June 2011 Notable Toys — Board Games

Some people don’t realize that the dragonfly is a friend. It eats up a lot of mosquitoes in the summer. In this cooperative board game, one to four players maneuver the dragonflies to catch as many mosquitoes as they can. Cooperative games teach kids to work together to achieve a goal.

This game is easy enough for first time game players and the game can be made infinitely more challenging simply by adding more owl tokens into the game. This allows the game to age with the child or for older kids (or even adults) to play with younger kids. Like in Candyland, kids practice color recognition and moving tokens. Unlike Candyland, Hoot Owl Hoot is a cooperative game, meaning all players are playing for the same outcome together. A cooperative game eliminates stress, builds self-esteem, and teaches kids that playing together can be fun. Kids learn to work together, they share in the game play, and they practice cooperation. The object of the game is move all the owls from start to the nest before the sun rises. Players take turns, but work together. Launch date: May 2011.
Awards: A Dr. Toy Best Green Product for 2011; 2011 Parents’ Choice Silver Honor Award; 2011 Parents’ Choice Major Fun Award; 2011 Disney FamilyFun magazine Toy of the Year (T.O.Y) Award.
— As of 05/23/2011 this product had 4.8 out of 5 stars from 10 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Teaches kids to work together; difficulty can be increased as players get better; eco-friendly.

This game is set up as a reading race through the southwest. Players pick their cards, gallop around the board to round up all their words, and must giddy up home before the other players to win. Game features the top 25 building block words. Includes game board (16.5"W x 16.5"H), 50 word cards, and 4 game pieces. For 2-4 players.

Non-Trivial Quest challenges players by asking questions about all the things they need to know for real life- it's trivia that isn't trivial. For instance, what does one do with a computer one no longer needs? The cards have the question and provide the answer. Aimed at families and friendly groups, Non-Trivial Quest is educational and helps stimulate conversation. The first person to get to the finish line wins. The game includes 300 Questions & Answer cards, a game board, 2 dice, 8 pawn tokens, a card tray, and an instruction sheet. The categories include Health & Nutrition; Math, Science & Technology; Money & Economics; Law, Civics & Sociology; Computer & Internet; and History & Geography. For 2-8 players.

Dragon Face is perfect for the chess and checker enthusiast and ideal for those with a penchant for fantasy and strategy games. Each side has an Emperor, 6 Ambassadors and 7 Governors. Each piece can move in different ways. Players capture an opponent's piece by jumping over it; that piece is then turned upside down and becomes the players own. The end goal is to capture the Emperor by locking it in. "Dragon Face is a great strategy game and a perfect way to develop critical thinking skills and concentration," Nicole Britton at Blue Orange Games told TDmonthly. Launch date: June 2011.

This updated version of the classic game features a renovated board and a tower that uses infrared sensors to ensure that players whose ships are attacked actually remove them from play. Launch date: Fall 2011.

This new version of Monopoly features the same rules as the classic game- it's the middle of the board that's really different. Players rely on a computerized tower in the center of the game board to issue instructions, keep track of money, and ensure that no cheating occurs. Players hold their hands over their piece, and the tower tells them how many spaces they can move. Instead of paper money, players use debit cards. The game also throws in spur-of-the-moment curve balls, like a horse race that all players must bet on.

This clever version of tick-tack-toe never ends in a tie. There are three O pieces, which also are numbered 1, 3 and 5, and three X pieces, numbered 2, 4 and 6. If your first game of tick-tack-toe ends in a tie, then play continues based on the numbers 1 through 6 that are on the pieces. Number 1 (an O) moves first to another open spot on the board. Then Number 2 takes a turn (an X) , then Number 3, and so on, until a player gets three X's or O's in a row. It takes real thought and makes tick-tack-toe fun again.

Kids spin the spinner, squeeze the matching colored acorn with their Squirrel Squeezers, and place it in their log. The first to fill their log with delicious acorns wins. But players need to look out - they could spin "steal an acorn" or "lose an acorn."

The path is filled with excitement and danger: will players master the four constructs that they need to defeat Parallax? Once players have the constructs- and the Green Lantern ring- go to the lantern and see if the ring comes up lit. If it does, players light up their ring and win. "Based on the upcoming Warner Brothers feature film, Green Lantern, this game includes an exclusive Green Lantern light-up ring," Jim Pressman, President of Pressman Toy Corp, told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2011.

Say Anything Family has 350 family oriented questions that allows families to enjoy the laughter and fun of the original party game. Ask a fun opinion question, everyone else comes up with an answer, secretly pick which one you like the most, everyone bets on what they think you just picked. Reveal the answer and score. "This game is fun for both parents and kids, while helping kids develop social interaction skills," Luke Warren, a rep for North Star Games, told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2011.

The Laser Game Khet 2.0 has arrived. The completely redesigned game for 2011 combines lasers with classic strategy for an experience enjoyed by players ages 9-99. Players alternate turns moving Egyptian themed mirrored pieces, after which they fire their real, eye-safe laser with the goal of illuminating their opponents' pieces and winning the game.

Exercise your mind and outwit your opponents with Mosaic 4, the new fast paced 4 in a row abstract strategy game! Mosaic 4 is set up on a board of movable squares. Two to four players compete to be the first to get 4 tokens in a row. On their turn, each player can either place a token on the board, or shift an entire row or column of movable squares over by one space. The rules are simple but the game gets increasingly challenging. Mosaic 4 comes with instructions in English, Spanish, German and French. "The movable board squares add an extra challenge," Mary Lin from Gridly Games told TDmonthly. Launch date: April 2011.