July 2011 Notable Toys — General Games

Dixit Odyssey lets even more players have fun than ever before. Anywhere from 3 to 12 players can participate in this storytelling game. One player is given a picture card, while the other players receive a hand of six pictures. The designated storyteller uses a word or phrase to strategically hint at his picture, and the other players each choose one of their cards that best fits the description. Everyone then bets on which picture belongs to the storyteller. Game play takes approximately 30 minutes. Launch date: July, 2011.
— As of 05/11/2011 a previous version of this product (Dixit) had 4.7 out of 5 stars on Amazon.com, based on 41 reviews. The product had only one rating below 4 stars. Pros: Creative; equally fun for adults and children. Cons: A reviewer who gave the game three stars said the scoring system was overly complicated and that the pictures on the cards are almost too elaborate.

The first of Mayfair’s expansions to Steam, this set offers three tracks in the same pack. One side has a map of the Mid-Atlantic United States. The other side has two maps: Belgium & Luxembourg and the Brussels Metro. These boards are sure to challenge Steams players with their region-specific rules and challenging topography. Details on the three maps included — Belgium & Luxembourg: An Expansion for 2 Players, Build an Importing Empire. Brussels Metro: An Expansion for 3 Players, Develop Intercity Transit. Mid-Atlantic US: An Expansion for 3-7 Players, Railroad Empires in the Civil War Era. Also Included: An Extra Steam Tile Sheet. NOTE: Requires ownership of MFG4551 Steam™ to play.

In this quick-draw classic, the sketches draw loads of laughs- but the guesses can be even more hilarious. Roll the six-sided challenge die for extra-silly scenarios; no two games will ever be alike. Play in teams, large or small. Game includes game board, one-minute timer, 4 pencil pawns, 4 pencils, 4 pads of paper, card box, card deck, standard die and challenge die, and instructions.
— As of 05/20/2011 this product had 4.2 out of 5 stars on Amazon.com from 9 reviews. Pros: Helps improve vocabulary; fun for the whole family. Cons: Some players didn't like the new updates to the game; One person said it was too hard.

It's the compact version of the classic naval combat game for plenty of fun on the run. Players keep track of hits and misses, and sink all of their enemy's ships to win the game. All of the pieces fit inside the case, making it easy to travel with.
— Mike DiAndrea, manager of Hardware Center Toys in Paoli, Pa., told TDmonthly in an April 2012 survey about travel toys that their best seller is Fun on the Run Battleship. They sold "18 this month," he said.

This game is easy enough for first time game players and the game can be made infinitely more challenging simply by adding more owl tokens into the game. This allows the game to age with the child or for older kids (or even adults) to play with younger kids. Like in Candyland, kids practice color recognition and moving tokens. Unlike Candyland, Hoot Owl Hoot is a cooperative game, meaning all players are playing for the same outcome together. A cooperative game eliminates stress, builds self-esteem, and teaches kids that playing together can be fun. Kids learn to work together, they share in the game play, and they practice cooperation. The object of the game is move all the owls from start to the nest before the sun rises. Players take turns, but work together. Launch date: May 2011.
Awards: A Dr. Toy Best Green Product for 2011; 2011 Parents’ Choice Silver Honor Award; 2011 Parents’ Choice Major Fun Award; 2011 Disney FamilyFun magazine Toy of the Year (T.O.Y) Award.
— As of 05/23/2011 this product had 4.8 out of 5 stars from 10 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Teaches kids to work together; difficulty can be increased as players get better; eco-friendly.

Word Braniac includes 120 Letter Cards, 1 Game Timer and 1 copy of Word Brainiac Games Booklet-Volume 1, featuring 5 entertaining and educational word games- all contained in a handy re-closable plastic pouch. There are also instructions to 45 more games on Word Braniac's website- players can play a different game every time. Kids can enjoy a game alone or play with their friends, and can compete against each other or battle as teams. There are games for kids, adults and older folks. There are games for students and those wanting to learn English as their second language. All games are excellent vocabulary-builders. Some focus on English grammar and general academic subjects. Most entail abstract and logical thinking. Each game rewards individual risk-taking while some games promote team building.25% of your purchase will fund youth-oriented development projects.

A World of Beautiful Colors comes alive as players choose commission cards picturing 34 of the finest European art works of the past six centuries. Players score their commissions by mixing primary colors through clever tile placement, and recreating the palette of colors used by the masters who created these works. Explore the paintings, palettes and pasts of the artists in this unique and challenging game for the whole family. While placing hexagonal pieces to gain palette (color) cards, players become familiar with the different color combinations that produce the many hues of an artist’s palette... all listed on the Player Reference Card. Players also learn to recognize many great artists and their works as they complete commissions.

In Don't Tip the Waiter Splash, players take turns stacking cups on the three-dimensional floating waiter's tray. But they have to be careful, because too many cups will tip the waiter. If a player makes the waiter drop the cups into the water, they're out. The last player standing wins. This pool game is ideal for 1-4 players.