July 2012 Notable Toys — General Games

Pack the ice so that every puzzle tile can fit on the game board and all the penguins are in the right spot. A super cool game of logic with 5 unique shape-shifting pentomino playing pieces. 60 challenges from easy to difficult.

Aeroplanes™ explores the dawn of commercial aviation, an exciting era between 1919 and 1939. Players experience the difficulties and triumphs of commercial airlines in Europe, pioneering airports and service in continental Europe and around the world. Aviation spurred the growth of intercontinental travel, and airlines struggled to dominate the regions of the globe that they served. Rapid technological advances in planes play a vital role in this development as players compete to purchase newer more efficient aeroplanes, build airports and move passengers around the globe. Earn bonuses and prestige for being the first to fly to North or South America, and win by maintaining the most airports around the world, and running  airlines profitably. For 3-5 players; game time is about 2 hours.

Help the pirates hide their secret treasure. The Playmobil Advent Calendar - Pirates Treasure Cove contains twenty-four surprise items for each day of Advent. Includes a backdrop, three figures, pirate flag, dinghy, treasure, and plenty of other accessories to create a swashbuckling adventure scene.

Place the puzzle pieces inside the trucks so that they don't stick out. There is only one solution, yet 48 challenges. These little trucks combine a great puzzle with a fun toy. Trucky 3 is made from sustainably-harvested, eco-friendly wood from rubber trees, and plastic.
— As of 07/20/2012 this product had 4.4 out of 5 stars from 5 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Portable; fun even for younger kids who don't understand the challenges; variety of challenges provide lasting fun for kids of different skill levels. Cons: Answer key is easy for kids to see.

A fun way to learn step counting, an important stage in learning multiplication. Count by 2s, 5s, 10s and 20s...all the way to 100. Colorful I Spy images make the game even more exciting. Also includes catchy rhymes to say when counting.

Brain twisting game of 40 challenges. Four challenge levels accommodate the skills of everyone in the family. Develops reasoning abilities and fine motor skills. Tactile, dual-colored design. Includes folding hexagon puzzle, booklet with 40 challenges.

Ten fun origami brainteasers with solutions. Created by famed puzzle inventor Ivan Moscovich. Build mathematical thinking, logic abilities, fine motor skills and patience. Heavy-duty laminated puzzles designed for repeated folding and multiple uses.

This game gives kids the opportunity to think about what makes COMMUNITY. From HOME players build the roads that will connect the special places players will select, creating, when they’re done, a bird’s eye view Of HOME and a whole village they made together. Players will have to think ahead and work together to successfully accomplish this endeavor. Community challenges players to build roads linking Home to other important locations in a community. "Children often rely on electronic games to construct and interact with realities. Now they can satisfy that intellectual drive and learn something along the way, all within a social activity that encourages cooperation and communication," Rosie Pohlmann from eeBoo told TDmonthly.

Players spin the spinner on their turn, then roll the dice. Players have 3 rolls or less to match the rummy hand on the spinner – but look out for a bonus or penalty that can help or hurt. Win the most points and win the game. When players are done, they can use the dice to play a different game. Game Contents: 9 Square Shooters® dice, spinner, dice cup, and scorepad.
Awards: 2012 Creative Child Magazine Game of the Year Award; Summer 2012 Tillywig Award Winner

Crappy Birthday is the hilarious game of giving bad gifts. The goal is to choose the worst gift for each player. Laughing together at funny pictures and the ensuing banter make this game a winner.
— As of 07/18/2012 this product had 4.6 out of 5 stars from 17 reviews on Amazon.com.
Awards: Summer 2012 Tillywig Award Winner

Look, see, play and score...a lot. Add cards to a grid, making sure that color, shape, and number are either all the same or all different across the line. Sounds easy but as the grid expands, so do the possibilities. Whoever sees the opportunities will seize the win. Iota – The pocket-sized game that’s big time fun. Launch date: September 2012.
Awards: 2012 Mensa Select
— In a Fall 2013 survey, two out of 12 retailers told TDmonthly that Iota was their best-selling card game.

Crossword Cubes is a unique word spelling dice game. Roll all 13 dice and play them in a crossword fashion to create the highest score possible. A combination of crosswords and anagrams, this fun, compact, educational game is great for travel, gifts, stocking stuffers, and sharpening up your spelling. Portable and fun, Crossword Cubes is one of a kind. Launch date: 2010.

Pride & Prejudice Trivia is a fun trivia game based off the novel by Jane Austen. Game includes 300 trivia cards, including 8 bonus Jane Austen trivia questions, score pad, die. Test your knowledge of the book while having fun. Do you know how long Mr. Bingley looked at Netherfield before letting it? If you do, wish you did, or know someone who might, this is the perfect gift. Launch date: May 2010.

Designing Star Magnetic Locker Chandelier flashes in a rainbow of colors with it's 6 LED lights. Batteries ARE included. Strong magnets on the top hold chandelier fast to most all metal surfaces. An additional hook on top can be used for the option of hanging the chandelier anywhere. Our chandelier is strong and durable. Launch date: June 2012.

Stand them up and knock them down. Make your domino Topplers tumble, swing, and wind along a colorful obstacle course track. Turn and connect the printed tracks to form over a hundred possible routes. Combine the tracks with plastic obstacle “stations” like bridges, teeter-totters, and slides. Use the kit to develop fine motor skills, exercise concentration and coordination, customize your own domino obstacle course, and build dexterity and creativity. The Topplers Domino Obstacle Course includes 100 Topplers, 21 printed tracks, and 8 obstacle stations. Launch date: September 2012.

It’s a busy day in Crazy Cake Café. Baker Bernie needs kids' help getting cakes stacked as quickly as possible so they can be delivered. The first player to finish stacking one of Baker Bernie’s famous twelve layer cakes wins a recipe card. Collect ten recipe cards and winning the game will be the icing on the cake. This fast-moving game is a delectable visual-spatial, brain-teasing treat. 2 to 4 players. Launch date: August 2012.

Cluck 'N' Chuck is a game that’s bursting with fun – and chickens! This game for two to four players will leave kids in hysterics as they try to contain runaway chickens. Players roll the die to see which chickens they can chuck into the coop. But move quickly before the coop jumps up and they all fly out. It’s a race to see who can round up their chickens first in this rowdy cluck-cluck game. For ages 4 and up.

Don’t Rock the Boat will have kids channeling their inner pirates without fear of having to walk the plank! The play pieces for this game are fun pirate penguins, and play takes place aboard their pirate ship. Take turns trying to balance the pirate penguins on the ship, but if you rock the boat and send some mateys overboard, ye be a loser! For ages 5 and up. Launch date: 2012.

Super Shooter Basketball is for one or more players. Shoot hoops with the miniature basketballs and gain mad skills! The game includes rules for three well-known games. Super Shooter Basketball is for ages 5 and up. Launch date: 2012.

Spurtle Turtle is also for one or more players. In this fun matching game, press the button on the turtle’s back to spurt out tokens. Then, find the matching sets of tokens! The turtle is also a convenient storage case. Spurtle Turtle is for ages 3 and up. Launch date: 2012.

In Empire Express, players create competing railroad empires by drawing railroad tracks with crayons upon an erasable board. Players win if they utilize their network of rail lines to acquire and deliver goods efficiently to accumulate the largest personal fortune. The base game provides pre-programed routes on a board depicting a north eastern portion of the US with demand cards providing players with an easy way to learn the system through play. Players start with the bare bones of a railroad: an empty train and track connecting some cities. Each turn players take turns building track, operating trains, and delivering loads. The bank will pay players for each delivered load. With the starting route guided by the board, only two loads per card and a visual pick-up and delivery guide on every card the learning curve is greatly shortened. For 2-4 players, 90+ minute game time.

In Tsuro of the Seas players will sail the treacherous waters of the Mystic Seas in an engaging game of adventure and suspense. As the captain of one of the Emperor’s mighty Red Seal ships, players navigate the seas by placing Tsuro wake tiles to direct their vessel. Players must take great caution to avoid opponents’ ships...and those mysteries lurking on the horizon and under the sea. The last captain sailing to survive the mystic seas wins. For 2 to 8 players ages 8 and up; plays in 20-40 minutes. Launch date: August 2012.

Gone fishin'. This set includes 6 colorful fish, pond-blue fabric, and 2 fishing rods. Rods can be adjusted from beginner to advanced.

Each Crazy Cube comes with its own unique combination of shooter, marble and accessories to enhance game play. Every Crazy Cube comes with its own matching marble brain and collector card. Adding to the fun, the collector card doubles as a blocking wall or shooting target when combined with its included post.