June 2010 New Specialty Toys — Board Games

In this subtle competition, the forest is ablaze, the smoke is thick, and the flames are spreading. The only inhabitants seem to be a few courageous firefighters, their supporting planes and fleeing animals. Ablaze consists of three distinct games. In Wild Fire!, one to four players lead a crew of firefighters who are attempting to contain a rapidly spreading wildfire. The crew must cover the largest area of forest while always maintaining a link to water. In Volcano!, players pilot an air tanker struggling to help extinguish a conflagration initiated by an erupting volcano. They extinguish or isolate the most forest fires to earn honor and victory. In On the Run!, a lighting strike has started an intense brushfire, forcing fluffy forest fauna to flee the inferno in an effort to escape a fiery demise. Players shall decide the fate of some of the frantic forest fauna, and saving the most animals will win the game. Ablaze includes 48 pawns (firefighters) in four colors, 47 forest tiles, one volcano tile, one plane tile and rules. It is made in the USA and is not sold in the mass market, according to Robert T. Carty, Jr., VP of Sales and Marketing, Mayfair Games. Playing time is about 45 minutes. The game was designed by Heinrich Glumpler with art by Franz Vohwinkel. Launch date: March 11, 2010.

Aliens are on the loose and it’s up to the players to capture them. Everybody’s got aliens, but there are only two capture markers. The goal is to catch as many aliens as possible before the next player grabs the capture marker. The first to capture all of his or her aliens wins the game. Launch date: July 15, 2010.

Three bands of pirates have discovered an island brimming with treasure. The goal is to conquer the island by capturing the gold and silver, or by eliminating the enemy pirates. Players must position their pirates carefully, as enemies are all around and they are hungry for treasure. "Unique pirate figures make the game very attractive out in the store," Leah Sugar, VP Marketing, Out of the Box Publishing, told TDmonthly. Launch date: June 15, 2010.

Players should gather their sunglasses, snowshoes and mosquito spray for travel to the Americas. Players use destination and transportation tiles to chart a course through North, Central and South America and the Caribbean — touring by airplane, cruise ship or on foot. With a little luck and clever planning, they just might outmaneuver their fellow travelers and be the first to make connections for a complete 10-day journey. It's "exclusive to the specialty market, great for families and educational settings," Leah Sugar, VP Marketing, Out of the Box Publishing, told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 7, 2010.

For two to four players, Stranded is a fast-paced light strategy game where being last will make one first. Players remove randomly placed game pieces from the platform in hopes of trapping their opponents. But each piece that is removed changes the game surface, creating new moves for some and different strategies for others. Suspense will mount with every move or remove as players try not to fall into their own trap. "Each game played has different moves you can make to either win or set yourself up for losing. The clear box top packaging gives the consumer a perfect look at the colorful playing board. This attractive and intriguing design draws consumers to the product," Todd Jacobs, Vice President, Talicor, Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 15, 2010. Awards: 2010 Creative Child Magazine Preferred Game of the Year Award

Reminiscing is the game for people over 30 and the younger people they let play. Asking pop culture questions from 1950-2009, this fun family game includes questions that allow players to reminisce about their own personal past. "In this game, older is better, but [it] plays best with teams of mixed ages," Sandy Bergeson, Exec. VP of TDC Games, told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 5, 2009.

Wits & Wagers Family takes the unique trivia-betting game play of Wits & Wagers and makes it more family-friendly, for three to 10 players. The simplified, faster game-play and kid-friendly questions are designed to level the playing field and provide instant fun for all ages. "Previously found in hobby oriented board games, meeples have been gaining in popularity as gaming pieces. These cute wooden pieces serve as the perfect family-friendly replacement for the poker chips found in the classic Wits & Wagers game," Matt Mariani, Director of Marketing, North Star Games, told TDmonthly. Awards: Parent's Choice Award 2010; Mom's Best Award 2010. Launch date: March 2010.

In this game designed by Klaus Teber, three to four players who are immigrants to Catan must develop their colony on the island by establishing roads, villages and settlements and making strategic trades of bricks and lumber, livestock or other commodities to obtain necessary resources. Play takes about 60 to 90 minutes. The first player to 10 points wins. "The new edition was released three years ago and has sold more copies in those three years than the first, second or third editions combined," Bob Carty, Sales & Marketing Director, Mayfair Games, told TDmonthly in early 2010.
— In August 2010, five percent of 43 retailers surveyed named The Settlers of Catan an overall top seller. The same month, Steven Levy, owner of Toy City in Keene, New Hampshire, told TDmonthly his store sells approximately three Settlers of Catan games per week.
— “It's real easy to teach, and then you just develop strategies from there," Mike Snyder, owner and manager of Cville's Hobbies, Games and Toys in Charlottesville, Va., told TDmonthly in a February 2012 survey about best selling games. Cville's sells 16-20 copies of the game each month.
— As of 12/17/2012 this product had 4.7 out of 5 stars from 632 reviews on Amazon.com.