June 2009 New Specialty Toys — General Games

In Loop It, players connect their tiles to any of the twisting lines on the board and score points based on the point value of the tile they played, the place they played it and other neighboring tiles. "This international sensation is new to the U.S. but a great new twist on an old favorite," David Norman, president of Goliath Games, told TDmonthly. "[The] game combines logic, spacial reasoning, math and fun in a great game that is really easy to learn." Launch date: July 2009.

Each card is an opportunity to explore, explain and express oneself on subjects from serious to silly and everything in between — leisure suits to lava lamps and pet rocks to a favorite rock group on 8-track tape. Launch date: March 2009.

Friends and family can talk about the decade that changed the world, exploring topics from the heavy to the groovy, whether influenced by the Establishment or the anti-everything movement. Launch date: March 2009.

Valley girls and video games, Ronald Reagan and Rubik’s Cube, Flashdance and the fall of the Berlin Wall. TableTopics ‘80s edition has it all covered. The era of big business and even bigger hair can inspire fun conversation with friends and family. "The content and quality of our questions is unsurpassed by any competitive product, but if we had to pick on thing that is iconic about TableTopics, it is our beautiful cube. It's very upscale, permanent, timeless," Sheryl Brunell, vice president of TableTopics, told TDmonthly. "Our founder and owner, Cristy Clarke, wanted to create a product that people would use in their homes everyday and was beautiful enough to stay out on the dinner table, on the coffee table, on the dining room table all the time." Launch date: March 2009.

Each card in this geography themed deck sports a detailed custom map of one of the fifty states. The cards deliver facts about the states, including flags, important cities and towns, rivers, lakes, mountain peaks, national parks, historic sites, and other fun features. All of this information is displayed on the delicately shaded relief maps that are the heart of TerraCarta. The District of Columbia and U.S. territories are included in the playing card coverage. A two-sided map and playing card index, an informational key card, and a wild card that shows the entire United States in striking global perspective fill out the complete deck of 55 cards. With a full set of traditional suits and ranks, TerraCarta can replace standard playing cards for popular games, such as gin rummy, hearts, and crazy eights. It can also be used as a set of quiz and flash cards.

Gather a herd of dinosaurs to win points. Be careful, though — if you roll a T Rex, he might eat your dinos and you'll lose a turn.

In this game, the players all help farm dog Harley find and bring back home as many of their favorite things as possible. Harley will have to look out for fellow prowlers, such as the bear, raccoon, skunk, porcupine and nasty briar Patches, and it might be necessary to call in the vet. The game includes a 12" x 12" board, rules for easy and hard games, a dog house card, favorite things tokens, a bark and sniff card, and a Harley mover. "Players work together to help the old dog, Harley, out of a variety of problems. This is a game of sharing and helping eachother," Jim Deacove, president of Family Pastimes, told TDmonthly. Launch date: April 27, 2009.

The chickens are hanging out on their colorful wooden perch. But if one of them decides to leave, the whole perch will teeter. The goal is to collect as many chickens, hay bales and wagon wheels before the rocking perch topples. The chickens, hay bales and wagon wheels have different weights, meaning different point values. The player with the highest score wins the game. Selecting a heavier piece receives more points but entails more risk of making the perch topple. If a player causes the perch to topple, five points will be deducted from his or her total. "Two trees are planted for every tree used in the creation of this game," Adeline Bertrix, sales manager at Blue Orange Games, told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 15, 2009.
— Chickyboom is a top seller at Golden Apple Learning Store in Pleasanton, Calif., Owner John MacDougall told TDmonthly in summer 2009.
— Three of 44 retailers named this game as an overall best seller in late fall 2009.

WordTeasers: Junior is designed to help children improve their vocabulary while providing laugh-out-loud fun. Players simply open the box, pull out a card, read the Challenge Question out loud, and then answer it. Answers may cause uncontrollable laughter or interesting debate. The game may also be used for writing prompts in the classroom. "It's both an education game and a party game. It's fun for kids and their families — a great dinner-time activity," Jack Roberts, senior vice president of Elm Education Marketing, told TDmonthly. Launch date: April 15, 2009.

Spin for a Hero, and something to ride: a rival, a treasure (to find or to hide). Choose a cave, or a castle with fortified towers, a friend and an object with magical powers. Get all of them first and you'll get the glory ... of winning ... and using them all in a story. The game includes: four Heroes, four Rivals, four Helpers, four Magical Objects, four Means of Transport, four Treasures and four Fairy Tale Places. Launch date: 2009.

WarStone is a collectible card game using marbles to compete against opponents on a board. The starter set is designed for 2, 3, or 4 players. To start a game, divide the card deck by color and match up stones with cards of the same color. Set up the battlefield. Place stones in their starting positions. Stones with icons match the icons on the cards. Except for Hex cards, each stone has a matching card. The object of the game is to fire at an opponent and knock a predetermined number of them off the battlefield. The cards instruct you how to attack. Contents include 24 WarStone Stands, 24 Page Rule Book, 2 Savage Stones, 4 Master Stones, 16 Core Stones, 60 Cards, Ruler and Markers, and Storage Pouch.

The Greedy Gorilla's come all the way from England to teach kids better eating habits. Give him something unhealthy and he burps. He's made of  75% recycled cardboard. Launch date: February 2009.

This classic game features an erasable whiteboard with a marker/eraser that can easily be stored on the side, and has no loose components, making it ideal for travel. It measures 0.9” x 10.2” x 8.75”.
— “We sell a lot of … Melissa & Doug flip games, especially Hangman,” Susan Blanton, owner of Pufferbellies in Staunton, Va., told TDmonthly in March 2009. "All the pieces are attached," pointed out Holly Anver, manager of Ages & Stages Toy Box in Golden, Colo.
— Four of 64 specialty retailers named this one-piece version of hangman when talking about best-selling travel toys in spring 2009. Four of 39 retailers echoed that sentiment in March 2010. Overall, 11 percent of those surveyed in '09 cited games by Melissa & Doug. David Ekwall of The Wooden Toy in Wethersfield, Conn., said his store sells eight to 10 per month.

Think-ets Deluxe contains a distinctive assortment of 30 miniature trinkets specially selected for storytelling and imaginative play. Individuals can use them to play 10 different games, including the following: What’s Missing? (fun memory game); What’s Your Story? (hilarious storytelling game); Who’s Last? (challenging strategy game); What’s Moved? (keen observation game); and What’s Similar? (mind-bending categorization game). It is ideal for travel and use in restaurants. Think-ets Deluxe is the larger version of the Original award-winning Think-ets game. It "has enormous play value for open-ended play using miniature items for storytelling," CEO Randy Compton of Think-a-lot Toys told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 2009.

In this card game for two to eight players, players assemble sets of cards to make their army of knights and dragons. A player can include the magical breath weapon with his knight or dragon to destroy the knight or dragon of the same color. "You assemble the cards to make the image of your knight or dragon. The cards are in four languages, so there maybe some accidental learning," Dr. Daniel Sulliban, owner of Earwig Enterprises, told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 2009.

Expand your Flibbix possibilities with the Flibbix Bridge. A little trapdoor can send players onto a playing level they're not expecting. Launch date: February 2009.

Kids will develop their hand-eye coordination while working up an appetite for pasta with Meatball Madness. The battery-powered ladel lets them levitate a meatball through a series of obstacles in a restaurant and onto the customer's plate. The game comes in three sections, which can be scattered throughout a room or house to encourage kids to run from section to section. Launch date: February 2009.

This recycling game for two to four players encourages participants to put the proper items in the 3D recycling bin while keeping an eye out for litterbugs. It is made in England.

In this game for two to five players, participants must gather everything necessary to make a meal, and then wait while it cooks in the crazy kitchen.

This game includes an inflatable globe with more than 270 animals printed on it. The point of the game is to locate the animal using a variety of clues. Children 4 and up can play up to four levels. Level 1 starts by identifying an animal's silhouette in among one of six sections of the globe. With the highest level, the player is only given a verbal description of the animal. "Everyone is able to play given that the game has different levels of difficulty," Shantel Cartwright, in sales and marketing for TEDCO Toys, told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 2009.

The Golden Dragon has been discovered and ninja players must be the first to reach its location. To move throughout the game, players roll one of two sets of dice and solve the number challenge rolled. The skill level of each player determines which set of dice that ninja will use. To win the game, ninjas will solve four word challenges. While moving throughout the lands, other ninjas will try to trap opponents and block their way to the Golden Dragon. "Players will be having so much fun they won't realize they may actually be reinforcing their math skills while playing," Tami Murphy, marketing manager of The Haywire Group, told TDmonthly. Launch date: July 2009.

Rubber chicken meets disc golf in this ridiculously fun game.  Players each choose a different colored rubber chicken.  One player throws the target nice and far!  The target becomes the "hole," like in golf.  Players then take turns flickin' their chicken at the target.  If you don't make it on the target, throw again from where it landed. Each throw counts as a point.  Try to land any part of your rubber chicken on the target within the least amount of throws as possible. The player with the lowest score after nine-rounds is the winner.  For 2- 4 players. 

The Incredible Treasure Hunt Party Games are themed Treasure Hunt Party Kits that come complete with a beautiful wooden treasure chest, a set of themed clues, eight party invitations, and eight prize-filled loot bags containing more than 60 themed prizes. They are designed to offer everything parents need to host a fun and exciting party. There are three steps to set-up. First, hide the clues and treasure chest in the designated areas found on the Secret Hiding Places Guide prior to the party. Next, gather the party-goers around, and then, read the first clue aloud to start the Incredible Treasure Hunt. "The real wooden chest is a substantial and attractive piece that sets it apart from other games, and the cute characters, clever clues and multiple themes to choose from make it unique," Lisa Howard, CEO of Party Innovations, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2009.

One of four new Haba card games-easy to carry along and fun to play! This Lucky Sock Dip card game will help you to match up the mismatched up socks and get that old 'sock monster'!