February 2010 Notable Toys — Family Games

What's the best plan for climbing Mt. Everest? How about the worst plan for making a million bucks? Find out in this party game that's all about giving outrageous advice. Select a card containing a piece of advice that best fits the judge's chosen activity. Score points if the judge takes your advice, but keep in mind that plans change with the roll of a die… You might have to give out bad advice, your grandma's advice, or even advice from a psychic! Includes 300 advice cards, 100 to-do lists, 8 wooden pawns, 1 custom die, 1 game board, and Rules of play. For 4-8 players. Launch date: Spring 2010
Awards: Dr. Toy 100 Best Children's Products - 2010, 2010 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Toy Award, Gold Seal, Creative Child Magazine Preferred Choice Award, Major Fun Award, Dr. Toy’s 10 Best Games, Tillywig Laugh Out Load Award, Parents’ Choice Approved.

Dare to discover Forbidden Island! Join a team of fearless adventurers on a do-or-die mission to capture four sacred treasures from the ruins of this perilous paradise. Your team will have to work together and make some pulse-pounding maneuvers, as the island will sink beneath every step! Race to collect the treasures and make a triumphant escape before getting swallowed into the watery abyss. Includes 58 playing cards, 24 island tiles, 6 pawns, 4 treasure figurines, 1 water meter, 1 water level marker, and Rules of play. For 2-4 players.
Awards: 2010 Mensa Select, Creative Child Magazine Game of the Year, FunFare All Star Award, FamilyFun Magazine Toy of the Year Award, Parents’ Choice Recommended.
Launch date: Spring 2010.

In Sumo Ham Slam, players step into the fierce and furry world of full-contact Sumo hamster wrestling. Using magnetic force, maneuver a Sumo hamster and try to knock the other player's hamster out of the ring. The player that wins the most rounds claims the title of Sumo Ham Slam Grand Champ. Includes 1 elevated game board, 1 custom die, 1 champion chip, 2 magnetic wands, 4 sumo hamsters, 4 scoring pegs, 60 food tokens, and Rules of play. For 2-4 players. "Sumo Ham Slam is a skill and action game featuring adorable sumo wrestling hamsters!" Gamewright Marketing Coordinator Emily Nichols told TDmonthly.
Awards: 2010 Creative Child Magazine Preferred Choice Award, Tillywig Sterling Fun Award, Major Fun Award, Dr. Toy’s Best New Products Picks

It's rush hour at the Ring-a-Ding Diner and you must hurry to serve a table full of hungry customers. Roll the die to add dishes to your tray. Roll a Free Meal or snag the Special of the Day to help fill your order. And if you roll a bell, it's a mad dash to grab your grub before another player beats you to the lunch! Be the first to complete all your orders and - DING! - you're the winner! Game includes 64 tiles, 16 guest checks, 1 custom die, 1 bell, Rules of play, and Instrucciones en Español. For 2-6 players. Launch date: Spring 2010
Awards: 2010 Dr. Toy’s Best Vacation Products, Creative Child Magazine Game of the Year, iParenting Media Award, Major Fun Award, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award, Parents’ Choice Approved, National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) Honors.

The Snipe hunt game can be played with two people, two teams or special * single seeker play, and incorporates both indoor/outdoor activity and good old fashion fun. The object of Snipe is Be the first team/person to find the other team/persons snipe and return it to its nest. After the players have hidden their snipe the other player will try to find it. After a period of time, if the Snipes have not been discovered, they will chirp and then their eyes will light up. Each game comes with two snipes, (named Biela and Smartin) and a Snipe nest. The packaging tells the story behind the legendary campfire animals.

Kids race Mario B-Dasher and Peach Royale down straights, around curves, through loop and flyover as they chase each other. The race set comes with Mario B-Dasher and Peach Royale, transformer, connecting section, two speed controllers, straights, curves, flyover, looping section, guard rails and supports. Launch date: February 8, 2010.

Some of the fun and frivolous uses found for this game are determining the starting player, or deciding who is going to pay for snacks, or dinner. It can be played with a large group of people to spark a bedlam of humor. Le Boomb!™ is available from any of Mayfair's distributors or directly from Mayfair. Each Le Boomb! ™ is presented in a small clamshell that may be placed on a shelf, or peg hooked, depending upon your needs. The rules are tiny and fit on the back of the information header card inside each clamshell. As a side note, the bomb opens like an Easter Egg and the die can be stored within. Le Boomb! ™ is packed in a display box of 12 pieces featuring seven colors. Each display contains six black Le Boomb! and one each of six other colors: Blue, Red, Green, Yellow, White and Purple. Launch date: December 2009.

In turn, players flip their top card. As soon as two cards match, both players with matching cards race to stack up the requested number of piggies with the right color on top. The goal is to be the first player to get rid of all his cards to win the game. "How quick and precise are your fingers? Find out as you build piggy piles in this lively stacking game. Stay on your hooves! There is more than one silly way to stack up your piggies," Bert Devort, Sales Department, Blue Orange Games, told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 14, 2010.
— "Loved this game," Kate Tanner of Kidstop Toys told TDmonthly at Toy Fair 2010.

Players use their three dice hidden in their see-through cup and three community dice to make their combinations. The winner will be the one who can combine enough luck and strategy to walk off with all the chips! "Peek Poker is a fast-paced, fun and relaxed dice version of its cousin, Texas Hold’em Poker. Think you have got a good hand? Challenge your opponents ... And beware of bluffers, they’ll fill you with doubt!" Bert Devort, Sales Department, Blue Orange Games, told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 14, 2010.
— "We always love new things from Blue Orange Games," shared John MacDougall, owner of Golden Apple Learning Store in Pleasanton, Calif., at Toy Fair 2010. "Peek Poker Holdem will be another hit for us!"

Cards are played in sequence, progressing up or down. A player sets down cards in number order. A yellow card means to take a chip out of the Golden Gate. But then, there's some skill involved: Can a player place them at the right times to get the best chips? Or will the opportunity pass? Getting stuck with red cards means a loss of chips. "Golden Gate is an exciting card game in which you combine a little bit of luck with the right plays to start piling up your points. It’s a fast, friendly showdown for the gold with the fine craftsmanship and colorful designs you’ve come to expect from Blue Orange Games," Bert Devort, Sales Department, Blue Orange Games, told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 14, 2010.

Peace & Love Cookie Kit includes magic pink cookie mix, sanding sugar, peace sign and heart cookie cutters, wooden spoon and rhyming recipe. It's packaged in a colorful tray. Not intended for children under age 5. "'Magic' color changing cookie mix and rhyming recipe add a unique twist to the kid's baking market," Lisa Grass, Graphic Designer, Sassafras Enterprises Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 10, 2010.

This game has many possibilities, including determining the starting player, deciding who is going to pay for snacks, or more. Each Le Boomb! is presented in a small clamshell that may be placed on a shelf, or peg hooked. The rules are tiny and fit on the back of the information header card inside each clamshell. The bomb opens like an Easter Egg and the die can be stored within. Le Boomb! is packed in a display box of 12 pieces featuring seven different colors. Each display contains six black Le Boomb! and one each of six other colors: Blue, Red, Green, Yellow, White and Purple. Launch date: December 2009.

The S’mores card game is designed for up to six multi-level players and incorporates both strategy and good old-fashioned fun. The object of the game is to build an edible s’more before your opponents. Players get a higher point value based on the quality of s’more ingredients. The first player to collect all four ingredient cards and call out “S’more!” wins. The S’more card game includes 70, 3" x 5” sturdy playing cards. It is printed with soy-based ink on recycled paper. Launch date: March 2010.

Players must carefully weave their pieces past each other to Home (the opposite corner). A traffic jam will lose the game for everyone. Tactics involve self-sacrifice, luck of the dice and cleverness in using the opportunities that Chance provides. The game is designed with the "feel"it of backgammon. For younger players, it can be set up with fewer pieces. For serious strategists, the game can be recorded as players delve into the intricate world of openings, and mid and endgame tactics. It includes a 12" x 12" board, four sets of colored wooden pieces, dice and illustrated rules.

The players of this cooperative game are shepherds and farmers who put as many sheep and lambs to pasture as they safely can, but from time to time the coyotes come around. They are tricky, but not always as clever as the farmers, who have barn space and the help of their trusty Sheep Dog and Amazing LLama to protect the flock. As Night approaches, players have to be especially alert and ready to work as a team. The game includes a 12" x 12" board; 55 sheep, coyote, dog and llama cards; 35 time of day cards; and rules for basic and advanced games. Launch date: October 2009.

In this party game, gamers must place Movie titles and TV shows in sequential order by wide release or air date before the time's up. Can players sort "Cheers," "Frazier" and "Seinfeld" in correct order sequence from the date they first premiered on the silver screen? Added play elements such as “Critic’s Corner” and “Rapid Reels” exist to make game play all the more fun. The first player to collect all the letter cards that spell ROLL’EM! wins. Launch date: 2010.

Outta Gas! is a new type of slide puzzle: It's three-dimensional, has incredible detail, and features a special flip-up building that covers the traditional open space. The end result is a complete miniature gas station with vintage cars, gas pumps, office, and a service bay with a floor lift, workbenches, and oil drums inside. After you've arranged the cars and pumps to solve the twelve challenges on the back of the puzzle, you can make up your own and challenge your family and friends!

Players help the mighty polar bear navigate the ice caps of the Bering Sea to find his way back home. This game features endangered wildlife species and includes a manual for kids to learn more about them. Approximately 5 percent from the sale of this product will be donated to support WWF’s global conservation efforts. "The Wildlife Conservation Collection is an assortment of classic, timeless, family-friendly games and puzzles that are made from sustainable materials," Sean Tyrrell, Category Manager, Terra Toys, told TDmonthly. Launch date: October 2009.

Under a licensing agreement with World Wildlife Fund, Terra Toys introduces the Wildlife Conservation Collection. Players can challenge themselves in strategy and conservation with the 8-in-1 Combo Games Set, learning about some incredible species. Illustrated game boards and pieces are designed to bring endangered species and habitats to life. Games featured include: chess, checkers, backgammon, dominoes, ludo, pick-up sticks, and salamanders and ladders, plus playing cards and instructions for all games. The games teach strategy and teamwork, improve numbers skills and provide social companionship. The set is portable and compact. The components, including the playing cards, wood pieces, boards and the storage unit, are made from Forest Stewardship Council materials. The pick up sticks are made from bamboo. Package size is 10.5" L x 2" W x 10.5" H. "The Forest Stewardship Council is an independent, international non-profit association established to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests. Approximately 5 percent from the sale of the product will be donated to support WWF’s global conservation efforts. In addition, the products are beautifully designed to stimulate empathy for and understanding of the animals and the unique habitats depicted," Sean Tyrrell, Category Manager, Terra Toys, told TDmonthly. Awards: Dr. Toy Green Toy of the Year 2009. Launch date: January 10, 2009.

This family board game celebrates the important heritage of American county fairs. Designed for two to four players ages 8 to adult, the illustrated game includes many of the fun activites, contests, events and livestock featured at county fairs from coast to coast. "The game appeals to all reading ages and can be played several times in a row; its base idea is national and new and attracts men, women and children alike," Joanne Zwingler Farinacci, owner of J. Bell-Jones LLC, told TDmonthly. Awards: Creative Child Magazine Preferred Choice Award 2009. Launch date: August 27, 2008.

This pocket-sized story generator is designed to provide hours of imaginative play for all ages. With Rory's Story Cubes®, anyone can become a great storyteller and there are no wrong answers. Players simply roll the cubes and let the pictures spark the imagination. "Rory's Story Cubes is unique because of its simplicity, small packaging, low price point and endless story possibilities. It's a great learning and writing tool that can be played with one person or a large group as a party game," Emily Nichols, marketing coordinator for Gamewright, told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2010.
Awards: 2009 Dr. Toy’s 10 Best Games of the Year; 2010 Major Fun Award; 2010 Parents’ Choice Gold Award, Creative Child Magazine Seal of Excellence Award, iParenting Media Award, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award.
— As of 12/17/2012 this product had 4.6 out of 5 stars from 306 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Helps develop story telling ability; promotes cooperative play; creative; affordable. Cons: One reviewer said they were bored with it after playing a few times, but that it is very affordable.
— Stacy Kalisz of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine “absolutely loved” using the Story Cubes with her family as they came up with a variety of games. One of their favorite play variations “is to tell a group story, with each person using one die on his or her turn.”

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.

This new and improved version of What’s GNU? may serve as a fun confidence-builder as it allows early readers to build their vocabularies. Two or more players slide the “Letter Getter” to reveal two letter tiles at a time, then use those tiles to create three-letter combinations on their Word Starter cards. The player who spells the greatest number of words wins. It now includes beginner and advanced Word Starter Cards and highlighted vowels for added learning. "ThinkFun has taken a best seller and improved it by including both beginner and advanced cards. Now the entire family can play!" Edoardo Kulp, Marketing Manager, ThinkFun Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: Jan. 15, 2010.

Two or more players race to be the first to get the animals into the barnyard in this matching game. Focusing on image completion, players search their cards to complete a barnyard animal, then use the fun Barnyard Flipper to turn over the card and reveal the next image to be matched. Images help children match, while the writing on each card will help early readers make associations between the words and the image. Launch date: March 2010.