Want some gifts this year that will bring everyone together? Or at least get the kids to unplug for a few minutes? Try these games to get their brains and fists pumping:

Puzzle games

* A new hot game is “Perplexus,” a new take on the old guide-the-ball-through-the-maze games. This version comes in a big plastic ball that looks like a hamster ball and is filled with orange, yellow and green twisty, bendy paths and turns. There are 100 barriers, so it’s definitely a challenge. Once you figure out how to get the ball through the maze, you can still play by having timed challenges between family members. “Perplexus” is from PlaySmart. See it at http://www.perplexus.net/ or Amazon.com. It is for ages 6 and up, and $24.95 at Amazon.

* Another new take on an old favorite, “Puzzleball” is a 3-D puzzle that has curved pieces that fit together to form a globe. When you finish it, you can display it on the included stand. Puzzles come in different prices, sizes and difficulties. The “Underwater World” is a 540-piece puzzle for $44.95, and the “Children’s Globe” is only 96 pieces and $14.95. They come from Ravensburger; check them out at www.ravensburger.com or Amazon.

* You might not believe this, but the classic “Rubik’s Cube” puzzle game is again growing in popularity. The game is just as you remember it, a 3 x 3 cube, and you have to twist it to get all the colors on the same side (from Winning Moves, $11.95, www.barnesandnoble.com, for ages 8 and up); or try the new electronic version, the “Rubik’s TouchCube,” which has built-in hints and comes with a recharging stand. From Technosource, $175.95 at www.barnesandnoble.com; ages 8 and up.

Brain power

* Looking for a bit more of a challenge? Check out the games at Marbles: The Brain Store, www.marblesthebrainstore.com, for games that will pump up your synapses. “ColorKu” is a Sudoku-like game with color marbles instead of numbers that exercises all four lobes of your brain in one fell swoop. It’s a solid wood game board that costs $29.99.

* A great gift for mom might be the “Posh Sudoku” book. The beautiful cover of the 5- by 8-inch book hides some simply elegant puzzles inside. It is $9.99 at www.marblesthebrainstore.com.

* “Pengoloo” is a game that works on children’s memory skills without them even realizing it. In “Pengoloo,” the youngest player rolls the two multicolored die first and gets two chances to find matching colored eggs under the penguins. If the player finds a matching egg, he gets to place the penguin on his iceberg. The first player to collect six penguins wins. Made from high-quality wood, it is $29.99 from Blue Orange, www.blueorangegames.com; or find it at www.marblesthebrainstore.com.

Trivia or party games

* Sort It Out Board Game was named the 2010 Game of the Year by the U.S. Toy Industry Association (www.toyawards.org). It is a party game from Australia where players rank more than 300 objects by the biggest, fastest, loudest, smallest or longest. For example: Sort these things from shortest to tallest: an emu, a double bass, the Queen, a T-rex and a double-decker bus.

For 2 to 6 players, for ages 12 and up. From University Games, $29.95 at www.barnesandnoble.com.

* Marbles: The Brain Store also offers a trivia game called “Kwizniac” that tests players’ in-depth knowledge of a subject by providing 10 clues in decreasing order of difficulty. The more clues it takes to answer the question, the fewer points you receive. Costs $29.99 at www.marblesthebrainstore.com.

DVD games

* If you’re looking for a fun game for the whole family, try “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the DVD Game.” Based on the longest-running TV Christmas special, it features fun minigames and on-screen puzzles. For ages 6 to adult, costs $19.99 at www.barnesandnoble.com.

“Pengoloo” is a game that helps develop children’s memory skills without them realizing it. Made from high-quality wood, it is $29.99 from Blue Orange, www.blueorangegames.com. Find it at www.marblesthebrainstore.com.

“Puzzleball” is a 3-D puzzle that has curved pieces that fit together to form a globe. Puzzles come in different prices, sizes and difficulties. The 96-piece “Children’s Globe” costs $14.95. Check them out at www.ravensburger.com or Amazon.