March 2010 Notable Toys — Board Games

LEGO Games has developed the first collection of buildable games with changeable rules and a unique buildable LEGO Dice. In this game, the Mummy King Ramses is planning on conquering all of Egypt with his army of mummies. Players must unlock the crystal coded layers to climb to the top of the pyramid and defeat the Mummy King in this family game of memory, skill and cunning. An entertaining game for 2 to 4 who can play as a team or opponents. Includes: 1 buildable LEGO Dice, 13 LEGO microfigures, 1 rule booklet, 1 building instruction. Launch date: 2010.

The mythical Minotaur protects a secret temple hidden deep inside a labyrinth and players must be the first to lead their three heroes to the temple, avoiding the Minotaur and cleverly placing walls to block their opponents. By changing the LEGO dice, players can jump hedges, and by re-building the maze, every game is a new adventure. For 2 to 4 players, the game includes 1 buildable LEGO® Dice, 12 LEGO microfigures, 1 building instruction booklet, and 1 rule booklet. Awards: Parent's Choice Award 2010
— As of 8.03.2010, this product had 4.5 out of 5 stars from 14 reviews on Amazon.com and was No. 19 in the top 100 best-selling toys and games. PROS: Children enjoy playing, and it holds their interest. CONS: Small parts can be a choking hazard, and are difficult to manipulate on the board.
Awards: Dr. Toy 100 Best Children's Products - 2010

The Mystic Treasure Chest the players seek sits on the altar behind the Guardian Ghoul. Players must complete challenges of the ancients to earn the right to try and open the Chest. They must also choose a mystic key carefully, as only one will unlock the chest to reveal the gold coins and any other key will wake up the guardian bringing the sleeping skull to life. The skull’s teeth grind, clatter and bang while his eyes wobble and shrieks a warning at the player who dares try to steal his treasure. For 2 to 4 players.

Take a trek through the deserts of Arabia. Traverse the desert, capturing wild animals to sell at the city markets. The journey is harsh and the desert sands can shift without warning. Can you make the biggest offering when the pilgrim arrives in Mecca? Don't get too far behind, or you'll be lost in the desert. For 3-6 players. Play time: 45-60 min. For ages 10 and up.

It's Fair time. Send your pickers and gardeners into the orchards for the best fruit. But watch out for the raccoon, or they may return empty handed! Pick the most fruit to attract special visitors to your farm. They'll help you send your fruit on to the fair. Whoever makes the best showing wins first prize. For 3-5 players. Play time: 45-60 min. For ages 10 and up.

Fly the crowded skies of Europe. Claim important airlinks from city to city across the countryside. Assign your airplanes to a path that satisfies the public demand for air travel. To keep adding planes to your fleet will take money, and that means claiming some of the profitable short flights before you can try for the more valuable long flights. In the end, the player who can best manage both money and airlines will be the winner. For 2-6 players. Play time: 90-120 min. For ages 12 and up.

This is a two-color chocolate and pink version of the company's gift bingo bridal shower game for up to 50 guests. "Introduced in 2002, BadaBadaBingo is the leader in original, upscale shower games providing quality, thoughtful games which connect people at events. Time and again we hear: 'Women typically do not like playing games at showers, but your products make playing games fun!'" Susan Newton, CEO, BadaBadaBingo Fun Games Co! LLC, told TDmonthly. Launch date: October 2009.

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.

This family game allows three to four players to join in the fun and suspense of the top-rated TV game show “Let’s Make a Deal” for “what’s inside the box” or “behind the curtains” in their own homes.

The sequel edition of The Office Trivia Game features trivia questions based on seasons 4, 5, and 6 of the hit NBC sitcom “The Office.” There are two levels of difficulty in this game for three to six players.

Fans of “The Vampire Diaries” series by L. J. Smith can join their favorite characters from Mystic Falls in this board game featuring game pieces that transform them (the show’s characters) into vampires. Players move around the game board trying to avoid being bitten to be the last person left who’s not a vampire. It includes four human-to-vampire transformation photo-frames, a replica of Katherine’s ring, and a vampire fangs rubber stamp. For two to four players.

Kids use the self-contained, pop-up game die to race their character game pieces around the Looney Tunes-themed game board. Players must get all their pieces home to win. For two to four players.

Kids play along with their favorite characters from Jeff Kinney’s bestselling “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” book series in this socially-interactive board game. Players move their game pieces — including Greg, Rowley, Fregley and Manny — around the game board and complete different challenges to see how well they know each other. The player who advances to the finish by answering the most questions correctly wins. For three to four players.
— Lynda Blankenship, owner of Smart Toys & Books in Knoxville, Tenn., told TDmonthly in late Spring 2011 that this game was her store's best-selling licensed product.
— As of 05/13/2011 this product had 4 out of 5 stars from 8 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Entertaining for the whole family. Cons: Needs to be played by at least 4 people to be fun, according to one reviewer; rules are complicated for younger players.

Classic Disney characters help preschoolers learn about numbers, colors and shape recognition in this version of Rummikub. It features three levels of game play and is designed for two to four players.

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.

Celtic Challenge is a timeless strategy game for one or two players. Crafted in an old-world style, the game features rustic tiles, a Celtic "rune" staff for scoring, and an elegant hardwood playing board. Players try to remove as many tiles from the board as possible in the turns allowed. Legend has it that no one has ever accomplished the nearly insurmountable "Celtic Challenge" — sweeping all tiles from the board in one game. Rich with Celtic symbols, this game is designed for families, dads, or anyone looking to expand their library of classics. "While it is evocative of mah jong or solitaire, our Celtic Challenge game can be learned in less than five minutes, and played in 10-15 minutes. The sheer beauty of the game, and the look and feel of the playing tiles, set the product apart as deserving of an everyday place on the coffee table or anywhere in the home," Brian Maggio, Sales, Find It Games, told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 2010.
Awards:  2010 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Toy Award, Gold Seal.

Do Tell Family game takes five minutes to learn and requires no knowledge of anything. The game sets up quickly and the average play time is about an hour. In this game, players get to reveal themselves using both words and actions, some thought-provoking, some side-splitting. DO cards invite you to step into the spotlight and demonstrate your talents, TELL cards invite you to share your thoughts and feelings, RISK cards add excitement to the game, and WILD cards shake things up. Contents include four decks of cards, eight tokens, two dice, scorepad, pencils, timer, and instructions.