Story of Cannonball

The creation of Cannonball has been quite a journey. It all began in our backyard while my daughter played in her inflatable dinosaur pool. As she slid down into the water, I tossed one of the balls from our set into a floating ring. This simple act entertained me as I watched her, but later that night, I couldn’t shake the memory of that spontaneous game. It brought back fond recollections of my own childhood—those carefree days filled with laughter and competition.

 

We all remember those fun times when you'd go camping with the family or to the lake, and someone would throw a stick or piece of bark into the water. Without exception for the next 10 minutes everyone would compete and laugh together about who would be the first to bring down this new collective opponent. 

 

This was the inspiration I drew from when I sat down at the kitchen table the next day to sketch out my initial set of rules. Over the following months, I seized opportunities to play-test the game with friends and family. Their feedback allowed me to refine the rules and develop Cannonball into what it is today.

 

During this time, I also searched for the perfect name. After experimenting with various titles, I discovered that during one playtest, a group kept saying to “grenade” the pool to knock the balls away. I loved the sound of that, and it inspired me to tweak the name to Cannonball. It perfectly encapsulates the splashy essence of the game.

 

Of course, there have been challenges along the way, from finding the right balls, pools, and rings to developing unique items like the floating Treasure Chest cup and the Cannonballs themselves. Each step has brought me closer to realizing my vision for this fun and engaging game.