August 2011 New Specialty Toys — Family Games

Colorio is a strategic game of memory and daring. Each round, players have to remove some of the caps to reveal the colored discs beneath. But players must be careful; if they reveal five discs of the same color they are out of the game. So, players must try to remember where the colors are placed and dare to remove more and more caps to trap their opponents and push them into making mistakes. Colorio is a simple game that is quick to learn, fast to play and offers challenges to players of all skill levels. Launch date: February 2011.

In Ponder, players must race to get their frog to the other side of the pond. It’s the annual Frog Race and the distance is one English pond; the aim is to get one''s team over to the other side of the pond before everyone else does. However, the frogs are not very fit, so they need the lily leafs to step on to cross the pond. The pond is crowded and one may only move as the cards dictate. Ponder is a fast and strategic race game for the whole family. Set in a beautiful pond with floating lily leaves, sun shining and a summer breeze; lazy frogs included. Launch date: February 2011.
Awards: 2010 Golden Dice Family Game of the Year, Sweden.

Repello is a game of grasped opportunities. The aim is to push as many Repellers and opponents as possible off the board. Objects pushed off the board are worth points and the player with the finest collection at the end of the game is the winner. There is one basic rule in Repello: All objects repel each other, and players decide which object pushes which. In a single move one may set off a chain reaction that will spread over the entire board, sending valuable Repellers, or opponents, over the edge. Master the pushes and bounces; see the possibilities in each moment and one stands a very good chance of winning. Launch date: February 2011.
Awards: 2010 Golden Dice Game of the Year, Sweden.

Skateboard Madness is a board game of skateboarding. The object of the game is to win the X Games Championship in skateboarding while meeting the four Madness professional skateboarders; Andy Macdonald, Corey Duffel, Tony Mag, and Ron Allen. Along the way, players must collect sponsorship cards from the official Madness sponsors.The game includes an extensive trivia section and random action for skateboard enthusiasts. "There is nothing on the market like it," Monica Lucas, VP of Operations at Mindtwister USA, told TDmonthly.

Fandooble is a party game filled with dragons, knights, wizards… and a scoundrel named Fandooble. Opponents must race against one another to steal all of the gold from the fearsome dragon and possibly some of the other players. Taking turns, players roll the four dice, pushing their luck to see how much gold they can get. Rolling as often as they want, taking treasure from the dragon or their friends and foes alike, it’s the luck of the dice- but if a player rolls three dragons, they are eliminated. Three of the dice have treasure and dragons. The treasure gets players gold; the dragons foil their spoils. Three dragons rolled and a players' stash goes back to the dragon’s pile; if those dragons are red, the player loses the stash from their turn and all the gold in their bank. The other die has wizards and knights to help along the way. It also has the rascally scoundrel Fandooble; he’ll steal players' hard stolen gold and give it to someone else. Fandooble is for 2-6 players, and game time last from 10-30 minutes. "Easy to learn, simple to take with you on the go," Monica Lucas, VP of Operations at Mindtwister USA, told TDmonthly.

Color Fever is a family game for players 8 and up. It is a tile placement point scoring game that plays well for 2, 3 or 4 players. Each player has his/her own board to build points from tiles selected. This game is a combination of strategy and luck. "The best part about Color Fever is that it doesn't matter whether there are 2, 3 or 4 players. Everyone plays on the same dice roll so there is no waiting around for your turn. This keeps the game moving and each player can root every time the dice is rolled," Derek Chinn, owner of LMD Enterprises, told TDmonthly.

Experience Perfect Stride, the exciting horse-themed card game for 2-4 players ages 8 and up using our Junior/Basic rules. Players are riders who partner up with a horse of their choosing for a high-speed race across the countryside over a hidden course of jumps. Riders collect ribbons with each successful jump as they race toward the finish line. The rider with the most ribbon points wins the game. Launch date: September 2010.

GALLOP! The Game includes a game board with a magical Scanimation door, two dice (colors and numbers, depending on the age and ability level of the players), five animal movers (horse, cat, turtle, butterfly, and rooster), and four guess tokens. Players take turns opening the Scanimation door to see which animal will move around the track on each round. The first player or players to strut, gallop or flutter their way around the track wins. It is the "Only board game to feature the magic of Scanimation from Rufus Butler Seder’s popular book, GALLOP!," Natalie Dent, director of PR at Discovery Bay Games, told TDmonthly. Launch date: July 2011.

Goggle Eyes is the hilarious family game that challenges players' vision and balance. To win, players must be the first to get to the finish point by winning challenges such as writing their name backwards, drawing, or performing actions - while wearing wacky glasses provided by the game that alters players' vision. "The glasses that the game comes with alter your perception and has three settings that makes the actions performed harder than they would normally be, and also adds a funny twist to the game," Jennifer Robinson, manager of public relations for Goliath Games, told TDmonthly. Launch date: July 2011.

Perplexus Rookie offers newcomers to Perplexus a three-dimensional puzzle challenge, with 75 barriers to success. Users must guide the metal ball through a maze of twists and turns, down dips and around winding spirals toward the maze finish. Players maneuver surprising routes of challenge that test hand-eye coordination, focus and perseverance. 6.5 Inches in Diameter, Perplexus Rookie is a brainteaser puzzle filled with layers of detailed maze structures. A shelter finish keeps the ball in place at the end to secure success.
Awards: 2012 Creative Child Awards – Puzzle of the Year, 2011 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio – Best Toy Award (Gold), 2011 NAPP Gold – Seal of Approval, 2011 Canadian Toy Testing Council – Best Bet, 2011 ASTRA – Best Toys for Kids, Game Play (3-7years)