The Game of Life

The Game of Life is a board game originally created in 1860 by Milton Bradley as The Checkered Game of Life, making it one of the earliest mass produced board games in the United States. A modern version, developed by Bill Markham and Reuben Klamer, was released in 1960 to mark Milton Bradley's centennial and remains the game most players know today. Players move plastic cars along a winding path representing a life course, making choices about education, career, marriage and family as they travel from the start of adult life toward retirement. Along the way spinners determine random events such as job changes, paydays and unexpected expenses, blending chance with a handful of player decisions. Depending on edition, the game supports two to four or as many as six players, with some later variants accommodating up to ten. Financial standing at the end of the game, typically measured at a retirement stage, decides the winner. The game has been reissued in numerous themed and updated editions over more than a century of continuous publication.