August 2010 Notable Toys — All

Snap Caps, the interchangeable, illustrated, magnetic bottle caps, also come on fashion accessories, such as huggers that can be used on hair, boots or ankles, plus hair clips. Snap Caps hair bows are available in red, orange, yellow, green, turquoise and hot pink.
— In a June 2010 survey, Linda Hanzelko of Timmy’s Toy Chest in Lake Mary, Fla., told TDmonthly her store sells 30 to 40 sets of Snap Caps each month.
— Three of 40 retailers names Snap Caps a top seller for girls in early summer 2010.
— Christine Osborne, co-owner of Wonder Works in Charleston, S.C., told TDmonthly in October 2011 that they sell 300-500 Snap Caps each month between their three stores.
AWARDS: 2010 TDmonthly Top Seller (entire Snap Caps line)

This photographic instruction book is full of tips, techniques and hundreds of designs to paint on fingernails. The book comes with six non-toxic, peel-off nail colors.
— “We do a lot of Klutz for the 10- to 12-year-old girl,” Jason Curtis of Funtopia Toys in Middletown, Calif., told TDmonthly in June 2010.
— Eight percent of 40 retailers cited Klutz books as a top seller for girls in early summer 2010.
— Mary Holmes from Go Bananas LLC in Ashburn, Va., told TDmonthly in a December 2011 survey that books from Klutz were her best seller in that category, selling about 12 each month. Two other retailers also named Klutz books as their best sellers.

This 1" bedazzled, chocolate-covered strawberry charm adds a hint of sparkle and sweetness to any Charm It! bracelet or necklace.
— In a June 2010 TDmonthly survey, three of 40 retailers said High IntenCity charms are a best-selling product for girls.

This festival-themed Silly Bandz 24-pack includes brushes, tents, suns, dancers, ballerinas and fiddles. These rainbow-hued bands can be collected, worn or traded with friends.
— “Rubber band bracelets … are a big hit for both boys and girls,” Patti Tepper-Rasmussen, owner of Learning Tree Toys, Games & Books in Oklahoma City, Okla., told TDmonthly in early summer 2010.
— Three of 40 retailers cited rubber band bracelets as a top seller for girls ages 4 to 12 in June 2010.
— TDmonthly  first reported on kids collecting rubber band animals back in 2005.

This plush doll is ready for a garden party in her perfectly coordinated hair and outfit. Her jewel-toned hair is styled into a bun and echoes the bright hues of her flower-adorned dress.
— In a Summer 2011 survey, 2 out of 14 retailers told TDmonthly that Groovy Girls were their best-selling doll. Linda Laramy, owner of Crackerjacks Toys and Childrens Books in Easton, Md., told TDmonthly that she sells about 5 Groovy Girls each month.
— Five percent of 40 specialty retailers told TDmonthly in early summer 2010 that Groovy Girls dolls are a top seller for girls ages 4 to 12.
― In a May 2012 survey about dolls, 2 out of 11 retailers said that the Groovy Girls line was their best seller.

This set allows girls to take their critter babies for a fun tea cup ride again and again. The base rotates and each individual cup spins when the handle is turned. The tea pot also spins and lifts its lid. Puppy babies Chubby and Spottie are included.
— In late Spring 2011, 4 out of 12 retailers said toys from Calico Critters were their best-selling play sets. Barb Stein, owner of Toys on the Square in Hummelstown, Pa., said she sells between 30-40 Calico Critter products each month.
— “Calico Critters is one of our best sellers as a brand,” Kristen Dolle, owner of Playthings Toy Shoppe in Louisville, Ky., told TDmonthly in early summer 2010.
— In a June 2010 survey, five percent of 40 retailers named Calico Critters as a best-selling toy for girls.

Cave Troll pits bands of heroes in a contest to recover the most gold and treasure from the dangerous lair of the cave trolls. Created by designer Tom Jolly, Cave Troll is a fast-paced game of heroes, monsters and treasure for two to four players that is playable in 20 to 60 minutes. It includes a game board, 104 game cards (one deck per player), six Artifact Cards, 64 plastic hero and monster figures (16 for each player), four plastic treasure chests and four Score Counters. Fantasy Flight Games Sales Associate Rick Nauertz told TDmonthly, "This is the second edition of Tom Jolly's classic board game. It features upgraded components, streamlined rules, and new variants."

The old dragon Drakon has captured a brave band of adventurers who have sneaked into her lair to steal her gold. In Drakon, players each control one of the heroes trapped in Drakon’s lair. The first player to collect enough coins for a total value of at least 10 gold immediately wins the game. On each turn, a player either places a tile (then draws another), or moves his of her figure one space. Rick Nauertz, Sales Associate for Fantasy Flight Games, told TDmonthly, "Drakon is cutthroat fun for the entire family. After all, you don’t have to outrun the dragon, you just have to outrun your opponents!"

Created by Nexus Games, known for War of the Ring, Moto GP, Wings of War and Age of Conan, Micro Mutants is a game of strategy and dexterity that’s fun for players of all ages and experience levels. Micro Mutants: Evolution is the first Micro Mutants game and includes everything up to four players need to do microscopic battle in 30 to 60 minutes, including the Usarthopod, Flyborg, Sovietopter and Chitinian armies. Fantasy Flight Games Sales Associate Rick Nauertz told TDmonthly, "Micro Mutants is surprisingly simple to pick up and learn."

Ingenious is the new abstract placement game from internationally-renowned game designer Reiner Knizia. Ingenious offers players a new way to train their brains by combining the simplicity of dominoes with the strategy Knizia is known for. Players place colored tiles on the hexagonal board, scoring points, blocking opponents’ tile placement, and trying to protect themselves from being blocked by their opponents. Ingenious is suitable for up to four players, as well as for solo play. Rick Nauertz, Sales Associate for Fantasy Flight Games, told TDmonthly, "Marvelously elegant and compulsively replayable, Ingenious is an excellent introduction to German-style abstract board games. It’s ingeniously simple, and simply ingenious!"

This edition of Colossal Arena features updated components and a more portable format. Colossal Arena is a game of titanic battles and high stakes for two to five players. Designed by the legendary Reiner Knizia, this Silver Line classic is a new version of Titan: the Arena originally published by Avalon Hill. Features include 12 creature cards, 132 combat cards, 11 spectator cards, three referee cards, 25 bet tokens and a rulebook. Rick Nauertz, sales associate for Fantasy Flight Games, told TDmonthly, "A game as comfortable in your family’s closet as on a table at a gaming convention, Colossal Arena is must buy for all gamers!"

In Through the Desert, two to five players each control a tribe of nomads vying for control of the desert. By establishing caravans and taking over oases, the players gain points as their tribes increase in power. Game play is designed to be under an hour. Fantasy Flight Games Sales Associate Rick Nauertz told TDmonthly, "From the award-winning game designer Reiner Knizia comes a game of strategy, patience and cool plastic camels!"

Kingsburg is a game of city building and resource management for two to five aspiring medieval governors, and is playable in roughly 90 minutes. Players adopt the role of a governor, and vie for resources to build up their province, military power to defend their homes, and above all the influence of the King. Over five years (five turns) players rely on various advisors to the King for resources. From tangibles like gold, wood and stone to soldiers and portents, each acquisition will shape the future of your community. Fantasy Flight Games Sales Associate Rick Nauertz told TDmonthly, "Combining many of the best elements of European and American board game design styles, Kingsburg has been praised for its clever use of dice and its high level of player interaction."

In the Horus Heresy board game, a legendary battle unfolds across the razed plains of Terra and in the frozen orbit above, from the Emperor’s golden Inner Palace to Horus’s flagship, the Vengeful Spirit. Taking the side of either traitor or loyalist, two players control either fearless Space Marine legions or deviant Chaos Space Marines, mighty Titans, Imperial Armies both loyal and traitorous, and a fearsome array of other units, including the Emperor and Horus themselves. Horus Heresy uses an innovative order and initiative system that forces each side to carefully consider the commands issued to troops. A dramatic, card driven combat system incorporates escalating damage, gives players the opportunity to allocate resources between attack and defense, and brings to bear the unique special powers of each unit type. The game includes more than 120 detailed miniature models 10 plastic terrain pieces 200+ cards Map of the war-torn Terra. Rick Nauertz, Sales Associate for Fantasy Flight Games, told TDmonthly, "Horus Heresy is an epic board game for two players set in the dark future of Games Workshop's preeminent Warhammer 40,000 universe."

In the Warhammer world, four Gods of Chaos battle for supremacy: Khorne, the Blood God/Skulltaker, lusts for death and battle; Nurgle, the Plaguelord/Father of Corruption, luxuriates in filth and disease; Tzeentch, the Changer of Ways/Great Conspirator, plots the fate of the universe; and Slaanesh, the Prince of Pleasure and Pain/Lord of Temptations, lures even the most steadfast to his six deadly seductions. In the Chaos in the Old World board game, each player takes the role of one of the malevolent Lords of Chaos. Each god’s distinctive powers and legion of followers give the controlling player unique strengths and heretical abilities with which to corrupt and enslave the Old World. Yet, as the powers of Chaos seek domination by corruption and conquest, players must vie not only against each other, but also against the desperate denizens of the Old World who fight to banish the gods back to the maelstrom of the Realm of Chaos. Fantasy Flight Games Sales Associate Rick Nauertz told TDmonthly, "Chaos in the Old World takes place in the world of the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying Game, and Warhammer Online, and so is bound to garner some name recognition."

In Dust, 2 to 6 players command vast armies of technologically advanced tanks, submarines, aircraft and “mechs” (massive piloted robots), all produced at factories which can be purchased and placed. To win, players must take territory through dice-based combat, controlling the most “power centers” in order to finance the expansion of their forces. By controlling the most of these power centers, along with the most capitals, players score victory points. The first player to score a set number of victory points claims the win. The game includes two variant rulebooks (quick-playing “Premium” rules and grand “Epic” rules), a puzzle-cut game board, more than 800 plastic figures, 45 lavishly-illustrated cards, 10 custom battle dice, 25 game tokens and three player reference sheets. Fantasy Flight Games Sales Associate Rick Nauertz told TDmonthly, "A few unique mechanics keep Dust somewhat shorter than other epic games of global conquest. In each player’s turn, for example, there is a cap on the amount of building, moving, and attacking allowed."

In Cosmic Encounter, players choose from dozens of alien races, each with its own unique power to further its efforts to build an empire that spans the galaxy. Many classic aliens from earlier editions of this beloved game return, such as the Oracle, the Loser, and the Clone. Newly discovered aliens also join the fray, including Remora, Mite and Tick-Tock. This classic game of alien politics returns from the warp once more. Cosmic Encounter features 50 alien races, flare cards to boost their powers, 100 plastic ships, a host of premium components, and all-new tech cards that let players research and build extraordinary technological marvels. Fantasy Flight Games Sales Associate Rick Nauertz told TDmonthly, "No two games are the same!"

Age of Conan is a strategy board game for two to four players ages, and is playable in 90 minutes. In Age of Conan, players control the four major kingdoms of the Hyborian Age as they aggressively expand their borders and influence, competing to become the most powerful kingdom of the age. Each player's forces include Army units, which are used to invade provinces and fight battles by force of arms; and Emissary units, who form and break alliances via diplomacy and political maneuvering. Rick Nauertz, sales associate for Fantasy Flight Games, told TDmonthly, "Thief, barbarian, pirate, king. Robert E. Howard's tales of the exploits and adventures of Conan have inspired generations."

Wings of War: World War II Deluxe Edition is a great place for new users to start playing Wings of War, the action-packed game of aerial combat and World War II dogfights. This limited deluxe edition includes the complete rules of Wings of War (including the dive-bombing rules from Wings of War: Fire From the Sky), a full set of player boards, maneuver decks, and tokens, and four beautifully-painted and accurately-sculpted miniatures, based on the four major planes of the early days of World War II: the Spitfire, Messerschmitt, Zero and Wildcat. Rick Nuaertz, Sales Associate for Fantasy Flight Games, told TDmonthly, "Each plane has a specific maneuver deck with its own unique options, so players fly differently from game to game."

Wings of War is a game series that merges card and board game mechanics to recreate aerial combat. The first series of Wings of War games focus on the "knights of the air" age, World War I, portraying the abilities of the fighting planes of this period. Wings of War: Famous Aces is the first set of the WWI collection. It includes five types of planes: the Spad XIII, Albatros D Va, Sopwith Camel, Fokker Dr1 and the Sopwith Triplane. Each plane was flown by an ace: Baracca, von Richtofen, Rickenbecker, Fonck, Olieslagers and Baker. Fantasy Flight Games Sales Associate Rick Nauertz told TDmonthly, "By selecting from his maneuver deck, each player can plot out the loops, rolls and twists that his dogfighting plane will undertake."

Talisman takes players on a journey through magical lands, as they endeavor to reclaim the Crown of Command. Each turn will see a hero advancing, battling, gaining knowledge and power necessary to defeat the guardians lurking between the Portal of Power and the Valley of Fire. The game is designed for two to six players and is playable in one to two hours. The game includes a revised rulebook, a six-fold game board, 14 character sheets with matching plastic character figures, more than 160 Cards, six, six-sided dice, more than 190 tokens, and 30 gold coins. Rick Nauertz, Sales Associate for Fantasy Flight Games, told TDmonthly, "For those unfamiliar with this classic world of fantasy adventures, Talisman is a game like no other — indeed, it is no ordinary game at all, but a fantastic quest in a world of magic and monsters."

Middle-Earth Quest is set in the 17-year period between Bilbo’s birthday party and the Ring’s departure from the Shire, as described in J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel "The Lord of the Rings." One player takes the role of Sauron, who is attempting to dominate Middle-Earth with his nefarious plots and evil minions, while up to three other players take the roles of heroes who must hold the darkness at bay until Gandalf’s plans have matured. The game includes a rulebook, a 28.25" x 41" game board, five plastic hero figures, five plastic minion figures, 225+ tokens, more than 470 cards, five hero sheets, and eight plastic stands.

Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation is a two-player board game set in J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved setting of Middle-Earth, in which one player controls of the Fellowship of the Ring, and the other player controls the forces of Sauron. Fantasy Flight Games Sales Associate Rick Nauertz told TDmonthly, "At its heart, Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation is a game of out-bluffing and outmaneuvering your opponent."

StarCraft: The Board Game is an action-packed strategy game of galactic conquest! Terran, Zerg and Protoss alike battle for supremacy across multiple worlds. StarCraft: The Board Game is playable by two to six players in two to four hours. The game includes a rulebook 180 plastic figures, 12 planet tiles, 27 navigation routes, a conquest point track, six faction sheets, six reference sheets, more than 330 tokens, and more than 325 cards. Fantasy Flight Games Sales Associate Rick Nauertz told TDmonthly, "Starcraft: The Board Game is based on the hit computer game of the same name. With the highly anticipated Starcraft II on the horizon, this game should garner some name recognition."