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One of the classic children’s games that is still available in 2025. Kerplunk has gone through quite a few editions now but is it still the beloved children’s game in the modern gaming era?
The History.
I was actually stunned that the original Kerplunk was created in 1967. That is actually amazing! Invented by Eddy Goldfarb with Rene Soriano and first brought to market by the Ideal Toy Company. They must be thrilled that the game continues.
My original set gifted to me in the 90s was produced by MB, that hugely popular brand of the era. This was the 80s edition of the game. I loved it. Taking a few minutes to set the straws up in a lattice pattern to hold the marbles within the plastic tube. It was incredibly fun to play with my brothers. It was a highly competitive game, not least because of the suspense and thrill the game brought to the table.
Roll forward to 2025 and Hasbro Game has produced the latest version. This is where my focus will lie.
The Rules
The game has not changed in the near 60 years that it has been around. Assemble the set. Feed the 28 straws into a lattice pattern to then hold those 30 marbles in position.
When set up is complete the rules are simple. Players take turns to draw straws in an effort to not make any marbles tumble down the chamber (in case you haven’t played). Tumbling marbles is unavoidable. All straws must be drawn so all marbles must fall. The aim is to be the player with the fewest marbles at the end of the game to take the win.
A game for 2-4 players that usually takes about 15 minutes if you are factoring in set up.
Crash!
It’s very hard to not make a direct comparison to the set I owned as a child but I’m going to because there is a bit of balance needed.
This set that Hasbro created is just not as good as the 80’s MB version, I’m sorry to report. I may be biased in leaning on my memories of the game but this is primarily down to the quality of the marble chamber and lattice structure created. This is disappointing.
When creating the lattice web with the straws the MB version was tight and compact. Very secure. This Hasbro version has too big a chamber and the straws are quite loose. When setting up this version straws already placed start falling out and this is frustrating for me as an adult. A child setting this up may get very wound up.
What I have found with this set also is that if a marble moves it is falling because the spaces are that much bigger again. The old set would see a lot of marble movement before they started to tumble. But then this is maybe where the latest version is improved as I do remember with the old sets that when you pulled that straw that finally released marbles, invariably the majority went in one go. Whereas here, only a few are tumbling at a time making greater jeopardy across the entire game. This is an improvement from previous editions.
Then there is no denying the love and excitement my children have for this game. They are viewing it in the same way I did when I was a child in the 90s and that is perhaps the difference again. I’m comparing but for them this is all new and they are loving it and there is no getting away from that. They love watching the assembly, the preparation of the set. They do not care if some straws fall and have to be relocated. Then they get so excited pulling straws, they cannot contain themselves. They are perhaps a touch young still and not appreciating they do not want the marbles but they are having a great time and so that does not matter. Kerplunk is as exciting and thrilling as it has ever been for it’s true target audience, which is not me as an adult.
Final Thoughts
Kerplunk, the current version by Hasbro, still stacks up as the great game that it always has been and I hope continues to be for another 60 years. It’s a wonderful children’s game and now a timeless classic.
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