TOYS: The winners have been announced! The 2025 inductees into the National Toy Hall of Fame in Rochester, N.Y. are (imagine a drumroll here) Battleship, Slime and Trivial Pursuit.

The winners emerged from a field of 12 finalists that also included Catan, Connect Four, cornhole, Furby, scooter, snow, Spirograph, Star Wars lightsaber and Tickle Me Elmo. The three inducted toys have been enshrined and are on view at The Strong National Museum of Play, home to the National Toy Hall of Fame.

Originally a pencil and paper game, Battleship’s inspiration began with similar two-person strategy games in the late 19th century. Various manufacturers printed paper versions beginning in the 1930s. Television advertising played a part in the success of Milton Bradley’s now iconic 1967 plastic edition. Since its debut almost 50 years ago, Milton Bradley’s Battleship game has sold more than 100 million copies. The game was among the first board games to be computerized in 1979, and today countless electronic versions exist.

Slime has leveraged its squishy, squashy, tactile appeal to become a beloved plaything for generations of kids. From its commercial introduction in 1976, slime has gone on to become an element of other playthings and a television star in its own right. Most importantly, slime encourages play that is messy and experimental.

Trivial Pursuit’s brain-racking questions have been challenging players for more than 40 years. The game rewards a vast breadth of knowledge, with questions ranging from geography to entertainment, from history to art, and from science to sports. As individuals or in teams, players race to collect pie wedges in six colors by maneuvering around the board and successfully answering trivia questions. By 2023, the game had sold more than 100 million copies.