Looking for a way to occupy herself during the COVID-19 pandemic five years ago, Persy Arcement created an ice cream-themed game while waiting for her parents’ workdays to end. After sharing the concept with her parents and friends, Arcement developed Drizzle, a board game for kids ages 7 and up.
Late last year, the 14-year-old New Jersey high school freshman was named the Young Innovator of the Year at the Toy and Game International Excellence (TAGIE) awards in Rosemont, Illinois. While juggling AP classes, musical theater, and other creative pursuits, Persy is the CEO of Fitz and the Pea. Fitz is Persy’s beloved orange cat, and Drizzle is, for now, its only board game.
“I’m a big ice cream person,” Persy shares, noting that the family enjoys outings to area ice cream shops, some of which sell her game. Drizzle is available online and in 25 stores in six states. “We are so happy for Persy,” says Annmarie Cooney, owner of A Sweet Memory, a cake shop and tea room in Waretown, New Jersey. “She is wonderful and inspirational for young ladies, and when I tell people about her and the game, they purchase it.”
Nerina Garcia-Arcement, Persy’s mother, remembers telling her daughter, “Go do something creative,” before the game creator emerged with the laminated cardboard that would upend their dining room and garage with hundreds of board games. “We love playing games together,” Garcia-Arcement says. “And during quarantine, that’s probably how we survived, playing games after work.” Late last year, the family was enjoying fast card games like Flip 7 and had returned to Sleeping Queens. Over the summer, Persy played Spit with her father, Erich Arcement, an engineer who helps Persy manage her company.
“We’re like, ‘Let’s teach our daughter how to be an entrepreneur so that she knows from early on she could do whatever she sets her mind to,’” Garcia-Arcement recalls. “She’s out of school [and] the world is her oyster.” Garcia-Arcement adds that Erich “reinvented the wheel quite a bit,” as the family hadn’t yet met anyone in the toy and game industries.
Erich set up an LLC, and Persy worked closely with a graphic designer who had been her babysitter many years ago. The family worked on several prototypes — one had acrylic pieces, which proved too heavy — before landing a deal with Panda Games in China to handle manufacturing duties.
Self-selling and promoting brought the family to People of Play’s Chicago Toy & Game Fair (CHITAG) last fall, which Garcia-Arcement calls “surreal.”
“I have my memories,” Persy says, “but I feel like … did that actually happen? It doesn’t feel real.”
“She was so calm about it,” Garcia-Arcement recalls. “We met inventors of games we actually play, and they’re all so nice.” Persy pitched her game to several companies. Garcia-Arcement hopes a distribution deal for Drizzle will lighten the load of board games at home; she only recently found the space to park her car in the garage.
Fitz and the Pea initially printed 3,000 games, selling 600 before CHITAG. Thanks to media coverage and the TAGIEs, the company sold an additional 2,000 units of the game. “We had to package and ship them and figure out labels,” Garcia-Arcement says, “All while also working in person in school. It was amazing, but also like, ‘Oh, we can’t do this.’”
Erich and Garcia-Arcement were briefly over their heads. “We’re not game makers. We’re parents that wanted our daughter to go from an idea to a finished product, and we’re just so lucky that we got this attention,” Garcia-Arcement says.
Late last year, Persy was exploring licensing, which Garcia-Arcement says isn’t profitable, but would be helpful to the company. While selling the remaining 400 games of the initial run, Persy is auditioning for the school play and taking AP classes. She wants to use the proceeds from Drizzle to start a college fund. While additional games haven’t been ruled out — and she’s starting to see herself in the industry — Persy would like to be a psychologist, like her mom.
“There’s a place for me here,” Persy acknowledges. “I just want to help people and make people happy. And I think either of the jobs does that in different ways, so I feel like I would feel fulfilled with either occupation.”
Persy is already making an impact, inspiring young innovators in Chicago and winning over retailers in New Jersey. Store owners selling her game responded to The Toy Book with universal praise. “Drizzle works well at Oyster General for a few reasons; it looks good! The color scheme and design are in line with my store’s aesthetic,” shares Erica Ruotolo, who owns Oyster General in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey. “Persy lives nearby, and lots of local kids know her and want to support her.”
In an industry driven by trends, Persy’s story is a reminder that play starts with people.
DRIZZLE
Drizzle, Arcement’s first game, is available in 25 stores in six states. | Source: Fitz and the Pea
Players battle each other to place the most toppings in this ice cream shop-inspired strategy game.
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A version of this feature first appeared in the 2026 edition of The BIG Toy Book. Read the full issue here!
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