Chutes and Ladders Retro Board Game Review - Milton Bradley (1943) vs. Hasbro (2021)

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This is Chutes and Ladders, and it is a game with a surprising history! Get your copy of Chutes and Ladders here: https://amzn.to/3Dlvdug Note: The linked version differs from the 2021 edition shown in the video, but in all the right ways! Chutes and Ladders was originally known as Snakes and Ladders or Moksha Patam in India where it was invented somewhere around the 13th century CE. It is widely believed that the original game was created by Saint Dnyaneshwar, a revered yogi and philosopher. Moksha Patam was a game intended to teach morality with its ladders representing Karma, or consequences for actions, and the snakes representing Kama, the desire for pleasure. The player’s ultimate goal was to ascend from the first space to the 100th and achieve Moksha, or spiritual liberation. In the game Moksha Patam, there were more snakes than ladders, which added further difficulty to the player’s ascension. The game later acquired the title Snakes and Ladders when it made its way to England in the late nineteenth century. During that time, it was adapted for a more contemporary Victorian audience. The snakes were now in equal numbers to the ladders, and the art was embellished to display modern actions associated with either virtue or vice to further drive the message of the game. In 1943 Milton Bradley introduced his revised version of the game, titled Chutes and Ladders, to the United States. The game now featured colorful art of children acting both virtuously, and mischievously all over the board. This new lighthearted rendition of the classic game has since become an icon of board gaming culture. Today I’m going to compare an original 1943 Milton Bradley edition of Chutes and Ladders to a 2021 Hasbro edition, purchased off the store shelf in 2025, to see what has changed and what has stayed the same over the course of eighty years! 13 Dead End Drive Board Game Review: https://youtu.be/AmBQLGPNlZ4 Candy Land Retro Board Game Review: https://youtu.be/X8jmCePwoxs Secret Recipes Card Game Review: https://youtu.be/ma7JqYifOOI Thunder Road Retro Board Game Review: https://youtu.be/r156DYHc0Qc Kerplunk Retro Board Game Review: https://youtu.be/hCt5pEZP7mQ Please Like and Subscribe! @OldCrappyCouch 0:00 Intro 1:46 1943 Game Box 3:08 2021 Game Box 5:03 1943 Game and Rules 9:59 2021 Game 17:22 1943 Rule Book 17:58 2021 Rule Book 18:42 Final Thoughts Additional images courtesy of Wikipedia: By Jain Miniature - http://www.herenow4u.net/index.php?id=72923, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11471979 By Nomu420 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32741031 By muffinn from Worcester, UK - Berrington Hall - snakes and ladders, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=89646883 By Swapniladitya - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39650873 As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying sales. It helps me keep the lights on so I can make more great content for you! Please use the links provided in my video descriptions if you see an item you like so I receive credit for your purchase. Thanks very much for your support!