The board game ‘Mystery Date’ was conceived by Marvin Glass, created by Henry Stan and released by Milton Bradley in 1965.
Marketed to girls aged 6 to 14, it was reissued in 1970, 1999 and 2005.
The object of the game was to hook up with a desirable date while avoiding the “dud”. Each player had to assemble an outfit by acquiring three matching colour-coded cards, which then must match the outfit of the date at the “mystery door”. The date was revealed by spinning the door handle and opening the plastic door.
The five possible dates were the formal dance date, the bowling date, the beach date, the skiing date, and the “dud”. In the 1970s game, a picnic date replaced the bowling date.
If the player’s outfit did not match the date behind the door, the door was closed and play continued.
The 1999 version of the game included an “electronic talking phone” to converse with the dates.
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