December 2009 Notable Toys — Adult Games

Wizard apprentices develop their powers of premonition by predicting the exact number of tricks they can win in each round of this enchanting card game. Humans, dwarves, elves and giants compete for power, but none can conquer the all-powerful Wizards. The game includes 60 character cards, a scorepad of truth and a set of instructions. "Building on the worldwide popularity of Wizard, this new card game bridges the markets between traditional family card games and fantasy gamers," Lynn Araujo, communications director for U.S. Games Systems, Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 2009.

This card game is designed to educate players about fine wines. Teams take turns answering and discussing questions related to wine. Correct answers lead to opportunities to select wines for team wine cellars. The first team with a full wine cellar wins. It is not a drinking game.

TAKE ME TO THE CLEANER$! is a hilarious new couples game designed to take a light-hearted look at relationships. The game pits “spouse against spouse” and revolves around the irritating traits/habits that all individuals bring into a relationship. The underlying theme of the game is about “acceptance” and “compromise” but on the surface, it’s about getting back at your spouse/partner for driving you crazy for all of the time you’ve been together. The game is one part “reality” and one part “fantasy” and includes “real life” consequences for the “minor” infractions committed by either partner throughout the game. Players roll dice to advance around both sections of the game board. Once any player accumulates 3 Busted cards, they could be “Taken to the Cleaners” by their partner. Once a call to be “Taken to the Cleaners” has been made and accepted, both spouses move their tokens into the center ring on the board to play for the “matrimonial assets”. Once either spouse has accumulated the 20 assets, they are declared the winner of the game and get to choose 3 “real life” tasks for their partner to perform within one week of the conclusion of the game.