March 2011 Notable Toys — Board Games

This updated version of the classic game features a renovated board and a tower that uses infrared sensors to ensure that players whose ships are attacked actually remove them from play. Launch date: Fall 2011.

This new version of Monopoly features the same rules as the classic game- it's the middle of the board that's really different. Players rely on a computerized tower in the center of the game board to issue instructions, keep track of money, and ensure that no cheating occurs. Players hold their hands over their piece, and the tower tells them how many spaces they can move. Instead of paper money, players use debit cards. The game also throws in spur-of-the-moment curve balls, like a horse race that all players must bet on.

This clever version of tick-tack-toe never ends in a tie. There are three O pieces, which also are numbered 1, 3 and 5, and three X pieces, numbered 2, 4 and 6. If your first game of tick-tack-toe ends in a tie, then play continues based on the numbers 1 through 6 that are on the pieces. Number 1 (an O) moves first to another open spot on the board. Then Number 2 takes a turn (an X) , then Number 3, and so on, until a player gets three X's or O's in a row. It takes real thought and makes tick-tack-toe fun again.

Kids spin the spinner, squeeze the matching colored acorn with their Squirrel Squeezers, and place it in their log. The first to fill their log with delicious acorns wins. But players need to look out - they could spin "steal an acorn" or "lose an acorn."

The path is filled with excitement and danger: will players master the four constructs that they need to defeat Parallax? Once players have the constructs- and the Green Lantern ring- go to the lantern and see if the ring comes up lit. If it does, players light up their ring and win. "Based on the upcoming Warner Brothers feature film, Green Lantern, this game includes an exclusive Green Lantern light-up ring," Jim Pressman, President of Pressman Toy Corp, told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2011.

Say Anything Family has 350 family oriented questions that allows families to enjoy the laughter and fun of the original party game. Ask a fun opinion question, everyone else comes up with an answer, secretly pick which one you like the most, everyone bets on what they think you just picked. Reveal the answer and score. "This game is fun for both parents and kids, while helping kids develop social interaction skills," Luke Warren, a rep for North Star Games, told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2011.

The Laser Game Khet 2.0 has arrived. The completely redesigned game for 2011 combines lasers with classic strategy for an experience enjoyed by players ages 9-99. Players alternate turns moving Egyptian themed mirrored pieces, after which they fire their real, eye-safe laser with the goal of illuminating their opponents' pieces and winning the game.

Exercise your mind and outwit your opponents with Mosaic 4, the new fast paced 4 in a row abstract strategy game! Mosaic 4 is set up on a board of movable squares. Two to four players compete to be the first to get 4 tokens in a row. On their turn, each player can either place a token on the board, or shift an entire row or column of movable squares over by one space. The rules are simple but the game gets increasingly challenging. Mosaic 4 comes with instructions in English, Spanish, German and French. "The movable board squares add an extra challenge," Mary Lin from Gridly Games told TDmonthly. Launch date: April 2011.

Mysterious Creatures the Game was created to engage player's curiosity in the mysteries of nature that exist across the world. The game takes each player on an adventure/race across the globe in search of their creature's evidence cards. The first player to collect all 3 evidence cards and make it back to their creature's country of origin wins. Along the way players will learn geography, country flags, and a multitude of info about creatures that may or may not exist. All the card art for each creature incorporates the flag of its native country. Other features include the set-backs for natural phenomena like the Bermuda Triangle.
Watch video from Toy Fair 2011

One player draws a construction card and builds the structure shown. Next, an opponent loads an Angry Bird onto the launcher and catapults the bird to knock down structures and pigs. The player with the most points and knockdowns wins. Features three Angry Birds, four green pigs, one slingshot-style launcher, structure pieces and multiple mission cards. For one or more players. Launch date: May 2011.
— As of 12/17/2012 this product had 3.9 out of 5 stars from 252 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Great alternative to the app for parents who want to reduce kids' screen time; fun for the family to play together; helps kids develop dexterity and patience. Cons: Certain structures are too elaborate to build and don't seem to be grouped in the correct level of difficulty; kids with short attention spans may lose interest in building the structures; structures are easy to knock down, which can be frustrating for younger players.

Zelosport has transformed the age-old pastime of paper football into a series of Finger Sports games for all ages. Now sports fans can enjoy football, baseball, golf, and soccer on the kitchen table. "There is nothing like it on the market," Sara Eddy, project marketing manager at SCI, told TDmonthly.

Fur-Ever Home, the Animal Rescue Game is a family friendly board game of chance and skill where players take in dogs and cats, care for them, and adopt them out to loving “Fur-Ever Homes”. The game ends when all players have worked together and there are no more pets in Straytown. The player with the most points from placing dogs and cats in Fur-Ever Homes wins. But, players have to make decisions about money to stay in the game. "It is the first board game on the market where players get to test their skill at running their very own animal rescue, and adopting out animals to Fur-Ever Homes," Carianne Burnley, CEO of Petsapalooza LLC, told TDmonthly.

Mahjong Junior is an introduction to the classic game of Mahjong.  It’s not only fun, fast, and easy to learn, but the game teaches sequencing, odds, evens, patterns, promotes planning, strategy, organizational skills, and taking turns. The game offers players both an element of history and another culture. Mahjong Junior is a socially interactive game that lends itself to connecting people to people. It is challenging for both children and adults, and places varying ages at equal playing level. It is also an eco-friendly, fair trade produced game.

In the Tetris Link game, players battle to score the most points by linking colored Tetriminos, the iconic Tetris playing pieces, into an upright game tower while attempting to block competitors from linking their game pieces. The Tetris Link game is a strategy game that takes just minutes to learn and15 to 20 minutes to play. Each player begins by choosing a color and collecting all of the Tetriminos in that color. Players then take turns rolling the die and dropping their color Tetriminos into the game tower, attempting to link Tetriminos of the same color to earn points while blocking opponents from scoring. Earn three points for the first three Tetriminos linked, and score one point for each additional Tetrimino linked. Players can lose points for any holes that are left in the game tower. Players track their points in real-time with the built-in scoring markers and, when the tower is full, the player with the highest score wins the game. For 2 to 4 players. Launch date: Spring 2011.

In anticipation of Columbia Pictures’/Sony Pictures Animation’s 3D release “The Smurfs,” in theaters August 3, 2011, Pressman Toy Corporation announces a licensing deal to create games and puzzles based on the movie. Pressman Toy’s games and puzzles will be available for purchase at mass and specialty retailers nationwide in July 2011. Race to Smurfs Village is a board game where players choose their favorite Smurfs character and try to be the first to get to their village. Special spaces help players get closer to the village, while others will set them back. Launch date: Summer 2011.

This game of skill features Erik balancing atop of blocks of ice that must be carefully pushed out one by one. Pressman Toy has partnered with Warner Bros. Consumer Products to produce a line of board games and puzzles based on Warner Bros. Pictures’ highly anticipated computer-animated family film Happy Feet 2. A follow up to director George Miller’s 2006 Academy Award-winning Best Animated Feature Film, Happy Feet, Miller’s Happy Feet 2 will be presented in 3D and 2D and IMAX, and will make its theatrical debut on November 18, 2011. Launch date for game: Fall 2011.

Strike of the Eagle is a strategy game that simulates the tenseness of the Polish-Soviet War of 1920. This war featured a return of sweeping cavalry attacks combined with new weaponry innovations such as planes, tanks and armored cars. Gone was the static trench warfare of WWI where front line changes were measured in yards. Instead, the gains of this war’s campaigns were measured in hundreds of miles from Kiev and beyond Minsk in the east, to Warsaw and the German border in the west. Strike of the Eagle is the first game in the new Fog of War series. This series covers pivotal wars of different eras, allowing players to relive and learn about the struggles that took place. The heart of this unique series lies in players placing secret orders on the map during each turn to bluff, mislead, misdirect and outplay their opponents! The orders are then revealed and executed by the player’s armies that are represented by wooden blocks of Brigade and Division strength forces of between 1500 to 8000 men. The exact composition of a player’s forces is kept hidden from their opponent until battle is engaged. For 2-4 players.

The Struggle for Catan™ is a fast-paced game between the 2-4 factions developing newly settled Catan. Manage your resources to build settlements, cities, city improvements, knights, and roads that generate victory points or special abilities. While your settlements, cities, and city expansions remain yours, valuable roads and knights change hands. Varied expensive city improvements give you additional victory points and lasting advantages, so they’re generally key to victory. As in The Settlers of Catan® board game, you win by being the first to acquire and play 10 victory points. The Struggle for Catan™ is the perfect way for 2-4 players to swiftly and casually explore, settle, trade, and build on the beautiful and ever-changing island of Catan.

Seize and capture your friends' pawns in this game with two unique ways to play. Brainy Got'Em! offers the strategic challenge of outsmarting and cornering your opponents with deliberately placed walls, while the tricky yet fun-for-all-ages Bright Got'Em! has the same goal of trapping your opponents, plus colorful surprises that will keep you on your toes. Surround yourself with friends and family and get ready to enjoy two great games that hold more fun than any four walls can contain. Game includes 1 double-sided game board that includes both versions of the game. For 2-6 players.

This new game board has a patent-pending design that allows players to play thousands of game variations on a single game board. For children it is an educational tool that challenges manual dexterity, math skills, and fosters good  sportsmanship. It can be played indoors or outdoors, with endless evolutionary potential. It measures 39"x39" round and 3.25" high, weighs 9 lbs.

Children can pretend to be Santa in his board game for 2 to 4 players. Players choose a sleigh and start at the North Pole. They race around Santa's Workshop trying to load their sleighs with 5 toys. Once a Santa has 5 toys, he flies off to the town to deliver the toys. Along the way, Santas encounter fun activities, such as belting out their best "HO HO HO" or Singing their favorite Christmas carols. The first Santa to deliver all of his toys wins the game. The game comes with board, four sleighs, four tokens, 20 toy cards, rule and die. Game play is approximately 30 minutes.
— This product won a Mom's Best Award in January 2011. mom's Best Award winning product evaluators are moms, dads, grandparents, childcare givers and teachers who use these products in real life situations and then offer valuable feedback on how these products performed in everyday living for families. 

Cargo Noir is a game of illicit trading in which players run "families" who traffic in smuggled goods. The game takes place in the setting of 1950's film noir. Game play in Cargo Noir revolves around a changing set of notorious smuggling ports – Hong Kong, Bombay, Rotterdam, Panama, Tangier, Rio, Cape Town, New York and Macao – that are filled with various types and quantities of contraband. Players dispatch cargo ships loaded with gold to the ports that hold cargo they desire – hoping that it will be enough to snatch the goods away from any opponents. The acquired goods are then stored in the player’s warehouses until enough is accumulated to create valuable combinations to trade away for Victory Spoils. "Game development focused on three areas: fine-tuning the balance so there were always multiple paths to victory; making sure the game shines with two players as well as with five; and finding a theme that would be evocative with a feel that is very different from most other auction or trading games," Serge Laget, game designer, told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2011.
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Go head-to-head against your opponent in this tactical game of city planning. Draw a shape card and then simultaneously try to fit the matching tile into your city grids. Plot wisely, as you must always have space to play your next piece. Build your city without going over the limits and consider yourself the master planner. Contents include 42 city tiles, 21 cards, 4 starter tiles, 2 game boards, Rules of play, and Rules in Spanish.

Roll the die and then drop the wooden pebble into the pond. Did any colorful shapes splash out? If so, match them up to your playing board. Be the first to fill up your board and then dry off with a win. Contents include 50 wooden droplets, 4 character boards,1 custom die, 1 wooden pebble, 1 game board, Rules of play, and Rules in Spanish. Estimated game time is 15 minutes.