Spin Master buys Perplexus puzzle maker brand for $9 million

In its latest foray into the fast-growing game and puzzle business, Toronto-based toy maker Spin Master Corp. has acquired puzzle maker Perplexus Co. for US$9 million.

Spin Master has distributed Perplexus since 2013 and will now own the global rights to the Perplexus brand.

San Francisco, Calif.-based Perplexus is a complex re-imagining of a two-dimensional ball-in-a-maze game. It includes intricate obstacles inside a range of plastic spheres, forcing players to work their way through a 3D maze. Michael McGinnis co-invented the toy alongside Klitsner Industrial Design Group of San Francisco in 2001.

“We continue to see growth within our Games and Puzzles business segment and this strategic acquisition further emphasizes our position as a leader” said Ben Gadbois, Spin Master’s global president and COO. “Perplexus is already inherently innovative and it will further benefit from our world-class team of experts as we continue to place an emphasis on disruptive ways to enhance our games portfolio.”

The purchase is the latest by Spin Master, which went public in 2015. In recent years the company has also acquired Etch A Sketch and board game maker Marbles.