take the classic game to new levels and are designed to make modern kids think even more critically.
The Color Blocks puzzle starts off looking very similar to the Rubik’s Cube we’re used to, but can quickly turn into an assortment of 3D shapes heading in all directions. The cubes vary from short rectangles to big squares, making it very easy to scramble. To solve it, kids will have to twist and turn the pieces until all six sides line up by color and shape. If it becomes too difficult, kids can also choose to make cool sculptures and designs with the toy, instead.
The Void puzzle has just one small problem — a giant hole in the middle of it! Something is missing but there’s no missing out on a challenge. It’s similar to the 3×3 version of the cube, but you can’t see the middle color so it provides a tougher challenge.
Hours can be spent figuring out the colorful challenges presented by the many different Rubik’s products — bringing brand new memories to a familiar toy — and there’s no challenge in that.
