If you grew up playing only one board game as a child, chances are it was Candy Land. Who doesn’t remember the sweetness of Gramma Nutt or wanting to take a bite out of the Candycane Forest? One thing that sets Candy Land apart from other board games is its beautiful simplicity. You don’t need to remember complex sets of rules or even devise a winning strategy to play the game. All you need to do is pick a card and let the chocolate chips fall where they may. After over 70 years on the market, Candy Land’s sweetness has endured, teaching millions of children the joy of board games at a young age.
The History of Candy Land
Although countless families have their own personal history growing up playing Candy Land, the history of the game is quite a tale in and of itself. It was first created by a woman named Eleanor Abbott in the early 1940’s while she was recovering from polio. She made it to entertain other kids who were also recovering from polio in the same ward that she was. Once the game was created, the children suggested that she submit it to the Milton Bradley Company (which was later purchased by Hasbro). Candy Land became their best selling game, and the rest is history.
The Path to King Kandy
The gameplay of Candy Land is deliciously simple enough for even the smallest of kids to follow. Players race each other down a rainbow-colored path to see who will be the first to arrive at Candy Castle and locate the missing King Kandy. The path to the castle is strewn with sweet and scrumptious locations, from the sticky Molasses Swamp to the icy Peppermint Forest. Just make sure to avoid that villainous Lord Licorice, who rules the Licorice Castle and lords over Candy Land with his sickly sweet power!
Candy Land is played in turns, where each player gets to draw a card with one of six colors on it. These colors represent spaces on the board, and each time you draw a card with a specific color on it, you move to the next space of that color. Players get to handle little character markers like the Gingerbread Man that they navigate around the board on their quest to the finish line.
Some cards will have the name of a specific location on the board, in which case the player who drew that card will have to move their piece to that location. This can cost you the game if you’re within a stone’s throw of the castle and you get sent back to the Gingerbread Plum Trees! The 2006 version of the game created licorice spaces that cause you to lose your turn, while the 2013 version swapped the cards for a spinner that decides which space you move to.
Future Versions of Candy Land
Candy Land has released countless later editions in the last 70 years that make the game slightly more complex or give the board game some of your favorite fictional characters. Candy Land: Fun on the Run turns the board game into a travel board game, allowing kids to play it in the car or on vacation. There are also editions such as Candy Land: Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory or Candy Land: Dora the Explorer that replace characters and locations with elements from other stories.
Take a Ride Down Candy Road with Candy Land
Candy Land is playable by 2-4 players, so it’s easy for parents to play with their kids or for kids to play together. It’s also suitable for ages 3 and up, which is perfect for teaching younger kids the rules of board games. In fact, Candy Land is often used as a tool to help younger players learn things like following rules, socializing, recognizing colors, and using patience.
Candy Land has a playing time of around 30 minutes, which is just enough time to keep kids’ interest without boring them. With bright colors, inventive characters, and simplistic gameplay, Candy Land is the quintessential board game for youngsters. Buy this game today and enjoy the sweetness of Candy Land!
