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

Spiromania by RAINBOW GAMES INC.

In this quick-paced action game for two to four players, the object is to "spiral" playing pieces into the center home space. Players have the ability to sneak up on opponents by spiraling to either block, or they can pass opponents or send them back to their starts. As players approach the inner circles of the game, the action becomes faster and more furious until all players catch the mania. Playing time is 30 minutes to an hour. 2/19/2007 (Price: $17.95)

Play by the Book by EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS INC.

This game uses fiction to develop reading comprehension skills, literal recall and literary analysis. Players read the same chapter or short story, and then travel through regions that represent different genres and feature familiar characters. The objective is to reach THE END by answering questions and judging players’ answers with facts from the story. Players on “action spaces” may act, make up rap song or more. “This is a great way for parents to get reluctant readers interested in reading stories. It is easy for even the beginning reader to play, yet can move up in difficulty as the stories become more complex,” Kati Elliot of KEH Communications told TDmonthly. Launch date: July 2006. 2/19/2007 (Price: $29.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

The Farming Game® by THE WEEKEND FARMER CO.

The Farming Game is the "game invented on the seat of a tractor." Players start with a job and a farm. The first player who can quit his job and run the farm full time wins. Along the way, players roll the dice to try to buy equipment while avoiding drought and market fluctuations. Side deals with other players add to the intrigue. The game is educational enough to be used in schools, while fun enough to be played by all members of the family.
— When asked about best-sellers in her store, Shanna Frieling, owner of Giggles Toys & More in Bozeman, Mont., said, "The Farming Game by The Weekend Farmer."
— The game shows "all the risks and benefits of running a small business," said TDmonthly Roundtable Reviewer Kostadinka Lilova, whose daughter Radina (11), was "very enthusiastic about playing." 2/19/2007 (Price: $34.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Trivial Pursuit Totally 80s Edition by HASBRO INC.

Now players can test their knowledge of the ‘80s — an outrageous decade filled with big events, bigger fads and over-the-top personalities. Trivial Pursuit Totally 80s takes players back to that decade with 2,400 all-new questions in categories such as headlines, television, movies, sports and leisure, and wild card. It includes four pawns decorated to symbolize the decade, and accommodates two to four players. 2/8/2007 (Price: $29.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Art Sudoku by PIATNIK OF AMERICA

Art Sudoku is played with images instead of numbers. 2/7/2007 (Price: $19.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Camp: The Game That Grows With You by EDUCATION OUTDOORS

With this Award winning fun and educational game, families can learn facts about the great outdoors. For two to eight players, it includes 200 game cards and is designed to grow with the player, starting with level one questions (primarily animal identification) and progressing to higher level questions. “A vibrant earthtone color palette, full-color photos, interesting playing characters and a cute Camp card decoder” were incorporated to make this family game appealing to both children and adults, Jesse DenHerder, in graphic design/marketing for Education Outdoors, told TDmonthly. “With a game that is true to its vision in content and overall aesthetic, Camp will be a must-have for specialty retailers.” This product is 2007 iParenting Media award and 2007 Dr. Toy 100 Best Products Award winner. Launch date: December 15, 2006. ( Watch Video) 1/29/2007 (Price: $24.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Let's Go Hiking by FAMILY PASTIMES

Armed with cameras, binoculars and other equipment, two to six players leave camp for a hike in the Park to learn about wildlife. While trying to get as many animal photographs as possible on their way back to the Guest Lodge for refreshments, players learn about the wisdom of the woods, its dangers, plants and creatures, and ways of tracking. The company requires a $100 minimum order of mixed titles. 1/29/2007 (Price: $15.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

EeZee Kricket by EeZee Kricket

From Barbados, Eezee Kricket continues the cricket tradition on a board with 64 squares, each representing an event during an actual match. It will appeal to players with a fondness for cricket heroes, knowledge of the game’s history and a competitive spirit. “The teaching, learning game” was conceptualized by ICT Specialist James Corbin and can be modified to suit any region or market. It will be further available on the Internet and mobile phones. “It succinctly captures the history and nuances of the real cricket game in a way that makes it invaluable as a teaching and team-building tool,” Corbin told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 2007. 1/22/2007 (Price: $15.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Seekers of the Sacred Icons by FAMILY PASTIMES

Barbarians have stolen four containers with special parchment revealing the secrets to gaining Truth, Beauty, Compassion and Freedom, but these cannot be opened without the Secret Codes, kept by the Ten Guardians of the Codes. The ruthless Barbarians have imprisoned the Ten Guardians in the Walled City, and the Seekers must restore the Sacred Icons to their four Spiritual Power Centers —
a difficult task that’s not for the faint-hearted. “All of [the games] I designed are based on the cooperative play principle,” President Jim Deacove of Family Pastimes told TDmonthly. “Strong players are not put in the position to take advantage of the other players.” Launch date: January 15, 2007. 1/16/2007 (Price: $22.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Trhyme Jr. - The Legend of the Book of Rhymes by L. M. RDEUX INNOVATIONS INC.

In this rhyming word game, children are transported through the Land of Koob as they fly on a magical book, answer clues with words that rhyme, and test their fate along the way. Colliding imagination and adventure with word fun sparks curious minds. Trhyme Jr. is indeed a high-flying journey in fun where rhymes rule. Players may encounter a "Twist of Fate" that could either be lucky or yucky. “Trhyme Jr.’s unique rhyming challenge is a favorite of children, parents and teachers alike,” VP Linda Polaski of L. M. Rdeux Innovations told TDmonthly. This product received a Best Products iParenting Media Award for 2007. Launch date: November 2006. 1/12/2007 (Price: $21.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Tamagotchi® Electronic Grow Your Pet Game by PRESSMAN TOY CORP.

Based on Bandai’s popular line of Tamagotchi virtual pets, this board game for 2 to 4 players allows fans to start out as an egg and try to be the first player to evolve to adulthood.  An electronic “Tamascreen” selects players’ meals, toys, snacks and more, and Tamagotchi-themed challenges help players win.  Contents include a game board, electronic “Tamascreen” randomizer, deck of Tamagotchi cards, deck of match cards, 16 stage of life movers, 4 mover stands, heart tokens, poop tokens, toothache token and trophy cards.  ( Watch Video) 1/11/2007 [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Resin Chess Set With 2-ft. King by MEGACHESS.COM

This resin MegaChess set is the company’s least expensive set in the popular 2'-high king height. It is rugged and solid, and features the traditional Staunton style that is familiar to all chess players. Wholesale price discounts are available; conditions apply. Launch date: January 1, 2007.
— “The single quality that makes these toys stand out from their competition is that there are none like them. We did the original design and own the tooling,” CEO Peter Shikli of MegaChess told TDmonthly. 1/8/2007 (Price: $395.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Beer Chess by MEGACHESS.COM

This plastic MegaChess set utilizes a system in which the chess pieces clip onto the tops of beer or soda cans. The game includes 32 chess pieces, a vinyl chess board and a carry box. Launch date: January 1, 2007. 1/8/2007 (Price: $89.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Baseball Board Game by FUN GAMES INC.

This easy-to-learn game for two players features a baseball-diamond board design and includes two dice, chips that represent players, a scoreboard to keep track of runs and outs, and a statistical sheet to follow up singles, doubles, triples and other plays. It is based on aspects of the baseball game played around the world. The game consists of odd innings (five, seven or nine), and championships can be played by preliminary rounds. Baseball’s Board Game is endorsed by Carlos Lee, Star Game player in 2005 and 2006, MLB Home Run Derby 2005, and current star of the Houston Astros.
— “In [the] USA [and] some countries in Latin America and Asia, the sport of baseball is the number one in preference of the people,” Aurelio Rodríguez, marketing director for Fun Games, told TDmonthly. Baseball’s Board Game “is different because it is just like real baseball and now there are no similar board games in the market,” he added.
— "All four children enjoyed playing the game — my daughter included," enthused Teresa Wilson, an evaluator for TDmonthly's Homeschooling Roundtable. "I can play baseball and not sweat" relished 8-year-old Alyssa. Wilson summed up by saying that "the children concurred with the product's claim [that it's] 'just like real baseball.'" 1/8/2007 (Price: $24.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Civil Lore! – The Game of American Culture by EVOLVING TOYS LLC

Players battle to win the board using their knowledge of America’s cultural lore. They strategize and stake flags that others try to topple. Six fun cultural categories contain questions about folk stories, urban legends, roadside attractions, amazing oddities, unsolved mysteries and many other varieties of fascinating cultural lore.
— “Unlike pop culture trivia games, Civil Lore! lets you explore the deeper roots of American culture through high-quality questions about American cultural history and contemporary folklore,” President Geoffrey Moran of Evolving Toys told TDmonthly. It “contains over 2,000 high-quality themed questions and comes with a deluxe accordion-fold game board.” Launch date: February 1, 2007. ( Watch Video) 1/8/2007 (Price: $29.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

All Around Town by WIZ KIDS LLC

All Around Town is played on a high-quality felt mat with detailed town and road graphics. Players travel to the Doctor, Dentist, Fire Station, Police Station and elsewhere as directed by the playing cards, either spending or earning money while obeying stoplights and road signs. Parents can interact with children and teach valuable health and safety facts during the fun, educational game.
— “The All Around Town game is completely unique in its look and play from traditional games. All of the components were selected to make this a truly new game experience for children,” Wendy Spagnolo of Wiz Kids told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 11, 2007. 1/8/2007 (Price: $39.99)

University Games - Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed™ by UNIVERSITY GAMES

Based on the well-known nursery rhyme, Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed introduces children to counting and strategy while developing fine motor skills.
— “The little monkeys actually jump off the bed!” noted Matthew Crovitz of University Games. “The included bed randomly ejects the monkeys, bringing smiles and giggles to preschoolers as they learn to count.” Launch date: March 2007. ( Watch Video) 1/5/2007 (Price: $19.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Volangulary: The International Vocabulary and Language Game by VOLANGULARY LLC

This game of multiple levels challenges one to six players or two to six teams to test and improve their vocabulary, language and communication skills. Players move game pieces around the board toward the winner’s circle, collecting PASS and BLOCK cards that add a dimension of strategy and planning. Volangulary is designed for competition among players of all ages and intellect, and younger players benefit from playing against those who are older because they get exposed to higher-level vocabulary and definitions. The brain soaks up these words and retains them (the Brain Sponge Syndrome). Multiple languages are available. Launch date: December 18, 2006.
— Inventor Sherwin Burrowes created this game to “make it fun for my kids doing their homework,” but told TDmonthly its purpose is also to help foreigners with language skills. “Use it for five years,” he challenges younger players, “[and] I guarantee that you’ll have such a large vocabulary that you’ll do well on the SATs.”
( Watch Video) 1/5/2007 (Price: $29.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

The Amazon Hop: A Madcap Jungle Adventure Game by MOMS ON EDGE LLC

Teach little ones good behavior, manners and social skills while having lots of swinging, screeching and squawking fun. This game comes with 50 question cards,16 lily pads and stone foam pieces, and a Jungle Activity wheel. When a child answers a question correctly and hops to the next foam pad, the spinner is spun and he acts out one of 16 activities, such as "Hop like a tree frog," or "Trumpet like an elephant." The finish line marks the crossing of the "Amazon River.”
— The game “encourages parents and caregivers to take an active role in their young child's development,” Elena Neitlich, owner of Moms on Edge, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2006. 1/5/2007 (Price: $24.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Sshh! Mom's Asleep! by FAMILY PASTIMES

Players must be careful not to wake Mom and Baby while they use tools around the house to get the afternoon chores done. The dog might bark or someone might knock over pots and pans, but players must learn to deal with these events. This game encourages storytelling, discussion, imagination, logic, teamwork and learning about practical things around the home. The company requires a minimum game order (can include other titles) of $100.
— “While most of the chores have specific solutions, a variety of others need you to create your own solutions and explain them to each other,” Jim Deacove of Family Pastimes told TDmonthly. It’s different from other games, he added, because “how many games do you know that feature being kind to your Mom and helping with the chores?” Launch date: January 2007. 1/5/2007 (Price: $15.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Piratack™ - The Board Game by GIDDY GOOSE 'N GANDER GAMES LLC

Aaarr! Hoist your sails and set your course for high seas adventure in Piratack. This thrilling new board game beckons you into a world where all can join in swashbuckling fun. Players must throw caution to the winds as their ships voyage through tranquil and stormy seas or pass through whirlpools. Ships must trade cargo to increase their strength in cannons because when time runs out, you can't escape...
Piratack. In the end, the fiercest will battle for the ultimate sovereign rule as Piratitan.
— “Innovative game play along with eye-catching graphics are two fundamental goals of our designs,” Gerry Groundwater, owner and founder of Giddy Goose 'n Gander Games, told TDmonthly. “Although it costs more, we opted for hand-drawn graphics as a way of differentiating our product. This makes our approach and games particularly suited to specialty retailers.”
— "The more players you have, the more fun you have (because there are more ships to attack!)," raved Susan Ledford, a Homeschoolers Roundtable mom who reviewed the game for TDmonthly. ( Watch Video) 1/2/2007 (Price: $29.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Island Hopping™ by COIN HOPPING GAMES LLC

Island Hopping – the Coin Hopping Game of The Bahamas – scatter your Bahamian coins on the map and you are ready to play. As you play you’ll explore the country’s beautiful islands and discover places you’d like to go. Since the days when pirates ruled the Bahamas, the country has flown at least four different national flags. The goal is to place your flags on the islands. Player earn flags each time they successfully stack four coins. The perfect game for anyone who has been to the Bahamas or wants to go to the Bahamas.

Two to four players. 12/19/2006 (Price: $19.95)

Fabulantis by EUROPLAY CORP.

The enchanted paths in the mysterious forest change direction again and again. However, with the right knack, enough courage and perseverance, all players will find the shore of the enchanted lake that shows them to their destination: a mysterious mythical creature. The path holds magical surprises that may require a detour. The board comes with turntables, six wooden playing figures, 18 cards, dice and instructions. The board’s “six turntables [change] the direction to walk; that can help get you to your destination quicker, but that also can hamper your co-players,” Matthias Menzel of Selecta told TDmonthly. Launch date: July 2006. 12/14/2006 (Price: $30.00)

Gheos by Z-MAN GAMES, INC.

In this game, designed by Rene Wiersma, two to four players act as gods at the dawn of time, creating earth’s landscape and inhabiting it with people. To win, a player must have the most loyal, wealthy and powerful followers. Triangular tiles represent landmasses, and players must cash in their tokens, play temple tiles, or draw Epoch tiles to score. “At its heart, Gheos is a simple game, like Carcassonne, but offers a deep, strategic play and multiple scoring opportunities,” President Zev Shlasinger of Z-Man Games told TDmonthly. This product received a 2007 Mensa Select award. Launch date: December 1, 2006. 12/14/2006 (Price: $24.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Tivitz by SAS GAMES INC.

Tivitz is a teacher-endorsed, challenging math and strategy game. Players move tivits, which are like dice and have a different number on each of six sides, across the game board, trying to strategically land on score values on the other side. The object is to capture goals that, when combined with the tivits value, create equations that give the highest-point scores. Baseball, Space, Aqua and Soccer versions are available. "Tivitz has proven to be an entertaining, fun and effective tool that helps kids think, learn and perform, better and more confidently,” Joe Whitaker of SAS Games told TDmonthly. "TiViTz is not just your standard educational board game," added Vice President Jennifer Brand of Crosby-Volmer International Communications. "Teachers, educators and school officials across the country have praised the game for having a significant impact in helping to increase student's standardized math test scores." This product received a Spring 2007 Parents' Choice Award and a Spring 2007 Seal of Approval from the National Parenting Center, in addition to being named on Dr. Toy's Spring 2007 Best Products List. Launch date: January 2007.
— Alison Shanahan, who evaluated Tivitz for TDmonthly's Homeschooling Roundtable, noticed that while her kids played the game, "They were very silly, discussing space conquest." But that didn't stop them from learning: "I noticed that while attempting to achieve inter-galactic domination, they focused on getting correct mathematical outcomes," she said. ( Watch Video) 12/14/2006 (Price: $29.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]