July 2011 New Specialty Toys — Family Games

Think chores and schedules are boring and restrictive? Think again! Wizarday is an  adventure story that will help the whole family – big and small – understand what an important role family schedules play in a happy, healthy life. Play the game and bring the Wizarday book to life creating your own daily family routine. Ages: 8+ .An 80 page chapter book and/or 3 interactive board & card games.  "This product doesn't simply deal with helping parents program their children into doing their chores. It emphasizes the role of structure and boundaries as the foundation of a family's wellbeing, preparing children for a responsible adolescence," Dr. Sarah Itzhaki, Co-founder of ToysNTayls, told TDmonthly. Launch date: January 2011. Book plus game: $37.50; Game only - $25.00; Book only - $14.50.
Awards: 2011 Creative Child Game of the Year Award; 2011 The Toy Man eChoice Award.

The goal of Predikto is to score the most points at the end of 12 rounds. The game comes with several possible dice roll choices. Each choice includes both the probability of making the roll, as well as the points that can be won for actually rolling the prediction. "It's not your ordinary dice game where you roll numbers or totals to get points. You need to predict what you're going to roll and then actually roll what you predicted to score points," Kevin Greenberg, owner of All The King's Games, told TDmonthly. Launch date: August 2011.

Small World Underground is a stand-alone game set beneath the surface of the same fun, light-hearted Small World universe of epic conquests and fallen empires. Featuring new Races and Special Powers, Small World Underground also introduces Monster occupied regions that protect Relics and Places of great power! It can be played on its own or combined with other Small World game elements, and is recommended for experienced Small World players. "The new game mechanic (conquering Monster-occupied regions to gain Righteous Relics and Popular Places) brings a new twist to original game play," Mark Kaufmann, VP of Sales & Marketing at Days of Wonder, told TDmonthly. Launch date: July 2011.

In the game Fauna, players are not expected to know all the answers, simply gather their wits and make an educated guess. Right on target? Great! Close? That's good too, since players can score partial points. The more they play, the better they get.  Playing Fauna involves some fun betting for points. Contents: 1 double-sided game board (metric & imperial units); 180 animal cards with 360 animals; 1 card box; 42 bet markers, divided in 6 colors; 30 black evaluation markers; 1 lion marker (for the starting player). Launch date: July 2011.
Awards: 2009 Spiel des Jahres Nominee Germany

The taiga is home to many kinds of animals. Families of red foxes, porcupines, beavers, snowy owls and caribou live there, hidden in nature. Sarah and Jacob, two biologists, are trying to study them and need to take a closer look. Players must help them find the hidden animals. In this memory and deduction game, flip the wooden disks to reveal the animals hidden below. Contents: 10 cards; 10 wooden discs; 1 bag; Wooden tokens; Game rules. Launch date: July 2011.

Each player has 8 tiles. The first player puts one of their tiles on the table. In turns, they place their tiles edge-to-edge. The graphics must match perfectly (sea must connect to sea and land must connect to land) and players have to respect a 4x4 grid. The last player to be able to place a tile wins the round. They receive one island token. The first player to receive 3 island tokens wins the game. Contents: 16 wooden tiles; 5 island tokens; 1 bag; Game rules. Launch date: July 2011.

Part of the four games of the Architecto line, use these 18 orange blocks to build and replicate different models in order to enhance spatial visualisation skills. Children will be captivated by the amazing structures they create, whether in perspective or a towering high rise. The Geoblocks are sold separately so users can transform Architecto, Equilibrio, Tangramino or Cliko into a two-player game. One set of Geoblocks is already included in the four Architecto line games. Launch date: 2005.

Two spider clans are fighting each other in an epic duel. Spiders in bigger groups will defeat the weakest in the intersections of the web. A thrilling and challenging strategy game, where players attack and capture their opponent's spiders. Contents: 18 spiders (9 white and 9 red); 1 board; 1 bag; Game rules. Launch date: 2010.

Players place their cards so that the patterns match, aiming to create point-scoring sets. Smartrix can be appreciated on several levels; for beginners, it is a smart and fun matching game. As players' skills improve, Smartrix provides deep and captivating strategy, combining memory, risk-taking, tactics and a touch of luck.  Contents: 70 cards; Game rules. Launch date: June 2010.
Awards: 2010 6/6 Consumer Guide Canada

Have you ever heard a word that triggered you to sing a song?  If so, then YOU are Spontuneous™!  One player says a word and the race is on for the others to sing a song containing that word.  The game Spontuneous™ Challenges players to think of lyrics to songs they know and love.  It’s fun, fast paced and full of laughs!

BrushyBall is an interactive toothbrush holder and  timer.  A sink top 'follow-the-leader' toothbrushing game, BrushyBall, guides children through brushing their own teeth for two minutes.  BrushyBall coaches young brushers with an adorable voice and pearly white teeth which light up in six sequential sections.  BrushyBall was specifically designed to motivate young brushers, captivate short attention spans and teach complete brushing of all teeth. BrushyBall also holds up to four toothbrushes for open air drying and offers 900+ brushing sessions on two AA batteries (included). Launch date: Fall 2011.

Zeven Card Zombie is like a Rummy game, but with Zombies and more interaction between the players. The object of the game is for players to lay down a matching hand of Seven Zombie cards first. Five cards are dealt, ten brain markers are given to each player, and during game play two cards are always picked up and discarded. Players play Zeven Card Zombie and collect cards to keep the brains of victims, while using the military Commando Team to rescue them from their opponents. Beware the Zombie Hunter as she will slay the minions on the spot- but don’t worry, for the wretched Grave Digger can always get what players need. Launch date: August 2010.

Colorio is a strategic game of memory and daring. Each round, players have to remove some of the caps to reveal the colored discs beneath. But players must be careful; if they reveal five discs of the same color they are out of the game. So, players must try to remember where the colors are placed and dare to remove more and more caps to trap their opponents and push them into making mistakes. Colorio is a simple game that is quick to learn, fast to play and offers challenges to players of all skill levels. Launch date: February 2011.

In Ponder, players must race to get their frog to the other side of the pond. It’s the annual Frog Race and the distance is one English pond; the aim is to get one''s team over to the other side of the pond before everyone else does. However, the frogs are not very fit, so they need the lily leafs to step on to cross the pond. The pond is crowded and one may only move as the cards dictate. Ponder is a fast and strategic race game for the whole family. Set in a beautiful pond with floating lily leaves, sun shining and a summer breeze; lazy frogs included. Launch date: February 2011.
Awards: 2010 Golden Dice Family Game of the Year, Sweden.

Repello is a game of grasped opportunities. The aim is to push as many Repellers and opponents as possible off the board. Objects pushed off the board are worth points and the player with the finest collection at the end of the game is the winner. There is one basic rule in Repello: All objects repel each other, and players decide which object pushes which. In a single move one may set off a chain reaction that will spread over the entire board, sending valuable Repellers, or opponents, over the edge. Master the pushes and bounces; see the possibilities in each moment and one stands a very good chance of winning. Launch date: February 2011.
Awards: 2010 Golden Dice Game of the Year, Sweden.

Skateboard Madness is a board game of skateboarding. The object of the game is to win the X Games Championship in skateboarding while meeting the four Madness professional skateboarders; Andy Macdonald, Corey Duffel, Tony Mag, and Ron Allen. Along the way, players must collect sponsorship cards from the official Madness sponsors.The game includes an extensive trivia section and random action for skateboard enthusiasts. "There is nothing on the market like it," Monica Lucas, VP of Operations at Mindtwister USA, told TDmonthly.

Fandooble is a party game filled with dragons, knights, wizards… and a scoundrel named Fandooble. Opponents must race against one another to steal all of the gold from the fearsome dragon and possibly some of the other players. Taking turns, players roll the four dice, pushing their luck to see how much gold they can get. Rolling as often as they want, taking treasure from the dragon or their friends and foes alike, it’s the luck of the dice- but if a player rolls three dragons, they are eliminated. Three of the dice have treasure and dragons. The treasure gets players gold; the dragons foil their spoils. Three dragons rolled and a players' stash goes back to the dragon’s pile; if those dragons are red, the player loses the stash from their turn and all the gold in their bank. The other die has wizards and knights to help along the way. It also has the rascally scoundrel Fandooble; he’ll steal players' hard stolen gold and give it to someone else. Fandooble is for 2-6 players, and game time last from 10-30 minutes. "Easy to learn, simple to take with you on the go," Monica Lucas, VP of Operations at Mindtwister USA, told TDmonthly.

Color Fever is a family game for players 8 and up. It is a tile placement point scoring game that plays well for 2, 3 or 4 players. Each player has his/her own board to build points from tiles selected. This game is a combination of strategy and luck. "The best part about Color Fever is that it doesn't matter whether there are 2, 3 or 4 players. Everyone plays on the same dice roll so there is no waiting around for your turn. This keeps the game moving and each player can root every time the dice is rolled," Derek Chinn, owner of LMD Enterprises, told TDmonthly.

Experience Perfect Stride, the exciting horse-themed card game for 2-4 players ages 8 and up using our Junior/Basic rules. Players are riders who partner up with a horse of their choosing for a high-speed race across the countryside over a hidden course of jumps. Riders collect ribbons with each successful jump as they race toward the finish line. The rider with the most ribbon points wins the game. Launch date: September 2010.

GALLOP! The Game includes a game board with a magical Scanimation door, two dice (colors and numbers, depending on the age and ability level of the players), five animal movers (horse, cat, turtle, butterfly, and rooster), and four guess tokens. Players take turns opening the Scanimation door to see which animal will move around the track on each round. The first player or players to strut, gallop or flutter their way around the track wins. It is the "Only board game to feature the magic of Scanimation from Rufus Butler Seder’s popular book, GALLOP!," Natalie Dent, director of PR at Discovery Bay Games, told TDmonthly. Launch date: July 2011.

Goggle Eyes is the hilarious family game that challenges players' vision and balance. To win, players must be the first to get to the finish point by winning challenges such as writing their name backwards, drawing, or performing actions - while wearing wacky glasses provided by the game that alters players' vision. "The glasses that the game comes with alter your perception and has three settings that makes the actions performed harder than they would normally be, and also adds a funny twist to the game," Jennifer Robinson, manager of public relations for Goliath Games, told TDmonthly. Launch date: July 2011.

Perplexus Rookie offers newcomers to Perplexus a three-dimensional puzzle challenge, with 75 barriers to success. Users must guide the metal ball through a maze of twists and turns, down dips and around winding spirals toward the maze finish. Players maneuver surprising routes of challenge that test hand-eye coordination, focus and perseverance. 6.5 Inches in Diameter, Perplexus Rookie is a brainteaser puzzle filled with layers of detailed maze structures. A shelter finish keeps the ball in place at the end to secure success.
Awards: 2012 Creative Child Awards – Puzzle of the Year, 2011 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio – Best Toy Award (Gold), 2011 NAPP Gold – Seal of Approval, 2011 Canadian Toy Testing Council – Best Bet, 2011 ASTRA – Best Toys for Kids, Game Play (3-7years)