Released in 1964 by Ideal Toy Company, the Twilight Zone board game embraced unpredictability and chance to transport players along the Road to Reality to home base.
The game was inspired by the popular Twilight Zone anthology series that ran on CBS from 1959 to 1964. Known for its imaginative and often surreal storytelling, the show featured early performances by now-famous actors like William Shatner, Julie Newmar, Carol Burnett, and Martin Landau. The series has grown in influence over time. Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker has cited the show as a key inspiration, noting that while The Twilight Zone used aliens or magic to explore strange happenings, his series uses technology to achieve a similar effect.
GAMEPLAY
The object of the game was to be the first player to navigate the Road to Reality and reach home.
The highest spin started the game. Players took turns spinning and moving their pawns from the starting position at the centre of the board through a maze-like path called the Road to Reality. The path through the maze was called the Road to Reality and represented the quickest route to the finish position. Each player took a different path home, via a route marked by a line the same colour as their pawn.
The spinner featured three concentric rings: numbers (inner), colour blocks (middle), and eyes (outer). Numbers indicated how many spaces a player could move. Colour blocks allowed players to use one of their blocking cards to hinder an opponent’s movement along their Road to Reality. Landing on an eye forced players to move onto an opponent’s path, extending their journey home.
The gameboard itself also offered an additional element of chance with the Hand of Destiny. If a player landed on one of those spaces, on their next turn, they had to follow the direction of the pointing hand, which either helped or hindered their progress.
The first player to reach their home corner was declared the winner.
IN THE BOX
A complete game included a game board, pawns (red, blue, green, yellow), 12 blocking cards, and a spinner. Instructions were printed inside the box top.
COLLECTOR CONSIDERATIONS
The Twilight Zone has inspired a range of toys and games based on the show, many released well after its original run. In addition to Ideal’s board game, collectors can be on the lookout for figures, trading cards, pinball and video games, and unofficially licenced merchandise created by fans of the show.
Note: If you buy something using the eBay link in this story, we may earn a small commission. Thank you for supporting independent toy journalism!