Candy Land

Candy Land (also known as Candyland) is a Hasbro racing board game. The game requires no reading or counting skills, making it appropriate for young children. There is no strategy involved because players are never required to make decisions; only following instructions is required. And, while it appears to be a lighthearted, fun game for kids, the underlying story is far more tragic than its cheerful themes suggest. Candy Land was developed to distract and entertain children in polio hospitals. The inventor, Eleanor Abbot, had the disease herself and understood how lonely children in polio wards were. When the game was first released in 1949, Abbot spent nearly all of her earnings on school supplies and other equipment for underprivileged children. More than 50 million units have been sold so far.

The game is won by landing on or passing through the final square and thus reaching the Candy Castle's goal. According to the official rules, any card that causes the player to advance past the last square wins the game, but many people play so that one must land exactly on the last square to win. The final space was changed from a violet square to a rainbow space in the 2004 version, which means it applies to any color drawn by a player, resolving any disagreement about who wins the game.

Creator: Eleanor Abbot

Introduced: December 14, 1949