“Let’s Party!”
Published by RoseArt in 1994, the Polly Pocket party game appealed to fans of the tiny Polly Pocket figures and accessories created by Chris Wiggs and first released by Bluebird Toys in 1989.
GAMEPLAY
The object of the game was to visit four parties, deliver a present, collect a balloon, and be the first player home.
Before each game, cardboard partitions festooned with inviting party scenes (comfortable homes and sunny parks ) were placed at the corners of the board. Four balloons — one for each pawn colour — were also placed at the corners. A gift shop stand with tiny plastic presents was positioned at the centre of the board. The party invitations and lucky draw cards were stacked beside the board.
Players chose a vehicle and matching pastel-hued Polly figure as their game pawns and placed these at their individual starting positions on the board.
The youngest player started the game with a throw of the dice. The dice were illustrated with pips and an envelope. Players moved the number of spaces indicated on the dice. When an envelope was rolled, the player could take an invitation card or move one space. If a player chose an invitation card, they rolled and moved their way to the gift shop to pick up a gift in the colour of their pawn. They then rolled their way to the party indicated on the card.
Once at the party, the player dropped off their gift and took a balloon, which was then placed in the back of their vehicle. Each vehicle had four holes in the back where balloons were placed as they were acquired.
Lucky draw cards were collected when players landed on the spaces illustrated with a purple heart. These cards gave players a perk by allowing them to advance spaces or pick up a gift without rolling the dice to advance to the gift shop.
Players ventured around the board, hoping to draw invitations to all four parties. Once they attended each party, a player could head home with their balloons in tow. The first player to arrive home, having attended all the parties, won the game.
IN THE BOX
A complete game included the double-sided game board (one side for gameplay, the other just for fun), four vehicles (a pink car, yellow swan, blue dog, and green cat), four Polly Pocket figures, 20 balloons, 20 presents, 18 party invitations, 12 lucky draw cards, house partitions and clips, a gift shop stand, and dice. Instructions were printed on a cardboard platform inside the box.
COLLECTOR CONSIDERATIONS
Polly Pocket dolls and accessories are popular collectibles. The original Bluebird-produced toys, playsets, and accessories currently command prices that far outpace their original retail value, which started under $10.00. As a testament to the appeal of the micro toys, several new Polly Pocket initiatives have been released in recent years. In addition to web, television, and film series, Hot Topic launched a line of clothing and accessories — including a Polly Pocket makeup line — and Mattel released a Polly Pocket Collector Friends Compact in 2023 that featured the characters and settings of the Friends sitcom interpreted in classic Polly Pocket style.
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