Perfection (board game)
A timed shape-fitting game with a pop-up surprise.
Perfection is a timed shape-fitting board game originally produced by the Pennsylvania company Reed Toys and later by Milton Bradley. The object is to place all pieces into matching holes on a board before a 60-second timer expires; when time runs out, the board springs up and scatters the pieces. Invented by Thomas Kinnard Liversidge, the game was first patented in 1973 and has since become a classic test of speed and dexterity, spawning numerous variants and international editions.
- inventor
- Thomas Kinnard Liversidge
- original_publisher
- Harmonic Reed Company (later Reed Toys)
- year_patented
- 1973
- original_grid_size
- 5×5 (26 shapes including four-pointed star)
- standard_time_limit
- 60 seconds
- current_manufacturer
- Hasbro under Milton Bradley brand
- notable_variant
- Superfection (1975) with 16 two-piece puzzle cubes
Lore & Background
Thomas Kinnard Liversidge, inventor of Perfection, owned the Harmonic Reed Company, which patented the game in 1973. The patent later transferred to Lakeside Industries, then to Coleco in 1986. After Coleco's bankruptcy in 1988, Hasbro purchased the assets in 1989 and continues to manufacture the game under its Milton Bradley brand. The original 1973 version featured a red and yellow board with 26 shapes, a scoreboard with stackable pegs, and red cardboard block-out squares for difficulty adjustment. In 1975, the game was redesigned to its current 25-shape, 5×5 grid format, removing the scoreboard, pegs, block-out squares, and the four-pointed star shape.
Reader's Guide
Perfection's significance lies in its simple yet tense gameplay that has entertained families for decades. The game's pop-up mechanism, which scatters pieces when time runs out, creates a memorable moment of surprise and frustration. Its enduring popularity is evidenced by numerous variants: Superfection (1975) challenged players to assemble puzzle cubes; Challenge Perfection (1978) introduced competitive play without the pop-up; Head-To-Had Perfection (1987) added a head-to-head pop-up bar; and Operation Perfection (2020) merged the game with Operation's buzzer and tweezers. The game also inspired clones, including Nintendo's 1972 Time Shock and a Sears version in 1984. Rereleases in 1992 and 1996 refreshed the game with new advertising, and a 2025 web-based version was created by an unknown user. Internationally, the game is known as Time Crash in Japan and was published in the UK by Action Games and Toys. Perfection remains a staple of quick-reaction board games, teaching hand-eye coordination under pressure.
Did You Know?
- The original 1973 version had 26 shapes including a four-pointed star, which was removed in the 1975 redesign.
- A 1972 Nintendo game called Time Shock, created by Gunpei Yokoi, used a similar timer and shape-fitting mechanic with a two-tier circular board.
- In 1992, the game was relaunched with a television jingle 'Pop Goes Perfection' set to the tune of 'Pop Goes the Weasel'.
- A 2025 web-based version of Perfection was created by an unknown user and hosted on GitHub.
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