Blockhead!

Blockhead! is a simple tabletop stacking game suitable for children four years of age and older, invented in 1952 by G.W. Jerry D'Arcey and further developed with his wife Alice D'Arcey in San Jose, California. The original edition consisted of twenty brightly colored wooden blocks of varying and irregular shapes; on each turn a player adds one block to a growing tower, and the object of the game is to avoid being the player whose addition causes the tower to collapse. The game's appeal rests on its simple physical skill and steady hand requirement rather than any card play, reading or counting, which made it accessible to very young children while still offering enough suspense to hold older players' attention as the tower grows taller and more precarious. Blockhead! has remained in print for decades after its introduction and is currently produced by the Pressman Toy Corporation, which continues to sell the game as one of its classic dexterity based children's titles alongside other simple stacking and balance games.