Puzzles &
Games MINDWARE
MindWare’s Crazy Letters is a fast-paced word game that will leave everyone wondering which way is up. After one player rolls the die to determine a category and draws and displays a corresponding card, all players race to decode the letters. The first player to shout out the correct word wins the card and the first person to collect 20 cards wins the game. Qwirkle celebrates its 10th anniversary this year with a deluxe version. Qwirkle Deluxe Edition includes four wooden tile racks, a Qwirkle pencil, and a score pad. Like in the original, players create rows and columns of tiles that share a common shape or color. To score, players place tiles that touch other tiles with matching attributes, or score a 12-point “Qwirkle” by creating a line of all six colors or shapes. Color recognition and motor skills get a workout with Thumpin’ Thingdoodles. Players spread out the ThingDoodles, spin to see which color is the target, and then thump away at it. ThingDoodles wrap themselves around the mallet when thumped. The first player to collect 20 ThingDoodles is the winner. Pattern Play Revolution puts a spin on block play with five double-sided nesting rings that must be spun into the correct puzzle-solving position. The double-sided pattern cards are numbered in order of difficulty, ranging from beginner to expert.
BLUE ORANGE GAMES
In Dr. Eureka, from Blue Orange Games, players pick a challenge card, three test tubes, and six colorful balls to solve scientific formulas by moving materials from tube to tube without dropping them and positioning the balls as illustrated on the challenge card. This game is designed for kids ages 8 and up and can be played in a group or alone. In Fast Flip, created for kids ages 7 and up, the triangular cards have two sides: one with a collection of fruit and the other with a number or fruit by itself. Players race to find the match between the back of the stack and the front of the card they flip. Every Fast Flip game piece packs into a small tin. Top That is suitable for kids ages 6 and up. When one player flips the challenge card, players race to stack their props in a single stack following three simple rules: Objects printed in color must be visible on the stack, objects printed in gray must be hidden inside the stack, and objects not pictured must be kept inhand. The first player to correctly stack his or her objects wins. In Brix, designed for kids ages 7 and up, players place their pieces on top of each other to build a wall of bricks. The first player to align four in a row of their symbol or color is the winner. Each brick contains both the player’s symbol or color and those of his or her opponent. Each time a player adds a new piece, he or she risks helping opponents win the game. In Gigamons, players combine tiny Elemons together into their more powerful forms to summon the powerful Gigamon creatures, which are monsters that control the basic elemental materials of the universe. The game is suitable for kids ages 6 and up. In Rooster Run, made for kids ages 7 and up, players slide on rooster rings and start clucking like a chicken as they race to pick up earthworms. After players find their worms, they call out “Cock-a-doodle-doo” to end the round and score points for correct matches. In Vroom Vroom, designed for kids ages 4 and up, players roll wooden snails around the track and watch the rotating line on the shell to count steps. The first snails to inch across the finish line earn a place on the winners’ podium. The order of who rolls and the amount of dice thrown changes with each turn.
172 THE TOY BOOK | FEBRUARY 2016 | TOYBOOK.COM