TDmonthly’s Top 10 Most Wanted Card Games

This game of recognition can be fun for the family or just one player. Contestants line up 12 numbered cards of various colors and shapes to try to form as many "sets" of three as possible, grouping the cards into categories by color, number, etc. The package comes with 81 cards, ensuring an almost unlimited number of combinations.
— “It's a really great game, one that we sell day in and day out,” Sally Lesser, owner of Henry Bear’s Park in Massachusetts, told TDmonthly in spring 2007. When specialty toy-store owners talk about great-selling card games, Set is always on the list. Thus, it garnered a TDmonthly Classic Toy 2007 award.  
—  Two of 63 retailers mentioned Set when asked about their overall best-selling toy or game in September 2008. Ten of 64 retailers named Set as a best-selling card game in August 2008, and more than 25 percent of 38 retailers said the same in late summer 2009. In Feb. 2010, five of 38 retailers cited it as a top-selling game.
— “[Set is] popular mainly because all ages can play it at the same time,” pointed out Greg Bonner, owner of Heights Toy Center in Little Rock, Ark., in summer 2008  “Set is the all-time best-selling game (maybe product) at Pun’s,” said owner Joe Berardoni, Sr., in the fall of 2008. “I own it, my son owns it, and we have it out on display at the counter. It’s a great game for children and adults.”

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Product Demonstration

Each player selects a card from his or her hand that seems best described by a card played by the judge. If the judge picks that card, that player wins the round. Everyone gets a chance to be the judge. The Party Box version comes complete with more than 1,000 cards — the entire collection of cards from the original core game plus Expansion Sets 1 and 2.
— “Teachers love this game. It crossed the border from teacher outlets to retail toy stores. There’s a Junior to Adult version,” said Roberta Edwards, owner of Wishes Toys & Gifts in La Quinta, Calif.
— This has been a consistently solid seller for Tree Top Kids in Fairfax, Va., according to Susie Waterstreet, vice president of marketing.
— “Believe it or not, I had the Junior age 7 and up, Junior 9 and up and Party Box kinds and I only have one 9 and up left,” said Trish Garlock, owner of Treasured Child in La Grange, Ky.

Players get rid of the high cards (rats) and go for the low cards (cats) in this poker-style game with cat- and rat-decorated cards. As children play Rat-a-Tat Cat, they develop a sense of timing and an understanding of basic, but essential, mathematical concepts. They also begin to develop an intuitive sense of probability. It’s won an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award, Dr. Toy’s Best Vacation Products, Mensa Select and a Canadian Toy Testing Council “Children’s Choice” Award.
— Mark Truax, store manager at Try & Buy Toy Stores in Katonah, N.Y., said this game is “up there in the top” of its best-selling card games.
— “Gamewright is a strong seller for us,” Colleen Nelson, owner of Goodie Gumdrops in Burien Wash., told TDmonthly in summer 2008.
—  Five percent of 64 retailers named Rat-a-Tat Cat as one of their top-selling card games in August 2008, and three of 38 echoed the same in late summer 2009. “It’s been our best seller for seven years,” Jennifer Schneeweis, owner of Izilla Toys in Seattle, told TDmonthly in August 2009, citing sales of 24 units monthly.

Players compete to build slamwiches and double-deckers using cards that look like bread and sandwich fillings. The first player to collect all the cards, by slamming his or her card down on the pile, wins.
— Tova Rubin, manager at Toytraders in Lakewood, N.J., said this is one of her top-selling card games.
— This is a popular choice at White Rabbit Toys in Ann Arbor, Mich., according to store manager Cheri Sims.
— Casey Sartain, son and buyer at Tutoring Toy in Salt Lake City, attributes the success of this game to the fact that a younger group can play it and that they enjoy the action of slapping cards down on the pile.

Ruckus is an easy-to-learn, quick-play family card game for two to four players. Part of Ruckus’ charm stems from the strange and playful icons on the cards (Monkey-in-a-Bottle, Fish Man, Pig-in-the-Attic, etc.). Players score points by quickly matching cards in their hand to form and steal sets from other players. Each round lasts three to four minutes. Until the final card is played, it´s anybody´s game! “Ruckus takes only a minute to learn, and each hand lasts just a few minutes. Ruckus also moves in almost perpetual motion, with no turn-taking, so everyone’s in on the action from start to finish,” Dan Levy, president of Funstreet, told TDmonthly. Awards: The National Parenting Center 2005 Seal of Approval; 2005 Preferred Choice; 2005 iParenting Media. Where to Buy: Escapade Direct; Poopsie's
— “It's a fun game because there are no turns. Everyone plays it at the same time,” said Shirley Reilly, owner of Let's Play in Hillsboro, Ore. Games, including this one, are steady sellers at Creative Kids Toy Shop in Columbia, S.C., Owner Melodie Ingwersen told TDmonthly in early spring 2008. “We sell more Ruckus than just about anything,” remarked Ginger Milligan, buyer for Fantasy Island Toys in Fairhope, Ala., in summer 2008.
— Retailers enthusiastically recommend Ruckus when talking about card games, which is why it won a TDmonthly Top Seller 2007 award. Eight of 64 retailers named Ruckus as a best-selling card game in August 2008. Planet Toys in Rockland, Maine, sells about 60 per month, reported Manager Shani Watmough.

Blink is a lightning-fast game where two players race to be the first to play all of their cards. Using sharp eyes and fast hands, players quickly try to match the shape, count or color on the cards. The first player out of cards wins. Fast and portable, Blink is instant fun for everyone.
— “Any age can play it,” said Linda Doucette, manager of Learning Express in North Hampton, N.H., of why Blink is a favorite in her store. When asked about her top-selling card games, Melissa McCollum, owner of Learning Express of Hoover in Hoover, Ala., told TDmonthly, “That would have to be Blink.  I’d say [we sell] about 10 per month.”
— Two of 32 retailers who spoke to TDmonthly in summer 2007 cited Blink as a top-selling card game in their specialty stores. Three of 64 retailers named it as a best-selling card game in August 2008.
— In early September 2009, Andrew Wage, owner of Building Blocks Toy Store in Chicago, said his store sells about 10 to 20 units per month of this game.

In this game of five suits, the play starts with three cards where 3s are wild; the next hand has four cards and 4s are wild ... working up to the last hand when kings are wild. Each of the royal families is portrayed in original art and has its own colors. The Renaissance design results in beautiful, collector-style cards that make game play fun for the full 11 rounds. There are no aces or 2s in the game.
— This take-off on Rummy, only with five suits instead of four, sells well for Andy Detling, owner of Whoops! & Co. in Minocqua, Wis. “I noticed more of a return to family games this year,” said Cheri Sims, store manager of White Rabbit Toys in Ann Arbor, Mich., who said this game was one such game that families were stocking up on.
— In summer 2007, three of 32 retailers cited Five Crowns as the most popular card game; they sell about six a month. In August 2008, almost 25 percent of retailers named Set Enterprises as their top-selling card game company; 8 percent listed Five Crowns as a best-selling card game. In late summer 2009, three of 38 retailers cited it as their top-selling card game. In Feb. 2010, four of 38 retailers called it a best-selling game, selling between 3 and 25 units monthly.

NAMiTS Travel is a modern-day version of the game of spotting items while traveling in the car, on long or short trips. Players spot the items on the cards, and score points. The colorful, waterproof, tear-proof cards are gathered on a ring, for portable fun.
— “Kids can take the cards in the car and instead of pointing out signs and obvious things in their surroundings, they need to find cute things — like a ‘flagger’ is a flag on a car, a ‘dumper’ is a dumptruck, ... it gives them different things to look for,” said Roberta Edwards, owner of Wishes Toys & Gifts in La Quinta, Calif., who said this was a top seller at her store.
— These travel cards “do pretty well” for Margie Nuzum, store manager of Wayland Toy & Stationery in Providence, R.I.
— Dr. Toy chose NAMiTS Travel as one of the Best Vacation Products for 2005.

In this card game, the outlaws hunt the sheriff, the sheriff hunts the outlaws and the renegade plots secretly, ready to take one side or the other. Bullets fly. Who among the gunmen is a deputy, ready to sacrifice himself for the sheriff? And who is a merciless outlaw, willing to kill him? Those who want to find out just draw (their cards). Mayfair recently came out with an expansion pack called Bang! A Fist Full of Cards.
— Tova Rubin, manager at Toytraders in Lakewood, N.J., said “we have sold hundreds of these decks and it’s relatively new. We keep running out of that one. We have a list of 30 people we have to call when we get it in.” She explained that one boy introduced it to his friends at school and now they’re all hooked.
— At Games Less Ordinary in Exeter, R.I., owner Anne Brewer said that although this game is not a huge success, those that are into it are into it big time. “One guy came in over the holidays and bought four copies” to hook family and friends.
— "Bang! & Dodge City have become game favorites rapidly consuming printrun after printrun since the initial release," said Robert T. Carty, Jr., vice president of sales and marketing for Mayfair Games.