Nostalgia is still all the rage in the toy industry apparently. After acquiring the iconic Rubik’s Cube franchise in 2021 for US$50 million, Spin Master is now adding another multi-generation game brand to its portfolio.
The Toronto-based toyco has inked a worldwide licensing agreement with Hasbro for 59-year-old tabletop game Barrel of Monkeys. The deal comes into effect on January 1, 2024, at which point Spin Master will take over manufacturing and distribution for the brand.
American toyco Lakeside Toys launched Barrel of Monkeys in 1965, and Hasbro acquired it in 1988. Intended for kids ages three and up, the game starts with players dumping a barrel full of plastic chimps out onto a flat surface, and they must then attempt to form a chain by using the last linked monkey to pick up the next one. The player with the longest chain when all the chimps are picked up wins the game, and players lose if their monkeys fall or become unlinked.
Spin Master plans to update the game with new play elements and multiplayer formats, according to a release, and its new edition is slated to roll out globally in spring 2024.
Hasbro has been on a nostalgia-driven licensing streak lately, rebooting its portfolio of classic titles and games with new partners. Last month, it tapped Wisconsin-based PlayMonster to represent its Playskool toy ranges next year. And in 2022, Florida’s Basic Fun! and Just Play signed on as master toy partners for the 2024 relaunches Littlest Pet Shop and Easy-Bake Oven, respectively.