by Herb Levy
Romance took a back seat to toys and games as the annual International Toy Fair launched on Valentine's Day this year, beginning on February 14 and continuing through the 17th in New York City. Gamers Alliance in general (and me, in particular) look forward to the event each year and this year was no exception. The weather proved fickle, however. Heavy snow decided to descend on the tri-state area the week BEFORE the Fair but did not leave the event unscathed as a few inches fell in the middle of the event. Still although general temperatures were cool to cold, they were manageable (especially considering it is New York in February). As always, the best part of the fair is connecting and re-connecting with friends, both old and new (you know who you are). And be sure to check out our exclusive Toy Fair interview with game and toy designer Reuben Klamer). But for the majority of our readers, the focus is on games. So here is our comprehensive view and YOUR advanced peek at what's new and planned for the year ahead. Where available, we've included brief descriptions, number of players, game length and suggested retail price. Critical commentary and evaluations are reserved for upcoming issues of GA REPORT. (And if you're not reading GA REPORT, you're missing the best written and most insightful reviews around! You are invited to correct that oversight right now and join Gamers Alliance today!)
Now let's get down to it (in alphabetical order)!
ASMODEE - New and upcoming releases on display include:
Jaipur - Card game where 2 players (ages 12 and up) compete to become the Maharajah's favored merchant. You sell sets of merchandise to increase personal wealth. Having the most camels at the end of a round earns you some money too. First player to receive 2 Seals of Excellence wins! 30 minutes playing time.
Claustrophobia - 2 player tactical survival "dungeon crawl" game. One player controls the humans exploring an underground lair, one player controls the demon denizens of the lair. For ages 14 and up, about 45 minutes playing time.
ALLIANCE GAME DISTRIBUTION - A game distributor rather than a game publisher. But, on display, was Betrayal at the House on the Hill, the long awaited remake of the Avalon Hill/Hasbro game from 2004, scheduled to reappear later this year (with identical box artwork from the original edition).
ART MEETS MATTER LTD. - Kibodo - Word game. Each player uses his own "keyboard" to "enter", "control", "shift" and "delete" letters and words. For 2 or more players, ages 5 and up. Includes rules for variations of game play as well as a travel case. £29.95
THE BRAND CAFE INC. - In Kwizniac, players are offered clues to answer trivia questions. The fewer clues needed, the more points you score. For ages 12 and up, $29.99
BUCEPHALUS GAMES - New releases on display included:
Dogfight - Strategy boardgame recreating battles in the sky during World War II using wood and metal pieces on a hex grid board. For 2 players, ages 8 and up, 15-30 minutes, $49.99
The Duke - Tactical game of one on one medieval combat using double-sided pieces, when flipped, reveal different movement capabilities. For 2 players, ages 8 and up, 30 minutes, $49.99
Bill of Rights - Each player is given a secret agenda as they try to have amendments approved to further their secret goals. For 3 to 8 players, ages 8 and up, 20-40 minutes, $29.99.
CADACO - Several new games on display including:
Tripoley Word - New entry in their line of Tripoley games and the first in the series not to use a deck of cards. Instead, the game combines criss-cross word building to make certain kinds of words (double letter, seven letters long etc.) with winning chips, Have the most chips after three rounds and you win. For 2 to 4 players, ages 10 and up, $14.99
Word Ace - Electronic word game where players are given a letter and a number and have to come up with a word that starts with that letter using the specified number of letters. (Sometimes, the letter will need to be in the middle or the last letter of a word or the game might even require a specific number of syllables for a word). For 2 to 4 players, ages 8 and up, $29.99
Deadliest Catch® Board Game - Captain your ship and compete for the most "red gold" (Alaskan King Crab) while surviving the hazards of the Bering Sea. Based on the TV series. For 2 players or teams, ages 10 and up, $14.99.
CEPIA GAMES - BiSikle - Skill and action bicycle racing game using a "z-ball" (which rolls but will come to a stop) to do the racing. Comes with a 57 piece set giving you 13 feet of track ($40) and a 30 piece starter set ($26).
CURTLIN TOYS & GAMES
-
Xtreme Takeover
- 2 player war/strategy game. Each player commands 15 pieces which move and
battle based on a die roll modified by the increased power of some of the
pieces, across the board with the goal of occupying the other player's
stronghold. $24.99.
DISCOVERY BAY GAMES - Famous Last Lines - Created by actresses Darryl Hannah and Hilary Shepard. In this party game, players read a movie title and its synopsis and then have to create the most believable last line to the film. For 3 or more players, ages 12 and up. June, $29.99. Call-it! - Memory challenge card game where you match a symbol with an opponent but be the first to call out a word for the category. For 2 or more players, ages 8 and up, September, $14.99; Trash: The Game - Guessing game where players try to deduce the names of real or fictitious people from items revealed in their trash. For 2 or more players, ages 8 and up. Saturday Night Live: Game in a Box - Party game of interactive challenges and trivia based on the long-running TV comedy show. For 4 or more players, ages 13 and up, June, $29.99 ; Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre Game - A game based on the odd customs, rituals, foods, laws and more from around the world. For 3 or more players, ages 8 and up, June, $29.99. School of Rock - Rock n Roll trivia game, for 2 or more players, ages 8 and up, September, $34.99; Plus two 2 player wooden abstract games - Link and Contagion - planned for September release, each priced at $34.99.
DUNCAN TOYS - WarStone - Designed by Richard Levy. Players use marbles or “stones” as assault weapons to knock opposing stones off the battlefield through high-velocity, high-impact attacks. A range of assaults and defensive moves are directed by the cards. The goal of each epic battle is to eradicate a predetermined number of opposing stones. Starting set comes in a Battle Box, for 2, 3 or 4 players with additional cards and pieces available in Skirmish Packs and Booster Packs.
EXTREME FIGHT GAMES INC. - Extreme Fight Game - Boardgame based on mixed martial arts. The goal is to defeat your opponent by performing different moves to result in a Knock Out or Submission or, failing to accomplish either, accumulate enough winning rounds on your fight card to win by decision. For ages 13 and up. $30.
FAMILY GAMES - More new two player abstract games for ages 7 and up including: Gobsmacked - Memorize the pattern of the board before spinning it 90°, then add a piece so you DON'T create 3 same colors or 3 same shapes in a row! $39.99; Conniption - Players drop colored discs into slots on the board to create a line of 4 of the same color. The twist here is that either player may FLIP the board to create new configurations. $29.99; Kewbz - Players compete for ownership of towers. By creating a corner with a cube, another cube is stacked at the intersection. The player who controls the top cube of a tower (maximum height of 5 cubes) controls the tower.
FAT BRAIN TOY CO. - Animalogic - Puzzle game where players try to maneuver their animals across the river to safety. For 1 or more players, ages 5 and up, $24,99; Tri-Spy - Pattern matching game as players try to move 1 of their tokens on the board to match the particular pattern on a card. For 1 to 6 players, ages 8 and up, $14.99
FUN Q GAMES - Smash or Trash - Players make up NEW lyrics to hit songs. For 3 to 8 players, ages 8 and up. Triplica - Players have a "secret goal" and need to place cards in a line-up to create a line-up of 3 in a row of their secret shape to score a goal. First to score five goals wins! Also comes with a solitaire version. For 1 to 6 players, ages 7 and up.
FUNDEX GAMES
-
Mille Bornes - The Parker Brothers
card game classic (first appearing in the US under this name in 1962!) is given
a board game treatment. For 2 to 8 players, ages 5 and up;
Rapid Response
- 2 to 8 players try to guess the phrase on a card but time is of the essence as
marbles race down a chute and, when they run out, your time is up! Every correct
answer moves your team token up a step. Reach the top to win!;
Tumba
- Each player draws a colored block from the bag and attempts to place it, color
to color, on the tower. But if the tower crashes, you're out! For 1 or more
players, ages 8 and up;
Billionaire - a
Pit
variation for 3 to 8 players as players trade to accumulate a full set of cards
of various high profile billionaires;
NFL Armchair Quarterback
- 2 to 4 players, ages 8 and up, predict the plays as they watch the actual
game; Dice Slide Games
- Three titles in the series:
All In, Unusual Suspects
and Blackout.
GAMEWRIGHT - While mainly showing off games for the younger crowd, Gamewright had on hand two games of interest for older gamers:
Forbidden Island - Cooperative game. 2 to 4 players explore on a grid of tiles which comprise the island while seeking to acquire four treasures hidden there and exit the island via helicopter. As the game is played, tiles get flooded and then removed from the grid. If the players manage to acquire all 4 treasures and get off the island, they win. If not, the game has defeated them. Designed by Matt Leacock (the author of Pandemic and Roll Through the Ages [featured in the Spring 2009 GA REPORT]). For ages 10 and up, 30 minutes; Sounds Like A Plan - Party game where, when faced with a situation, 4 to 8 players offer weird and wacky "advice" from cards in their hands to help - and score. For ages 10 to adult, 30 minutes.
GDC - GAMEDEVCO LTD. - Showing several upcoming releases including: Dexter: The Board Game - Based on the TV series, hunt down the suspects and make them your victims. For 2 to 4 players, ages 17 and up; Decision Day: Fantasy Football and Fantasy Baseball - Each of these fantasy sports games comes with their own set of collectible sports cards. For 2 to 4 players, ages 10 and up; Elvis Presley DVD Board Game - Based on the life of the King of Rock and Roll. For 2 to 4 players, ages 8 and up.
GIGAMIC - Wazabi - Card/dice game where players attempt to play cards to LOSE their dice. $19.95; Kakuzu - A boardgame version of Sudoku as player draw a number from a pouch and attempt to place it correctly on the grid to collect the most stones.
GOLDBRICK GAMES - Perpetual Commotion - Family card game along the lines of Spit for up to six players as players race to get rid of cards as they create stacks of cards in increasing numerical order ($18). Adds an eight-sided die to modify scoring each round. Also on display: 2 Player Perpetual Commotion ($8.95)
GOLIATH - Fast Food - Players compete to build the biggest and juiciest hamburger by revealing and then matching ingredients. Be the first to see a match and squeeze the burger in the center of the table to claim it! For up to six players, ages 4 and up. $19.99
HASBRO - As usual, the emphasis was on the mass market so nothing was on display from Wizards of the Coast or Avalon Hill. However, the mass market offerings were plentiful and included:
Monopoly U-Build - Using hexagonal property spaces that snap together, players build a game track that creates a custom game board and determines the length of play. Decide to use the Starter Track for a 30-minute game before dinner, or try the Classic Track for a 60-minute game. Then move onto the Pro or Freestyle Tracks for For 2 to 6 players, ages 8 and up. Fall release, $19.99
Sorry! Spin - This game features a rotating game board that makes getting “HOME” more complicated and unpredictable than ever before as action cards and spin spaces can rotate pawns away from the “HOME” base just when you think you’ve secured the win. For 2 to 4 players, ages 6 and up, Fall release, $24.99
Guess Who? Mix n' Mash - Align the three face parts – hair, eyes and mouth – but don’t look! Ask questions to gather clues about the identity of the mystery character, for instance “does my character wear glasses?” The opponent responds with a “yes” or “no” answer, helping to eliminate characters and face parts. More than 3,000 possible combinations. For 2 to 4 players, ages 8 and up, Fall, $19.99
Cranium 2.0 - 600 question cards have been added, giving players new stars to mimic, updated words to spell backwards and even more interesting facts to uncover. Plus this game comes with a 3-in-1 game board that can collapse or expand depending on the group’s interest in a 20-minute, 2-hour, or an all night game. For 4 or more adult players, Fall, $24.99
Cranium Scribblish - Combines drawing with the “telephone” game. During the game, players have 45 seconds to draw their best sketch that represents the phrase on the game card. The first player starts by drawing what they read on a statement and passes it to the next player who has to write a statement describing the drawing. The next person turns those words into images. The scrolled-story continues to be passed around the room until all players have a chance to draw. Players read the story created out loud to find out how “this” became “that”! Earn additional points by trying to guess what the other player has drawn or by drawing the funniest picture. For 4 to 6 players, ages 8 and up, Fall, $19.99
Monopoly Revolution - This new edition features a round game board, electronic banking, music and sound effects. The game features the traditional streets of Atlantic City but with property values more reflective of today's prices. For example, players collect $2 Million when passing "GO" instead of $200. Keeping track of the millions changing hands during game play is an electronic unit that serves as banker, die and music player featuring clips of hit songs from five decades and sound effects throughout the game. For 2 to 6 players, ages 8 and up, Fall, $34.99
The Game of Life: 50th Anniversary Edition -
The
Game of Life first appeared under the Milton Bradley imprint in 1960. To
celebrate its 50th birthday, this anniversary will be released in the Fall. (And
be sure to check out our exclusive Toy Fair interview
with Game of Life inventor Reuben Klamer.) For
2 to 6 players, ages 8 and up, $17.99.
Nab-It - Interactive crossword game that rewards players for building and stealing words. In Nab-It, every word is worth just one point. Cat and zeugma, ball and jejune all earn one point each for the player who has the highest or most tiles in the word. Since players can stack on top of existing words, points are not counted until the end of the game to determine the winner. For 2 or more players, ages 8 and up, Fall, $19.99
Sorry! Revenge Card Game - Take turns playing number and action cards to change the play pile’s total. Get the pile to 21 without going bust to send one of your pawn cards home. But watch out – someone could play a SORRY! card and steal your win. For 2 to 6 players, ages 6 and up, Spring, $5.99.
Yahtzee Hands Down Card Game - Collect dice cards to make classic combinations – 3 of a kind, 4 of a kind, small straight, large straight, full house and YAHTZEE! Re-roll by discarding cards you don’t need and taking a chance on new ones. But here’s the twist… Pit your hand against another player’s. Score high and win the Combo card points! For 2 to 6 players, ages 8 and up, Spring, $5.99
Mille Bornes Card Game - Return of the classic auto race card game. Be first to traverse 1,000 miles of imaginary road complete with flat tires, accidents and empty gas tanks. Avoid road hazards, but be sure to use them on your fellow racers to win! For 2 to 6 players, ages 6 and up, Spring, $5.99
Trivial Pursuit Steal Card Game - Collect all six different category wedge cards by answering trivia questions correctly. The twist here is using wild cards being able to steal wedges. For 1 or more adult players, Fall, $5.99
Scrabble Flash - Electronic twist to Scrabble using what is called ‘Smart Tile Technology’. The five letter tiles recognize formed words when the tiles are placed side by side and light up to indicate a completed word. Played by one player, the game keeps time and the score as competitors slide, move and shuffle electronic cubed letter tiles in a race to create as many 3-to-5 letter words as possible in 60 seconds. For ages 8 and up, Fall, $29.99
IMAGINATION - A departure from this company best known for their line of Quelf party games: Mysteries of Chinatown. This a remake of the Waddingtons Mysteries of Old Peking boardgame from 1987 with a few rules changes and additions, presenting 50 mysteries to solve. For 2 to 6 players, ages 8 to adult. Late 2010 release.
INFUNITUM - Infunitum - Adult party game where players score points by listing unique answers to quirky topics. For ages 13 and up, $24.99.
ITALIAN GAMES - -Two games based on Italian cards and card games: Scopa - Based on a centuries old Italian card game using a traditional Italian card deck and adding a board; Cattura - Boardgame using a "push your luck" mechanic based on Italian card deck draws.
KNIGHTWEAVER GAMES - Patchwork - Players trade colorful two-sided cards to create sets to score. The twist here is that you only see the color on the OTHER side of the card when you draw them so there is a memory element to keep in mind when trading cards. For 2 to 5 players, ages 5 and up, 20-30 minutes. (This game has already been picked up for the 2011 line of Gamewright.) Also Patchword - Similar play to Patchwork but using letters instead of colors. For 2 to 5 players, ages 7 and up, 30-45 minutes. $19.95 each.
LEGO SYSTEMS INC. - Best known for the Lego brand construction toys, Lego has decided to plunge into the boardgame market with a bunch of 10 "constructible" games, targeted at the younger crowd and all using Lego pieces as a key play component. The first five titles, available in March, include Monster 4 (get 4 monsters in a row to win, $14.99), Lava Dragon (climb the volcano and summon the mighty dragon, $14.99), Pirate Code (deduce your opponents' secret treasure codes before they guess yours, $19.99), Minotaurus (compete to be the first to lead their 3 heroes through the maze and avoid the Minotaur, $24.99), Creationary (roll Lego dice to construct in any of four categories: vehicles, buildings, nature or things while opponents try to guess what you've built, $34.99). The next five slated for release later this year will be Robot Champ (compete to be the first to build a robot, $9.99), Magikus (players compete to collect the four needed ingredients to cast a magical spell, $9.99), Race 3000 (Auto race game where players can build a new track, $19.99), Hogwarts (players find their way around Harry Potter's famous school of magic, $29.99) and Ramses Pyramid (unlock the crystal coded layers to climb to the top of the pyramid and efeat the Mummy King, $29.99)
LOONEY LABS - Showing a new version of EcoFluxx. This version has over a dozen new cards including three Creepers. It also features full color art and an Easy EcoFluxx rules variant. Special "Eats" Goals help demonstrate food-web connections in this fun nature-themed game of ever changing rules.
MARLON CREATIONS - Bubble Talk - Party game where players are faced with weird pictures and are challenged to play a card from their hands for the funniest or wackiest caption. For 3 to 8 players, ages 8 and up. April. $19.99.
MATTEL - Bezzerwizzer - Subtitled "the game of trivia, tactics and trickery", this is a trivia game that offers 20 categories of questions plus stealing and tile-swapping. Adult party game for up to four players, July, $29.99
MAYFAIR GAMES
- New games on display include:
Ablaze! The forest is ablaze, the smoke is thick, and the flames are spreading! The only inhabitants of this inferno seem to be a few courageous firefighters, their supporting planes, and a horde of fleeing animals. Ablaze consists of three complete, distinct games. Each game revolves around a forest fire, but each is different and has its own unique favor. In Wild Fire!, you lead a crew of firefighters who are attempting to contain a rapidly spreading wildfire. To emerge victorious, you and your crew must cover the largest area of forest while always maintaining a link to water. In Volcano!, you pilot an air tanker struggling to help extinguish a conflagration initiated by an erupting volcano. Extinguish or isolate the most forest fires and you earn honor and victory! In On the Run!, a lighting strike has started an intense brushfire, forcing fluffy forest fauna to flee the inferno in an effort to escape a fiery demise. You shall decide the fate of some of the frantic forest fauna. Saving the most animals will win you the game. A Heinrich Glumpler design for 3 to 5 players, ages 10 and up, 45 minutes, $20. (This is a revised edition of Feurio! featured in the Winter 2004 Gamers Alliance Report.)
Nuns of the Run
- Players explore the exciting nocturnal world of a grand abbey filled with
intrigue and deception. As the old abbess, the noble
prioress, or a simple novice you become hunter or prey. Everyone gets a special
"blessing," but only the novices try to fulfill a "secret wish." They must sneak
through the dimly lit halls, corridors, and gardens, seeking keys and treasures
unique to their goal. Meanwhile, the vigilant abbess and prioress patrol their
routes, ever watchful of young novices who should be fast asleep in their
austere cells. Are you wily enough, or sneaky enough to fulfill your quest and
win the night? A very casual, social game designed by Fréderic Moyersoen for 2-8
players ages 10 and up, 45-60 minutes. $35
Also, plans are in the works for a Pillars of the Earth card game for release later this year.
MINDTWISTER - Multiplayer Pentago - Up to four players can now play this abstract game originally featured in the Spring 2006 issue of Gamers Alliance Report. $29.95.
MINDWARE - New games include:
Dizios - Dominoes where swirls of color are used instead of pips to create a "dizzying" effect when placed. Players need to place their pieces sot that edges match. The more edges match, the more points you score. For 2 or more players, ages 6 and up.
Q-bitz - More puzzle than game as 2 to 4 players try to recreate patterns on their game cards by using their set of 16 cubes. For ages 8 and up.
Zenith - Strategic stacking game as a player can place a piece on top of other pieces provided that at least one of the three supporting bottom pieces belongs to him. For 2-4 players, ages 8 and up.
MOOSETACHE GAMES - Rowboat - Card game where players deal cards face up until all suits are showing, then, from the hand dealt, predict how many rounds they will win. $10.99
MORPHOLOGY GAMES - Morphology - Creative party game for 4 or more players. Players are challenged to provide clues to words using common three dimensional objects such as string, wooden sticks and glass beads. For ages 13 and up, 45-60 minutes, $34.99
OUT OF THE BOX - 10 Days in the Americas - Latest game in the Alan Moon 10 Days... series. 2-4 players, ages 10 and up, 20 to 30 minutes. $24.99l; Shake and Take - Each player has a plastic wipe-off board filled with alien shapes. On turn, players try to captures (circle with their marker) as many of the same shaped aliens they can until the next player rolls an alien on the dice and grabs the marker out of his hand! First to capture all the aliens on their board wins. 2-10 players, ages 8 to adult, 20-30 minutes, $24.99; Pirate vs. Pirate - Sort of a sequel to Ninja vs. Ninja. Players command pirates in a quest to capture gold and silver and eliminate opposing pirates. For 2 or 3 players, ages 8 to adult, 20-30 minutes, $24.99.
PLAYROOM ENTERTAINMENT - No new entry in their gateway games series that included Portobello Market (featured in the Fall 2007 GA REPORT), Ilium (Winter 2009 GA REPORT) and Livingstone (Fall 2009 GA REPORT)). But there were a few new items geared for the mass market including:
The Magic Labyrinth - Players, as wizard apprentices, seek to navigate through a maze to collect some misplaced objects before the wizard finds out they're missing. The problem is the maze is hidden and you need a good memory to get through without bumping into walls, dropping the magnetic ball clinging to your piece and forcing you back to start! Dirk Baumann design; Ligretto Dice - Players roll dice and try to quickly place them on the board, matching the number rolled but only in the same color and only in numerical order. Get rid of all your dice to win. Inka and Markus Brand design. Claim to Fame - Party game combining charades, drawing and verbal clues to discover five facts about particular celebrities, uncovering their "claim to fame". Designed by Robert Codish, Garry Donner and Michael Steer. Killer Bunnies and the Ultimate Odyssey - Latest addition to the Killer Bunnies line allowing the game to offer a constructible card deck with starter decks and booster packs, so gamers only draw from their own particular deck of 60 cards.
POPULAR PLAYTHINGS - Athena - Puzzle game where players try to clear a path through a dig site in order to put together the two parts of an ancient statue of Athena they found. 50 challenges presented in increasing difficultly. For ages 8 and up, $19.99. Utopia - Puzzle game of building a 3-D city landscape. 50 challenges with building divided into two phases: first similar to Sudoku, second requiring harder reasoning. For ages 8 to adult, $19.99.
QUEEN GAMES - First time for this company at Toy Fair. New releases on display:
New York - Based on the Spiel des Jahres winning Alhambra (featured in the Summer 2003 GA REPORT), players plan and build in 1930s New York. Dirk Henn design.
New York: The Card Game - Based on the above boardgame. June release.
Samarkand
- Players are traders who travel the Silk Route with caravans to make a
successful business and try to extend their influence by marrying into other
families (10 families in all). Harry Wu design. 2-5 players, ages 8 and
up, 34 minutes.
Sh*t Happens! - Dice game where players are anteaters using dice rolls to occupy termite hills to capture cards and points. 2 to 5 players, ages 8 and up 30 minutes.
Fresko - The fresco of the Cathedral must be painted and players need to mix paints, get up early (to get in a full day's work) and still keep their workers happy in order to be the most successful. The game comes with THREE expansion modules that may be added to play (The Bishop's Request, the Portraits and Special-Blend Paints). Marco Ruskowski and Marcel Suberbeck design. 2-4 players, ages 10 and up, 45-60 minutes.
Queen also plans to reprint some of their more popular titles including ShowManager (Dirk Henn design, featured in the Winter 1999 GA REPORT), Dschunke designed by Michael Schacht and featured in the Summer 2002 GA REPORT (renamed Junk with some new cards and some rules changes, Michael Schacht) and Wallenstein - Special Edition (another Dirk Henn design, originally featured in the Spring 2002 GA REPORT) - all scheduled for Fall 2010 release.
R&R GAMES - Pressure Point - Party game where players, under time pressure, have to come up with answers; Ticked Off - Party game from Ted Alspach; Hey Waiter! - Card/strategy game from Anthony Rubbo where player actions are determined by matching HALVES of different cards. June release.
RAVENSBURGER - Tonga Island - Collect exotic treasure while sailing to tropical islands. The game uses a folding board to keep the routes and layout changing. For ages 6 and up. Stefan Dorra design. Mini-FITS - Travel size edition of the successful FITS game by Reiner Knizia (featured in the Summer 2009 GA REPORT).
RSV PRODUCTIONS - Brass Balls & Nerves of Steel - Skill and action game where players rolls metal balls to try to land on spaces netting them 1, 2 or 3 points. But the balls can easily roll back to net points for your opponent.
SCREEN LIFE - Three new Scene It? games incorporating additional play "activities" including Act It! (based on charades), Sketch It (quick draw a picture) and Say It! (guessing the phrase without using key words) promised for Fall release: The Twilight Saga Deluxe Edition, (to include footage from the Summer 2010 release Eclipse), Comedy Movies and Disney Magical Moments.
STEVE JACKSON GAMES - Cthulhu Dice - Dice game using ONE big 12-sided die embossed with tentacles, Elder Signs and more as you try to drive you opponents mad! For 3 to 8 players, 10 minutes or less. March. $4.99; Zombie Dice - Press your luck dice game using 13 custom dice. Players try to gather brains before too many shotgun blasts appear to ruin their turn. For 3 to 8 players, 15 minutes or less. March. $13.13. Also scheduled for Summer release: an expansion for Revolution! (featured in the Fall 2009 GA REPORT) adding two more players and a new location.
STRATEGIC SPACE - Two new abstract games: The Climbers and Samsara. In The Climbers, players move wooden blocks and use ladders to maneuver their climber so that he is the highest when no one else can move. For 2 to 5 players, ages 8 to adult, $49.99. Samsara is a strategy game where players send their five "followers" out onto the wheel of Samsara to "convert" (capture) as many of their opponents' pieces as possible. For 3 to 8 players, ages 10 to adult, April. $25.
SUMMIT - PUSH4 - Players push their colored marbles into the six x six grid in order to get-four-in-a-row. For 2 to 4 players, ages 9 to adult. For August release, about $20.
TMTTC GAMES - Take Me to The Cleaners - Boardgame for couples taking a light-hearted look at relationships pitting spouse against spouse. $29.99
UNIVERSITY GAMES - Callisto: The Game - Reiner Knizia design. Players compete to lay colorful tiles on the board; Sort It Out - Family game where players are given a bunch of items (or people) and have to "sort it out" as to the fastest, oldest, heaviest etc. Also on tap: Michael Jackson Board Game (May release).
US GAMES SYSTEMS - A new themed version of their card game Wizards: Fantasy Wizard. In Fantasy Wizard, the game play remains the same but the game introduces humans, dwarves, elves and giants in competition with all powerful Wizards. For 3 to 6 players, ages 10 and up. $9.
WIGGLES - Yikerz! - Magnetic skill and action game. Players try to place magnetic pieces on the board without having them clump together. For 1 to 4 players, ages 14 and up, 15=-20 minutes. $16.99. Eye Know - Trivia game with a poker twist as players bet on answers. For 2 to 6 players, ages 14 and up, 30-45 minutes, $29.99.
WINNING MOVES - Cir*Kis - Strategic game of completing circles and stars on a colorful game board. Phil Orbanes design. For 2 to 4 players, ages 8 and up, $19.95; Clue: The Card Game: Mystery at Sea - Another card game version of Clue. This time Mr. Boddy, the perennial victim of foul play, is one of the suspects.
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