The Rubik's Cube is a 3-D combination puzzle invented in 1974by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Erno Rubik . Originally called the Magic Cube , the puzzle was licensed by Rubik to be sold by Ideal Toy Corp in 1980 via businessman Tibor Laczi and Seven Towns founder Tom Kreger Rubik's Cube won the 1980 German Game of the Year special award for Best Puzzle. As of January 2009, 350 million cubes had been sold worldwide, making it the world's top-selling puzzle game. It is widely considered to be the world's best-selling toy.