TDmonthly's Toy Fair 2007 Preview
Category: Family Games

Telestrations by USAOPOLY

Armed with an erasable sketch book, an erasable marker and a word card, players get 90 seconds to simultaneously sketch out their own word in their sketch book.  When time’s up, everyone passes their sketch book to the player next to them.  Every player now looks at the sketch they received from the previous player and writes down what they think the drawing is and passes it to the next player. Each player now looks at that word, sketches it out, and passes it on. This simultaneous sketching and guessing continues until everyone gets their own sketch book back and each player can see if the final guess matches their original word, or like the “telephone game,” see how it becomes amusingly different. The more players, the more laughter, and the crazier it gets for a different game each time. Telestrations is a party game for 4 to 8 players. Launch date: 2009.
— As of 1/13/2012 this product had 4.8 out of 5 stars from 167 reviews on Amazon.com. ( Watch Video) 10/27/2009 (Price: $39.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Popular Playthings - Hedgehog Escape by POPULAR PLAYTHINGS

When ten little hedgehogs are surprised by some bad-news badgers, they have to roll together to reach the low spot in the hedge where mama hedgehog is waiting. Players help the spiny guys escape by rolling them safely past the badgers. There is only one way all ten can clear the hedge in a single roll. 50 different setups challenge players to foil the badgers. ( Watch Video) 10/26/2009 (Price: $19.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Pool Sharks by GAMEWRIGHT

Pool Sharks is an inventive twist on one of the greatest games of skill ever created. The scaled down size combined with the unique shark shooter mechanisms will challenge and delight pool lovers of all skill levels. As they play, kids will learn some elementary physics (action-reaction) as well as hone hand-eye coordination. The game comes with a pool table, six fix pockets, two shark cuesticks, triangle rack and 11 mini pool balls. Launch date: 2009. ( Watch Video) 10/20/2009 [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Polar Derby by GAMEWRIGHT

Polar bears are the world's largest land predator, standing up to 10 feet tall and weighing around 1,000 pounds. Now imagine a pack of them sliding towards you on roller skates. Get out of the way fast! Speaking of fast, Polar Derby is a game of quick decision-making. Should you keep rolling or should you quit while you're ahead? It's also a game where fortunes change quickly. One moment you're on a roll, next moment you're skating on thin ice. For 2 to 4 players. Game time is approximately 20 minutes. It comes with a playing board, 25 wooden polar bears and two custom dice. 10/20/2009 [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Smash or Trash by FUN Q GAMES, INC.

The game where players make up hysterical new lyrics to popular hit music. Are you witty enough to write a song about fast food, homework, doing the laundry or perhaps rabid squirrels? A good sense of humor is better than a great singing voice when you play Smash or Trash. Put your creativity to the test as you compete for top praise from the critics (other players) who will declare each song you write to be a Smash hit or just plain Trash. ( Watch Video) 10/15/2009 (Price: $29.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Fantasy Wizard Card Game by U.S. GAMES SYSTEMS, INC.

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. 10/5/2009 (Price: $9.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Ticket to Ride - USA 1910 by DAYS OF WONDER

Ticket to Ride - USA 1910 is a card expansion for the original Ticket to Ride board game. It consists of 181 new large-format cards that include 35 new Destination Tickets, a new GlobeTrotter bonus card for completing the most tickets, and a complete replacement deck of all the cards from the original game. Also included is a new rulebook that gives Ticket to Ride players three new ways to play: games using only the new Destination Tickets; the Mega Game, featuring all the tickets; and Big Cities, which uses only tickets to certain large cities. Launch date: 2001. 8/28/2009 (Price: $20.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Ticket to Ride: Europa 1912 by DAYS OF WONDER

The Ticket to Ride Europa 1912 expansion for the Ticket to Ride series includes 101 Destination Tickets — the 46 original tickets, plus 55 new ones that enable three new variants to the Ticket to Ride Europe map. This expansion also introduces Warehouses & Depots — new game rules and pieces that create an additional strategic layer and can be played with any of the Ticket to Ride maps. "Wooden Train Depots are placed on cities selected by each player. Throughout the game, each player's Warehouse will accumulate Train cards and those who have the foresight, clever timing, or just plain good fortune to build a route to a Depot can make off with a fistful of Train cards. Depot placement and skillful Warehouse tactics become a key part of a winning Ticket to Ride strategy!" Elizabeth Case, marketing assistant for Days of Wonder, told TDmonthly. Launch date: August 6, 2009. 8/28/2009 (Price: $20.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Small World by DAYS OF WONDER

In Small World, players vie for conquest and control of a world that is simply too small to accommodate them all. Picking the right combination from the 14 different fantasy races and 20 unique special powers, players rush to expand their empires — often at the expense of weaker neighbors. Yet they must also know when to push their own over-extended civilization into decline and ride a new one to victory. "Designer Philip Keyaerts has expertly interwoven the fantasy worlds with competitive game play to create a game that appeals to casual players of all ages and experience while simultaneously maintaining a complexity that draws in the more serious crowd," Elizabeth Case, marketing assistant for Days of Wonder, told TDmonthly. The game has received the following awards: 2009 Bruno Faidutti's Game of the Year; 2009 Finalist for the International Gamer's Award; and 2009 Spiele Hit (Vienna Game Academy). Launch date: January 26, 2009. 8/28/2009 (Price: $50.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

The Open Road by FAMILY PASTIMES

In this game, players are Gypsies trying to earn as much gold as they can and bring it to the Big Gypsy Gathering. They need to finance the various festivities of weddings, baptisms, meetings, feasts and entertainment before border checkpoints are closed, preventing them from traveling and earning a living. Players have only two rounds of events to accomplish their goal of raising money for the Gathering. The game includes a 17" x 22" board, four movers and matching caravan cards, 26 colored wagons, 24 trades, 24 gold payments for trades, 56 events, and rules for regular and advanced games. In this cooperative game, individuals play together, not against one another. Launch date: August 2009. 8/28/2009 (Price: $32.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

The BFF Box of Questions by THE BOX GIRLS

THIS PRODUCT IS NOW DISTRIBUTED BY MELISSA & DOUG
With 52 questions, this game is designed to let players know how well they you know their BFF, and how well their best friend knows them. Launch date: September 15, 2009. 8/28/2009 (Price: $20.00)

Scrappers by PRIVATEER PRESS

Players take on the role of lively goblin bodgers as they race around grabbing the parts they need to finish their outrageous contraptions. Getting that perfect part isn’t easy, though, as the conveyor belt is constantly moving valuable parts out of reach. And if that’s not enough to keep the goblins on their toes, they also have to deal with rivals scheming and tussling for parts. Players may be the first bodger to complete their contraption — or fuel the frenzy trying. This family board game is for two to four players. "Scrappers uniquely appeals to any specialty market customer with characters and themes that they recognize and love, while offering game play [that] can be brought home and played with anyone who loves to have a good time," Brent Waldher, licensing and contract manager for Privateer Press, told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 14, 2009. 8/28/2009 (Price: $24.99)

Coursing Around by COURSING AROUND

Coursing Around's first edition offers 15 activity courses using sidewalk chalk. Designed to motivate kids to get off the couch and be active outside, it also offers an educational dynamic by helping kids learn their shapes, colors, numbers, and lefts and rights. Coursing Around received a 2009 iParenting Media Award in the Outstanding Product Toys and Games Category. Launch date: 2009. 8/28/2009 (Price: $19.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Rummikub for Kids by PRESSMAN TOY CORP.

This Rummikub set for preschoolers is designed with shapes that help children self-correct their moves. The game helps children develop number and color recognition skills, teaches players how to build sets of consecutive numbers, and fosters logical reasoning as they learn the basics of Rummikub. It features three levels of game play. Launch date: August 2009. 8/19/2009 (Price: $14.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Pack & Stack™ by MAYFAIR GAMES INC.

Pack & Stack is designed to be a fast and funny, wild and crazy game about moving stuff on all sorts of odd trucks. Every interactive turn is a new adventure, where all the players discover new loads, grab new trucks, and then gamble on their planning and packing skills. Launch date: June 4, 2009. 8/19/2009 (Price: $49.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Black Heritage Gamebook by GALLOPADE INTERNATIONAL

The Black Heritage Gamebook is an educational gamebook with games that span subjects across curriculum — math, reading, history, writing and more. These games can be played for speed or at a child’s individual pace. Launch date: January 3, 2003. 8/19/2009 (Price: $7.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Don't Know Beans About... Games by GALLOPADE INTERNATIONAL

Each of these question-and-answer games includes 60 question-and-answer cards. As each correct answer is given, players perform a fun task, such as giving the closest person a high-five or hitting an imaginary baseball and shouting, "Home Run!" There are 10 different games: America, American Revolution, Animals, Black History, Conservation, Solar System, U.S. Civil War, U.S. Constitution, U.S. Presidents and Weather. Launch date: January 2009. ( Watch Video) 8/19/2009 (Price: $12.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

State Fab Facts Fast! Card Game by GALLOPADE INTERNATIONAL

Kids can learn state facts fast in this card game that's available for 11 states: California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Six fun ways to play include matching, trivia, and rummy-style games. The card facts and graphics include more than 40 state facts including state map, symbols, trivia, spelling and true-or-false. Launch date: January 2008. 8/19/2009 (Price: $9.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

George by FAIRGAME WILDLIFE

George tands 13" from nose to wall. Adjustable antler span is 16". Girth is 21". Ready to hang; choose big-game shoulder mount or solid pine plaque mount. Plaque size: 9"x12" His name was chosen in honor of two famous Mainers: President George H.W. Bush and Senator George Mitchell. He is one of the most popular moose every year, loved by Democrats and Republicans alike. NEW and improved George has Deep (fuzzy) nostrils and a lower jaw with teeth and tongue. 8/18/2009

Pocket Rocket by ASMODEE EDITIONS

n the heat of the night, standing between the stars, the dream of all astronauts shine: the Moon . Stop dreaming, get in the action! Run around the spacecraft work-site and build the most amazing and colorful rocket . Be the first to make it take off! History will remember only one name. .. Is it yours? 7/21/2009

Snow Tails by ASMODEE EDITIONS

Deep inside the Arctic Circle, brave sledders compete in a dangerous race to test their skill and endurance. But this snowy paradise conceals icy traps, and not all the teams will reach the finish line. The huskies must run quickly and their masters must display finesse and cool-headedness if they are to avoid the numerous pitfalls around the track. To help them on their way, the players have cards with different values that will make their dogs run at a more or less high speed. They have to manage their hand well in order to slide, increase speed, or slow down at just the right time. Only a keen tactical awareness will enable them to avoid the trees blocking the way or prevent them from skidding right off the track. 7/21/2009 (Price: $49.99)

A to Z Jr. by FUNDEX GAMES

Players will need to know more than their ABCs to play Electronic A to Z Jr. In fact, they'll need to be pretty quick with the entire alphabet, including those pesky XYZs. Players have 30 seconds to list as many different answers for a specific category as possible. Each answer must begin with a different letter of the alphabet. Players turn off letters on the electronic board for each correct answer. The first one to turn off all the letters on their board wins. It includes an electronic game board, A to Z Jr. category cards, and instructions. Launch date: June 2008. 7/17/2009 (Price: $29.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Mister Mailman by GameBrotherZ inc.

The mail must go through!

The whole family will have fun trying to overcome the hurdles of your local letter carrier! Enjoy this hilarious race full of suspense, unexpected twists and turns, and be the first to deliver all your mail to the neighbourhood. 7/10/2009 (Price: $29.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Moonjar's Family Kit (financial literacy for the family) by MOONJAR

This kit is designed to help parents teach kids about money — specifically saving, spending and sharing. It comes with a lesson plan, a book about how people approach money differently, a game to encourage money talk, and a Moonjar Moneybox to promote goal setting and budgeting. "This kit is designed to break open the money conversation at home and to help parents find staightforward, fun and meaningful ways to help the children sustain smart saving, spending and sharing for a lifetime," Mary Ryan Karges, vice president of Moonjar LLC, told TDmonthly. This product has received the following awards: 2009 Creative Child Seal of Excellence, Oppenheim Best Toy, Teachers Choice Award, IP award, and Global Learning Initiative award. Launch date: June 12, 2009. 7/7/2009 (Price: $50.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Ingenious Inventions by EVOLVING TOYS LLC

In this techno trading game, players try to diversify their hands with the best inventions from each invention family by 'doing deals' (trades) with other players. Deal Maker cards give an added zing to play. There's an inventor’s die and an inventions pocket guide. It "puts the future in childrens’ hands like no other game before it!" Geoffrey Moran, President, Evolving Toys, told TDmonthly. This product was a Museum Store Association Buyer’s Choice Award Finalist 2009. Launch date: August 15, 2009. 6/29/2009 (Price: $10.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]