The Grape Escape

Lore & Background

The Grape Escape consisted of playing pieces made from various colored Grape Goop (Play-Doh) fashioned after grape-like action figures. Gameplay involved rolling a die and moving a grape piece along a factory conveyor belt style board. Hazard stations included crank/rubber-band-operated scissors, a steam roller, a large saw blade, and a grape stomping boot activated by lever and rubber band. Landing on certain spaces or rolling 'Turn Crank' allowed players to operate apparatuses to destroy opponents' grapes, forcing re-molding and restarting.

Reader's Guide

The Grape Escape is significant as a children's board game that combined creative molding with destructive physical gameplay, appealing to young audiences through television commercials featuring animated claymation figures. Its 2010 successor, Smashed Potatoes, replaced grapes with potatoes and the stomping boot with a french fryer, but was eventually discontinued. A mechanically simpler remake was released on January 1, 2022, retaining only the stomping boot from the original hazards. The game's legacy lies in its unique blend of Play-Doh crafting and competitive obstacle navigation, though it remains a niche title from the early 1990s.

Did You Know?

• The game was licensed by Rehtmeyer Inc.
• In Smashed Potatoes, the die was replaced with a spinner.
• The theme song was set to the tune of 'Funiculì, Funiculà'.
• A remake released on January 1, 2022, is mechanically simpler and replaced three of four hazards.