The popular family game Cranium is making a comeback in a big way for its upcoming 25th Edition, complete with a new reimagined modern look and a brand new game inside. Cranium was created by Cranium, Inc., and was first released in 1998, quickly becoming a hit, smashing records and taking the board game scene by storm, winning the Toy Industry Association’s “Game of the Year” for 2001. Unlike most board games, it included several activities, which added variety and replayability, as there was an activity for every taste. The success of the original game sparked several extremely successful spin-offs like Cranium Cadoo and Cranium Hullabaloo.
Seeing the potential for success, industry titan Hasbro acquired Cranium, Inc. on January 4, 2008, for the colossal sum of $77.5 million, and with it – the Cranium board game. For its 25th Edition, Hasbro has joined forces with Funko Games with the ambition to make this anniversary edition the best one yet. The reimagining of Cranium will see some of the new product line transition into the digital era and include completely new games, like Funko Games’ Cranium Big Brain Detective Game, which will include over 300 cases to solve, along with a huge colorful, and interactive 800-inch map and graduated play modes for hours of fun.
Updated Classics for a New Generation of Players
The 25th Anniversary Edition Family Party Game will include a revolutionary new Cranium Capsule, which will allow for elevated gameplay and storing the game components tightly and neatly. Anybody who has played Cranium will be pleased to find the same sketching, acting, humming, sculpting, picture-puzzling, and word-unscrambling components of the game, updated for the modern market with new artworks and colors.
Others, like the more child-oriented Cranium Hullabaloo, will complete its digital transition with its own special companion app, which will be the home for some of its games in addition to further adding new game modes. Cranium Hoopla – the cooperative timed spin-off of the original game – will also get the companion app treatment, with the 25th Anniversary Edition adding a new optional timer app for ease of play. In it, players will still have to beat the clock, but the new edition promises immense variety and lets players pick their favorite ways to play.
All the games listed above are available for pre-order right now on various web stores like Amazon and Funko among others. It is expected that they will hit the shelves of various retailers on 2 June this year. We can only hope Hasbro has learned from its recent flops with Dungeons and Dragons and Magic the Gathering and will deliver on its promise on game improvement. Only time will tell.