March 2011 New Specialty Toys — Board Games

Kids spin the spinner, squeeze the matching colored acorn with their Squirrel Squeezers, and place it in their log. The first to fill their log with delicious acorns wins. But players need to look out - they could spin "steal an acorn" or "lose an acorn."

The path is filled with excitement and danger: will players master the four constructs that they need to defeat Parallax? Once players have the constructs- and the Green Lantern ring- go to the lantern and see if the ring comes up lit. If it does, players light up their ring and win. "Based on the upcoming Warner Brothers feature film, Green Lantern, this game includes an exclusive Green Lantern light-up ring," Jim Pressman, President of Pressman Toy Corp, told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2011.

Say Anything Family has 350 family oriented questions that allows families to enjoy the laughter and fun of the original party game. Ask a fun opinion question, everyone else comes up with an answer, secretly pick which one you like the most, everyone bets on what they think you just picked. Reveal the answer and score. "This game is fun for both parents and kids, while helping kids develop social interaction skills," Luke Warren, a rep for North Star Games, told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2011.

The Laser Game Khet 2.0 has arrived. The completely redesigned game for 2011 combines lasers with classic strategy for an experience enjoyed by players ages 9-99. Players alternate turns moving Egyptian themed mirrored pieces, after which they fire their real, eye-safe laser with the goal of illuminating their opponents' pieces and winning the game.

Exercise your mind and outwit your opponents with Mosaic 4, the new fast paced 4 in a row abstract strategy game! Mosaic 4 is set up on a board of movable squares. Two to four players compete to be the first to get 4 tokens in a row. On their turn, each player can either place a token on the board, or shift an entire row or column of movable squares over by one space. The rules are simple but the game gets increasingly challenging. Mosaic 4 comes with instructions in English, Spanish, German and French. "The movable board squares add an extra challenge," Mary Lin from Gridly Games told TDmonthly. Launch date: April 2011.

Zelosport has transformed the age-old pastime of paper football into a series of Finger Sports games for all ages. Now sports fans can enjoy football, baseball, golf, and soccer on the kitchen table. "There is nothing like it on the market," Sara Eddy, project marketing manager at SCI, told TDmonthly.

Fur-Ever Home, the Animal Rescue Game is a family friendly board game of chance and skill where players take in dogs and cats, care for them, and adopt them out to loving “Fur-Ever Homes”. The game ends when all players have worked together and there are no more pets in Straytown. The player with the most points from placing dogs and cats in Fur-Ever Homes wins. But, players have to make decisions about money to stay in the game. "It is the first board game on the market where players get to test their skill at running their very own animal rescue, and adopting out animals to Fur-Ever Homes," Carianne Burnley, CEO of Petsapalooza LLC, told TDmonthly.

Strike of the Eagle is a strategy game that simulates the tenseness of the Polish-Soviet War of 1920. This war featured a return of sweeping cavalry attacks combined with new weaponry innovations such as planes, tanks and armored cars. Gone was the static trench warfare of WWI where front line changes were measured in yards. Instead, the gains of this war’s campaigns were measured in hundreds of miles from Kiev and beyond Minsk in the east, to Warsaw and the German border in the west. Strike of the Eagle is the first game in the new Fog of War series. This series covers pivotal wars of different eras, allowing players to relive and learn about the struggles that took place. The heart of this unique series lies in players placing secret orders on the map during each turn to bluff, mislead, misdirect and outplay their opponents! The orders are then revealed and executed by the player’s armies that are represented by wooden blocks of Brigade and Division strength forces of between 1500 to 8000 men. The exact composition of a player’s forces is kept hidden from their opponent until battle is engaged. For 2-4 players.

The Struggle for Catan™ is a fast-paced game between the 2-4 factions developing newly settled Catan. Manage your resources to build settlements, cities, city improvements, knights, and roads that generate victory points or special abilities. While your settlements, cities, and city expansions remain yours, valuable roads and knights change hands. Varied expensive city improvements give you additional victory points and lasting advantages, so they’re generally key to victory. As in The Settlers of Catan® board game, you win by being the first to acquire and play 10 victory points. The Struggle for Catan™ is the perfect way for 2-4 players to swiftly and casually explore, settle, trade, and build on the beautiful and ever-changing island of Catan.

Seize and capture your friends' pawns in this game with two unique ways to play. Brainy Got'Em! offers the strategic challenge of outsmarting and cornering your opponents with deliberately placed walls, while the tricky yet fun-for-all-ages Bright Got'Em! has the same goal of trapping your opponents, plus colorful surprises that will keep you on your toes. Surround yourself with friends and family and get ready to enjoy two great games that hold more fun than any four walls can contain. Game includes 1 double-sided game board that includes both versions of the game. For 2-6 players.

Pillow Pets Dreamland Adventure Game and the Pillow Pets Dreamland Matching Game. Children can set sail on an exciting journey through seven continents as they race to enter My Pillow Pets Dreamland. Along the way they encounter adventures, adorable My Pillow Pet friends, and even some pitfalls. The Dreamland Matching Game hones children’s memory skills and focus as they try and match some of their My Pillow Pet favorites.
Awards: 2010 Top 10 Holiday Toys for Toys R Us; Hot Dozen by FunFare Magazine (2010); iParenting Media Excellent Product award (2009); Mr. Dad Seal of Approval (2009); Dr. Toy Best Vacation Products (2009).

The Chairman of the Board has gone missing - presumed dead. A new Chairman must be appointed. Each player has the opportunity to become Chairman, to do so you must first acquire 100.000 company shares from the outer square. This is done by the decisions you make with the cards you hold and those you discard. With 100.000 company shares you may enter into the Promotion inner circle, you must now become a Manager and then "wheedle" your way to become a Director. Now you are ready to make the final move and become Chairman of the Board. All the time your opponents will try to outsmart you, take your personal shares, block you with a Veto card or trick you with a Joker card. They too want to become Chairman of the Board and will show no mercy. They will sell you out or buy you out on their way. You may have to trade or bargain with them - you must have a strategy and you must never lose sight of you goal. You will become Chairman of the Board. For 2-6 players. Playing time: approx. 45 minutes.

A team of vampire hunters, with its leader Doctor Van Helsing, prepare for a fierce fight with Count Dracula. Explore Dracula's castle to find the equipment necessary to properly outfit the team. Watch each other's backs and beware Dracula; he is able to disappear and appear suddenly. Should he catch you unawares, he can turn you into a vampire and have you join his side. Van Helsing is the latest release from Frederic Moyersoen, designer of Nuns on the Run and Bacchus' Banquet. In Van Helsing one player plays Dracula, moving through his castle searching for his brides. The other players play Van Helsing and his associates. They move through the castle trying to avoid being bitten and searching for weapons and equipment that will help them defeat Dracula. Players bitten by Dracula become his minions and try to help him catch the other players (so no players are ever out of the game). Will Van Helsing and his brave team of vampire hunters stop Dracula before he can return his brides to his coffin or will them become his minions?

It is the dawn of the "Age of Railroading" in America. You're a wealthy investor and speculator betting that the new technology will revolutionize transport. Commerce will no longer depend on rutted roads and slow canals. Instead, it will ride the rails on swift, powerful "Iron Horses." This railroad investment and building game covers the years 1830 to the present. You and your fellow players become the
stockholders of America's first railroad corporations. Since the largest shareholder becomes president, you compete for control of the strongest firms. As president, generate revenue by building track and buying and operating trains-regardless of shareholders' needs. Meanwhile, you pay heed to the volatile stock market. You strive to invest in flourishing companies in order to earn healthy dividends. You try to buy stock in corporations that are rising in value, collect strong, and sell before the stock values drop. For 3-6 players. Playing Time 180-240+ minutes.

Wi$eMoney is a fun learning game for ages 13 to adult. Two to twelve players in two to four teams follow footprints in and around the fictitious Town of Financial Literacy. The entire family learns about banking, investing, budgeting, payday, financial responsibility, financing, credit, and identity protection. Players face real world situations and challenges as they learn the secrets of money management. "We created Destina...Wi$eMoney, a team-based board game, to give families a fun, engaging way to help everyone learn and remember financial basics for a successful life," Elizabeth Treher, founder of Destina, Inc., told TDmonthly.