All 23 Characters From Candy Land: Names, Realms & Lore

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Revisit the sweet (or sour) stories of Frostine, Gloppy, and more

Co-authored by Sophie Burkholder, BA

Last Updated: September 2, 2026 Fact Checked

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Classic Characters (Pre 2000s)

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Modern Characters (Post 2000s)

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Playable Characters

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FAQs

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Candy Land is one of the most beloved and nostalgic childhood games…especially for anyone with a sweet tooth. Whether you have fond memories of classic characters like King Kandy and Lord Licorice, or you remember modern additions like Duchess E. Claire and Cutie Cone, we’ll walk you down a saccharine memory lane of every Candy Land character to date.

Who are the classic characters from Candy Land?

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An illustration showing all of the modern and original Candyland characters.

The classic Candy Land characters include Gloppy the Molasses Monster, Gramma Nutt, Jolly, King Kandy, Lord Licorice, Mr. Mint, Plumpy, Princess Lolly, and Frostine. Later, Gloppy became a Chocolate Monster, Gramma Nutt became Gramma Gooey, and other characters, like Duke of Swirl and Mama Gingertree, were added.

Section 1 of 4:

Classic Candy Land Characters

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The very first version of Candy Land was released in 1949, and it only had one real character: the Gingerbread Man. We don’t know much about him, except that he lived in the Gingerbread Plum Tree and was the first “mascot” for the Candy Land game.^{[1]
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Gloppy Gloppy is one of the most beloved board game characters in Candy Land. He was originally “Gloppy the Molasses Monster,” who lived in the Molasses Swamp, but the “more goosome than gruesome” monster eventually became a chocolatey creature who lives in the Chocolate Swamp within Chocolate Mountain (near Gramma Gooey). In the most recent versions of Candy Land, however, the beloved Gloppy doesn’t appear at all!
- Realm: Molasses Swamp, Chocolate Swamp, and/or Chocolate Mountain.
- Role: When playing Candy Land, players can get “stuck” in his swamp and lose a turn while they wait to be rescued.
- Did you know? Gloppy’s character design is famously melted into his swamp, although some visuals show him as a humanoid creature walking across dry land and wearing a necktie.
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Frostine Frostine, aka Queen or Princess Frostine, originally lived on an Ice Cream Float in the Ice Cream Sea, and she was described as a “warm-hearted” queen with magical powers who often spends time with King Kandy and Princess Lolly…although it’s unclear if she’s actually related to them or not. In later editions, Queen Frostine becomes the “beautiful” Princess Frostine, who ice skates across Snow Flake Lake, lives next to the Ice Palace (or Frosted Palace), and is the daughter of King Kandy. In even more recent versions of the game, however, she’s once again Queen Frostine, and she lives in the new realm of Ice Cream Peaks.^{[2]
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- Realm: Ice Cream Sea, Snow Flake Lake, and/or Ice Cream Peaks.
- Role: Landing on Frostine’s space or pulling her card allows players to take a shortcut and get significantly closer to victory.
- Did you know? In the “Princess” version of Frostine’s character, she’s described as a working fashion designer.
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King Kandy King Kandy is the “Imperial Head Bonbon and Grand Jujube of Candy Land” who is magically hidden away by Lord Licorice—and finding him is the whole point of the board game! In his original form, King Kandy is the father of Princess Lolly, and he’s shown feeling lonely in Candy Castle, celebrating his birthday (June 5th, if you’re curious) with a feast, and having a picnic with Queen Frostine. Later, Frostine becomes his daughter (while Lolly is a fairy), although this changes back in newer versions of the game.
- Realm: Candy Castle
- Role: King Kandy is the final destination of Candy Land, as players must reach his castle in order to find and rescue him to restore joy and color to the kingdom.
- Did you know? In some editions, King Kandy is accompanied by jelly bean guards and a gummy bear knight.
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Lord Licorice Lord Licorice is the red-suited antagonist of Candy Land who’s originally described as a “gloomy, ever grim” royal who lives alone in Licorice Castle with the Bitter Chocolate Bats. Lord Licorice famously hides King Kandy and Candy Castle (setting off the events of the Candy Land board game). In later versions of the game, Lord Licorice lives in the Licorice Forest and Licorice Lagoon, where he’s sometimes accompanied by a pirate-inspired ship and crew.^{[3]
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- Realm: Licorice Castle, Licorice Forest, and/or Licorice Lagoon.
- Role: In the story of Candy Land, Lord Licorice is the main villain, but landing on his space also forces a player to skip their next turn.
- Did you know? Lord Licorice is also known for schemes like eating Gramma Nutt’s Peanut Brittle House, plundering the Gingerbread Plum Trees and Gumdrop Mountains, and imprisoning King Kandy in a dungeon
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Gramma Nutt Gramma Nutt is an “ever-hopeful” character who lives in the Peanut Brittle House (later known as Peanut Acres). The Candy Kids encounter her on their mission to save King Kandy and, in some versions, the Kids must also help her figure out who took a bite out of her house…spoiler alert: it was Lord Licorice. In 2010, Gramma Nutt was replaced by Gramma Gooey (we’ll get to her later), but she returned as Nana Nutt in 2013 before being replaced again by Duchess E. Claire in 2021.
- Realm: Peanut Brittle House, Nana’s Nutt House, and/or Peanut Acres.
- Role: Landing on or passing a pink Gramma Nutt space doesn’t make anything special happen—it’s just a way to move forward (or backward) in the game!
- Did you know? In some versions, Gramma Nutt has a pet dog named Bazz who she loves to garden with.
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Plumpy Plumpy is a delightful Plumpa Troll who is described as the last living member of his species. In the world of Candy Land, he takes care of the Gingerbread Plum Trees and collects the ripened plums as they fall—and sometimes eats them, as well. Plumpy was removed from the game in 1999 and replaced by Mama Gingertree in 2002, but he was finally returned to the board in 2025.
- Realm: Gingerbread Plum Trees
- Role: Originally, landing on Plumpy’s space or drawing his card would send a player backward.
- Did you know? Plumpy’s character design is thought to be partially inspired by Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax.
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Lolly Lolly, or Princess Lolly, originally lived in the Lollipop Woods, and she’s the character who would send the Candy Land Kids (or the game’s players) off on their journey to rescue King Kandy (her father). In later versions of the game, however, Princess Lolly is no longer a princess, but she’s now depicted as a fairy with a magical Lollipop Wand. In even more recent editions, however, she’s back to being Princess Lolly, living in Lollipop Palace (or Lollipop Lane) and surrounded by sugar faeries.
- Realm: Lollipop Woods, Lollipop Palace, and/or Lollipop Lane.
- Role: In the game’s lore, Lolly sets the players off on their mission to reach Candy Castle. Within the game’s mechanics, drawing her card sends players to her pink space in Lollipop Woods…which can serve as a shortcut or a setback.
- Did you know? Princess Lolly is described as having a “light and airy” voice like “the fluffiest marshmallow.”
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Jolly Jolly is the delightful, alien-like “Official Gumdrop Mountain Greeter.” When King Kandy is kidnapped, Jolly complains about the now-colorless mountains, and Jolly is also shown to mine the Gumdrop Mountains with a crew of similarly purple-hued creatures. In later iterations of the game, Jolly appeared as a multi-colored dinosaur character before going on a 20-year hiatus and returning as a human man in a suit and derby hat.^{[4]
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- Realm: Gumdrop Mountains
- Role: Jolly is mostly a thematic character—their space doesn’t do much, except for moving players through the game and toward Candy Castle.
- Did you know? Jolly is the only character not to have established gender pronouns in the original game lore.
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Mr. Mint Mr. Mint is a candycane-striped Peppermint Lumberjack who serves as the Keeper of the Royal Peppermint Forest. He mainly chops down peppermint trunks and whittles them into musical instruments, but he also clears paths for travelers and is frequently seen with the Snow Beaver. In later versions of the game, Mr. Mint becomes Mayor Mint. In one edition, he wears ice skates and more colorful clothing, while another shows him in a simple green jacket, and still another version has him using a peppermint-wheelchair-sled hybrid.^{[5]
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- Realm: Peppermint Forest
- Role: If a player draws a Mr. Mint Card, they must move forward (backward) to Mr. Mint’s pink space in the Peppermint Forest.
- Did you know? Mr. Mint was replaced by the Duke of Swirl in the 2010 edition of Candy Land…but we don’t know why!

Section 2 of 4:

Modern Candy Land Characters

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Mama Gingertree Mama Gingertree was first introduced in the 2002 edition of Candy Land, where she controversially replaced the character of Plumpy. She lives among the Gingerbread Plum Trees (or simply the Gingerbread Tree), and she’s officially described as “the first friendly face you see in Candy Land” who “gathers her ginger boys and girls to give you a great big welcome to your adventure.”^{[6]
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- Realm: Gingerbread Tree
- Role: Mama Gingertree has her own spot on the board, so drawing her card will directly transport players to the Gingerbread Tree.
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Snow Beaver Snow Beaver is a wintry, peppermint-colored beaver who belongs to Mr. Mint in the Peppermint Forest. Snow Beaver first appeared next to Mr. Mint in the 2002 version of Candy Land, but he was officially named in The Great Lollipop Adventure, a movie based on the Candy Land board game.
- Realm: The Peppermint Forest
- Role: None—Snow Beaver is just an adorable pet!
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Bazz Bazz is Gramma Nutt’s pet dog (although he looks more like a basket). He was first introduced in the 2002 edition of Candy Land, but the internal booklet didn’t name him. However, he was named as a character in the movie based on Candy Land, The Great Lollipop Adventure.^{[7]
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- Realm: Peanut Acres
- Role: No role for this cutie! He’s just a cute little accessory and pal for Gramma Nutt.
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Duke of Swirl The Duke of Swirl is a soft-serve-inspired character who lives on the Ice Cream Slopes. He appeared only in the 2010 version of Candy Land, replacing Mr. Mint. However, the Duke of Swirl never became very popular, so Mr. Mint was brought back in the next editions of the game.^{[8]
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- Realm: Ice Cream Slopes
- Role: Duke of Swirl is another purely decorative character—he doesn’t have his own specialty card in the game deck.
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Gramma Gooey Gramma Gooey was introduced in only the 2010 version of Candy Land as a replacement for Gramma Nutt. She lives on Chocolate Mountain alongside Gloppy, and she’s an expert at making chocolate cakes and deliciously sweet patisserie items.
- Realm: Chocolate Mountain
- Role: Gramma Gooey has a specific space on the board (where Gramma Nutt used to be), so players who land on or draw her specialty card can jump to Chocolate Mountain.
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Duchess E. Claire Duchess E. Claire was introduced in the 2021 edition of Candy Land, and she’s a resident of Chocolate Falls—the modern update to Chocolate Mountain. Previous residents of Chocolate Mountain included Gramma Gooey and Gloppy, so Duchess E. Claire occupies the spot previously occupied by Gramma Gooey (and Gramma Nutt before her).
- Realm: Chocolate Falls
- Role: In the game, Duchess E. Claire is just a decorative character, so there’s no specific space or character card for her.
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The Gummy Twins The Gummy Twins—known as Sweet Bear or Soury Bear—are some of the newest additions to the Candy Land universe. They were introduced in the 2025 version of the game, which allows for collaborative play. Essentially, the Gummy Twins are a mischievous pair of characters who players must race to Candy Castle.^{[9]
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- Realm: The Gummy Mountains
- Role: The Gummy Twins actually have a movable token on the board, designed as two red gummy bears stacked on top of one another.

Section 3 of 4:

Playable Candy Land Characters

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The Gingerbread Men first appeared in the 1949 version of Candy Land, although they appeared in several future versions. They were essentially a race of humanoid gingerbread characters who lived in Candy Land, and some thought they represented the players themselves! As early as 1967, gingerbread-shaped pawns moved players around the board.^{[10]
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Along with the Gingerbread Men came the Candy Land Kids, who were introduced in 1949 and became the definitive representations of the players in the Candy Land universe.^{[11]
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In 2013, Hasbro replaced the Candy Land Kids with a group of four characters that players could choose to play as. One of these was Cutie Cone, a blue-and-pink ice cream cone with a cute cartoon smile.^{[13]
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Mally Mallo was another player-controlled character introduced in 2013. She appears as a tiny, adorable marshmallow with a happy smile!^{[14]
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Along with Cutie Cone and Mally Mallo, Twirly Girl was another player-controlled character that was introduced in 2013 to (temporarily) replace the Candy Land Kids. Paying homage to the Gingerbread Men of yore, Twirly Girl looks like an adorable little gingerbread gal.^{[15]
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As the final member of the player-controlled quartet, we have Giggly Gumdrop. Introduced in 2013 along with the rest of her group, she appears as a joyful green gumdrop with a cute red hair bow.^{[16]
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Section 4 of 4:

Frequently Asked Questions About Candy Land

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Why was Plumpy removed from Candy Land? The Hasbro company never explicitly stated why Plumpy the Plumpa Troll was removed from Candy Land. His last appearance was in the 1999 version of the game, but the 2002 version phased him out and introduced several new characters and locations. His Gingerbread Plum Tree was replaced with a basic Gingerbread Tree, and Mama Gingertree was introduced as an alternate character.^{[17]
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- Some players have speculated that younger players became frustrated with Plumpy’s purpose, which was to move players backward.
- Plus, newer generations wouldn’t really think of a plum as a type of candy, so that may be why Hasbro removed the character from the game. Many of the game updates phased out older types of candy, like peanut brittle and molasses.^{[18]
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- Did you know? As of 2025, Plumpy is back in the game—literally! Recent versions of the game actually do feature Plumpy, likely due to his nostalgic, fan-favorite status.
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When was Candy Land created? Candy Land was created in 1948 by Eleanor Abbott, a retired schoolteacher. At the time, Abbott was recovering from polio in a San Diego hospital, and she sketched out the game on butcher paper for children in the ward to play. The game became so popular among patients that Abbott pitched it to Milton Bradley, a major toy manufacturer. It soon became one of the best-selling games at the Milton Bradley Company, and it was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2005.^{[19]
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What are the different editions of Candy Land? The popular Candyland game has had numerous editions, starting with the simple original version designed in 1949. New editions were released in 1955, 1962, and 1967, with fewer spaces and a more realistic art style. Milton Bradley released the 1978 edition shortly before Hasbro acquired the company, which then released the 1984 version. The 1984 edition is arguably the most nostalgic and iconic, with classic characters like Mr. Mint, Queen Frostine, and more.^{[20]
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- Modern editions include those released in 1999, 2010, 2021, and 2025. Most of these versions feature more modern characters, artwork, and board layouts. The 2025 edition also includes a collaborative play mode.
- Special editions include the 50th Anniversary Edition (1999) and the Collector’s Series Tin (2008 and 2009).
- Candy Land has also done a number of themed crossovers and spin-offs, including with Hershey, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Disney Theme Parks, Disney Princess, Dora the Explorer, My Little Pony, and Winnie the Pooh.

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We’ve mainly listed characters that appear on the Candy Land board game. Some characters (like Jib and Crockett) appear only in video games and movies (e.g., Candy Land: The Great Lollipop Adventure (2005)).

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