The first 12 Pepys Party Games, click on any game to be taken to its full entry.
In 1953 Pepys launched their first range of twelve Party Games. The games all came in boxes with a shared design of celebratory items, ribbons, candles, streamers, gifts, masks, fans, hats, sparkles and tinsel. All the boxes have "Pepys Party Games" printed in Gold on a red background, all that differs is the name of the game and its brief description.
There was limited press advertising in November and December of 1953 but a notice was included in the rules of some other Pepys games, for example in the inside back cover of the card game Peter Pan & The Pirates:
Your Stationer or Toy Shop will be pleased to show you the new range of 12 Pepys Party Games, which have the same originality and high quality at reasonable prices as Pepys Card Games.
These first twelve games all had their rules printed on blue paper and each of them included this list of the games available in this range.
Pepys Party Games
For Grown-ups (and older children)
Have A Go! Adapted from Wilfred Pickles' famous programme.
Arthur Askey's
Playmates Arthur Askey's own Limerick Game.
What's My Line? The ideal game to start off a party, adapted from the T.V. game.
Twenty Questions The Radio game that enterains millions every week.
Puzzle Corner Ronnie Waldman's famous T.V. and Film Game.
Guess What? A well thought-out photo quiz.
Him & Her 'bil,' the famous French cartoonist's game.
It Pays to Advertise A memory tester for the observant.
Especially for Youngsters
What's Wrong? Enid Blyton's Famous Five party game.
Space Ships The Dan Dare Treasure Hunt.
Round Up A Riders of the Range action game.
Disneyland
Magic Drawings The first-ever Disney party game.
The children's games in this range built upon Pepys' established success with card games featuring Disney, Enid Blyton and Eagle Magazine characters. Most of the adult games featured celebrities and their popular TV and Radio programmes.
The first range must have been a commercial success because it was augmented in 1955 by 23 new games. All of these were sold in the same "celebration" style boxes as the original 12.
Five established games with no new versions continued to be sold as part of the larger range:
Playmates
Him and Her
It Pays to Advertise
Disney Land Magic Drawings
Round Up
Seven games were "Series 2" editions of games that had featured in the first range. Both Series 1 and Series 2 versions of these games were available at that same time but only the second series versions were badged "Series 2".
The 7 new "Series 2" versions of established games were:
What's My Line?
Twenty Questions
Puzzle Corner
Have A Go!
Guess What?
What's Wrong?
Space Ships - Renamed "Dan Dare" with small alterations to the game
The 16 completely new games were:
Score-Words
The Grove Family
Whoopee!
Find The Link
Gilbert Harding's 'The Last Word'
Guess My Story
Ray's A Laugh
Educating Archie
Down You Go
Photocrime
P.C. 49's Burglars
Biggles Secret Agent
Little Noddy's Hidden Friends
Whirligig.
All of the games added to the range in 1955 will soon be added to Collecting Pepys and followed by the later Party Games releases in their more distinctive boxes.