Blockhead! is a game invented in 1952 by G.W. "Jerry" D'Arcey and developed by G.W. and Alice D'Arcey in San Jose

San Jose, California

San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. Originally consisting of 20 brightly colored wood

Wood

Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...

en block

Toy block

Toy blocks , are wooden, plastic or foam pieces of various shapes and colors that are used as building toys...

s of varying shapes, the object of the game is to add blocks to a tower without having it collapse on your turn.

Rules

The first player sets one of the blocks on a flat surface; this is the only block allowed to touch the base. Each player then takes turns adding a single block until the tower collapses. The player that knocks over the tower on their turn loses. A player who loses three times is eliminated. The last player remaining wins.

Blockhead! uses slang

Slang

Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...

 terms with a block theme: A player who has lost once is called a "square

Square (slang)

Square used as slang may mean many things when referring to a person or in common language.In referring to a person, the word originally meant someone who was honest, traditional and loyal. An agreement that is equitable on all sides is a "square deal"...

"; a player who has lost twice is a "character

Eccentricity (behavior)

In popular usage, eccentricity refers to unusual or odd behavior on the part of an individual. This behavior would typically be perceived as unusual or unnecessary, without being demonstrably maladaptive...

"; a player who loses three times and is eliminated is a "blockhead".

History

The game was first published by G.W. "Jerry" D'Arcey in 1952. In 1954 Saalfield Publishing Company

Saalfield Publishing

The Saalfield Publishing Company published children's books and other products from 1900 to 1977. It was once one of the largest publishers of children's materials in the world....

 released the first 25-block version of the game. The design of the blocks has remained consistent through each edition, the only change being modifying the yellow “double hump” to be more heart shaped. Currently, the game is produced by Pressman Toy Corporation

Pressman Toy Corporation

Pressman Toy Corporation is a toy manufacturer based in New York City which was founded in 1922 by Jack Pressman. It currently focuses on family games and licensed products. Its slogan is "Games people play...

.

Editions

1952: G.W.D'Arcey square box

1954: Saalfield tall box #7563

1954: Saalfield square box #7563

1969: Saalfield Executive Edition #6163

1969: Saalfield Giant Edition #7625

1975-76: Parker Brothers

Parker Brothers

Parker Brothers is a toy and game manufacturer and brand. Since 1883, the company has published more than 1,800 games; among their best known products are Monopoly, Cluedo , Sorry, Risk, Trivial Pursuit, Ouija, Aggravation, and Probe...

1982: Pressman

1992: Pressman Super Blockhead! - 30 Pieces

2001: Pressman Cylindrical Box

Current: Pressman

Blockhead! was voted into Games Magazine

GAMES Magazine

Games magazine is a United States magazine devoted to games and puzzles, and is published by Games Publications, a division of Kappa Publishing Group.-History:...

's Hall of Fame and appears on the GAMES 100

GAMES 100

The Games 100 is an annual feature of Games magazine, a United States magazine devoted to games and puzzles. The Games 100 first appeared in the November/December 1980 issue as an alphabetic list of the 100 games preferred by the editors of the magazine...

list.