Photo: Courtesy of Winning Moves Games USA
SALEM, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Salem is known to be the home for all things spooky and scary, including one of the most famous haunting board games.
“Salem was, for the longest time, the home of Ouija,” Phil Orbanes, co-founder of Winning Moves Games USA in Danvers, told WBZ NewsRadio.
That’s because the Ouija board game was manufactured by Parker Brothers, the now-dissolved board game company based in Salem, for many years after it bought the rights from the inventor’s family.
Orbanes, and many of his current employees, used to work for Parker Brothers, but co-founded Winning Moves in 1995 after the closure.
This year, the company decided to release the first-ever Salem themed Ouija board game, paying homage to the North Shore city. Designed by Rockport artist Steven Strumpf, the board features historical sights and imagery, including the House of Seven Gables, Witch House, and Derby Wharf.
Since the release last month, Orbanes said it’s been a hit for locals and non-locals who just want to bring a special souvenir of Salem home.
“What we found is that the aura of Salem is known far and wide, and our sales are much better than we thought they would be,” he continued.
Some stores on Essex St. in Salem, including the Peabody Essex Museum and the Salem Witch Board Museum, also carry the game.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Nicole Davis (@NicholeDWBZ) reports.
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