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Maureen Hiron
Maureen Hiron
Maureen Hiron
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Maureen Hiron (1942 – June 2022)[1] was a British games designer and international bridge player.[2] She is best known as a developer of over 60[3] board, card, dice, word and question and answer games, including the abstract strategy game Continuo. Her games were published through Hiron Games Ltd., which she founded with her husband in 1982 after retiring from teaching.[4][5]

Personal life

[edit]

Maureen Hiron was a teacher, head of the physical education department of an Inner London comprehensive school. She retired from teaching, aged 32, after a serious injury when a heavy metal air conditioner broke away and fell on her head while she was calling from a window to quieten some unruly children.[4][6]

Hiron was a passionate bridge player, who participated in national and international championships. She was on the winning England team in both the 1974 and 1975 Lady Milne Trophy,[7] the home countries internationals, and also represented Great Britain in the European Championships of 1974.

Through bridge she met Alan Hiron (1933–1999), the bridge correspondent of The Independent, and in 1990 the gold medalist of the inaugural World Championship Senior Pairs. The couple married in 1983.[8]

In the early 1990s the Hirons moved to Southern Spain for the better climate. Alan died in Málaga on 7 June 1999 from Guillain–Barré syndrome.[8] Maureen took over writing the bridge columns in The Independent and Irish Independent newspapers, and developed further games.[4]

Hiron died in June 2022.[1]

Game design

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Hiron's Continuo, a game of aligning coloured squares

In 1982 the Hirons founded the games publishing company Hiron Games Ltd, initially to produce and market the game Continuo and later a stream of other games, such as Quizwrangle and Cavendish.[5] Maureen invented the games and Alan was the tester and editor. Continuo, launched on 1 April 1982, became Britain's best-selling game, with around 205,000 sets sold in the UK by the end of that year.[4]

In 1984 Maureen and Alan Hiron were the subject of a 30-minute BBC TV documentary A Will to Win.[9] Shortly afterwards Maureen was diagnosed with cancer and was admitted to the Royal Marsden Hospital. There, using her fellow-patients as play-testers, she developed the game Chip In, which her company manufactured and used in the campaign to raise £25 million for the Royal Marsden, the world's first specialist cancer hospital. The Appeal President was Princess Diana, and the main backing newspaper was the Daily Star. Maureen was voted Londoner of the Year, in London Electricity's Brightening Up London campaign.[10] The then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, even took on Maureen and Alan at Chip In.[citation needed]

Bridge and writing

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In 1993 Maureen and Alan competed in partnership at the European Union Bridge Senior Pairs in Portugal and won the bronze medal. Maureen and Alan wrote some beginners' bridge books together, and also quiz books - including The Ultimate Trivia Quiz Games Book, with over 10,000 questions, which reached No. 2 in the British Bestsellers list. (Non-fiction). Maureen also wrote the questions for the first series of Channel 4's popular quiz show Fifteen to One and created puzzles for ITV's The Krypton Factor.[citation needed]

Selected publications

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  • 1983: The 11+ Bridge Book (with Alan Hiron). Crowood
  • 1984, 1991: The Penguin Ultimate Trivia Quiz Game Book (with Alan Hiron) (ISBN 978-1870630849)
  • 1985: Trivia Choice (with Alan Hiron & David Elias). Severn House
  • 1987: Bridge for Beginners (with Alan Hiron). Crowood (ISBN 978-1852230784)
  • 1989: Beginning Bridge (with Alan Hiron). Batsford (ISBN 978-1852233518)
  • 1994: Easy Guide to Bridge (with Alan Hiron). Cadogan (ISBN 978-0713486629)
  • The Puffin Trivia Quiz Game Book (with Alan Hiron & David Elias)
  • Beyond the Ultimate Trivia Quiz Game Book (with Alan Hiron & David Elias). Penguin
  • Learn to play aBRIDGEd. Out of the Box (USA)

Games

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  • 1982: Continuo. Hiron Games, U.S.Games Systems. Schmidt Spiele
  • 1983: Quadwrangle. Hiron Games.[11]
  • 1983: Quizwrangle Quizwrangle Add Pack 1; Quizwrangle Add Pack 2. Hiron Games[12]
  • 1984: Double. Hiron Games[13]
  • 1985: Seduxion. Hiron Games[14]
  • 1985: Triangulo Continuo. Hiron Games
  • 1986: Cavendish. Pin International (Thailand)
  • 1986: Duo. Ravensburger
  • 1986: The "A" Pack. Hiron Games
  • 1987: Top That! Mattel
  • 1987: Croque. Hiron Games
  • 1987: Rainbow Rummy. Games Workshop
  • 1988: CHIP IN. AMIGO (Germany)
  • 1989: The Telebugs Game. Hiron Games
  • 1990: W.H.Smith Trivia. W.H.Smith Set 2 Trivia
  • 1991: 77. Schmidt Spiele
  • 1992: Black Rhino. AGMuller (Swiss). Rhino. ASS
  • 1993: Hexwrangle (with Graham Lipscombe)
  • 1993: Teddy's Party. U.S Games Systems.
  • 1994: Superroo AGMuller
  • 1995: Alles Oder Nichts (All or Nothing). King (Germany)
  • 1996: Cambio Pin International (Thailand). Lagoon
  • 1996: Corrrr-uption. Hiron Games
  • 1997: Hiron's Word Game
  • 1997: Dizzy Dice. Promo special
  • 1997: Kniffel Duell Schmidt Spiele
  • 1998: Z. Schmidt Spiele
  • 1998: Rhombo Continuo. Hiron Games. U.S.G.S (USA)
  • 1999: Stick Around. Great American Trading company
  • 2000: Di-Cross. Pin International (Thailand)
  • 2000: KEETOO (Casino game). Great American Trading Company
  • 2000: Trezo. Great American Trading Company
  • 2001: Zippy. David Westnedge. Playroom Entertainment
  • 2001: Cosmic Cows. Playroom Entertainment
  • 2001: Reaction Schmidt Spiele
  • 2002: Think Twice. David Westnedge. Playroom Entertainment
  • 2002: Qwitch. Out of the Box. Mattel
  • 2003: Trinidad. Pin (Thailand)
  • 2003: Chekov. David Westnedge, Playroom Entertainment
  • 2003: Catz, Ratz & Batz. David Westnedge, Playroom Entertainment
  • 2003: Tennis Dice. Special Promo
  • 2003: Ping Pong Dice. Special Promo
  • 2004: Stratagem. Playroom Entertainment
  • 2004: Outfox. Great American Trading Company
  • 2004: Collide-O! Playroom Entertainment
  • 2005: Top Dogs. Playroom Entertainment
  • 2005: Qwacky Wacky. Special promo
  • 2006: Mix-Up. Out of the Box
  • 2006: Hexago Continuo. U.S.G.S. David Westnedge
  • 2006: aBRIDGEd. U.s.g.s.
  • 2007: Mr Congo. Schmidt Spiele
  • 2008: Slap 'n' Grab. Buffalo Games
  • 2008: On the Double. Playroom Entertainment
  • 2008: Zoooom. Martinex
  • 2009: Super Circles (with Ron & Caron Badkin) Out of the Box. Vennerod.
  • 2009: 7Ate9 [de] (published in German as Unter Spannung). Out of the Box
  • 2010: Papaya. Special promotion
  • 2011: Tripolo. U.S.G.S.
  • 2011: Grabbelen. 999 Games
  • 2012: Grabolo. Bonaparte (Czech Republic)
  • 2012: Dino Alarm. HABA
  • 2012: Sectago Triangles. Sectago Rhomboids. Sectago Snowflakes
  • 2013: Grabolo Junior. Bonaparte
  • 2013: Words of Art. Playroom Entertainment
  • 2013: Triple 3. Ravensburger
  • 2014: Lichipolo 4. Bonaparte
  • 2014: Pamatova. Bonaparte
  • 2014: Grabolo 3D. Bonaparte. John Adams
  • 2015: I Remember. Bonaparte
  • 2015: Carletto
  • 2016: MoesWords. Hiron Games
  • 2016: Keetoo (NOT casino game!). Bonaparte
  • 2017: Eye Catch. Inside Out. Bonaparte
  • 2018: Sneek Peek. Brainwaves - The Wise Whale. Kosmos. Thames & Kosmos
  • 2019: Colorolo. Bonaparte
  • 2019: KIVI Shapes. Martinex (Finland)
  • 2019: 7Ate9 Multi. Hoch Spannung. High Voltage. Amigo (Germany)

Awards

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References

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[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Maureen Hiron

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Maureen Hiron was a British game designer and inventor known for creating the popular abstract strategy game Continuo and developing more than 70 board, card, and quiz games. Born Maureen Berman in 1942, she initially trained and worked as a physical education teacher at an inner London comprehensive school until a severe head injury in 1973, caused by a falling air conditioner, forced her retirement and sparked a career shift toward creative pursuits. The idea for Continuo came to her in a sudden flash of inspiration in 1982, leading her to form Hiron Games with her husband Alan Hiron; the game quickly became a commercial phenomenon in Britain and worldwide, selling millions of copies across more than 50 countries and earning recognition as a modern classic. She went on to invent a wide range of titles, including charity-focused games such as Chip In, which supported the Royal Marsden Hospital's fundraising efforts, and others that gained awards from organizations like Mensa. Hiron was also deeply involved in the world of contract bridge, representing England in international competitions during the 1970s and later serving as bridge correspondent for The Independent after her husband's death in 1999. She co-authored several bridge guides and trivia books with Alan Hiron, and her diverse interests extended to music, including composing a children's operetta in her youth and later co-creating an album in the self-invented Matzar genre. She died on 13 June 2022 at the age of 80.

Early life and teaching career

Birth and family background

Maureen Hiron (née Berman) was born in 1942. She held British nationality and spent her early years in the London area. Details of her immediate family background, including parents and siblings, remain largely undocumented in available sources. She married Alan Hiron, a fellow bridge player, in 1983. From an early age, Hiron showed an interest in games and physical education, which influenced her subsequent career path.

Physical education teaching

Maureen Hiron began her professional career as a games teacher at an inner London comprehensive school. She later served as head of the Physical Education department at an inner London comprehensive school. Sources also describe her as a games mistress and head of the physical department at a large London comprehensive school. In this role, she oversaw physical education programs, with responsibilities centered on teaching physical activities and games to students. Her teaching career in physical education continued until an accident in 1973 ended her work in the field.

Accident and career transition

1973 injury incident

In 1973, while working as a games teacher at an inner London comprehensive school, Maureen Hiron (then known as Maureen Berman) suffered a serious head injury when a 20 lb air conditioner detached itself from a window frame and fell on her head while she was calling to misbehaving pupils from a window. The accident resulted in severe symptoms including terrible headaches, depression, and blackouts, which forced her to retire from teaching. This life-altering incident marked the abrupt end of her career in physical education.

Shift from teaching

Following the 1973 accident in which a heavy air conditioner fell on her head, Maureen Hiron suffered persistent severe headaches, depression, and blackouts that made continuing her role impossible. Aged 32, she was forced to retire from her position as head of the physical education department at an inner London comprehensive school and was pensioned off due to the lasting effects of her injury, including a broken blood vessel in the brain with impacts akin to a stroke. During a convalescence lasting at least two years, she underwent therapy that she believed activated formerly dormant areas of her brain and sparked renewed creative energy. Having already been a keen bridge player before the injury, she immersed herself more deeply in the game during this transitional time. She met fellow bridge enthusiast Alan Hiron through the bridge community and married him in 1983. Hiron later recalled feeling in limbo after leaving teaching, as though her qualifications left her suited only to being a teacher or a "tea girl." In the early 1980s, she took her first steps into game invention after a sudden moment of inspiration, leading her to form a company with her husband to pursue designing and producing games.

Bridge playing and writing

Competitive bridge career

Maureen Hiron was a successful international bridge player who represented England and Great Britain in competitive events. She was a member of the winning England team in the Lady Milne Trophy, the women's home internationals championship, in both 1974 and 1975. In 1974, she also represented Great Britain in the European Championships. Later in her playing career, Hiron partnered with her husband Alan Hiron to win bronze in the European Union Bridge Senior Pairs in Portugal in 1993. Described as an expert player who had represented England and Britain at bridge, she maintained an active involvement in the game throughout much of her life.

Bridge journalism and authorship

Maureen Hiron established herself as a prominent figure in bridge journalism following the death of her husband Alan Hiron in 1999, succeeding him as bridge correspondent for The Independent newspaper, a role she held until the publication transitioned to online-only in 2016. One or both of the Hirons had occupied this position continuously since the newspaper's launch in 1986. She also served as bridge correspondent for the Irish Independent, producing six bridge columns each week. In authorship, Hiron collaborated with Alan on a series of beginners' bridge guides and quiz books designed to introduce and reinforce concepts for new players. Beyond bridge-specific writing, she co-authored works on trivia and games, including The Ultimate Trivia Quiz Game Book, which reached number two on the British bestsellers list. Her journalism and books complemented her long involvement in competitive bridge, helping to educate and engage readers across various formats.

Game design and invention

Entry into game design

Following her retirement from teaching after a serious head injury, Maureen Hiron entered the field of game design in 1982. On April Fools' Day that year, while listening to music by Bach, she experienced a sudden "lightbulb moment" and invented her first game, Continuo, which came to her in about two seconds. She later reflected that the injury's effects on her brain may have unlocked greater intuitive creativity, though she believed she would have begun inventing games regardless. The day after conceiving Continuo, Hiron and her husband formed Hiron Games to manufacture and market the game, which reached shops by September 1, 1982. She went on to develop over 70 games encompassing board, card, dice, word, and quiz formats, many published through the company in more than 50 countries. Her prior experience as a competitive bridge player and trivia author likely informed her aptitude for creating accessible, strategic games.

Major games invented

Maureen Hiron is best known for inventing Continuo, an abstract strategy game that became her most commercially successful creation. Invented in a sudden flash of inspiration on April Fool's Day 1982, Continuo is a simple tile-placement game played with 42 small colored chequered cards or tiles, where players take turns adding pieces to a growing grid to form and extend the longest possible chains of the same color, scoring points for each segment of aligned color created or lengthened. The game, launched through Hiron Games in September 1982, quickly rose to become Britain's top-selling game within six weeks of release and was named 1982 Game of the Year by the Association of Board and Card Games Master Players. It achieved sales of over 200,000 sets in Britain by the end of 1982 and more than six million copies worldwide across more than 50 countries, establishing it as a modern classic enjoyed by players of all ages due to its one-rule simplicity and language-independent play. Hiron invented dozens of other games throughout her career, with more than 70 titles published worldwide, including Grabolo, 7 Ate 9, Quizwrangle, Cavendish, and Chip In. Grabolo and 7 Ate 9, among her later family-friendly card games, contributed to her reputation for creating accessible and engaging designs. Chip In was created while she was an inpatient at the Royal Marsden Hospital and served as a fundraising tool for the hospital's appeal. Her prolific output, often developed with her husband Alan Hiron as tester and refiner, cemented her status as one of the most productive game inventors of her era.

Business and industry recognition

Hiron founded and ran Hiron Games Ltd., the company established with her husband Alan Hiron to publish and market her game designs. She served as CEO of Hiron Games (International) Ltd., managing the commercial release of her inventions across international markets. In 2021, Hiron was inducted into the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design Hall of Fame in recognition of her contributions as a board game designer, with notable mentions of her works Continuo and Duo. She was regarded within the industry as an eccentric yet outstanding force, admired for her disruptive creativity and prolific output of more than 70 published games.

Television and media contributions

Work on Fifteen to One

Maureen Hiron served as a question consultant on the British television quiz show Fifteen to One for one episode in 1988. This credit appears in the production department credits for the series, which premiered that year. In a personal reflection, Hiron noted that she worked on a number of TV shows, including Fifteen to One and The Krypton Factor. Her involvement was limited in scope compared to her primary work in bridge and game design.

Documentary and other appearances

Maureen Hiron has appeared in documentaries and other media related to her work in bridge and game invention. In 1984, she and her husband Alan Hiron were the subjects of the BBC television documentary A Will to Win, which profiled their competitive bridge partnership and successes in the sport. The film highlighted their determination and achievements at a time when they were prominent figures in British bridge. Archive footage of Hiron was featured in the 2009 BBC documentary series Games Britannia, specifically in the episode "Monopolies and Mergers". She appeared credited as herself representing Hiron Games, contributing to the program's exploration of Britain's games industry history and commercial developments. She has also given interviews on her game design career at board game events, including recorded discussions at the SPIEL convention in 2013 and 2017. These appearances focused on her inventions such as Continuo and her experiences in the industry.

Personal life and death

Marriage and family

Maureen Hiron was married to Alan Hiron, a fellow contract bridge player. Alan Hiron, born in 1933, was an accomplished figure in the bridge world before his death in 1999. Their marriage connected two individuals deeply involved in the bridge community, where shared professional interests and activities likely formed a significant part of their relationship. No publicly available sources confirm details about children or other family members.

Later years and death

In her later years, Maureen Hiron lived in Portugal, where she continued to pursue her passion for game invention by actively pitching new ideas and maintaining professional engagements with major companies. She had scheduled meetings with Hasbro and was involved in a project anticipated to reach million-selling status through US retailers. Hiron remained a prominent attendee at the annual Essen Spiel fair, where her distinctive presence—often marked by her shiny baseball cap—made her a recognizable figure in the international gaming community. Maureen Hiron died on 13 June 2022 at the age of 80. Her death prompted an outpouring of tributes from the board game industry, with colleagues describing her as an unmistakable English eccentric, one of a kind, and a ruthless yet admirable businesswoman whose absence would leave events like Essen diminished. These reflections underscored her enduring legacy as an innovative game inventor whose bold personality and prolific output continued to resonate posthumously in the gaming world.
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