SmartGames
| Company type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Toys and games |
| Founded | December 7, 1992[1] |
| Founders | Rolf Vandoren; Ariane Van den Bossche |
| Headquarters | Kontich, Belgium[1] |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Rolf Vandoren (CEO) |
| Products | Puzzle games, educational toys |
| Brands | SmartGames, SmartMax, GeoSmart, Happy Cube, The Genius Square |
| Website | www |
Smart Industries NV[2] (also known as Smart NV[1], Smart Toys and Games[2] by its brand name SmartGames[3]) is a Belgian manufacturer of educational toys and puzzles, best known for its single-player logic games. The company was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Kontich, Belgium.[1]
History
[edit | edit source]Smart Toys and Games was founded by Rolf Vandoren and Ariane Van den Bossche, initially as a distributor of other educational toy brands. In the mid-1990s, the company began developing its own products, introducing what it described as the first “one-player multi-level logic game” for children. The early SmartGames puzzles featured simple mechanics that challenged players to place pieces (such as roads, boats or penguins) on a game board to solve structured challenges. By demonstrating these games in toy shops, the founders found a market for logic puzzles that engage children while building cognitive skills.[3]
As its puzzle games gained popularity, Smart expanded its reach beyond Belgium. The company established a U.K. branch (Smart Toys and Games UK) and a U.S. office to distribute its products internationally.[2] In the 2020s, Smart Toys and Games grew through acquisitions: it purchased the British puzzle maker The Happy Puzzle Company in 2022, the online retailer All Jigsaw Puzzles in 2023, and the preschool toy brand Wow Toys in 2024.[4][5]
Products and brands
[edit | edit source]Smart Toys and Games develops brain-teasing logic puzzles across several brand lines (such as GeoSmart, Happy Cube, IQ Games, SmartGames, SmartMax, and The Genius Square).[5] SmartGames titles include games such as Penguins on Ice, Squirrels Go Nuts! and Quadrillion.[5] The SmartMax is a line of magnetic construction toys,[6] while GeoSmart is a more advanced STEM-focused building set for older children.[7][8]
Awards and recognition
[edit | edit source]SmartGames puzzles have numerous awards in the toy and game industry.[9] In Belgium, the SmartGames IQ puzzle series won a Henry van de Velde Award for consumer product design, recognizing the line’s innovation in brain-teaser games.[10] Internationally, in the UK, the company’s games have earned several Right Start Awards in the Games & Puzzles category.[9][11][12] In Denmark, they won several da awards.[9] In Germany, its titles have received multiple Spiel Gut recommendations and awards, as well as one Kindersoftwarepreis Tommi award.[9] In the US several of the company's games have won American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA), Games Magazine, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Awards and Parents' Choice Awards.[9]
Its products have been reviewed multiple times in the Polish Rebel Times gaming magazine (in issues 53, 54, 55, 59, 61, 62. 63, 74 and 81).[13]
References
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