July 2010 New Specialty Toys — Board Games

In this cooperative game, players try to develop a series of balanced patterns. The moving principles are simple, but the variations and complexities of play are almost infinite. This is a game for those who like abstract, meditative endeavors. A simpler game, Clarity, is included for the beginner or younger players. The game also includes a 12" x 12" board, three sets of colored "pebbles," and scoring sheets. Launch date: 1973.

This values-oriented, moral-dilemma game of discussion and evaluation presents challenges an individual encounters from childhood to old age. The situations and questions appear on cards with choices to make. Players can create their own responses and more situations to enter into the game. This game is a useful tool to stimulate values discussion in a non-competitive framework and includes a 14" x 18" play pad, four sets of questions (for childhood, adolescence, middle years and old age), mover, die, game and complete rules. Launch date: 1976.

Starwords is a cooperative word game in which players make words to cover as many Star Spaces as they can. Each word must be about what players see in the picture. The picture changes, letters get recycled, and letters are given away. Players can discuss, share and compare ideas in a natural, friendly way. Word wizards can play the Advanced Version in which dice are rolled to see what kind of word has to be formed. The game includes a 13" x 17" board, die, reference chart, 100 letter tokens, and a collection of unusual pictures. Jim Deacove, president of Family Pastimes, told TDmonthly, "Our games foster the spirit of cooperation. Players help each other climb a mountain, make a community, bring in the harvest, complete a space exploration... They are never against each other." Launch date: 1983.

In this coordination game, teams must imitate the robot movements shown on the cards. The team that is the best at controlling their 'robot' teammate with gestures and reaching the robot position faster than their opponents wins. Asmodee Marketing Manager Ruby Nikolopoulou told TDmonthly, "The price point is interesting for gifts." Launch date: October 2009.

This cross between Pin the Tail on the Donkey and darts allows the user to take a snout peg and snout their enemies on the Pig Board. It can be played as a novelty party game, individually or used at the office. Snout A Pig founder Sue LoGuercio told TDmonthly, "There is nothing out there like it that is fun, satisfying, hilarious and therapeutic — which is harmless and not harmful." The Pig Board has been featured in the Oscar celebrity gift bags , the Teen Choice celebrity gift bags, and on the Ellen Show in 2010. Launch date: 2010.

In this card game, players enter a small dense forest, hidden from humans, filled with hobgoblins, elves and leprechauns engaged in a fierce struggle to see who will become Grand Master of the Woods. The cards show the various inhabitants of the forest and in each round, one plays a card to immediately apply its magical power. Depending on the powers, played cards will be stolen, swapped, lost, regained. Ruby Nikolopoulou, Marketing Manager at Asmodee, told TDmonthly, "The pocket format makes it easy to take on vacation." Launch date: October 2009.

Designed to help children listen and improve their behavior, The Ticket Store Game allows kids to earn tickets for positive behavior at home or school — for example, doing a task when first asked instead of having to be told repeatedly. They can then redeem those tickets for rewards, such as ice cream or TV time.
Awards: 2010 iParenting Award for Excellence

Players are charged with the challenge of rescuing a baby dinosaur stuck in a canyon threatened by a flash flood. Players must work as a team to save little Dino by lowering the water level until he is dry and also help give him his favorite food. Bambino Dino is simple to grasp, with color-coded dice that indicate when to pick a helpful Tool or some Food and also when to build the Water higher and higher. The game includes a 6" x 12" board, water pieces, rules, bucket and food cards, dice and stickers. Launch date: 2001.

In this game, a winter storm hits Little City. Granny and Grandpa, Uncle and Aunt, Mom and Dad, and Best Friend's Family have things to do, places to go and errands to run. Players must help them complete these tasks together by driving to the places on their lists and returning them safely home. Deep snow? Bad ice? Players decide when and where to do some plowing or spreading of sand while the weather constantly changes. The game includes one 12" x 12" board, weather reports, errands, cars, places, snow and ice, and service trucks. Launch date: 1994.

DGA-TV is a co-operative game about running a TV station. Players are producers who run 7 Studios, featuring everything from children’s shows to current affairs, working together to bring award-winning programming to the viewing public. They must deal with the critics, ratings, sponsors and the actions of people behind and in front of the cameras while putting together as popular a TV program as possible in order to avoid cancellations and earn awards. The game includes eight player game boards, rules, six movers, seven success markers, a program marker, 41 thumbs up and 45 thumbs down cards, and a rules summary chart. Launch date: 2006.

This board game is designed particularly for young children who have an interest in stars, planets, astronauts and space travel. Players are among a team of astronauts sent out into the universe to find another planet with new sources of energy, food and minerals as a suitable environment for earth's growing population. Dark and Dangerous Skies includes two more games of increasing complexity, making it a game youngsters can start off on and then grow with, well into adult years. Jim Deacove, President of Family Pastimes, told TDmonthly that one of the notable features of the game is that one can "play as friends, not as enemies!" The game includes a 12" x 12" board, four explorer craft, four matching astronaut movers, a die, rules, and 10 equipment, 19 danger and 12 info tokens. Launch date: 2006.

This board game has a strategic engagement style of play, where players must use historical figures and sailing warships from the era 1750-1805 to battle for the seas. Bunky Gress, President of Bunky's Enterprises, Inc., told TDmonthly, "The game is designed by the players in regards to length and complexity." Launch date: June 2010.