Monopoly
Players trade real estate in the famous board game dating to the 1929 stock market crash when unemployed Charles Darrow created a board game based on Atlantic City properties. He likely modeled his game on a game created by others. Darrow's game was purchased by Parker Brothers in 1935 and is now owned by Hasbro. The object of the game is to acquire a monopoly on all of the lots, houses, hotels, railroads and utilities and bankrupt the other players. Each player selects a token and moves according to the roll of the dice and instructions on the board and "chance" or "community chest" cards.
Clue
In the detective game Clue, players move their tokens from one room to another in an old mansion layout on the game board to solve the mystery of who killed "Mr. Body" with what weapon, in what room. Players are dealt cards they keep secret from other players except when a player to their left is able to make an "accusation" about the room, weapon or murderer. One card of each type (who, what and where) is placed in a secret envelope in the middle of the board. Players keep track of their clues on paper. The game uses deductive reasoning skills. The player to correctly place the correct suspect in the appropriate room with the weapon of choice wins the game.The game is copyrighted as of 1948 and is owned by Hasbro.
The Game of Life
The Game of Life celebrates its 50th Anniversary this year with a special edition. The classic board game was introduced by Milton Bradley in 1960 and is now owned by Hasbro. The game simulates choices made by people after high school. Players choose a career path or a college path and spin the "wheel of fate" as they race their cars along the game track getting paid, getting married and having babies. Doing good deeds earns players "life tiles" that are worth money at the end of the game or "retirement." Players may change careers, take out loans for homes and vicariously experience the many fates of life.The wealthiest player wins The Game of Life.
Candyland
Children search for the Lost King of Candyland in this board game for players as young as three years old who have basic counting skills. No reading is necessary. Players choose a colored pawn and select a colored card from a stack and move ahead to the next space of that color. Children enjoy the "sweet" destinations named for cupcakes and candies and race to be the first to find the King. The game was published by Milton Bradley in 1949.
Chutes and Ladders
In the children's board game Chutes and Ladders, players are rewarded for good deeds that allow them to climb ladders, or they are punished for not behaving well by sliding down chutes. Players learn number recognition and counting to one hundred while climbing and sliding. The player whose token reaches the last square first wins the game.This classic game for the younger player aged three and up was published in 1943 by Milton Bradley and is currently owned by Hasbro.
Uncle Wiggily
The Uncle Wiggily board game for young children was created from a children's story based on the rabbit character Uncle Wiggily Longears written by Howard R. Garis in 1910. A player chooses one of four playing pieces with stands and follows Uncle Wiggily on the road to Dr. Possum's house while drawing cards with simple rhymes. Symbols are used for players who cannot yet read. The first player to reach Dr. Possum's house wins the game. The game was introduced to the public by Milton Bradley in 1916. In 1989 both Bradley and Parker Brothers had rights to the game. Now Winning Moves owns all rights and manufactures an Uncle Wiggily game based on the Milton Bradley version.