Reuben Klamer
An American Inventor
(June 20, 1922 – September 14, 2021)
Reuben Klamer (1922–2021) was an American inventor, creator, and entrepreneur whose six-decade career brought more than 200 toy, game, and product concepts to market. He is best known for originating the concept for the modern The Game of Life in 1959; Milton Bradley introduced the game in 1960.
Reuben Klamer was an inventor, entrepreneur, and World War II U.S. Navy veteran. His work ranged from toys and games to product design, publishing, music, film, and other industries.
Among his best-known creations were the modern The Game of Life and the Fisher-Price Preschool Trainer Skates. In 2005, the Toy Association inducted Klamer into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame. He also received the TAGIE Lifetime Achievement Award and other industry and university honors.
Toylab², led by his children Jonathan Klamer and Pamela Klamer, preserves family knowledge and archival materials relating to his life, inventions, and creative process.
reuben klamer's
Game of life
Milton Bradley introduced The Game of Life in 1960 as its centennial release. The modern game grew from the concept Reuben Klamer originated in 1959 and became an international family-game classic. The Strong National Museum of Play inducted the game into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2010.
Independent historical sources
The Strong National Museum of Play credits independent inventor Reuben Klamer with creating a completely new game for Milton Bradley’s centennial, using the “Life” name from the company’s 1860 title while developing a new design for a new era. Read The Strong’s history.
Hasbro’s 50th-anniversary history states that the 1960 game was conceived by Klamer and was very different from Milton Bradley’s 1860 game. Read Hasbro’s 2010 release.
Federal court records describe Klamer as originating the idea and commissioning prototype development. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit held that the prototype was created as work made for hire for Klamer. Read the 2021 opinion.
National Toy Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2010. The Strong National Museum of Play recognizes The Game of Life for its enduring influence and credits Reuben Klamer with creating the new game for Milton Bradley’s centennial. View the Hall of Fame entry.
Source: The Strong National Museum of Play
A new game for a new era
Milton Bradley’s 1860 The Checkered Game of Life was a checkerboard-style moral game. The 1960 The Game of Life introduced a circuitous dimensional track, automobiles and family pegs, an integral spinner, and a contemporary theme built around education, work, marriage, family, risk, and retirement.
For the museum’s independent account, see The Strong National Museum of Play.
The accurate history of Reuben Klamer's 1960 The Game Of Life
(An Important Clarification)
Creation credit and collaboration
Reuben Klamer originated the concept for the modern The Game of Life in 1959. He commissioned game designer Bill Markham and colleagues at California Product Development to design and build the physical prototype at Klamer’s direction and expense. Milton Bradley introduced the resulting game in 1960 as its centennial release.
This precise account recognizes both Klamer’s originating and directing role and the prototype team’s contribution. In 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit affirmed that the prototype was work made for hire for Klamer. Read the court opinion.
Read Toylab’s documented 1960 creation history and timeline.