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Few board game companies, aside from Parker Brothers, have matched Milton Bradley's legacy: Countless players spanning generations have devoted hours to classics like Twister, Yahtzee, The Game of Life, and Battleship.
While iconic games such as Simon and Connect Four have maintained their popularity over the years, Milton Bradley (who passed away in 1911) might have cringed at some of the lesser-known titles associated with his brand. For your next game night, it’s wise to leave these off the table.
1. TOWN DUMP (1977)
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Introducing kids to the concept of handling garbage can start early. In this game, two players operate a small bulldozer that moves on its own, navigating through trash pieces and clearing them. The goal is to shift waste from your dump to your opponent’s area, teaching a practical lesson: Make your trash someone else’s responsibility.
2. BREAKER 19: THE CB TRUCKERS GAME (1976)
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What better theme for a game than the life of 1970s truckers, fueled by caffeine pills and falsified logs to stay on the road? Players start at a warehouse, drawing cards to determine their cargo—ranging from live animals to fragile eggs or office furniture—which must be delivered on time. CB cards can either assist or obstruct their mission. After completing deliveries, they return to the warehouse for payment and bid farewell to their families for another grueling two-week haul.
3. A DAY WITH ZIGGY (1977)
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In a world of uninspired and neutral content, Ziggy stands out as perhaps the most unremarkable and lifeless comic strip ever created. This pants-less, blob-shaped character debuted in 1971 and gained enough attention to spawn licensed merchandise. Much like the comic, the game is devoid of complexity or innovation; players just roll the dice and move their pieces forward or backward based on the result.
4. FEELEY MEELEY (1967)
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Following the triumph of Twister
5. NO RESPECT: RODNEY DANGERFIELD’S GAME (1985)
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In this game inspired by Rodney Dangerfield’s comedy, self-respect replaces fake money as the prize. While gathering game tiles, players are reminded not to “count on winning until you’ve won.” The box includes some of Dangerfield’s classic jokes, such as, “As a kid … my yo-yo never came back.”
6. LET’S BE SAFE (1986)
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When kids finish their homework and want to unwind with a board game, they probably aren’t expecting a lecture. Let’s Be Safe masquerades as entertainment but subtly teaches important lessons about crossing streets safely and avoiding strangers. The winner is the first player to reach home unscathed. TV news anchor Joan Lunden serves as the game’s spokesperson.
7. STUFF YER FACE (1982)
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A spin-off of Hungry Hungry Hippos, Stuff Yer Face pits two clowns against each other in a marble-eating contest. Players manipulate joysticks to control the clowns’ hands, aiming to collect the most marbles. However, eating a red marble results in a penalty. Skilled players can even try to toss the forbidden marbles into their opponent’s clown.
8. SQUATTER (1962)
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While some board games are so intense they make you sweat, Squatter, an Australian game about the thrilling world of sheep-herding, likely won’t have that effect. Players compete to buy, sell, and manage sheep, aiming to collect 6000 units of wool. However, landing on the wrong space can result in your prized "stud ram" succumbing to plant poisoning, drastically reducing your flock.
9. DURAN DURAN: INTO THE ARENA (1985)
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Riding the wave of MTV-driven fame in the 1980s, Duran Duran capitalized on their brand with various licensed products. Fans could groove to “Hungry Like the Wolf” while playing this game, where they attempted to pair song titles with their corresponding music videos to earn a spot in the coveted “inner circle.”
10. LOBBY: A CAPITAL GAME (1949)
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“Take on the role of a congressman! Push through your preferred bills and fight against the ones you dislike.” Milton Bradley believed a game centered around government regulations and lobbying would appeal to anyone “old enough to read a newspaper.”
11. DO THE URKEL! (1991)
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Only Duran Duran’s neon-themed game board could feel more outdated. Do the Urkel! revolves around Steve Urkel, the iconic character from Family Matters. Players roll dice and follow instructions on cards, which might involve snorting, pulling up their pants, or, in the most dreaded scenario, performing “the Urkel” by donning glasses and manipulating a cardboard cutout of Jaleel White to dance across the board.
12. BIG FOOT (1977)
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The legendary forest creature gained significant popularity in the 1970s, even appearing in a notable episode of The Six Million-Dollar Man (with Andre the Giant in the costume). This non-copyrightable beast became the perfect theme for a game where players take on the roles of Alaskan gold miners, rolling dice to evade the “footprints” left by the monster. While Bigfoot looks friendly on the box, his plastic game piece suggests otherwise.
13. WHERE’S THE BEEF? (1984)
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Trends tied to advertising characters often fade quickly, so it’s no surprise that a board game inspired by a catchphrase from a commercial ended up at yard sales. This game, based on Wendy’s iconic campaign featuring Clara Peller’s famous line, “Where’s the beef?,” has players racing across tiles to collect pieces of ground beef.
14. TETRIS (1989)
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Given the complex licensing disputes surrounding Tetris in the 1980s, it’s impressive that Milton Bradley managed to release this physical version of the iconic Game Boy game. The bigger mystery is why they even attempted it. Two players compete to stack Tetris pieces from the bottom before time runs out, with the option to disrupt their opponent by sending pieces their way. Or, you could simply discard the game altogether—because sometimes, everyone wins by not playing.
