January 2010 Notable Toys — Card Games

This combat card game with a martial arts theme contains 54 cards and is for two or more players. Participants can choose to use one or more deck for this fast-paced game of attack and defense that simulates the discipline of martial arts sparring. Opponents may spar cooperatively or competitively. Players can expand play with an add-on deck, and fly, spin, duck and dodge their way to victory. It includes rules for single-round play through a six-belt tournament, and there are special rules for beginner, intermediate and advanced play. Launch date: December 2009.

Anomia is a  game where common knowledge becomes uncommonly fun. Anomia plays off the fact that our minds are positively brimming with all sorts of random information: things to eat, pop songs, websites, etc... Sure, under normal circumstances, it's easy enough to give an example of a frozen food, or a dog breed; but you will find that your brain works a little differently under pressure. Easy to learn, fun to play over and over again, Anomia will have any group of friends, family, even perfect strangers, shouting and laughing out loud as they try to beat each other to the punch. It can be your turn at any time and anyone can be your opponent.  For 3 to 6 players. One round lasts about 30 minutes. Launch date: Fall 2009.
—  They sell "15 to 20" Anomia games per month at Magic Box in New Orleans, said manager James Dello Stritto in early 2011.
—  Four of 12 retailers who attended ASTRA 2010 named Anomia as one of their favorite products at the show.
—  “Anomia is really great; I’ve been told for the last year to get it,” said Kristen Pollard, owner of Mudpuddle Toys in Marblehead, Mass., in summer 2010.
— In an August 2010 survey, nine percent of 43 retailers said Anomia is a card game best seller. Barbara Fineblum, owner of Barston’s Child’s Play in Baltimore, Md., told TDmonthly the same month that her store sold 89 Anomia games in one month.

A family card game set in feudal Japan during the era of the Samurai which depends on skill, strategy and planning. It is a time where bandits roam the countryside stealing the precious rice from villages. Yours is one of those villages. Defend your rice with Samurai and Ronin, use bandits and Ninjas to steal other villages’ rice and eliminate their Samurai, and plead with the local Shogun to conscript help for you. But be warned, for the other villages are doing the exact same thing. Launch date: 2010.

StoryPlay Cards is a deck of storytelling and playing cards designed to delight, inspire and intrigue kids of all ages. The card deck has 90 illustrated cards along with a carrying pouch and two guidebooks. Children can use these cards to tell stories, play card games like Spoons, Poker, Sets and Concentration, or use them to engage in thoughtful conversation by choosing the card or cards you are attracted to and talking about what they mean to you. Launch date: Feb. 14, 2010.

The VirtueGame is a card game designed to bring out the best in people. It's a lighthearted, fun way for kids to learn about and practice virtues such as responsibility, compassion, thankfulness and trust. Can you be trusted with a treasured pet fish? Or name five things you have in common with the person next to you? Players should be prepared for silly fun. "The VirtueGame is the first Character Education game on the market. It coincides perfectly with our cultural trend towards things that matter and the renewed interest in family time and personal values," Anne Brunell, Founder, Virtue Toys, told TDmonthly. Awards: 2009 Best Practice Award, Character Education Partnership. Launch date: March 2009.

26! gets its name from the 26 letters of the alphabet and consists of 54 playing cards. Each card shows a letter from A to Z, and a number 1 to 26. The object of 26! is to use six dealt cards and a seventh card from a drawing deck to create a 3-, 4-, or 5-letter word and then, with the remaining cards, form an arithmetic equation that equals 26, using any combination of addition, division, multiplication, or subtraction. Up to four players can play from one deck of cards. In addition to its entertainment value, 26! helps international students learn English, povides enrichment for students in science and math, and benefits remedial students studying spelling and arithmetic. Launch date: November 2009.

Fair Share Chore Cards eliminates dreaded arguments among who does what chores and takes the phrase "that’s not fair" out of the housework equation by leaving chore assignments to the luck of the draw. The chore cards have helpful directions printed on each card on how to accomplish each chore safely and efficiently. The only Ace in the deck serves as a "get out of a chore free" card, giving one a lucky break from a chore.

Collect hands full of herds and caravans over the course of 10 rounds of play and be the player with the least amount of points at the end to win! But be careful…the wild card may change when you least expect it, and you’ll be left to ask, “What’s Wild?!”

A-B-C OY! contains eight surprisingly adaptable word, spelling and alphabet based games for any age or ability level. Players can learn letters backward and forward with ZOOM OY! or speed spell with SLAPSPELL OY!. They can use the blank cards included to make their own foreign alphabet. The deck contains 120 cards, which includes both capital and lower case letters. Instructions are in English, French and Spanish and include comprehensive information for parents and educators. Launch date: 1996.

Instructional videos are available for the following Dream Green games: Tic Tac Chec, 1-2-3 OY!, A-B-C OY!, Noble Celts and Uthini/Mancala. Launch date: October 6, 2009.

Players compete by placing cards to line up three in a row of the shape that matches their secret Goal. The first player to score five Goals wins. But beware ... placing a card can help opponents as easily as it can help you. Triplica includes two multi-player games and an addictive solitaire version. "Triplica is a challenging and competitive game based on the very simple idea of making three in a row," Jeanine Calkin, president of Fun Q Games, told TDmonthly. Launch date: December 2009.

The Circle Out! game is a game of abstraction and visual memory. Twelve to 16 cards are laid out and players race to find the most circles of the largest size. The “circle” aspect of the game is all abstract. Each card has two features — a top and bottom triangle of different colors. Circles are formed by connecting cards of the same color together: red to red, blue to blue, etc., until the same color connects the chain of cards together at both ends. Bottom Triangles only link to Top Triangles and vice versa. A circle of three linking cards are worth one point, four linked cards are worth two points, and five linked cards are worth three points.

Jukem is a fast game that can be played in 20 minutes or less. The game lasts two times through the deck. No prior knowledge of football is required.
Awards: Dr. Toy 100 Best Children's Products - 2010

This all-new sentence completion game is the vibrant sequel to the original Thoughts and Feelings, new sentence stems, new illustrations, and new ways to engage children of all ages. This deck compliments and adds to Thoughts and Feelings 1, and is a great way to build a set of therapeutic tools. Thirty five cards are included.

This cheerfully illustrated therapeutic tool for parents, teachers, and mental health professionals is designed to engage children of all ages.The deck contains 35 cards especially effective in helping children identify, process and work through a variety of issues, including changes within the family, trauma, grief, anger, depression, anxiety and fears. It's also available in Spanish. This product was named one of Dr. Toy's 100 Best Children's Products 2009.

Why do onions make you cry? Where was the first hamburger served? The TastyTalk deck is full of delectable tidbits about food, with intriguing questions that get conversations cooking. Each deck contains 50 illustrated cards, ideal for family time. "The delightful artwork and open-ended questions make this conversation deck appealing and engaging," Lynn Araujo, communications director of U.S. Games Systems, Inc., told TDmonthly.

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.