Dream Phone

Electronic Dream Phone was released by Milton Bradley in 1991, and it was pure sleepover gold. One of twenty-four boys pictured on the board has a secret crush on you, and players take turns 'calling' suspects on a chunky pink electronic telephone that plays recorded clues — a boy might tell you the admirer wasn't wearing a certain color, or wasn't at a certain hangout. Using process of elimination, you race to be the first to correctly name your admirer.

The electronic gimmick made it feel special. Each call had a loud part everyone could hear announcing the category of the clue, and a quieter earpiece portion only you got — unless a 'Speakerphone' card forced your clue out loud for all to hear, while a 'Mom Says Hang Up' card cost you your turn. Marketed squarely at girls aged nine and up for one to four players, it took about twenty minutes and lived in the memory of a generation of slumber parties.

More than the deduction, it's the details people remember: the iconic 'He's cute!' commercial, the pastel board of feathered-hair boys, and the thrill of the phone actually ringing. Milton Bradley was later absorbed into Hasbro, and updated versions have surfaced over the years, but nothing beats the original pink handset.