Published by Milton Bradley in 1966, Milton the Monster board game was based on the Hal Seeger-produced animated television series of the same name that ran for 26 episodes between 1965 and 1968.
The series followed the adventures of Professor Montgomery Weirdo, Milton (his lab-created son), and a cast of hauntingly unusual personalities. The board game used the show’s characters as the basis of the game as players race to the professor’s haunted house on Horror Hill.
GAMEPLAY
The object of the game was to be the first player to get their two pawns to Horror Hill.
The player with the high spin started the game. Each turn had players spin and move their pawns along the yellow stone path toward the house. The path was illustrated with characters from the series, such as Professor Montgomery Weirdo, Milton, Count Kook, Heebie, and Jeebie. Those characters and that of Aunt Hagatha were represented on the spinner, although she did not appear on the gameboard.
Players could choose which of their two pawns to move during turns. This provided an opportunity for strategically minded players to use their turns to block an opponent’s progress. Stops along the board provided setbacks and opportunities — such as progressing extra spaces or regressing down the board, losing turns, and gaining extra turns.
Those who had success early in a game could find themselves stumped towards the end because an exact spin was required to get each pawn to Horror Hill. This gave lagging players a chance to catch up and take the win. Total playtime was about 20 minutes.
IN THE BOX
A complete game included the game board, eight pawns (two each of red, yellow, blue, and green), two dice, and a spinner. Instructions were printed on a cardboard platform inside the box.
COLLECTOR CONSIDERATIONS
The mid-1960s was a fruitful era for television monsters and creepy characters. Milton the Monster premiered in 1965 on the heels of The Addams Family and The Munsters, both of which began airing in 1964. However, Milton the Monster failed to gain the audience of its live-action predecessors and has not yet been re-envisioned for a new generation. The show lives on in the hearts of adults who were intrigued by the show as children.
The Milton the Monster board game, a single-edition Gold Key comic (1966), and a DVD release of the complete series (2007) are among the few examples of licensed merchandise available to sustain nostalgic fans.
Note: If you buy something using the eBay link in this story, we may earn a small commission.