November 2012 New Specialty Toys — Family Games

Kids love to get into the act, and this charades game is made especially to put youngsters in the spotlight. In this game, every player gets in the act on every turn, so it's ideal for home or school play. And there is no reading required, so little ones can play without help from Mommy or teacher. Encourage creativity and communication skills while having active fun. It's a game the whole family can play and enjoy. National Parenting Publications Award and Early Childhood News 100 Best Picks.

A game of discovery...a game of concentration...crazy fun...fast...full of surprises and excitement...it is The Game Of Zoo®. Players find and match five picture cards. Every game is different. Children will delight in searching the ZOO® to match the pictures. With no dice, no spinner and 48 ZOO ® Picture Cards, children are given three fun ways to play the game.

ABUNDANT HARVEST for Teens & Adults (US Patent 7,073,792) is appropriate for ages 12 through adult. The situations presented in this version of the game are directed towards teenager and adult groups. Many of the situations deal with the difficult issues of drugs, family conflicts, peer pressure and the complex and unpredictable nature of being an adolescent and/or adult in today's world.

ABUNDANT HARVEST for Kids (US Patent 7,073,792) is appropriate for ages 5 through adult. The situations presented in this version of the game are directed towards children who are learning the importance of making decisions that are based on principle. The scenarios provide parents, caregivers and educators the opportunity to teach children, and allow children to begin to develop and apply principle-based reasoning skills as they work their way through situations common in today's world.
Awards: 2012 Creative Child Magazine Game of the Year Award; Dr. Toy’s® 2012 Best Vacation Toy; Parent Tested Parent Approved Award Winner.

"Mord im Arosa" is a three-dimensional mystery game. The totally new game concept brings a thrilling and tense atmosphere to the gaming table. Somewhere on the eight levels of the hotel tower, two crime victims are found one after another. Any player could be the murderer. However, players cannot see where the tracks of the suspects go - they can only hear it. A unique and smartly arranged interplay of suspicion and forensics guarantees astonishing and mysterious twists and turns: tracks disappear and reappear in other places. A player who is caught too often at the wrong time and place will be found guilty through the burden of proof.

This handcrafted 8 in 1 game includes Backgammon, Checkers, Chess, Chinese Checkers, Cribbage, Dominoes, Magnetic Darts and Poker. The pieces for each game are individually wrapped in black drawstring pouches and stored inside the beautiful black wooden box for safekeeping. Instruction guide included. Dimensions: 10 ½" square x 3". Launch date: December 2012.

A great new brainteaser with 100+ different puzzles, from the inventor of "Kanoodle" (TM) Fun microbe shaped pieces come stored in a cool petri dish carrying case. Launch date: 2012.

The new Dice Dude brings more excitement and fun to every game. It comes with four different dice, giving kids tons of options for game play. Choose the interchangeable die/dice that they wish to use, twist and remove Dice Dude’s clear dome hat, insert the die/dice, twist the dome hat back into place, and then start shaking away. Watch Dice Dude’s big, green eyes move side to side as he is shaken. This dude stands 5 1/2” tall and has a diameter of 3 1/4”. Wipe clean with a damp cloth.

Fun way to learn essential math skills about money. Each set includes 3 game series - total of 18 full color activity cards to reinforce visual recognition and discrimination, and actual size plastic bills and coins (14 bills and 24 coins).  Activity Dollar includes actual size and accurately designed play money, as well as 3 matching games to: - reinforce recognition of each coin and bill (dollar bingo), - market games to support the values of each bill and coin to arrive at the correct price and - comparison game to introduce the concept of greater and less than. Launch date: January 2012.

In this calorie-free contest, players aim to build the largest area of their favorite kind of chocolate (milk, white or dark), one tile at a time. Players must be careful...Sugar-craving adversaries will try to disrupt their plans by getting their delicious treats out first. Launch date: 2012.

Players must try to make as many connections between tiles as they can before the timer runs out. Players can be as creative as they like, but their fellow players will decide if their play counts or not. Fast-paced and perfect for a crowd. Launch date: June 2012.

A game for 4 players in which players attempt to give their opponent clues from a list of words that all relate to the secret hidden word. First team to guess the hidden word wins the round and first to win three wins the game. The challenge is to make sure players don't give the easiest clues too early or their opponents may steal the word. Launch date: July 2012.
Awards: 2012 Games Magazine TOP 100 - Word game category

Two players co-star as they attempt to get the audience to guess 6 phrases. Trouble is, each only has half the phrase and it's up to the audience players to put it all together. Lots of laughs and fun in this charageous game for 3-8 players. Launch date: July 2012.
Awards: 2012 Games Magazine Top 100 - Party games category

Who will pluck the most popular pairs? Each player gets 60 seconds to pair up 11 images at the same time. 5 pairs and one bad apple. Players gain points by matching the most other players with the same pairs. Launch date: July 2012.
Awards: 2012 - Best Party game of the Year from Games Magazine; 2012 - Best Family Game of the Year from Creative Child.

Sonny the Seal moves and sounds like a real seal. Toss rings around Sonny’s bobbing head. When a ring lands around Sonny’s neck, he claps and barks to cheer. For every ring that lands around Sonny’s neck, the player gets a fish reward. The first player to get three fish is the winner.
— As of 10/15/2012 this product had 4 out of 5 stars from 2 reviews on Amazon.com.

The moment a card is drawn,quickly imitate the card hands pattern. The last one is the loser. Be aware of any illogical hand combinations. Can be played by up to 8 players...or even more. Launch date: February 2012.

Chocolate cards are played and nabbed, and played and nabbed right back. Players score points by reasoning out which confectionary card combinations will give them the most sweet satisfaction. TOOTHACHE cards, CARROT cards, and BOX-O-CHOCOLATES cards keep the game lively and surprising.

Sugary-scented bubble gum cards and bubble blowing thrills in a playful strategy game. Kids lay down their bubble gum cards in number order, and watch their bubble grow. If opponents play a "POP" card, the other player's bubble will burst. Luckily, they've got snitch cards and special bubble protector tokens on their side. Launch date: August 2012.

Urbania is a game of city renewal where players try their hand as a famous urban planner who is working on the re-development of a run-down city. To accomplish the job players must: hire the best specialists and designers. They must submit plans and create blueprints. Players must construct new and dynamic buildings to bring the city back to its former glory. If players can manage your projects well, they will become the most renowned planner and take credit for the city’s amazing turnaround. Launch date: 2012.

Keeping family and friends gathered around the holiday table doesn't take a miracle - just great questions. "What three values does your family cherish most?" and "What is the best Chanukah gift you have ever received?" are two of the 82 questions on these conversation-starting cards. Make way through the deck to share holiday memories, and create a new tradition with this box of 82 conversation-starters.

A House Divided simulates the epic struggle of the American Civil War that was fought over the twin issues of slavery and state's rights. The period from 1840 to 1861 saw these issues brought to a boil, and in 1861 the nation became tangled in a terrible war that lasted four long years. The game depicts the war between North and South from the First Battle of Bull Run (or Manassas Junction) to Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Courthouse (or Grant’s surrender at Harrisburg…). Each player leads one of these two nations and makes the strategic decisions which determine the outcome of the war. The game board represents the United States, north and south and from the Atlantic coast to just west of the Mississippi. Including Missouri, Iowa, Illinois Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia. The play map contains a number of boxes, each representing a city, town or locations important to the war. These boxes are connected by transportation lines – blue for rivers, tan for roads and black for railroads – which provide the paths to victory or defeat. Playing Time: 60 minutes. Launch date: 2012.

Enjoy quality time with all members of the family by piecing together this puzzle of Garfield dressed up in outrageously humorous and colorful outfits featuring professions, historical characters and sports figures. There's more than 80 different Garfield characters to find and piece together in this 500 piece puzzle. With over 2 million Facebook fans online, Garfield continues to enjoy a devoted following all around the world. Launch date: September 2012.

Humor from The New Yorker magazine on a puzzle. Featuring an illustration of a disgruntled dog dressed up in a Santa outfit, this 500 piece puzzle is sure to liven up the holidays for all members of the family. Frame the puzzle when it's done for a great piece of wall art for the home. Made in the USA from recycled chipboard. Launch date: September 2012.

For the first time ever, piece together Jan Brett's beautiful illustrations at home. This 300 piece jigsaw puzzle makes a great holiday gift for children and adults alike. Read along with Jan Brett's wonderful story book "The Night Before Christmas" while piecing together this beautiful puzzle with the children. Made in the USA. Launch date: September 2012.