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Candy Land

Candy Land (also known as Candyland) is a simple racing board game created by Eleanor Abbott and published by Milton Bradley in 1948. The game requires no reading and minimal counting skills, making it suitable for young children. No strategy is involved as players are never required to make choices; only following directions is required. About one million copies per year are sold.[1]

This article is about the board game. For other uses, see Candyland (disambiguation).

Designers

Eleanor Abbott

1949 (1949)

1949–present

English

2–4

30'

Complete

3+

History[edit]

The game was designed in 1948 by Eleanor Abbott, while she was recovering from polio in San Diego, California. The game was made for and tested by the children in the same wards on the hospital. The children suggested that Abbott submit the game to Milton Bradley Company. The game was bought by Milton Bradley and first published in 1949 as a temporary fill-in for their then main product line, school supplies. Candy Land became Milton Bradley's best-selling game, surpassing its previous top seller, Uncle Wiggily, and put the company in the same league as its main competitor, Parker Brothers. The original art has been purported to be by Abbott, although this is uncertain.[1]


In 1984, Hasbro purchased Milton Bradley.[2] Landmark Entertainment Group revamped the game with new art that same year, adding characters and a storyline.[3]


Hasbro produces several versions of the game and treats it as a brand. For example, it markets Candy Land puzzles, a travel version, a personal computer game, and a handheld electronic version.[1]


Candy Land was involved in one of the first disputes over Internet domain names in 1996. An adult web content provider registered candyland.com, and Hasbro objected. Hasbro obtained an injunction against the use.[4]


In 2012, Hasbro announced a film, which triggered a lawsuit by Landmark Entertainment Group over ownership and royalties owed for the characters and storyline introduced in the 1984 edition.[3]

The Kids – In the classic version, they are two blonde twins. In 2002, there are four kids of varying races. In the 2013 edition, they are a marshmallow, an ice cream cone, a gumdrop, and a gingerbread girl.

Mr. Mint – He lives in the Candycane Forest, and is a candy cane "woodcutter". He was removed from World of Sweets and then brought back for the 2013 version as an ice skater instead of a woodcutter.

Duke of Swirl – Mr. Mint's replacement in the 2010 edition.

Gramma Nutt

Kandy – the king of Candy Land. He lives in a castle made of sweets.

King

Jolly – A happy chubby monster representing gumdrops. He was removed in the 2010 version and then after widespread outcry and demand was brought back for the 2013 edition; however, he was once again removed in the 2014 edition.

Plumpy – A fuzzy green monster under the gingerbread plum tree. He was removed in the 2002 version and replaced by Mamma Ginger Tree.

Mamma Ginger Tree – Makes the best gingersnaps in all of Candy Land. She was removed from the game.

Cupcake Commons – Mamma Ginger Tree's replacement in the 2010 version.

Lolly – She was renamed 'Lolly' after the 2002 edition and later renamed Princess Lolly in the 2010 and 2014 editions.

Princess

Queen – She was renamed 'Princess Frostine' in the 2002 edition.

Frostine

Lord

Licorice

Gloppy – Friendly monster made of chocolate (originally made of molasses)

Gingerbread Kids

Grandma Gooey – Gramma Nutt's replacement in the 2010 edition. Along with Gloppy, she and he are, obviously, both residents of Chocolate Mountain. She is somewhat of an expert when it comes to making cakes.

Fluffypuffer – a plump character that appears in the VCR board game. Whenever its name is said aloud, it multiplies.

Characters depend on the version of the game.

Legacy[edit]

Motif[edit]

The Candy section of Toys "R" Us in New York City's Times Square maintained a Candy Land theme until losing its license for the characters in 2006.[8] The theme included a colored pathway that mimicked the board for the game, several Candy Land characters, and candy-themed shelving and ceiling decorations.[9]

Comic book[edit]

Candy Land was one of several Hasbro properties featured in the 2011 one-shot comic book Unit: E, which attempted to revamp and tie together several of Hasbro's dormant properties. Princess Lolly is seen in one page, with Synergy (from Jem), the son of Acroyear and his servant Biotron (both from Micronauts) discussing her and other fairies that have crossed over from their land onto Earth more than once. Synergy believes the creatures of Primordia (an attempted reworking of Inhumanoids) may have been the result of someone angering the fairies in the past, though she admits she's uncertain if this is in fact the case.[10]

Reception[edit]

The Toy Industry Association named Candy Land as the most popular toy in the US in the 1940s.[18] In 2005, the game was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame at The Strong Museum in Rochester, New York.[19] About one million copies per year are sold.[1]

at BoardGameGeek

Candy Land

Official rules of classic version

from the Elliott Avedon Museum & Archive of Games

Information about Candyland

; feature a picture of the classic board

Mathematical analysis of 1–4 player game

Deeper mathematical analysis of 1 player game

; results for Candy Land differ slightly from others

Monte Carlo analysis of Candyland, Cootie, and Chutes and Ladders

of Candyland

Mathematical analysis

Android Gaming Candyland

[1]