December 2008 Notable Toys — Board Games

In this classic strategy game, players hop around the pond with their frog friends. It allows children to explore the boggy pond with their colorful and funny frogs. Players move their game pieces across the pond to win the game. "Our clever twist with magnets makes this game great for small hands; the magnets stack up high and the winner can clearly be seen. The magnetic pieces also help to make this game great for travel," Jessica McCulligh, in marketing at Dowling Magnets, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2008.

The Kanoodle case holds two solitaire games that challenge the player to build colorful 2D puzzles and 3D pyramids. Once a child picks a design from the included puzzle book, he or she puts some of the pieces into place as shown, then fills the empty spots with the remaining pieces. Only one of hundreds of possible combinations actually completes the puzzle.
— Three of 68 specialty retailers named Kanoodle when asked about their top-selling toy or game in October 2008.
— Dean Smith, co-owner of JaZams in Pennington, N.J., told TDmonthly in October 2008 his store sells about 24 units of Kanoodle each month.

Was King Arthur real? What were the coolest weapons that knights carried? How were castles built? And what was the best way to capture one? Kids will learn the answers to these questions along with countless other facts in this fascinating introduction to the world of medieval knights and castles. It includes 16 custom chess pieces, a 24-page fact-book and two games: Chess and Capture the Castle. Launch date: September 2008.

Monsterpocalypse is a fast-moving, action-packed strategy game played with high quality collectible miniatures portraying the most fearsome giant monsters ever imagined. Each battle takes place in a city, which opposing players construct by placing models of buildings on a city map. Players will then build their force from their respective collection of models. Each force will consist of a giant monster model, and several supporting units (tanks, flying vehicles or creatures — depending upon which of the themed factions you decide to play). Purchasing Booster Boxes will expand your collection, giving you more tactical options and abilities to better suit your strategy. Launch date: October 10, 2008.

This world-class MONOPOLY game for two to six players take participants to global cities on six continents. Each player has a MONOPOLY credit card, plus a digital device that acts as a bank to track the balance. It requires two AA batteries (not included).

This action-packed, hidden-identity game is geared to please the younger crowd. Assuming the identity of one of six spies, each player uses the die and moves cards to move around the gameboard. If a player lands on the same colored space as his/her opponent, he/she may take a guess of the opponents identity. If the guess is correct, the opponent is out of the game. The winner is the last player remaining. The game "focuses on bluffing and guessing," Bill Stephenson, president of Spy Alley Partners, told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 1, 2008.

Features hundreds of color photographs of art and artifacts found at the Smithsonian museums. Study the items on your assignment card, then guess which one doesn’t fit. Use the decoder/magnifier to see if you’re right as you try to be the first expert to reach finish. For 2 to 4 players, ages 8 and up.

Race to gather the food your panda needs. When you land on a bamboo space, activate the mother panda to come down the tree. She may help you win. Learn interesting panda facts as you play the game. For 2 to 4 players, ages 5 and up.

Based on the hit NBC-TV show starring Steve Carell, players race around the office visiting cubicles and answering questions about the adventures and misadventures of its unique characters. Includes a “Support the Rabid” rubber bracelet—as seen on the show—that players get when they win the “5K” race. For 2 to 6 adult players.

Join the cast of NBC’s hit show “The Office” in a DVD game that features some of your favorite scenes. Answer questions about the clips to earn Schrute bucks as you move along a game board that Dwight himself created. There’s seven different kinds of questions for lots of variety.  For 2 to 6 adult players.

Zillio has 12 colorful staircases based upon multiplication tables. The visual and tactile relationships between steps enable kids to discover and master difficult math concepts as they learn and play with 10 essential math skills. Mega Zillio is the larger version of the Mini Zillio. It handles numbers up to 60, and measures 27" x 27" x 12". It does everything the Mini does but can have up to 6 players at a time and the same games included require more challenging play and problem solving to come out on top.

Zillio has 12 colorful staircases based upon multiplication tables. The visual and tactile relationships between steps enable kids to discover and master difficult math concepts as they learn and play with 10 essential math skills.  Mini Zillio handles numbers up to 36, and measures 18" x 18" x 8", compared to Mega Zillio's 27" x 27" x 12.5". For up to 4 players at a time.
Awards: 2010 Tillywig Brain Child

Mansuba: Challenge of the Pharaohs  is the second board game set in the World of Terris. In it players learn the ancient Fey game of the Imouha Pharaohs. Become the first player to move your pieces across the board, beguiling opponent’s pieces in the process. Speed and daring play will win the game, but beware lest your pieces be beguiled in turn.

Battue: Walls of Tarsos is the first expansion for Battue: Storm of the Horse Lords, a strategy board game for 2-4 players. As the battle deepens, players will find new challenges to overcome and more rewards for success. Although the goal, to loot the richest sections of town to prove your right to lead the Golden Horde, is the same, the means to that end are much different. Rivals arise and defenders band together within the city to prevent the pillage. All of Red Juggernaut’s games are set in the world of Terris, a world where everyone can perform enchantments and powerful ritualists shape society.

Rooted in the World of Terris, a brutal, dark fantasy setting envisioned by authors Robin Laws and Scott Hungerford, Battue: Storm of the Horse Lords is a strategy board game in which players take control of a horde of Horse Lords bent on looting Tarsos, the City of Brass Pillars. This strategy game is easy-to-learn, fast-playing, fun, and keeps players involved in the game even when it’s not their turn. The player who manages to control the choicest sections of the city and has the most loot at the end of the game is the winner. Further expansions will introduce new rules and options as well as allow additional players to join the game.