Games & Puzzles Set Enterprises Rounds Out Game Night
S
et Enterprises Inc. celebrates its 25th anniversary this year with the release of Mini Rounds of Set, Quiddler, Five Crowns, and Karma. The Mini Rounds come in pocket-sized click tins, and are shorter, faster versions of the full games. Mini Rounds are designed for easy travel and each takes about 10 to 15 minutes to play. The Set Mini Round provides a great way to introduce kids to the classic Set game. With just three features, it is easy to learn, and the round-shape cards accent the visual perception of the game. The Quiddler Mini Round has four rounds to the game, which is half as many as in the original Quiddler. The Five Crowns Mini Round is a five-suited rummy-style game, and the Karma Mini Round is unpredictable, with a subtle strategy that gets players’ competitive juices flowing.
Mindware Challenges with Trivia, Strategy, and Memory Games
I
n Animal Trivia Challenge, from Mindware, players build their animal knowledge through three types of challenge cards: Know It, Name It, and Rank It. Players earn Survival Tokens with point values for each correct answer, but they must watch out for predators and pitfalls. The game includes 216 cards, each offering both a beginnerand an advanced-level challenge. In Leaps and Ledges, players maneuver their pawns into the tower’s crown by strategically placing cards, but only pawns of the same color can occupy a level. Rampage and Wild cards cause opponents to be knocked backward or forced to overshoot the crown. Players need to match each other’s answers—either the most or the least—in Choice Words. The game modes include Scratch Play, where one point is scored for each phrase that players haven’t thought of; and Match Play, where players earn points for correctly guessing how others will fill in the blanks. As the time runs out, the phrases get more far-flung. Fast fingers and a creative mind are necessary for Zany Chain, where players race to make objects out of chain. For each round, the Chain Maker picks a topic card, reads the topic aloud, and then chooses from three different images. With the timer ticking, the Chain Maker creates the images while the other players shout out their guesses. The game includes a chain, a directional timer, and 315 topic cards. In Memory Mix Up, players load the shaker with tokens featuring favorite objects, quickly memorizing them before the shaker is turned over. After one token is secretly removed, players race to identify the missing object. The first player with the correct guess wins the token, and then another token is added to begin the next round. The game includes a shaker and 50 object tokens. Hucklebee is a plush toy game that helps kids learn colors, shapes, and how to follow directions. Grownups read instructions from the included deck of cards, and kids follow the prompts while cuddling Hucklebee. The cards include directions such as, “Rub noses with Hucklebee!” and “Now clap Hucklebee’s square hands together!”
160 • THE TOY BOOK
Leaps and Ledges
FEBRUARY 2015