TDmonthly's ToyFair 2006 Preview--General Games Product Category

Vise Verses by M.J.N. ENTERPRISE

Designed to develop strong values and teach children and adults about the Bible by instilling in them scripture, this game accommodates two to six players. Questions range from simple to complex, and the goal of the game is to collect the most angels to win. "They're having fun and scriptures are being installed, and that's why kids like it so much," Michael Neely, inventor of Vice Verses, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2008. 1/8/2009 (Price: $22.00)

Chemistry Quizmo® by WORLD CLASS LEARNING MATERIALS INC.

Students stumped by noble gases, alloys, isotopes and polymers? Chemistry Quizmo will help them gain practice in solving for either the Chemical name or Symbol for elements found in the Periodic Table while also learning trivia. From Hydrogen (H) to Radium (Ra), kids in grades 5 and up can discover fun facts, unusual uses and the stories behind an element’s name. There are two levels of play, and the game is for two to 36 players. 1/5/2009 (Price: $14.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Blackout by FUNDEX GAMES

In Blackout, players drop dice into the package top, then rumble, tumble down a chute.  If any number on the dice matches numbers on a player’s cards, it’s a blackout! Players try to be the first to black out the final number on five different cards.  The fun is in the roll, but strategy is key in this rolling bingo game for the entire family. Launch date: 2009. 1/2/2009 [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Dream Phone™ by FUNDEX GAMES

A new generation of girls can now play Dream Phone, the electronic game which is being re-introduced by Fundex Games.  Dream Phone includes a modern cell phone component with exciting new features including text messaging. To play Dream Phone, players use deductive reasoning, based on clues they receive by calling different boys, to determine which of the 24 dreamy boys is their secret admirer.  Dream Phone is ideal for girls, ages 8 to 14. Relaunch: 2009. 1/2/2009 [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Horse-Opoly by LATE FOR THE SKY PRODUCTION

Instead of trading houses, horse paraphernalia is the currency in this variation of Monopoly.  Swap bales of hay for barns while moving pieces shaped like saddles, boots and horseflies around the board. 12/23/2008 (Price: $24.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Keys to Comprehension by REMEDIA PUBLICATIONS

Keys to Comprehension offers an adventurous way for kids to master six key skills. Players spin to determine which specific reading skill to focus on, draw a card, read its short passage, and then answer the specific skill question. If they get it right, they get a “key” for that skill. Once they collect all six keys they are on their way to unlocking the buried treasure and winning the game. The game for two to six players includes a gameboard, 90 question cards, 36 key cards, six pawns, and one die. "The Keys to Comprehension game is available in two different reading levels - RL 1-3 (REM 6006A) and RL 3-5 (REM 6006B)," Liz Mullen, director of sales for Remedia Publications, told TDmonthly. It received a Learning Magazine 2009 Teachers’ Choice Award. Launch date: 2006. 12/19/2008 (Price: $21.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Backseat Drawing Junior by OUT OF THE BOX PUBLISHING

Backseat Drawing is fun for the whole family. Players race to identify what the artist is drawing. But, the artist doesn’t know what he or she is drawing; the artist can only follow the instructions given by the director. The excitement continues as players attempt to follow directions and guess what the picture might be. Launch date: 2009. 12/12/2008 (Price: $19.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Comet® The Fast Path to Learning - Family Edition by ACTIVE MINDS INC

Comet® The Fast Path to Learning - Family Edition is an exciting and stimulating game based on spelling. The Family Game offers the best knowledge in Science, Geography, History, Health and much more. Based on multiple choice answers, choose the correct word, spell the word, state the number of vowels…win a Bonus Card. Roll the dice, everyone has a chance to win! Launch date: August 8, 2008. 12/12/2008 (Price: $24.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Rocks and Minerals Quizmo by WORLD CLASS LEARNING MATERIALS INC.

Two to 36 players match color photographs of rocks, minerals and gemstones with relating trivia facts or physical/chemical properties. With two levels of play, students will unearth three rock types and dust off some interesting trivia. The game involves practice with 70 different rocks, minerals and gemstones and includes color game boards, calling cards, plastic markers and an instructional guide. It teaches the physical characteristics of rocks and minerals, the rock cycle, and the characteristics, uses and names of rocks, minerals and gemstones. "All our games offer multiple levels of play and are aligned with national standards. They are made with the needs of every learner in mind," Alyssa Brown, product development manager for World Class Learning Materials, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2009. 12/12/2008 (Price: $14.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

My Very First Games - Hand Puppets by HABA USA/HABERMAASS CORP.

In addition to the colorful sheep, hare and bear hand puppets, this set includes a die and a memory game for one to four players. It encourages role play, language development and comprehension of rules. Launch date: 2008.
— Lisa McMartin, co-owner of Wonderment Inc. in Minneapolis, told TDmonthly in late 2008 that HABA is one of her most-liked vendors because “they'll take individual orders in their dating program." Nearly 10 percent of 52 retailers named HABA as one of their favorite suppliers. 12/10/2008 [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Find It Sports Edition by FIND IT GAMES

Filled with tiny pellets that represent an outdoor sports field, this version of Find It contains more than 40 items that cover more than 35 sports. Things to find include a basketball hoop, football, boxing glove and jet ski. Launch date: Fall 2008.
— Mary Porter, owner of The Curiosity Zone in Ashburn, Va., sells “a dozen or so a month” of the Find It games, she told TDmonthly in spring 2009.
— Two of 64 retailers cited Find It Games when asked about best-selling travel toys in March 2009. 12/5/2008 (Price: $20) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Blokus 3-D by EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS INC.

This brain-building strategy game plays off the original Blokus but plays with entirely new configurations in four construction plans: steps, pyramid, tower and corner (shown). The player who ends up with the most squares showing from above wins the game. Launch date: 2008. 12/5/2008 (Price: $29.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Bumper Cars by POPULAR PLAYTHINGS

Just about everyone loves the BUMPER CAR ride. It's the next thing to driving a real car and the only time you can legally bump into someone. MAGNETIC BUMPER CARS is a brainteaser puzzle that is almost as much fun as the real thing. The challenge is to position the nine bumper cars on the track so they don't bump into one another or the surrounding wall. Of course these miniature drivers have something else on their minds, as powerful hidden magnets in the cars and track walls cause all sorts of collisions as you maneuver your way through 12 brain-bumping challenges! 12/3/2008 [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Spin Me a Rainbow Puzzle Game by eeBoo corp.

This game comes with a colorful spinner and corresponding shapes that fit into puzzle board with color-corresponding cut-outs. Launch date: 2009.
— “eeBoo is excellent,” Elizabeth Ryan, owner of Tales & Toys in Venice, Calif., told TDmonthly of this preferred vendor in late 2008. One other retailer, out of 52, also mentioned eeBoo as a favorite. 12/2/2008 (Price: $16.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Achieve Ability® Amazon Expedition by WORLD CLASS LEARNING MATERIALS INC.

Two to four players must travel through the remote jungles of the Amazon River, identifying greater-than and less-than fractions while avoiding obstacles. Two levels of play allow students to gain understanding of fractions with denominators of halves through twenty-fourths. 12/2/2008 (Price: $12.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Gazillion Bubble Rocket by FUNRISE INC.

Kids can watch a Gazillion bubbles soar into the air with the Gazillion Bubble Rocket. They simply pour Gazillion Bubble solution into the tray of the launch pad, place the rocket on the launcher, and with stomping power, launch the bubble rocket for a bubble trail of sky-high fun. The product comes with a cool rocket, a launcher, a stomp pad and 6 oz. of Gazillion solution for continuous rocket-fueled action. No batteries are required. Launch date: 2009. 11/25/2008 (Price: $16.99)

Cat in the Hat, I Can Do That! Game by THE WONDER FORGE LLC

This high-energy game that combines balancing, jumping, sliding, giggling  to celebrate children's “I Can Do That!” attitude! The Cat in the Hat has come for a visit and he wants to see all the things a child can do.  The game starts by flipping over three cards to discover a new challenge: Can you jump up and down…while holding the fish…under your chin? Can you limbo under the trick-a-ma-stick…while balancing the boat…on your stomach? Those who think they can shout, “I Can Do That!” There are hundreds of hilarious possibilities. The player who earns the most stars wins. The Cat in the Hat – I Can Do That! Game brings to life the beloved Dr. Seuss book giving kids a new and incredibly fun way to experience this classic Dr. Seuss story. 11/20/2008 (Price: $19.99)

Rainbow Timber by HABA USA/HABERMAASS CORP.

This set of 55 blocks adds variety to the classic move-a-block-and-don't-let-the-tower-fall game with colored pieces and rules that involve rolling dice and moving a block of the same color shown. 11/20/2008 [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

The Chain Game by OUT OF THE BOX PUBLISHING

Players race to say a common phrase using one word from the previous phrase. If a player pauses, the horn honks and he or she has to give up a link. The player with the most links when the first player is out wins The Chain Game! Fast, fresh and free flowing . . . The Chain Game is the link that brings friends and family together. Launch date: 2008. 11/18/2008 (Price: $24.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Squint by OUT OF THE BOX PUBLISHING

Using a variety of shapes, players build a picture of the item listed on the Squint Card. If a player guesses before the time runs out, both the builder and guesser score points. For Squint fun with the whole family, see Squint Junior. 11/18/2008 (Price: $24.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Gold Digger by OUT OF THE BOX PUBLISHING

Gold Digger sets two to five anxious prospectors on a quest to find their fortunes in gold. Picking the right mines will yield a conucopia of riches, but players must beware of fool's gold! This game has received the following awards: 2004 Traditional Games 100, 2004 National Parenting Center Seal of Approval, and Canadian Toy Testing Council Three Star Award. Launch date: 2003. 11/18/2008 (Price: $14.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Wheedle by OUT OF THE BOX PUBLISHING

In a flurry of no-holds-barred trading, only the crafiest players will survive in this stock-taking, deal-making game. The first player claiming majority control is the winner. "The players control the entire game," Leah Osterhaus, VP of marketing for Out of the Box Publishing, told TDmonthly. It has won the following awards: 2004 Games 100, 2004 National Parenting Center Seal of Approval, 2004 Dr. Toy Best Vacation Children's Product, 2004 Parenting for High Potential Recommended, and 2004 Canadian Toy Testing Council Three Star Award. Launch date: 2004. 11/18/2008 (Price: $9.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Pepper by OUT OF THE BOX PUBLISHING

This innovative card game plays like a ball game and sends action in all directions. Players send a card to another player and see if they have what it takes to respond. "Pepper is based on the familiar playground game of four-square. It is a simple card game that is great for families," Leah Osterhaus, VP of marketing for Out of the Box Publishing, told TDmonthly. The game earned a 2006 Creative Child Magazine Seal of Excellence. Launch date: 2006. 11/18/2008 (Price: $5.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Gavitt's Stock Exchange by OUT OF THE BOX PUBLISHING

First printed in 1903, Gavitt's Stock Exchange is an exciting card game that challenges three to six players to be the first to get all the cards of one railway line, call out "Topeka" and win the hand. It received a 2003 Major Fun Award as well as a 2003 Best Classic Toy Award from Dr. Toy. Launch date: 2003. 11/18/2008 (Price: $9.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Impact by POOF-SLINKY INC.

Kids can track the ball, take aim, swing the weight, IMPACT and score. In this game of skill and eye-hand coordination, players may swing too soon or too late and miss. Timing a swing just right earns points, and the highest score wins. Launch date: 2009. 11/13/2008 (Price: $27.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]