March 2009 Notable Toys — General Games

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'!

In this game of geographical hop-scotch, two to seven players take turn drawing one of the 48 cards of the contiguous United States, toss the beanbag onto that state in three chances, and then hop across the 33-square-foot map, naming each state hopped on and retrieving the beanbag. The game includes instructions in both English and Spanish and can be played in teams.

Designed to encourage communication and self-expression, FAMILY MATTERS challenges players to do funny things, share stories, learn trivia, and resolve 140 "Fake Family Crises" as they take turns driving through town toward the finish line (aka the Weekend Wish) for some post-game family fun of the winner's choosing.

This 220-thread count, standard-sized pillow case features a playful side with a colorful pirate scene and a character side with images that glow in the dark. It also comes with a booklet of games tied to the theme.

In this fast-paced educational game, up to four players draw seven tiles each and begin forming crosswords of numbers so that each grouping adds up to 22. For each 22 that's hit, a player yells "Ku-do" and selects more tiles so he or she always has seven. When the tiles are gone, players add up their points — one point per each 22 and extra points for use of the same number two or three times in the same equation. Tiles with colored numbers may be counted as positive or negative numbers, and players can use the dice to set number goals for the amount of rounds they wish to play. Launch date: February 2009.

Get hooked on this card game of big fish and even bigger fish tales. Cast a lure card from your tackle box, then pick from your opponents' cards in hopes of landing the big one. Will you be able to see through their bluffs or will you get stuck with a soggy old boot? Reel in the most fish and you're the master angler. But catch only junk and you'll be left telling a story about the one that got away. Launch date: March 2009.
— Gamewright games were listed as top sellers by Shana Hack, owner of Moon Rabbit Toys in Santa Fe, N.M., in June 2009.

Imagine if a bakery merged with barber shop. What would you call the new business? Bread Heads? ... Cookie Cutters? ... How about Shave 'n Cream? Think up these and other creative answers in this hilarious party game where naming is the name of the game. Randomly select two different business cards and then try to come up with a clever name for their unlikely merger. If your name wins the most votes, you're the boss. Game includes 200 business cards, 8 write-erase boards, 8 write-erase markers, 8 voting wheels, 2 card stands, 1 sand timer, 1 score board and instructions. Launch date: March 2009.

It's a rolling polar bear jam. Roll the colored dice to collect high-scoring polar bears from the rink. Roll doubles to trip up opponents or "Free Skate" to take your pick of the pack. But press your luck too far and you may wind up flat on your face. The player with the most points skates away with the victory. Launch date: March 2009.

Players race to the photo finish in this dice game that plays out in a flash. They quickly roll their dice to match the characters on the photo booth cards. When a player matches a pair, he or she must shout "Cheese!" and collect the card. Once a player has won all the cards, he or she is picture perfect. "Say Cheese is a fast-paced, unique game that combines dice and cards to create a fun and playful enviornment," Michael Masseur, account executive at Aigner/Prensky Marketing, told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2009.

Primo the Monkey was happily asleep until his friends swung by for a surprise pajama party. Help Primo chase away the primate pranksters by flipping and swapping cards in numerical order. Watch out for elephants and giraffes who want to crash in on the fun. And if you're lucky, draw a wild monkey card to clear out the room in one clean sweep. The first player to stop the monkey mayhem and get Primo back to bed wins. Game includes 55 cards and instructions. Launch date: March 2009.

This game expands on the original Qwirkle, challenging two to four players to score points by having the most columns and rows filled with matching shapes and colors. Rolling the cubes adds an element of strategy, as players can attempt to roll for the shapes they need. Launch date: Spring 2009.
— Kate Tanner, owner of Kidstop in Scottsdale, Ariz., named Qwirkle Cubes as one of her overall best sellers in late fall 2009.

Threatened by natural disasters and sometimes the need for safety measures, up to eight players must work together to construct as many homes as possible. The houses are from various cultures in various stages of history, offering an educational slant on the many different kinds of shelter in the world. It comes with a 12” x 12” board, diecut homes, and natural disaster, safety measure and rebuild cards.

In this challenging and fun rapid-fire electronic word game, the object is to make words from a series of displayed letters against the time constraints of a ticking bomb that is being passed from player to player as they wrack their brains for the right word.

This adult social game tests players’ knowledge of friends, family and themselves with such questions as, “Do you think you’re attractive?” and “Have you ever lied about your age?” The ballot box is private, so players maintain their privacy on personal matters. Players vote yes or no, and the one who can best predict the number of yeses, wins the game.

The Touch & Learn Super Duper Computer features a fully interactive touchscreen and more than 36 literacy activities. Each Super WHY! Character has a series of games that help children master different literacy skills, including alphabet skills, problem solving, spelling, word families, word comprehension, rhyming, and reading.

This deluxe game set come with seven monter-themed games. The three-tiered box includes Moody Monsters matching game, a 56-card deck of playing cards with four different game instructions, and a Mix & Match puzzle game. Moody Monsters features 15 different monsters, each addressing the social and emotional needs of children.

Quackgammon is an easier way-to-play variation of backgammon in a travel format. Each player moves his flock of three “mallards” around a lake. The fowl are protected by staying positioned next to each other so that the lone fowl is not a “sitting duck."

An enhanced version of Tic-Tac-Toe, this game includes six magnetic game pieces: 3 0’s marked “1”, “3” and “5” and three X’s marked “2”, “4” and “6” — and a 3 x 3 game board grid. The pieces are played in numerical order. Once the six pieces are on the board, play continues in sequential fashion, with each move exposing the now-vacated square to the opponent. The action ends only when the first player achieves a three-in-a-row combination.

Conceived by 13-year old Zach Levins, Repeat or you’re obsolete is a memory game. Players make noises, act things out, create stories, make lists, and play with words in a fast-paced, memory building, pay-attention-or-you’re-out game. It includes a 32-page bonus book of memory tips and tricks. The game received a 2008 iParenting Media’s Best Children’s Product Award.

The Gryphon Games Bookshelf Series is a numbered collection of book-size games that will appeal to a wide array of players of all ages. The games in this series are of medium-weight strategy, featuring short, clear rules playable in under an hour. The first thing you’ll notice about the Gryphon Games Bookshelf Series is our emphasis on high-quality art and superior graphics and production values. The game play is always snappy and innovative. The themes are fun and interesting. Catch people on their way back to board games with the Gryphon Games Bookshelf Series. Since we are committed to adding no fewer than three games a year to this collectible series, it is sure to be the talk of the gaming community for years to come.

This brain-powered game challenges users to move a ball through an obstacle course using the power of the mind. It comes with a three-sensor headset that measures brainwave activity and determines the user's level of concentration. The game unit features a fan that blows more powerfully to lift the ball as focus increases. Launch date: 2009.