TDmonthly's ToyFair 2006 Preview--Board Games Product Category

Card Football Premiere Edition by CSE GAMES

This fast and furious card-based board game appeals to gaming, sports and fantasy sports fans as well as card players. Play is based on high-hand wins and combines the best elements of several classic card games. One to four players deliberate over playing strong cards immediately or holding them back for a power hand, giving players great control over the outcome. Card Football was named a Top 10 Card Game of 2006 by About.com. “Critical decision making” sets this game apart, President Fabio Del Rio of CSE Games told TDmonthly. “The swings and tensions of real football really come through in this game because players determine their fate by the cards they play.” Launch date: January 2006. 3/27/2007 (Price: $25.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

The Original Boxing's Greatest Championship by BOXING EXPRESS INC.

In this championship game, players have fun acting as a boxer, learning punches and defensive skills as they strive to win. Sometimes they make good business decisions, get rich, prosper and buy a mansion, yacht, expensive clothes and more. But sometimes they lose. Players have to watch out for greedy people that cheat them, taxes that can break them, a spouse that will take half of the earnings and, of course, knock outs. “Players learn about boxing skills, rules, finances, hardships and victories,” President Rahn G. Porter of Boxing Express told TDmonthly. “[It] doesn’t always add up to championships and endless riches.” Launch date: December 2007. ( Watch Video) 3/27/2007 (Price: $35.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Global Odysee by ODYSEE GAMES

Global Odysee is a three-dimensional travel game designed to teach players about the world and its natural features, nations, people and cultures. It uses beautiful satellite imagery, and players can choose to travel along realistic 3-D routes between places of interest using different transportation modes. Planned regional versions of the game include American Odysee, Australian Odysee, European Odysee and Kiwi Odysee. Creator Len Wicks told TDmonthly that the following qualities set the game apart: its portrayed realism and 3-D landscape; the required strategy and decision-making; dice operation that allows for multiple and varied moves; and dual versions (home city and time limit) that cater to all needs and markets, including schools. Launch date: October 2007. ( Watch Video) 3/27/2007 (Price: $55.00)

Simply Suspects by SPY ALLEY PARTNERS LLC

In this fast-action game, two to six players are all "simply suspects" due to the evidence left behind from a crime. Each suspect has the opportunity to tamper with the evidence so that it points to other suspects, and if the evidence points to a player when he meets the Grand Jury, he is eliminated from the game. Players must try to hide their own identity so that other players don’t eliminate them. Playing time is about 15 to 30 minutes. “The social interaction of the hidden identity theme works extremely well,” President Bill Stephenson of Spy Alley Partners told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2006. ( Watch Video) 3/27/2007 (Price: $29.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

AmuseAmaze by HL GAMES USA LIMITED

This game for two to six players features an 18-part board game that allows more than six billion possible set-up combinations so that players never play the same game twice. Players race to spell their way through the maze, picking up letter tiles, blocking opponents and collecting target cards. AmuseAmaze is a fun-filled labyrinth of quick words and quicker wits. It takes 30 to 40 minutes to play. Launch date: May 2007. 3/22/2007 (Price: $24.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

I Spy 3-D by BRIARPATCH INC.

In this game, one to four players put on the included 3-D glasses and enter the magical world of I Spy. They read the rhymes and explore the 3-D tiles to find the floating objects and solve the riddle. Players can create game boards by laying down the tiles in different patterns. Briarpatch VP of Sales Alex Fazio told TDmonthly that “the optical 3-D illusion aspect of the game play that directly ties into the themes of the Scholastic I Spy books,” sets the game apart and makes it ideal for specialty stores. This product received a 2007 iParenting Media Award for Outstanding Products and an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award. Launch date: March 1, 2007. 3/16/2007 (Price: $24.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Search & Rescue: A Co-operative Adventure Game™ by FAMILY PASTIMES

In this adventure game for two to 12 players, four areas in the park are reserved for exploration — a lake with an island, desert conditions, mountainous trails and forest paths. Stormy weather comes along and a child, a young woman, an older man and a family of five are missing. The Search & Rescue team must share equipment, develop strategies and contend with mounting storm centers in order to save them. The company requires a $100 wholesale minimum, and the game can be mixed with other titles. This game made Dr. Toy's Spring 2007 Best Products List. Launch date: March 2007. ( Watch Video) 3/15/2007 (Price: $15.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Sovereignty: Global Property Trading Game by SOVEREIGNTY GAMES

At the dawn of the global age, six continents — North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia — clash for economic dominance in the global marketplace. Players have been chosen by their country to do business around the world, buying all the countries they can while defending their home country’s sovereignty from hostile takeovers. The game teaches international business, geography and mathematics. It is suitable for two to six players. 3/9/2007 [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Monopoly®: The Mega Edition by WINNING MOVES GAMES

This game includes a quad-fold game board, 32 houses, 12 hotels, eight skyscrapers, four train depots, 37 title deed cards (including new states), 16 chance cards, 16 community chest cards, 16 bus tickets, two dice, one “speed die,” a pad of money (including new $1,000 bills), a banker’s tray and full-color illustrated rules. Compared to the original Monopoly, this edition has a 50 percent bigger game board, it can play faster with the special speed die, and players really have the opportunity to own it all, according to Marketing Coordinator Irena Malek-Strumpf of Winning Moves Games. Launch date: Fall 2006. 3/6/2007 (Price: $39.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

You're It by SPY ALLEY PARTNERS LLC

This fast-paced card game prompts players to grab one of seven cubes that keep them from being “It,” based on commands on each card. Players aim to take the cube that is opposite of the card before their opponents do. The wooden cubes are numbered in Spanish, German, French and English, and with die symbols and numerical digits. 2/28/2007 (Price: $10.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Ubongo by Z-MAN GAMES, INC.

This game is all about solving puzzles and collecting gems before the timer runs out. It features a colorful board and coordinating gems in various hues, and the goal is to collect as many gems of one color as possible. ( Watch Video) 2/28/2007 (Price: $39.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

CrossAx by ATAKAMA-GAMES

This game challenges players to place symbol tokens in order to form linear strings of different symbols and place as many conquest tokens of their own color as possible. The game ends when no more moves can be made. Usually the game allows about seven turns for each player, and the games last less than 35 minutes. Luck will never be the key to winning, and there is no other similar game available. “CrossAx is a unique, pure strategy, addictive, easy-to-learn, short-time game,” President Eduardo Gonzalez of Atakama-Games told TDmonthly. Launch date: August 2007. 2/27/2007 (Price: $28.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

What's Yours Like? by PATCH PRODUCTS INC.

In this party game, players come up with clever, witty and outrageous clues. All players, except the one who's guessing, look at a word and creatively describe what it’s like. Descriptions should be truthful, yet clever, so the player doesn't get an easy guess. They might be telling about their swimsuit, neighbor, closet or any of the other 300-plus words. The player then tries to link the clues to figure out what is being described. “The best part about What's Yours Like? is that the hilarious clues come from the people who are playing the game,” Barbara Uebelacker of Patch Products told TDmonthly. Launch date: June 2007. 2/27/2007 (Price: $29.99)

Flippit by FAMILY GAMES INC.

In this game, the Flippit frog accompanies children as they earn points by spelling words. Using colorful alphabet cards, children flip cards and reposition each letter in their proper spelling sequence. The more cards correctly repositioned, the more points acquired. 2/27/2007 (Price: $9.99)

Scrabble by HASBRO INC.

This classic crossword game is played by millions around the world. Players use seven letters to build crosswords, and use bonus spaces to add to their scores. It includes genuine wooden letter tiles and four wooden tile racks. 2/23/2007 (Price: $12.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Mindgammon by MINDGAMMON INC

Created by a backgammon champion, Mindgammon is the board game designed for today. It captures the essence of the original "backgammon" while making it interestingly different. Every roll of the dice challenges the mind and it is literally a thrill a roll. Whether you have twenty minutes or two hours, Mindgammon will take you and your mind away from the monotony and rigor of your day and recharge your brain and outlook of life. You can play Mindgammon with someone just for fun or to hone your competitive skills. It is possible your playing partner may not be your best friend after you have beaten him/her a dozen times in a row. But, do remember it is only a game!" Have fun! 2/23/2007 (Price: $29.95)

Kilt by GIBBY GAMES LLC

Kilt is a game of pure strategy in which each player assumes the leadership role of one of two opposing Scottish clans. The objective is to direct clansmen across the field, grab the rock, keep control and score it in your opponent's well. On each turn, a player gets two moves — one diagonal and the other horizontal or vertical. Players can bump pieces around the playing field to change the avenues of attack. “The plaid design was specifically used to make finding the perfect moves more difficult, as the four-tone green plays tricks on your eyes. Another of Kilt's qualities is the deep-thinking game play that is created by forcing players to take two moves per turn,” Vice President Robert Short of Gibby Games told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 2007. 2/21/2007 (Price: $19.99)

Word Sweep Junior! by INTELLINITIATIVE INC.

Word Sweep Junior! is a fun, vocabulary-building word game for the entire family. The game is clever, yet easy to play. Players simply identify words that appear consecutively in Merriam-Webster’s Elementary Dictionary and guess correctly to make a “Word Sweep!” They must keep an eye out for high-stakes “Super Word Sweeps” that allow players to earn double points, and “Group Word Sweeps” that permit collaborative word identification. The original and junior versions of Word Sweep! “are the only board games endorsed by leading dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster,” Clay Siegert of Intellinitiative told TDmonthly. Launch date: August 2007. 2/21/2007 (Price: $24.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by FRONT PORCH CLASSICS

Players can relive America’s most beloved children’s tale in this adventure based on L. Frank Baum’s classic fairy tale. One to five players venture through the Land of Oz with friends Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodsman and the Cowardly Lion to outsmart the Wicked Witch. The game includes basic and advanced rules. “Unlike most games where players play against each other … players play as a team against the Wicked Witch of the West, which is represented by a card deck. This cooperative game play is a very appealing element for a family game,” Marketing Coordinator Steve Hart of Front Porch Classics told TDmonthly. Launch date: THIS PRODUCT HAS BEEN TAKEN OUT OF PRODUCTION 4-17-07. ( Watch Video) 2/21/2007 (Price: $24.95)

XIG - The Sorcerers Sword by GT² FUN & GAMES INC.

The award-winning XIG series features unique stand-alone games involving puzzle tiles that connect during play. If desired, the completed puzzles of each game ingeniously combine into an amazing overall XIGsaw puzzle and story in a fascinating world of mysterious creatures. In XIG-The Sorcerers Sword, players challenge each other to complete an amazing sword puzzle while trying to control Sorcerers and rings of the four elements. Control of the rings allows players to protect their own Sorcerers. Spells and curses help players advance or hinder their progress. Launch date: October 2006.
— When creating XIG puzzles, the company’s two primary objectives were to “create a game that hit a chord for the tween market playing with the parents — cool enough, but interesting and engaging enough for adults to be involved” and to develop something innovative and creative — “not just the rehashing of an old idea,” President Greg Scott of GT² Fun & Games told TDmonthly. 2/19/2007 (Price: $29.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

The Seafarers of Catan Expansion by MAYFAIR GAMES INC.

Designed by Klaus Teuber, this game allows players to expand their Settlers of Catan game in new directions by adding islands, pirates, gold, and ships. Players explore and colonize the newly populated Archipelago of Catan, building settlements, roads and villages by trading commodities aquired from the land and islands. Seafarers expansion is suitable for three to four players and adds 15 to 90 minutes. Play requires ownership of The Settlers of Catan. The game is ideal for specialty stores because it’s “not available through the mass market,” Bob Carty of Mayfair Games told TDmonthly. 2/19/2007 (Price: $38.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Colosseum by DAYS OF WONDER

Designed by critically acclaimed game designer Wolfgang Kramer and Markus Lubke, this game takes players to the arena, trying to attract the most spectators as Roman impresarios. Players earn wealth and glory for each event run, and must improve their arena, find the best performers, lure the Emperor and his nobles, and manage assets for long-term success. “Colosseum combines the elegance of German board game design with easy to learn…rules that are appropriate for family game play,” Vice President Mark Kaufmann of Days of Wonder told TDmonthly. Launch date: April 2007. 2/19/2007 (Price: $50.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

DICEcapades! by HAYWIRE GROUP

Same great game as the original version but now with more cards! Think you can stack dice on your face? Will you dominate in arm wrestling?  How about obscure facts?  Got a handle on those?  With a mixture of dice games, physical challenges, artistic creations, and trivia questions that will exercise both sides of your brain, you'll see why DICEcapades isn’t just the luck of the dice - it’s the smarts of the roller! This tabletop game will provide hours of fun with your friends and family. Customize the length of the game to fit your time frame - whether you want to play a marathon session or a quick game, the rules are adaptable to fit what YOU want!  For 2-6 players.
— Michelle Deutschmann, owner of Kaleidoscope Toys in Falmouth, Mass., told TDmonthly in a February 2013 survey that DICEcapades! was one of their best selling games.   2/19/2007 (Price: $19.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Eye Know™ - Trivia for the Eyes by WIGGLES 3D

Trivia for they Eyes. All new Edition for 2014! Explore the world through images. The updated version of Eye Know now features even more content and an alternate game play system for younger players. Select an image from the game board to identify and then answer one of three trivia questions about the topic. Choose from an amazing array people, places, animals, manmade objects, famous places, flags, logos and much more. SRP $24.99-$29.99, 2 or more players.
Awards: Mensa Select Award Winner.


 2/19/2007 (Price: $29.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Halley's Revenge by RAINBOW GAMES INC.

Halley's Revenge is a light strategy game with the excitement of a high-speed chase. The game is for two to four players, and the object is to capture as many of an opponent's satellites as possible before the comet takes over the board. Halley's Revenge has no limit to its wrath, and it moves at an incredible rate, gobbling up everything in its path. As Halley's comet occupies more spaces, satellite movement becomes more difficult. Halley's comet is out for revenge. Approximate playing time is 20 to 30 minutes. 2/19/2007 (Price: $19.95)