
We're celebrating these innovations, from our largest to our smallest, on the 25th anniversary of their first publication. They have been continuously in production from 2000 to 2025 and will continue to bring pleasure to the next quarter century. Click on their pictures for full descriptions and to order.
Bear HugsTM
When we exhibited our gamepuzzles at art shows, people frequently asked, "What do you have for three-year-olds?" Kate would try to explain that the puzzles were mathematical and more suitable for ages 8 and up, but eventually she just answered, "Hugs and kisses!" When people would then look around the booth and ask, "Which one's that," Kate realized what was needed to fulfill the popular request for something appropriate for age 3 and up. Her own love since age 3 for teddybeards was the answer, being educational, mathematical, and challenging even for PhDs.
A friendly family of teddies that teach showed up out of the woods and made themselves at home in our puzzle company. Six bears each in six colors, with 36 all-different poses, would build thinking skills and imagination. All laser-cut acrylic, washable. The 23" tray has bear-shaped cut-outs on one side, circles on the other. Fit millions of ways! Great for classrooms, homeschoolers, the whole family. A lifetime of fun for 1 to 6 players. Yes, hugs forever.
End PointTM
End Point was the second elegant game (the first one was Power of Two) created by Arthur Blumberg, computer science expert, highly knowledgable gamer, and a very long-time friend of Kadon, was awarded best new abstract strategy game by Games Magazine's 100 best games list, 2001. Be first to exit your 15 pieces through the other player's homerow, with splendid combinations of moves along curving lines. Unique feature: pieces switch on each turn between jumping and sliding. Two other games with elegant complexity are included. Also explore and solve five different kinds of solitaire puzzles. Great for ages 10 to adult, always interesting. Laser-engraved, 24" hand-crafted wood board is beautiful, a work of art in its own right.
Dezign-8TM
The concept for Dezign-8's tile patterns came from an architect, Bill Briggs, in 1959. His widow saw Kate at an art show and offered the little wooden set for us to produce. After studying the patterns, Kate developed the set fully by adding the missing tiles and exploring the many new and beautiful solutions. Changing from wood to acrylic allowed the set to become an art piece as well.
The 64 square tiles, with 8 different path patterns of one to four edges to match, form wonderful designs both in and outside the 14" tray. Amazing feature: there will always be an equal number of separate patterns and closed loops. (This sample has 8.) We included several challenging strategy games for up to 4 players, ages 10 to adult. Dezign-8 was also chosen as one of Games Magazine's 100 best games of 2001. Enjoy the thrill of an ever-changing design that exercises your creativity and sense of beauty.
Round Tuit
This humorous novelty item is having its second silver anniversary. The first one we designed and made in 1984, when a visitor to our booth at an art show commissioned us to make it for her in wood with a brass plate. It was such a clever idea that we continued making it thereafter as purely a novelty. We celebrated its first quarter century in 2009. In the meantime, in 2000, we switched its design from wood to 3" diameter black acrylic circles decorated with fanciful handpainted designs, no two alike. They're fun wherever you use them, and they still serve their original purpose of motivating a procrastinator to get something done when they get "around to it". Need a custom design for a special job? We'll be happy to make it for you.
[To be continued in 2026.]
Prequels:
A Quarter-Century Retrospective (1980-2005)
1982-2007: The first wave of growth
1983-2008: The lesson of quality
1984-2009: Some things old, some things new
1985-2010: Guests and clones
1986-2011: Thinking big... and bigger
1987-2012: Growing three ways
1988-2013: Compounding complexity
1989-2014: Grand visions
1990-2015: Herculean heights
1991-2016: Happy marriages
1992-2017: Diamonds forever
1993-2018: Opulence in acrylic and wood
1994-2019: Angles, gold and gala
1995-2020: Tilting towards tilings
1996-2021: Gorgeous geometrics
1997-2022: Big and little
1998-2023: Boards and beauties
1999-2024: Finding kindred spirits
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2000-2025: Largest to smallest
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