Author: DEPlabs Admin

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PLAYMONSTER UPDATES AND REDESIGNS ITS WEBSITE

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Logging Onto playmonster.com Will Now Be a Bright, Colorful and Fun Experience!

BELOIT, Wis. (September 19, 2018) — PlayMonster LLC is excited to announce the launch of its new website at playmonster.com! The new content, graphics and features make visiting the site an easier and more enjoyable experience for consumers, media and fans!

Over the last few years, PlayMonster’s growth has been explosive! Creating, manufacturing and selling more products and bigger brands definitely called for a new website to showcase just how BIG ON FUN it is!

PlayMonster partnered with local marketing team Ignition Studio and California-based eCommerce development partner DEPlabs to design an eye-catching, user-friendly website that gave PlayMonster’s online presence a new look!

The new website focuses more on PlayMonster’s brands, giving them their own pages filled with fun imagery and information, so it’s easier to engage with favorite products and brands! PlayMonster brands will also have user-generated content, where posts from Instagram using the brand hashtag will be pulled in and displayed on the website. It’s an up-to-date way for consumers to see PlayMonster toys and games in use, and garner excitement for the brand! Once customers purchase from the site, they can now return and review the product! This gives the consumer a voice, and helps stay in touch with PlayMonster fans!

The shopping experience has also improved—there’s a Wish List and Gift Guru for finding and keeping track of all the fun toys and games. Plus, Customers can also keep better track of their orders, and the contact form is more thorough for quicker responses and resolutions. Overall, anyone looking to learn more about brands, the company or its programs will have an easier time finding information, and encounter more visuals and cleaner pages as they read.

Log on now for a fun online experience!

 

About PlayMonster LLC

Beloit, WI-based PlayMonster is a toy and game company that believes in the power of play to make a positive difference in people’s lives. Delivering great play value by designing, manufacturing and marketing innovative, fun products such as “TOTY Game of the Year” Yeti in My Spaghetti® and “TOTY Doll of the Year” Wonder Crew®, along with other award-winning toys and games like The Game of THINGS…®, 5 Second Rule®, Mirari®, Farkle, OK to Wake!®, My Fairy Garden®, Automoblox®, Marbleocity®, Kid O® and Super Spinner® is how PlayMonster helps keep play alive for all ages.

 

About Ignition Studio, Inc.

We ignite brands with custom marketing programs that engage audiences and win business. The key to branding success…use every point of customer contact as an opportunity to build a stronger brand. In the end, you’ll have achieved Brand Influence so that retailers and distributors can use your brand to drive brand-loyal traffic to their stores.

 

About DEPlabs

DEPlabs was created in San Francisco in 2004 out of a desire to do things better. It’s this desire that is the foundation of everything we do to help you meet the challenges of an ever-evolving, tough ecommerce playing field, where only the agile and innovative survive and thrive.

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Contact                                 

Lisa Wuennemann                              Janis Van Tine / Sarah Gumina
(800) 524-4263, ext. 1275                  (818) 839-1461
lisaw@playmonster.com                    Janis@genncomm.com / sarah@genncomm.com
PlayMonster LLC                                 GennComm for PlayMonster LLC

 

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YMCA’S FIRST CORPORATE CUP EVENT ATTRACTS HUNDREDS OF COMPETITORS

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BELOIT – The Stateline Family YMCA’s first Corporate Cup event was a big success, attracting hundreds of participants and more than a dozen companies.

The event raised more than $20,000 for the Strong Kids Campaign, which helps fund swim lessons, camp and other programs for youth, according to Stateline Family YMCA Roscoe Branch Manager Ann Matuska.

The Corporate Cup event kicked off Sept. 7 and included Olympic-style competitions including a 1-mile warm-up walk, 5K kick-off run/walk, executive challenge, tug of war, football throw, basketball shoot, kickball, golf lab, swimming, dodgeball, volleyball and trivia night. Festivities will conclude tonight with an awards ceremony.

Teams were given points for participation as well as placement. There were three divisions based on the number of employees at each company.

Stateline Family YMCA Director of Operations Ann Hankins said the event was designed to get corporations and coworkers working together, having fun, connecting with others and using different recreation options in the city.

Matuska said Corporate Cup has been about supporting the Strong Kids Campaign, being involved in the community and also about team bonding and camaraderie within an organization.

“I was very happy the way the community stepped up and contributed to the first Corporate Cup,” Matuska added.

She said businesses such as the Hog Cabin, Viking Lanes, The Rock Bar and Grill and Ironworks Golf Lab allowed the Corporate Cup to use venues for free and often provided staff to help facilitate the events.

Corporate Cup attracted a high level of support from local employers who eagerly joined in the plethora of available competitions. Division I with 1-50 employees included the Century 21 and Rising Professionals teams. Division II of 51-199 employees included Blackhawk Bank, Corporate Contractors Inc., PlayMonster and Stainless Tank & Equipment. The Division III or entities with more than 200 employees included Beloit Health System, City of Beloit, Frito-Lay, Kerry, Kettle Foods and the School District of Beloit.

Matuska said every company had to supply some volunteers to help facilitate events in addition to participating in them.

Matuska said she was grateful for the overwhelming support of the event.

“We are extremely thankful to the companies participating as well as the businesses that have hosted an event, my committee and all the volunteers,” Matuska said. “By all accounts, it has gone as smoothly as one can hope for during the first year. The community has been wonderful. Participants had the perfect amount of fun, but still were competitive.”

Perhaps the best part of the Corporate Cup is the proceeds which will fund the Strong Kids Campaign.

“At the YMCA we do not want to turn anyone away for inability to pay. We want to provide that safe place for kids and young families to come to even if they can’t afford it,” Matuska said.

Matuska said the event is hoped to become an annual one. Participants could join in one event or all of them. Companies wanting more information on joining future event can email her at amatuska@statelineymca.org.

See Full Article Here

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PLAYMONSTER’S NEW KID O RATTLE ENGAGES BABIES WITH SOUND, LIGHTS AND TEXTURE

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The Hudson Glow Rattle is an Adorable Puppy Dog Toy to Entertain Infants!

 

BELOIT, Wis. (August 27, 2018) — PlayMonster LLC is excited to debut the newest toy in its newly-acquired Kid O® line. The beautifully made toy has unique features that will make the rattle a favorite among young children.

Hudson Glow Rattle™ is an adorable motion-activated rattle that responds to the way baby shakes him. Lean the puppy’s green legs down to see him glow green, and lean his red legs down to see him glow red! Hudson’s soft, textured legs are just right for teething babies, and the soft rattling sound will both entertain and stimulate the senses.

For ages 6 months and up, the Hudson Glow Rattle retails for $25.00. It’s a beautiful, high-quality gift for new parents and babies.


About PlayMonster LLC

Beloit, WI-based PlayMonster is a toy and game company that believes in the power of play to make a positive difference in people’s lives. Delivering great play value by designing, manufacturing and marketing innovative, fun products such as “TOTY Game of the Year” Yeti in My Spaghetti® and “TOTY Doll of the Year” Wonder Crew®, along with other award-winning toys and games like The Game of THINGS…®, 5 Second Rule®, Mirari®, Farkle, OK to Wake!®, My Fairy Garden®, Automoblox®, Marbleocity®, Kid O® and Super Spinner® is how PlayMonster helps keep play alive for all ages.

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Contact                                 

Lisa Wuennemann                             Janis Van Tine / Sarah Gumina
PlayMonster LLC                                GennComm for PlayMonster LLC
(800) 524-4263, ext. 1275                   (818) 839-1461
lisaw@playmonster.com                   Janis@genncomm.com / sarah@genncomm.com

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PLAYMONSTER RELEASES FUNNY NEW PARTY GAME, AND IT’S A BURST OF FRESH AIR

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Don’t Hold it in – the Laughter, that is – When Playing the Hilarious and Quick-Thinking Game Brain Fart

BELOIT, Wis. (July 31, 2018) — PlayMonster LLC is excited to extend its party game line with unique contents and fun game play that will have players shouting out answers or experiencing Brain Farts…either way, the game’s a gas!

No, there’s no foul smells accompanying this game, but you will hear some “noises” coming from the cool brain timer when the round time is up! Game play starts with everyone rolling the large cubes (like giant dice!) to get the categories. The nine cubes make up your always-different “game board.” On each cube is a category, like Hotties, Villains, Beverages and more. Then someone taps the top of the brain-shaped timer to get a letter and start the countdown. Now one-by-one, players have to name something from one of the cube categories that starts with the letter displayed. So, if the letter is “M” you could name “milk” or “mojito” as a beverage, then grab that cube. If it’s your turn when the brain farts, you lose a token.

The beauty is in the anticipation…and when someone steals “your” category that you were all prepared for, and you’re left having to think quickly, it gets challenging for you and fun for others to watch! Just hurry up and say something, though, because Silence is deadly™. With 54 categories and 21 letters, game play is always different!

Brain Fart retails for $24.99 and is designed for 3 or more players, ages 14 to adult.

 

About PlayMonster LLC

Beloit, WI-based PlayMonster is a toy and game company that believes in the power of play to make a positive difference in people’s lives. Delivering great play value by designing, manufacturing and marketing innovative, fun products such as “TOTY Game of the Year” Yeti in My Spaghetti® and “TOTY Doll of the Year” Wonder Crew®, along with other award-winning toys and games like The Game of THINGS…®, 5 Second Rule®, Mirari®, Farkle, OK to Wake!®, My Fairy Garden®, Automoblox®, Marbleocity®, Kid O® and Super Spinner® is how PlayMonster helps keep play alive for all ages.

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Contact                                 

Lisa Wuennemann                             Janis Van Tine / Sarah Gumina
PlayMonster LLC                                GennComm for PlayMonster LLC
(800) 524-4263, ext. 1275                   (818) 839-1461
lisaw@playmonster.com                   Janis@genncomm.com / sarah@genncomm.com

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PLAYMONSTER EXPANDS ITS LINE OF PRESCHOOL GAMES WITH PASS THE PUP

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What’s Better than a Fun Game for Kids? A Fun Game with a Cuddly Puppy!

BELOIT, Wis. (July 27, 2018) — PlayMonster LLC is happy to welcome a fluffy puppy to the family…in the form of a new game for young children, Pass the Pup™! Not only is the pup adorable, he’s also musical!

Children begin the game by sitting in a circle, squeezing the pup’s paw, and then passing him around as the music plays. When the music stops, the dog will howl, and the person holding him then has to draw one of the cards. The card will tell the player to act like a dog in some way, like bark, scratch or roll over. This way, it’s fun to be the one holding the pup when the music stops, instead of being “out.” They also learn a little bit about dog behavior from the cards!

It’s a fun game for playtime, parties, daycares and more! Plus, after the game, the pup can be a soft, huggable friend for playing or napping! Parents will love that he’s easier to care for than a live pet!

Pass the Pup retails for $17.99 and is designed for 2 or more players, ages 3 and up.

 

About PlayMonster LLC

Beloit, WI-based PlayMonster is a toy and game company that believes in the power of play to make a positive difference in people’s lives. Delivering great play value by designing, manufacturing and marketing innovative, fun products such as “TOTY Game of the Year” Yeti in My Spaghetti® and “TOTY Doll of the Year” Wonder Crew®, along with other award-winning toys and games like The Game of THINGS…®, 5 Second Rule®, Mirari®, Farkle, OK to Wake!®, My Fairy Garden®, Automoblox®, Marbleocity®, Kid O® and Super Spinner® is how PlayMonster helps keep play alive for all ages.

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Contact                                 

Lisa Wuennemann                             Janis Van Tine / Sarah Gumina
PlayMonster LLC                                GennComm for PlayMonster LLC
(800) 524-4263, ext. 1275                   (818) 839-1461
lisaw@playmonster.com                   Janis@genncomm.com / sarah@genncomm.com

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PLAYMONSTER TAKES ITS ACTIVE SPY MISSION GAME INTO THE DARK FOR A GLOWING GOOD TIME

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The Wildly Popular and Successful Chrono Bomb Game Can Now Be Played in the Dark with New UV Light Goggles that Make the String Glow!

BELOIT, Wis. (July 22, 2018) — PlayMonster is excited to launch Chrono Bomb Night Vision, which adds a cool spin on the active play game that originated in France and has become a favorite in the U.S. as well!

Like the original, Chrono Bomb Night Vision is a super secret spy mission where kids use the included clamps and now-longer 37-ft. string to create a “laser” field to crawl through. At the end of the maze is the bomb, counting down…tick, tick, tick! If you bump the wire as you step and crawl through the course, the time bomb will tick down faster. So, you have to hurry, carefully, and make it to the end to defuse the bomb!

This game has been a top-seller because of its fun fantasy element in which kids get to act like secret spies and heroes who save the day. It’s also active play that allows kids to get up and move around! And now there’s the new element of playing in the dark! Simply turn out the lights after creating your “laser” field and it now glows when you look at it wearing your UV light goggles! It adds excitement and a new challenge to the game!

Chrono Bomb Night Vision can still be played during the day with the lights on, just like the original…it’s just that now there are two ways to play! As always, the game can be played over and over again, building new courses each time or trying to beat your time and master your favorite setup! Available later this summer for an MSRP of $24.99. For ages 7 and up.

 

About PlayMonster LLC

Beloit, WI-based PlayMonster is a toy and game company that believes in the power of play to make a positive difference in people’s lives. Delivering great play value by designing, manufacturing and marketing innovative, fun products such as “TOTY Game of the Year” Yeti in My Spaghetti® and “TOTY Doll of the Year” Wonder Crew®, along with other award-winning toys and games like The Game of THINGS…®, 5 Second Rule®, Mirari®, Farkle, OK to Wake!®, My Fairy Garden®, Automoblox®, Marbleocity®, Kid O® and Super Spinner® is how PlayMonster helps keep play alive for all ages.

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Contact                                 

Lisa Wuennemann                             Janis Van Tine / Sarah Gumina
PlayMonster LLC                                GennComm for PlayMonster LLC
(800) 524-4263, ext. 1275                   (818) 839-1461
lisaw@playmonster.com                   Janis@genncomm.com / sarah@genncomm.com

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PLAYMONSTER’S MARBLEOCITY STEM LINE EXPANDS WITH NEW CONNECTIBLE MODELS AT ENTRY-LEVEL PRICEPOINT

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New Hands-On Model Kits Introduce Children to Engineering Principles and Physics Concepts

BELOIT, Wis. (July 15, 2018) — PlayMonster LLC is introducing its first expansion of the Marbleocity® line, which will feature smaller marble machines at a new entry-level price!

Marbleocity is a line of laser-cut wooden STEM kits, and the intricate and beautiful designs of each module fit together to form a weaving and winding marble machine. Marbleocity was designed to be a satisfying building experience, and the included graphic novel teaches each kit’s STEM lesson through a cast of characters called the Tinkineers, who help children and parents understand the concepts and feel connected to the lessons.

New for 2018 will be the Triple Play™ series featuring smaller models that will attract new builders (Tinkineers) with a lower price point and satisfy existing fans with new models to build and collect! Along with a slightly smaller size, Triple Play’s also feature added plastic components that give the wood model a pop of color! The first two models in the series, Chaos and Archimedes Screw, feature fun elements like a helix and funnel.  Like all other Marbleocity kits, Triple Play models also include a full color comic story, to teach important STEM lessons and relate physics and engineering principles to real life.

Chaos Mountain and Archimedes Screw can be easily connected so marbles run through both models, and motors can also be attached for power (motors sold separately). The new Triple Play sets will be available in summer of 2018 and retail for $24.99 each. For ages 9 and up.

About PlayMonster LLC

Beloit, WI-based PlayMonster is a toy and game company that believes in the power of play to make a positive difference in people’s lives. Delivering great play value by designing, manufacturing and marketing innovative, fun products such as “TOTY Game of the Year” Yeti in My Spaghetti® and “TOTY Doll of the Year” Wonder Crew®, along with other award-winning toys and games like The Game of THINGS…®, 5 Second Rule®, Mirari®, Farkle, OK to Wake!®, My Fairy Garden®, Automoblox®, Marbleocity®, Kid O® and Super Spinner® is how PlayMonster helps keep play alive for all ages.

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Contact                                 

Lisa Wuennemann                             Janis Van Tine / Sarah Gumina
PlayMonster LLC                                GennComm for PlayMonster LLC
(800) 524-4263, ext. 1275                   (818) 839-1461
lisaw@playmonster.com                   Janis@genncomm.com / sarah@genncomm.com

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PLAYMONSTER OPEN-PLAY MOLUK OFFERINGS EXPAND WITH NEW RELEASES

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New Oogi® toys, Boi™ and Oogifant™, make for greater imaginative play!

BELOIT, Wis. (July 12, 2018) — PlayMonster, the US distributor for the design-led Swiss brand MOLUK®, announces two new additions to the open-ended play line that will add play value to any MOLUK collection, and also intrigue new customers to explore the line.

Boi floats and dances in and out of the bathtub. Is it a penguin, a duck or some other creature? We let the children decide. No matter how you spin or roll it, Boi always gets back upright again and continues to bravely explore the world! This tactile toy features a smooth white surface and rubbery silicone top. Find it online and on specialty shelves for $14.00 SRP.

68k Oogifant Pkg 300x300Oogifant is all you need to turn everyday objects into elephants. The tactile and highly elastic silicone trunk has suction cups on both ends that attach to any smooth surface. Hilarious moments and shared laughter are guaranteed. This expressive and tactile toy is make of silicone rubber and plays well with other Oogi® toys! Sold online and in specialty shops for an SRP of $10.00.

 

About PlayMonster LLC

Beloit, WI-based PlayMonster is a toy and game company that believes in the power of play to make a positive difference in people’s lives. Delivering great play value by designing, manufacturing and marketing innovative, fun products such as “TOTY Game of the Year” Yeti in My Spaghetti® and “TOTY Doll of the Year” Wonder Crew®, along with other award-winning toys and games like The Game of THINGS…®, 5 Second Rule®, Mirari®, Farkle, OK to Wake!®, My Fairy Garden®, Automoblox®, Marbleocity®, Kid O® and Super Spinner® is how PlayMonster helps keep play alive for all ages.

 

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Contact                                 

Lisa Wuennemann                             Janis Van Tine / Sarah Gumina
PlayMonster LLC                                GennComm for PlayMonster LLC
(800) 524-4263, ext. 1275                   (818) 839-1461
lisaw@playmonster.com                   Janis@genncomm.com / sarah@genncomm.com

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Walkie Chalk® – Matt & Shaunna Damman

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Shauna and Matt Damman were living a happy, busy life in Detroit, Michigan, enjoying their growing family, when they stumbled upon a genius idea that was the solution to a problem, but also a lot of fun. Rather than just keep it to themselves, they dove into the world of manufacturing, marketing and selling, so that the world could enjoy the benefits of their invention, Walkie Chalk®!

Like most involved parents, Matt and Shauna enjoy spending time with their children, and during warmer days this always included drawing with sidewalk chalk. Shauna was outside with her children shortly after having had a C-section with her third child, and her two older children wanted her to draw with them. Shauna wanted to play, but she couldn’t easily get down on the ground because she was still recovering. Rather than miss out on play time, she had an idea and quickly came up with a solution.

A little while later, from just a few feet away, Matt saw his wife drawing—but, she wasn’t crouching, kneeling or sitting on the ground…she was standing! Shauna had zip-tied the sidewalk chalk to a rake handle, so she could stand up and draw, and it was working! Matt recognized the brilliance of it and how others could benefit from such a product. Parents would love using it to play with their children without having to kneel down and get dirty, and kids would love the fun new way to draw outside!

Obviously, the Dammans couldn’t sell rake handles with zip-tied chalk, so Matt worked on figuring out a new design. “One struggle,” Matt said, “was how it could hold sidewalk chalk in a way that stayed tight, but also had ‘give’ and allowed children to draw without the chalk breaking. It also had to be super simple and easy for any child to use.” Matt had the idea to use foam to make it work, much like a pool noodle, and that lead to the current foam material used on Walkie Chalk, which is now patented. The material holds chalk well and allows for easy drawing, as well as simple switching of chalk. It can also hold just about any sidewalk chalk, round or square!

Walkie Chalk went through several revisions and prototypes— over 25 versions were toyed with and tried—before it became what you see today. Through the process, Matt made sure to always have others try and test his designs, keeping an open mind to change and improve. It took that much work to make it so simple, which was Matt’s main criteria for the product. It was an experience he and his family enjoyed, having fun with it and embracing the challenges of production and selling into retail. Their first purchase order came from Ace Hardware, with Hobby Lobby, Toys “R” Us and other retailers soon after.

What has surprised the Dammans the most is how many different ways people use and enjoy Walkie Chalk. People have used it to draw lines on sport courts (mainly pickleball) or outline booth space on trade show floors, art teachers have used it outside to teach drawing from a new perspective, college students have used it to market and communicate around campus sidewalks, crossing guard companies have raved about it, and so much more. Matt and his family love one use in particular: “The best has been the special needs community and all the folks, both kids and adults, who are wheelchair-bound and can now draw with their friends and family.”

As Walkie Chalk becomes more popular and is available in more stores, Matt continues to listen to consumers and enjoys hearing stories of how Walkie Chalk is used. He and Shauna stay involved in the marketing and development of it through PlayMonster, and can’t wait to see where it goes next!

 

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Utter Nonsense® – Tim Swindle

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Despite a high tech background as a software entrepreneur, Utter Nonsense creator, Tim Swindle, went decidedly low tech with his first foray into creating board games. Tim and his friend developed the basic concept for Utter Nonsense over several years while on weekend getaways and needing some entertainment for the group. It began as a simple hat trick: two piles of paper, one with accents and one with ridiculous phrases. Each pile went into a hat and players pulled out a combination of an accent or impression along with a phrase. Then, on one fateful New Year’s Day, they decided to take the basic concept of this game they had been playing with friends for years and turn it into Utter Nonsense. Utter Nonsense encourages players to step outside their comfort zone and engage with each other, without the distraction of technology.  Although he had no prior experience with writing or developing board games, Tim grew up playing games with his family, which cultivated his love for bringing people together to laugh and have fun, and led to the creation of and motivation behind Utter Nonsense.

The meticulousness and ambition that Tim fostered in his professional career beforehand served him well in the undertaking of Utter Nonsense. He says, “Since we had no background in creating games, every step required research. For instance, we had to Google ‘how to design a board game’ and ‘how to manufacture cards.’ It was all new to us, but we took our time, asked a lot of questions, and found great partners to help us throughout our journey.” Their Googling skills paid off. After launching on Kickstarter, they were fully funded a month later for their first production run.  Shortly after their successful Kickstarter campaign, their first version of Utter Nonsense hit the shelves in Target. Because this version originated amongst adult friends, the content was geared toward people 18+. This led to the name becoming Utter Nonsense: Naughty Edition. After two years of success, Tim, along with his sister, Shannon, decided to create a family-friendly edition of Utter Nonsense.

After PlayMonster acquired Utter Nonsense in January 2018, Tim has continued to work in the industry introduced to him by Utter Nonsense. He enjoys developing and creating new game concepts and hopes to make people laugh and have fun, for a living.