Twister (game)
A physical skill game that ties players in knots.
The Conmunity - Pop Culture Geek from Los Angeles, CA, USA · CC BY 2.0
Twister is a game of physical skill produced by Milton Bradley Company and Winning Moves Games USA. It is played on a large plastic mat with four rows of six colored circles (red, yellow, green, blue), and a spinner directs players where to place their hands or feet. The game promotes itself as 'the game that ties you up in knots.'
- original_concept_by
- Reyn Guyer Jr.
Lore & Background
owned Reynolds Guyer Inc. Agency of Design, where his son Reyn Guyer created a mat game called King's Footsie for a Johnson Wax promotion. Players removed their shoes and stepped on colored squares, leaning on each other. The Guyers took the idea to 3M, which passed, but they hired designer Charles Foley and artist Neil Rabens to develop it further. The team created eight mat games; the one most resembling King's Footsie was dubbed 'Pretzel' by Rabens, who changed squares to dots and added hand placement. Foley suggested lining up colored dots in rows and adding a spinner for a caller. licensed the game to Milton Bradley. When Milton Bradley discovered Transogram held the trademark for a toy dog named Pretzel, the game was renamed 'Twister.'
Reader's Guide
It was controversial, with competitors accusing Milton Bradley of selling 'sex in a box,' speculated to be because it was the first popular American game to use human bodies as playing pieces. The Reyn Guyer Creative Group continues to work with Hasbro on new Twister products. The game is considered a toy fad phenomenon, like the hula hoop, that brought all age groups together.
Did You Know?
- Twister was originally called 'Pretzel' before being renamed because Transogram held the trademark for a toy dog named Pretzel.
Gallery
Frequently Asked Questions
Who came up with the original idea for Twister?
Reyn Guyer Jr. is credited with the original concept behind Twister. The game was subsequently brought to market by Milton Bradley Company and Winning Moves Games USA.
What is the basic setup and goal of Twister?
Players stand on a large plastic mat and take turns spinning a wheel that assigns a specific hand or foot to a specific colored circle. The objective is simply to stay balanced as the body gets more and more tangled with each spin.
How is the Twister mat laid out?
The mat features four rows of six colored circles, using red, yellow, green, and blue. Players must place their hands and feet on those circles exactly as the spinner directs.
Who manufactures and sells Twister?
The game is produced by Milton Bradley Company and Winning Moves Games USA. It is marketed with the well-known tagline calling it 'the game that ties you up in knots.'
What sets Twister apart from typical card or board games?
Twister is a physical-skill game rather than a strategy or card game, so success depends on body flexibility and balance instead of dice rolls or card draws. The random spinner instructions force players into increasingly awkward, intertwined positions.
More in Card & Tabletop Games 25-32
Elsewhere in the Card & Tabletop Games universe
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record