Twister (game) facts for kids
1966 original cover art
|
|
| Publisher(s) | Hasbro Winning Moves Games USA Nintendo |
|---|---|
| Publication date | December 14, 1966 |
| Genre(s) | Physical skill game |
Twister is a fun game of physical skill that gets you moving! It was first made by the Milton Bradley Company and is now also produced by Winning Moves Games USA. The game uses a big plastic mat that you spread out on the floor. This mat has four rows of six large, colorful circles. Each row has circles of a different color: red, yellow, green, and blue. A special spinner tells players where to put their hands or feet. The game is famous for "tying you up in knots"!
Contents
How to Play Twister
To play Twister, you use a spinner attached to a square board. This spinner tells you exactly where to place your hand or foot. The spinner is split into four main parts: left foot, right foot, left hand, and right hand. Each of these parts is then divided into the four colors: red, yellow, green, and blue.
After someone spins, they call out the combination, like "right hand yellow." Then, all players must quickly move their matching hand or foot to an empty circle of that color.
If only two people are playing, they cannot share the same circle with a hand or foot. The rules change a bit if more players join. Because there are only so many colored circles, players often end up in funny or tricky positions. This usually makes someone lose their balance and fall over. A player is out of the game if they fall down or if their elbow or knee touches the mat. The last player left standing wins!
The History of Twister
The idea for Twister started in 1964. A man named Reyn Guyer Sr. owned a company that designed displays for stores. He wanted to create new toys and games.
He hired Charles Foley, a talented toy designer. Foley then hired Neil Rabens, an artist. Together, they started thinking of new game ideas. Foley had an idea for a "party game" where people would be the game pieces. Rabens had thought of using a colored mat where people could interact.
Foley combined these ideas. He arranged the colored dots in rows and added a spinner. This spinner would call out a hand or foot and a color, making players get tangled up. The first person to fall would lose.
They called their new game "Pretzel" at first. On April 14, 1966, they submitted their idea. Charles Foley showed the game to his friend Mel Taft, who worked at Milton Bradley. Milton Bradley loved the game but decided to rename it "Twister."
Twister became a huge hit very quickly. On May 3, 1966, actress Eva Gabor played the game with Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show. This made the game super popular! It was also a bit controversial because it was one of the first games where people's bodies were used as playing pieces.
In 1966, Twister was even licensed to Nintendo for the Japanese market. Back then, Nintendo was a toy and board game company! They released it as Twister Game in Japan.
Later, in 1984, Hasbro bought the Milton Bradley Company. This made Hasbro the main company behind Twister. The original creators, the Reyn Guyer Creative Group, still work with Hasbro to make new Twister products. Charles Foley, one of the inventors, passed away on July 1, 2013, at age 82.
Why Twister Became a Phenomenon
Twister was one of the first "toy fads" of its kind, much like the hula hoop. A toy fad is something that becomes incredibly popular for a short time, selling millions of copies. Twister was called an "industry phenomenon" because it really captured people's imagination. It brought together people of all ages, from kids to adults, for a fun and silly game.
Making Twister Accessible
Did you know Twister can be changed so that everyone can play? There are ways to adapt the game for people who are color-blind or even completely blind.
One cool way to play is called Blindfolded Twister. In this version, the mat has four different raised symbols that you can feel. Players wear a blindfold and have to find the correct symbol with their hands or feet just by touching it. This makes the game fun for everyone!
