St. Louisan's Kickstarter Launches Rampz, a Yard Game Console

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COURTESY ANDREW PIZZULLO

Andrew Pizzullo thinks he's invented a fresh spin on cornhole — and it launches today.

Andrew Pizzullo never thought he’d create a yard game. And yet, today, Pizzullo is  launching a Kickstarter campaign for his new product, Rampz, which combines fan favorites cornhole, beer pong and Skee-Ball into an exciting addition to your lawn game repertoire. 

Pizzullo, a long-time lawn game lover, feels Rampz is more than just a lawn game. “I’m dubbing this the Rampz Revolution,” he boasts. 

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COURTESY ANDREW PIZZULLO

The Rampz Revolution starts with this console.

He built the game to be easily accessible for all parties, from the most competitive to the biggest drinkers, becoming the first-ever “game console” for the backyard. Lawn game lovers no longer have to endure the ebbs and flows of excitement around cornhole, as Rampz offers interchangeable targets that allow players to adapt the rules and strategy of the game depending on their mood. At one moment you’re playing “Cupz,” and after quickly rejiggering the console you’re playing a whole new game, “Pointz.” Based on beer pong and cornhole, respectively, the games are easy to learn and, thanks to the console, just as easy to switch up. 

Pizzullo points out that Rampz makes things slightly more challenging than cornhole because of the additional rule that requires players to throw a beanbag off a ramp on each throw. However, the added challenge creates that much more enjoyment. “It’s quite a feeling,” Pizzullo promises. He hopes to continue introducing new games to the console as the Rampz Revolution rolls on. 

Growing up in Wildwood, Pizzullo says, “Entrepreneurship has always been something I wanted to do some day.” He studied business and computer science at the University of Missouri, and for the past five years, has worked as a full-time IT consultant. It took one February night, one business trip hotel room and one episode of Shark Tank to give shape to his entrepreneurial dreams. It was Rampz he dreamed up that night. Pizzullo says, “It literally came to me instantly.” 

Pizzullo has since spent the last three years building Rampz. From creating prototypes and reaching out to investors to enduring the all-too-common supply chain issues, Pizzullo has learned a lot about what it means to be an entrepreneur. He’s leaned heavily on his family and St. Louis friends to support him through these exciting, albeit nerve-racking, times. 

“Lots of excitement and anxiety,” Pizzullo says as he waits for the release date. “I see Rampz as a launchpad to chase my entrepreneurship dreams.” 

With this added pressure in mind, he wants to be realistic about his goals, mentioning that there is undoubtedly risk involved as he and his family have put a lot of time and money into this product. “We do believe in this product, so I try not to worry about it too much,” he says. 

The Kickstarter for Rampz is live as of today, and Pizzullo hopes to release Rampz on the market next spring. Learn more about his story at rampzgame.com.