Mystery Date

Mystery Date

Synopsis of Toy

“He’s here! My Mystery Date!”
“Mystery Date, are you ready for your Mystery Date…?”

Oh, the anticipation! Any minute, that door was going to open, and your destiny would take its form. Would it be the hunky bowler, that adorable ski boy, the beachgoing dreamboat, that dapper young dancer in the tux, or (please no, please no) a Dud? And more importantly, when the door opened, would you be ready to win over the man of your dreams? That was the chance you took every time you opened up the Mystery Date door, but girls at slumber parties across the country were willing to take that risk.

The door sat in the middle of the gameboard waiting to be opened, while 2-4 girls scrambled around the outer spaces of the board, frantically trying to get ready for the impending date. The only problem was, no one knew what kind of date it would be (hence the mystery). Each date—skiing trip, formal dance, bowling and beach party—had its own special outfit and accessories, but you could only guess what would be appropriate. Spend your time gathering the evening gown, evening wrap and handbag & high heels, and you just might open that door to find your date in a Hawaiian shirt and carrying an umbrella! Oh, the scandal!

A roll of the die sent your cutout girl around the board, landing on one of several special spaces. Most let you either take a card from the draw or discard pile or from another player, building up your ensemble for one of the four dates. And sorry, only one outfit at a time, girls—extra cards go in the discard pile. Once dressed, your goal was to land on one of the six “Open the Door” spaces and do just that. The man behind the knob changed with every swing of the door, so there was no telling who might be waiting—maybe even that creep, the Dud, who cost you that turn’s chance at dating nirvana.

Though the games often devolved into fantasy stories about these illustrated superhunks (or even real-life dreamboats like Paul McCartney, Herman’s Hermits’ Peter Noone, or that nice boy Tommy Kirk), no girl get-together was complete without a round of Mystery Date. The game remained popular into the 1970’s, when it was redesigned with long-limbed liberated lasses and a new date (no more bowling for these ladies—they wanted a bicycle outing). The game was eventually discontinued, making it a hugely popular collector’s item for little girls who never grew up. Catch them in the right mood, and they’ll still pop open that box and take a chance on a teen dream man of mystery.

“Open the door for your… Mystery Date!”

Release History of Toy

1965 - Mystery Date

Sub Categories of Toys

games
board games

Toy and Game Manufacturer

Milton Bradley

Other Toy Links