Recently, the Strong National Museum of Play announced twelve National Toy Hall of Fame finalists. The winners will be inducted into the illustrious museum. Among those finalists are iconic tabletop games, including the Pokemon Trading Card Game.
The National Toy Hall of Fame Finalist Announcement
According to National Museum of Play’s official website, the twelve National Toy Hall of Fame finalists were selected as part of their annual Player’s Choice ballot. A method where toy fans can submit thousands of potential inductees to the museum.
Seven of these twelve finalists are ubiquitous parts of play. Balloons, hobbyhorses, trampolines, Hess Toy Trucks, and R/C cards. Two of them are even part of beloved toy franchises: My Little Pony and Transformers.
The other five National Toy Hall of Fame finalists are where things get interesting. They include the Pokemon Trading Card Game, Choose Your Own Adventure gamebooks, card games Phase 10 and Sequence, and the board game Apples to Apples.
They are interesting since they aren’t just toys; they are staples of tabletop gaming. Choose Your Own Adventure game books were pioneers in interactive narrative such as Dever’s Lone Wolf series. Apples to Apples effectively set a template for the raunchier Cards Against Humanity.
As for the Pokemon Trading Card Game, it is one of the longest running collectible card games in the industry. Second only to Magic: The Gathering, it is a game played by millions of people around the world with expansions releasing to this day. Considering it first launched in 1996, that is an impressive cultural impact.
Only three of these twelve National Toy Hall of Fame finalists will be inducted into the National Museum of Play. If you are a fan of any of these options, you can vote for one until September 25. The final three will be revealed this November.
