August 2010 Notable Toys — General Games

In this tactical card game, players are monarchs who rule small peasant kingdoms. The players compete to enlarge their kingdoms by claiming as much land as possible. The game is for two to four players and can be played in approximately 30 minutes.
— As of 1.06.2011 this product had 5 out of 5 stars from 128 reviews on Amazon.com and was No. 29 on the top 100 bestselling toys and games. PROS: Variety keeps players entertained. CONS: Cards are easy to lose.

Players use swiveling ramps to launch chips onto the play board. With careful aim, the chips will fall into the desired hole. As players take turns, the stack of chips in each hole gets higher. The goal is to try and get three matching color chips in a row, either vertically, horizontally or diagonally. This game is for two to four players.

In this game, players shuffle the five discs and place them on the table, then everyone at once tries to find the common object that’s on all five discs. Whoever finds it first gets to mark that object with his or her colored coin and flip over any one of the discs. There will always be only one common object that appears on all five discs, no matter which disc is turned over during the game. This game is for two to four players ages 5 and up.

In this game, everyone plays the role of detective and suspect. At the beginning of the game, each player blindly draws a card from the deck, and the character on the card becomes their secret identity. The dealer deals the cards and roll the dice to set up the crime scene. Players can “solve the case” by matching their six fingerprint cards to the six fingerprint dice, and can "tamper with the evidence” by drawing a new card, or re-rolling one of the dice.

Kids can race to be the first to get the animals into the barnyard in this fast-paced multiplayer matching game. Players search their cards to complete a barnyard animal, then use the barnyard flipper to flip the card and reveal the next image to be matched. Images are added to help children match, while the text on each card is designed to help early readers associate words with images. The game includes a barnyard flipper, 37 animal cards and a parents' guide.

The ZBall is a special marble very easy to control and that can stop in inclines. Players have to flick their way through the obstacles as fast as possible to win the race, and they can jump over their opponent’s car to pass them. No batteries are required, and hundreds of tracks can be designed for over 13' of fun. Kids can also use the track and cars separately to play by themselves. "This is the only race track on the market that can be played on with the whole family and doesn't need electricity!" Cedric Arnould, vice president of CEPIA Games, told TDmonthly.

Icosoku is a puzzle designed to make simple addition a challenge. Users explore every angle of this puzzle as they make all of the dots touching a yellow peg add up to that number. The puzzle can be solved regardless of how the yellow pegs are arranged, so there are thousands of games to play. It offers "the ability to play a new puzzle every time the number pegs are rearranged," Brandi Field, general manager of Recent Toys, told TDmonthly.
—  Two of 12 retailers named games from Recent Toys among their favorite products at ASTRA 2010, during a June 2010 TDmonthly survey.

This skill game is inspired by the party favorite, "pin the tail on the donkey."

This construction skill game includes dozens of multicolored play pieces.

Reggie the Pigeon dreams of a life in the circus as a high wire acrobat. Now he needs help to perfect 12 poses to “land” his dream job. Players must master the 12 unique poses and be the first to make it to the end of the line. Sturdy Birdy is designed to challenge children on a physical level while encouraging counting skills, self-esteem and more.

In this interactive game, girls can spin the wheel to answer a question, tell a secret, perform a silly stunt or see what they know about the Hannah Montana show. The player who scores the most points is the winner. This two-to-four player game includes a plastic game tray, cardboard wheel assembly with a two-piece spinner knob, three anchor pegs, three twist locks, 96 Hannah Montana secret cards and instructions.

This playing card set consists of four timeless card games - Crazy Eights, Hearts, Old Maid and Go Fish - each designed with its own vibrant and vintage Ringling Brothers artwork.

It's All Fun and Games contains more than 230 activities from crafts to magic tricks to outdoor activities. The activities are color coded by type, so kids can easily find exactly what they are looking for. Each activity lists the materials needed, the object of the game and the number of players required, along with easy-to-understand instructions and fun visuals.

This set of nine dice is printed with a full deck of 52 playing cards and two jokers. The set is specially designed to allow hands to be rolled for poker and most other card games. Instructions for both family and betting games are included.

This game for two or more players comes with a cup and 13 dice. Each player is a zombie, rolling a die for one of three outcomes: the brain icon that represents points, the footsteps icon that stands for a victim on the run and an opportunity to re-roll, or the shotgun blast icon that is detrimental to a player's undead health. Players score one point for each piece of gray matter and a strike for each shotgun blast. The first zombie to hit 13 points wins.

The Mayan Calendar is much more than a system to mark off the passage of time; it is a prophetic calendar that may help us understand the past and foresee the future. Some people believe it predicts the end of the world as December 2012, while others believe it forecasts the start of a new era. This game incorporates both views.The object of the game is to create a physical vehicle like a pyramid to focus and spread universal spiritual power. For this task players will need builders, materials, equipment and money. They must work together to build 11 spiritual centers around the planet to ward off destructive perils entering from many directions. "2012" includes a 13” x 18” board, four movers, two dice, a sheet of 55 die-cut pieces, eight player roles, six centers destroyed, 11 spiritual power markers and 12 destructive perils markers.

The four island stores in this game have put in orders for fish of various kinds. Players represent The Island Fishing Co-op, working together to fill these store orders and return home safely before the stormy season makes fishing and deliveries too dangerous to continue. Players get "paid" for their work and share the earnings. The game is designed for two to four players and includes a 12" x 12" board, four fishing boats, four boat movers, 12 assorted fish, four sharks, four good weathers, 12 storms,16 assorted baits, a home supply depot and instructions.

In this game, players work together to get the Goat family safely to New Meadow and into a barn before the scary, hairy troll catches them. The game is designed to teach children logic, consultation and decision making, and is designed for one to eight players. Included are a full color board, two special dice, one troll, six various food items, six goats and instructions.

In this delightful and deceptively simple logic puzzle game, players attempt to figure out the necessary moves that will permit to assemble back Simon, the scattered magician. An escalating level of difficulty allows children to start playing and progress at their own pace. Rather quickly, however, the game attains a level presenting a fun filled challenge to any puzzle loving adult.
Awards: Game of the Year 6/6 Consumer Guide of Canada

It's a great day to be a dog in the park. The sun is shining, there are no cats to be seen... and the tantalizing whiff of a big, crunchy bone can be smelled from somewhere nearby. But shuffling around the patches of turf to dig it up is going to require creativity and cleverness.
Awards: Triple Star Canadian Toy Testing Council 6/6 Consumer Guide of Canada

Anyone who can play Tic Tac Toe can learn this seemingly simple game. Trixo is played by up to 4 players. Memory, tactic and a drop of luck are the ingredients needed to prevail.
Awards: Triple Star Canadian Toy Testing Council

Elegant design, natural materials and simple game rules are combined to offer players an exquisite and original game. Each player tries to be the first to place six of their pieces on their opponent’s camp while ensuring that their remaining game pieces are not left too far behind. An environmentally friendly and beautiful game.

An exhibition of rare diamonds is in town and several gangs of thieves are planning a heist. A sharp mind and lightning-quick reflexes may help you outwit these gangsters. So get going!
Awards: Triple Star Canadian Toy Testing Council

The brainchild of Yale professor Donald Green, Octi is easy to learn and fun for game-lovers of all ages. What makes Octi's patented game system distinctive? Octi pieces grow - they become more powerful and agile. Each turn, players decide whether to move their pieces or improve them. By giving players the freedom to design their pieces, Octi unleashes a new level of creative thinking.