Game of Life (Hasbro)

The Game of Life is a board game designed by Reuben Klamer and originally published by Milton Bradley Company (now a subsidiary of Hasbro) in 1960 to celebrate Milton Bradley's centennial.


Early stages in a game of 'The Game of Life'

Between 2 and 10 players each get a plastic car in which they can collect their "family" throughout the game. Each turn consists of spinning a wheel with the numbers 1 to 10 on it, and obeying the instructions of the space they land on. As one progresses through the game, one collects cards with life events on them (e.g. climb Mt. Everest, cure the common cold etc.). The game board also has small mountains and other similar pieces, so the board does not appear flat. The player with the most money at the end of the game wins.

The game was endorsed by Art Linkletter in the 1960s and was updated in 1992 to reward players for "good" behavior, such as recycling trash. It is now part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.