Like most great games, Phase 10 has a pretty fascinating history. Phase 10 was invented in 1982 by an entrepreneurial 22 year old, Kenneth R. Johnson. It is based on several Rummy card games played by Ken over the years. It took a stroke of bad luck to turn Phase 10 from a vision into a game. While “laid off” from his job, Ken took the opportunity to develop Phase 10 and start a game manufacturing company.

 

The first Phase 10 card games were sold to Kmart 30 years ago. They where assembled in the basement of Ken’s parents home in Detroit, Michigan and shipped to K-Mart nationwide. Ken ran the manufacturing and distribution operation for 5 years. In 1987, Fundex Games, an Indianapolis Indiana based game company, negotiated the rights to distribute Phase 10 over a Denny’s “Grand Slam Breakfast” and a glass of milk with ice. As they say, the rest is history. In 2010, Mattel took over from Fundex and became the distributor of Phase 10. Ken has remained the owner of the Phase 10 brand of games and continues to receive royalties. By 2012, Phase 10 had sold more than 42 millions copies worldwide.