November 2009 Notable Toys — General Games

This Playzzle™ game has you build a puzzle and then play the game. Join Bromly and Cotica as they journey through the Amazon. Learn the names of exotic animals that live in the Amazon. The first to reach the ocean wins.

This Playzzle™ game has you build a puzzle and then play the game. African Adventure takes you on a journey with the game's characters Bromley and Cotica. Players will travel through the jungle and learn about the animals that live there. The first player to arrive at the Pyramids wins.

Stinky Smells the Skunk™ is on the loose with his stinky Smellorator! In P.U! The Guessing Game of Smells™, players race around a large exciting board full of good, bad and mystery smells. Whose nose knows best? Be the first to cross the finish line and stop Stinky from polluting and ruining the town fair. For 2 to 8 players. Winner of the National Parenting Center 2009 Seal of Approval.

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.

A bright spot in memorization games, the natural wooden board (made from sustainably grown wood from German beechwood forests) holds 4 different double sided cards for 8 different games. Lift the red dots to match numbers, animals, patterns and more.

The game where players make up hysterical new lyrics to popular hit music. Are you witty enough to write a song about fast food, homework, doing the laundry or perhaps rabid squirrels? A good sense of humor is better than a great singing voice when you play Smash or Trash. Put your creativity to the test as you compete for top praise from the critics (other players) who will declare each song you write to be a Smash hit or just plain Trash.

Duncan® Wiz-z-zers® are a set of 12 battling tops. There are three collectible themes, including BioBugs, BioNinjas and BioSaurus. You can battle Ninjas, Dinos and Bugs for World supremacy.  Wiz-z-zer revs up to 10,000 rpms. Each Wiz-z-zer comes with a base, trick stands, battle belt and battle trick book.

This came is currently licensed to Hasbro.
The Fast Flippin', Quick Grabbin' Card Game. In Ratuki™(ra-too-kee), everyone races to get rid of their cards and collect the most points by completing runs of five and shouting "Ratuki!" First player to 100 wins. For 2 to 5 players.

Try to memorize the pattern on the board before it’s spun around and another playing piece is added. Can you remember if it was black on the right and white on the left? And was the square above or below the circle to the right… or was it to the left? You’ll be Gobsmacked if you make a row of 3. Includes 1 vertical wooden board, 1 wood stand, 22 playing pieces, 2 Gobsmackers, instructions. For 2 players.

A battle will be brewing when the dice are rolled and matches must be made! And if a match can’t be made, it’s up to the opponent to make a dicey decision that will add up to mathematical madness. Includes: 2 cardboard cups, 12 dice, 1 play surface, 2 score pads, 2 scorers, instructions. For 2 players.

The Climbers is an all-wooden, 3-D strategy game for two to five players. The object is to move your climber pawn to the top of a stack of colored blocks first. On your turn, you move one of the blocks and then climb up if you can, using your ladders for the larger steps in your climb. You must stay on surfaces that are your color or gray. You can also use your blocking stone to keep a block from being moved or occupied. Most games last 30 to 45 minutes. "If you have an open box, customers will be drawn immediately to the colorful blocks, the delicately crafted ladders, the simple rules, and the high replay value," Mark Salzwedel, president and CEO of Strategic Space, Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: October 15, 2009.

Forget about pen and paper and play the live version of tic tac toe! Have you got the skill to land your toss on a square and block your opponent? Just when you think you’ve got the winning strategy, your opponent takes away a key square and the game takes on a new tact. TacTic Toss will challenge you in a whole new way to get three in a row.

Target Toss is “Darts made safe”. It has all the fun and challenge of darts with safety and flexibility that makes it great for all ages. Ideal for indoors or out, Target Toss can be played at the office, tailgating, camping, in the rec room and more.

This wooden storage box with a sliding lid holds 41 colorful wood pick-up sticks that each measure 9.75” long.
— Two of 38 specialty retailers said in late summer 2009 that this long-loved classic game is a best-selling novelty at their stores.

Kwizniac is a trivia countdown game designed to test your knowledge under pressure. The object of the game is for players to accumulate as many points as possible by correctly answering as many trivia questions as possible. Because Kwizniac consists of only cards and the players’ brain power, it can be played everywhere and at any time. Kwizniac can be played with just two people or a whole group. Watch Kwizniac: Top-5 Video, Toy Fair 2010

In this 5th Edition of Empire Builder®, players use their initial investment to build track, then pick up commodities where they are grown, mined, or manufactured and deliver them to a lucrative place of demand. Complete a delivery and make the money you need to buy larger, faster trains, and expand your railroad empire. Win the game by building the most effective railroad empire! The game features over a million variations, so the game never grows old.

In this game for three to eight players, each round, the rotating Host reads his true answer to the given question card, along with everyone else's bluff answers, and players try to guess the correct answer to score points. An example of a question card is, "Truth Be Told, my favorite snack is _________." Bluff answers can also score points in this party game designed for fun and laughter. It includes 564 Truth Be Told questions on 141 cards, eight markers, eight fill-in-the-blank cards, eight paddles, a scoreboard and instructions. Launch date: Fall 2009 in select markets; 2010 nationwide.
Awards: 2010 Tillywig Laugh Out Loud

In this game for two or more players, participants are confronted with interesting and, often, totally gross facts about the human body. One multiple choice question, for example, reads, "Most people fart about how many times a day?" It includes 130 question cards, 30 wild cards, six mover pieces, a game board that offers an intestinal look at the body, and a player guide. Launch date: 2009.
This game was formerly distributed by IMAGINATION ENTERTAINMENT.

Selection is the company's most popular game and can be played with 1 to 7 players. Players have to select hands that match the categories on the playing sheet. The game takes about 25 minutes to play.

This educational card game is great for teens. Launch date: 2009.

This card deck sports a new suit: stars. Each of the five suits also has its own distinct color. Also, the #1 makes an appearance for the first time in a card deck, which makes it easier for kids to learn to play. However, the aces haven't been excluded. Finally, a new princess card joins the royal family, to make the deck more appealing to girls. Five jokers brings the total number of cards in the deck to 80. All of the traditional card games can be played with this deck, but the increased number of cards allows a greater number of players to join the fun.

Kids who want more action than traditional dominos can provide can use the Domino Express loops, ramps and bridges to set up exciting domino knock-downs. Launch date: June 2009.

Ticket to Ride - USA 1910 is a card expansion for the original Ticket to Ride board game. It consists of 181 new large-format cards that include 35 new Destination Tickets, a new GlobeTrotter bonus card for completing the most tickets, and a complete replacement deck of all the cards from the original game. Also included is a new rulebook that gives Ticket to Ride players three new ways to play: games using only the new Destination Tickets; the Mega Game, featuring all the tickets; and Big Cities, which uses only tickets to certain large cities. Launch date: 2001.