December 2012 Notable Toys — Board Games

Play along with UG™ of HOMEVESTORS of America, rescuing "Ugly" Properties and rehabilitaing them to make them "Luvly" for resale.  Get started learning to Rescue, Rehab, and Resell Houses, just like on ABC's "Extreme Makeover Home Edition" or A&E's "Flip This House". Learn the game and sign up online and on a mobile device to play in HOMEVESTING tournaments. Prizes galore, including flat screen TVs, XBoxes, Cash. Come learn what Tony Robbins, Robert Kiyosaki, Carlton Sheets and Armando Montelongo charge thousands of dollars for. Learn the trials and tribulations that come along with the adventure of real estate investment, and have fun doing it.

KerFlip is a fun, fast anagram word game that families and word nerds can claim as their own. KerFlip's innovative flip-scoring system rewards players for constructing words FASTER than their opponents can. And cleanup has never been simpler: just sweep used letters into the tile chute and funnel them into a collection cup at the end of the game. "KerFlip features a completely original and innovative way to score, called "flip-scoring." The first time a tile is used, it’s worth 10 points. Once it’s been scored, flip it to its orange side. Now it’s worth only 5 points to other players," Damon Tabb, inventor and owner of Creative Foundry Games, told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 2012.
Awards: 2013 TDmonthly Seal of Approval, GAMES Magazine BEST Word Game for 2013; Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Best Toy Award; 2012 Dr. Toy: 10 Best Educational Products for 2012; Creative Child Magazine: 2012 Game Of The Year; 2012 Majorfun.com: Major Fun Award; 2012 Playonwords.com: PAL Award.

Players must surround their opponent’s queen bee while trying to block their opponents from doing the same. Each insect has a unique way of moving (as in chess) and resembles the movement of the insect depicted on the tile.
Awards: 2006 Mensa Select

The Junkyard has been turned into a racing track, by ‘The Race-Kart Crew,’ a team of 8 speedster enthusiasts. They have built their own racing karts and invented some crazy gadgets and traps made from junk found in the Junkyard. Take on the role of one of the crew to create the fastest, meanest racing kart in the Junkyard. Use your creativity to outwit your opponents, roll bombs, release missiles, lay down hidden traps, all while speeding through mud and grass and jumping over collapsed bridges. Launch date: March 2011.

Logan Stones takes the simplicity of ‘Rock Paper Scissors’ and adds to it a fast paced, fun game, that can also be played with strategic precision for a much more thought provoking experience. Launch date: June 2010.

Players must try and collect 6 fruit leaves before their fellow monkeys. However there is an additional obstacle lurking in the jungle. If players are not careful, a hungry gorilla may swipe the fruits that they have gathered. A colorful Toucan can also bring players luck and give them a chance to win more fruit. Launch date: February 2011.

Place the cubes on the boards to create 3-D snakes that will keep you rattling for hours. Follow the clues on the challenge boards, and place the cubes accordingly Develops 3-D logical and spatial vision. Launch date: May 2012.

Make a million and win the Monopoly Millionaire game. It's just like the classic property-trading game, but with a new twist. Everything's worth a lot more and there are more ways to play. Players pay rent, buy houses, collect their salary and buy properties just like the classic Monopoly game. But in Monopoly Millionaire, there's no need to bankrupt everybody. The first player to make a million dollars wins. Launch date: 2012.

Chocolate cards are played and nabbed, and played and nabbed right back. Players score points by reasoning out which confectionary card combinations will give them the most sweet satisfaction. TOOTHACHE cards, CARROT cards, and BOX-O-CHOCOLATES cards keep the game lively and surprising.

Sugary-scented bubble gum cards and bubble blowing thrills in a playful strategy game. Kids lay down their bubble gum cards in number order, and watch their bubble grow. If opponents play a "POP" card, the other player's bubble will burst. Luckily, they've got snitch cards and special bubble protector tokens on their side. Launch date: August 2012.

Urbania is a game of city renewal where players try their hand as a famous urban planner who is working on the re-development of a run-down city. To accomplish the job players must: hire the best specialists and designers. They must submit plans and create blueprints. Players must construct new and dynamic buildings to bring the city back to its former glory. If players can manage your projects well, they will become the most renowned planner and take credit for the city’s amazing turnaround. Launch date: 2012.

A House Divided simulates the epic struggle of the American Civil War that was fought over the twin issues of slavery and state's rights. The period from 1840 to 1861 saw these issues brought to a boil, and in 1861 the nation became tangled in a terrible war that lasted four long years. The game depicts the war between North and South from the First Battle of Bull Run (or Manassas Junction) to Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Courthouse (or Grant’s surrender at Harrisburg…). Each player leads one of these two nations and makes the strategic decisions which determine the outcome of the war. The game board represents the United States, north and south and from the Atlantic coast to just west of the Mississippi. Including Missouri, Iowa, Illinois Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia. The play map contains a number of boxes, each representing a city, town or locations important to the war. These boxes are connected by transportation lines – blue for rivers, tan for roads and black for railroads – which provide the paths to victory or defeat. Playing Time: 60 minutes. Launch date: 2012.

STAR TREK CATAN® transports the timeless game concept of the world’s most acclaimed board game—THE SETTLERS OF CATAN—into the exciting Star Trek universe. The popular characters of the Starship Enterprise come into play through novel new “support cards.” Build, trade and settle where no one has gone before. Launch date: 2012.
— As of 09/13/2012 this product had 4.5 out of 5 stars from 2 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Same playing concept as the old Catan, but uses fun Star Strek elements; New development cards enhance the game.

In this fun game, each player gets to be Clifford, racing around the board inviting friends Cleo, T-Bone, Mac, and Mimi to the birthday party. Drop the die down the dog house dice slide and see how far you’ll go The first one to pass out all of the invitations and make it back to the party wins.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy 100 Best Toys