The History of Phase 10

Ken Johnson, a Black inventor from Detroit, created his first game, Dice-Baseball, at just 12 years old. After being laid off from his welding job at Ford at 19 years old, he created an updated version of the game and partnered with Kmart to sell it. Although the game was not a commercial success, it gave Johnson valuable insight, and he set to work creating what would become Phase 10. He tested prototypes of his card game, then convinced Kmart to stock it. The retailer was concerned that he wouldn’t be able to fulfill the order, so he gathered a group of local teens and they assembled, packaged, and shipped thousands of copies of the game from Johnson’s parents’ basement. In just a year’s time, the game was being sold at all Kmart stores and also began appearing on the shelves of other retailers, too. After five years of successfully managing operations himself, Johnson licensed Phase 10 to Indiana-based publisher Fundex Games. It was later picked up by Mattel in 2010. Phase 10 is now a family game night staple and the second-most popular card game in the country (outranked only by Uno). In 2022, Phase 10 celebrated its 40th anniversary. The game is now offered in over 60 countries, has inspired several spin-off games, and continues to be a family favorite today.