2023 Specialty Presentation 1
2 2023 VIP PROGRAM VIP Partnership with University Games • We value our partnership with longtime UG supporters, and this program is by invitation only to a select group of accounts. If their bill is current by December 15th, 2022, They will automatically be renewed in the 2023 program. • Carry broad UG line and agree to be an early adapter of new products • Important resource for UG Marketing team and management UG Commitment • “Most Favorable Retailer” preferred status • First to market on new items • Favored allocations on popular products (ahead of mass merchandisers) • Free demos upon request • Dedicated consumer support representative With $2500 opening order by February 28th (Max of 3 separate shipments) • Payment due on October 15th 2023 • 3% Discount on initial order and all reorders • Free Freight on orders over $500 • Net 60 on all reorders With $5000 opening order by February 28th (Max of 3 separate shipments) • Payment due on October 15th 2023 • 5% Discount on initial order and all reorders • Free Freight on orders over $500 • Net 60 on all reorders
3 2023 SPECIALTY PROGRAM SPECIAL BUYING WINDOWS 1. February 3rd – March 17th 2. June 9th – July 21st 3. September 29th – November 17th SPECIALTY CUSTOMER EVERYDAY TERMS $750=FFA, N30 $1,000=FFA, N60 (if account is in good terms) Valid until December 31, 2023 for independent specialty customers in good standing. SPECIALTY SHOW SPECIALS Make an appointment for a presentation with us at the UG Virtual Showroom, NY Toy Fair, ASTRA or other approved shows and receive an additional 5% off your order.
● Slight toy category dollar increase through June driven by price increases. Year-to-date growth was driven by buyers spending more than they did a year ago; the number of buyers remained flat.
● Consumers are looking to stretch their dollars in turbulent times and purchases of games and puzzles is a good family investment.
● Consumers are looking for strong licenses to support their purchases (mix of blockbusters and literary favorites - Cocomelon, Pete the Cat).
● Games & Puzzles have historically seen strong performance during recessionary periods. University Games experienced year over year 10% increases during the 2008 recession. 10 - 25 yrs. Looking for fun offline experiences to play with friends and family. They especially want basic and familiar games with a new twist. 42 - 57 yrs. Board game traditionalists. Love retro games and playing with family (Monopoly, Scrabble, trivia, recognized games).
26 - 41 yrs. The most avid board game players are also the most avid Party Game players. Love to have learning and development in games. Also love interactivity with mobile devices. Core purchaser for the family.
4 2023 CONSUMER TRENDS 2023 CONSUMER TRENDS
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GAME
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PARTY GAME NIGHT
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15-30+ Minutes Family Friendly Facebook Multi-Gen Appeal 15-25 Minutes Intellectual Instagram Retro/Nostalgia 10-15 Minutes Highly Social TikTok Hydration 6 PARTY GAME NIGHT® BY GENERATION PARTY GAME NIGHT® BY GENERATION GEN ILLENNIAL GEN Game Time: Experience: Social Sharing: Theme/Trend:
15-30+ Minutes Family Friendly Facebook Multi-Gen Appeal 15-25 Minutes Intellectual Instagram Retro/Nostalgia 10-15 Minutes Highly Social TikTok Hydration 7 PARTY GAME NIGHT® BY GENERATION PARTY GAME NIGHT® BY GENERATION GEN ILLENNIAL GEN Game Time: Experience: Social Sharing: Theme/Trend:
LADIES’
GALORE
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CONSUMER TREND ALERT – POPULARITY OF ROM COMS CONSUMER TREND ALERT – POPULARITY OF ROM COMS
NIGHT STREAMING
This one’s for the gals! Women are gettin together in record numbers to watch Rom Coms Netflix, Hulu and Apple TV+ offer more than 200 Rom Coms for 24-hour viewing. There consumers watch, binge, repeat. * A Rom Com is a light movie that mixes romance with comedy.
ROM COM™ TRIVIA GAME ROM COM™ TRIVIA GAME 9 DIMENSIONAL COMPONENTS PASSION TOPIC! TEAM TRIVIA GAME 01046 AGES 12+ 2+ PLAYERS AVAILABLE NOW! AVAILABLE NOW!
HOURS OF FUN PARTY GAME NIGHT® MATCHBOX GAMES PARTY GAME NIGHT® MATCHBOX GAMES 10 AGES 8+ 2 OR MORE PLAYERS 09166 09167 09168 AVAILABLE NOW! AVAILABLE NOW!
PLAYERS MATCH PUNCH LINES TO WIN! THE PERFECT FAMILY CARD GAME! LAUGH, GROAN, CRINGE! DAD JOKES CARD GAME DAD JOKES CARD GAME 01047 AGES 8+ 2-6 PLAYERS INCLUDES: 55 Jokes, 55 Punchlines, Instructions ALL THE BEST WORST DAD JOKES! 11 AVAILABLE NOW! AVAILABLE NOW!
A GLOBAL PHENOMENON
It’s not just about Wordle. A new generation of players has discovered the challenge of word scramble games, exploding to 1mm+ players in Q1 2022.
Consumers are playing all varieties of 5-letter word games including Wordle, Wordle Unlimited, Wordle+, Wheeldle, Hello Wordl, Dordle, Quordle and Wordus. Hundreds of games, books and apps based on this play pattern can be found online right now. Many will have versions at retail by Q4.
WORD BRAIN FUEL
These word games are just as fun and addictive as they are good for building players’ cognitive functions.
SIEZE THE TREND!
Consumers are looking for this new “mastermind” approach to word games. Be the first to seize the game!
12 CONSUMER TREND ALERT CONSUMER TREND ALERT
PROVEN ADDICTIVE GAME PLAY MILLIONS OF ONLINE PLAYERS! PLAY WITH FRIENDS 5-LETTER WORDLET™ 5-LETTER WORDLET™ 01047 AGES 8+ 2-4 PLAYERS Can you solve the secret word? INCLUDES: 3 Guessing Boards, 90 Green/Blue Cards, 200 Secret Words, 3 Dry Erase Markers THE MASSIVELY-POPULAR ONLINE TREND, NOW A MULTIPLAYER BOARD GAME! Up to 3 players guess a word on their Board and the Word Master indicates: Green: Right letter, right location Blue: Right letter, wrong location 13 AVAILABLE NOW! AVAILABLE NOW!
HAPPY HEARTS™ A MINDFULNESS GAME HAPPY HEARTS™ A MINDFULNESS GAME 14 HUMAN CONNECTION MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS 40% OF AMERICANS MEDITATE DAILY AVAILABLE NOW! AVAILABLE NOW!
RELIST IT RELIST IT ALL PLAY FAMILY GAME ORDER UNDER PRESSURE MULTI-GENERATION APPEAL 15 Earn the most points at the end of the game by putting topics in order. FALL 2023 FALL 2023
Collect the most letter cards by creating the most words. IRRITABLE VOWELS IRRITABLE VOWELS GLOBAL WORD GAME TREND CHAOTIC ALL PLAY 170,000+ WORDS 16 FALL 2023 FALL 2023
TIKTOK / IG REEL READY MIXES DRINKING & CHALLENGE TRENDS 100 UNIQUE CHALLENGES 17 HAPPY HOUR HUSTLE Be the first team to complete 5 challenges without going over your Happy Hour Meter. FALL 2023 FALL 2023
18 STRATEGY GAMES We create high-end gateway strategy games aimed at consumers looking for approachable ‘gamer’ games. We are at the top of the quality spectrum: ● Top-quality art from top-tier artists ● Appeals to the Mom Shopper for game night with the family, friends or the gamer in her life (gift) ● Super high-end components ● Award-winning game design that is approachable for a broad audience
19 MOSAIC KICKSTARTER + PLEDGE MASTER LAUNCH $1.2MM TOP INTEREST AT GEN CON CIVILIZATION GAMES HAVE SOLD MILLIONS “For a long time I’ve been looking to find a quick world civilization game. This one is exactly what I’ve been looking for, with quick, interesting turns, and an amazingly fun time!” - Tom Vasel, Dice Tower AVAILABLE NOW! AVAILABLE NOW!
MOSAIC TESTIMONIALS
Why Testimonials Matter: Strategy game buyers make their purchases based on reviews and testimonials from the experts in the category. These key influencers determine a game’s fate as buyers follow this guidance like no other consumer. Mosaic’s reviews from the experts are extremely positive:
"Fast turns, variable strategies, huge variety and great production values deliver a tableau builder that's as rewarding to play as it is accessible."
- Alex Radcliffe, Boardgame Co
"Mosaic is an elegant love letter to the engine building genre. Players are given multiple paths to victory, all of which seem well balanced and rewarding in different ways."
- Professor Meg
“Even better is the openness of the map: players can choose to either spread out or maximize their forces in one or two regions that they control. Very cool!”
- Kimberly Tolson, Rahdo Runs Through
"In Mosaic, all options are good ones... but they might not be the right ones for you. The joy is in carefully and tactically choosing which ones are."
- Shira Chavin, Quackalope
“Mosaic is a fun, gorgeous game with streamlined rules and mechanisms which create a smooth civilization building game experience.”
- Candice Harris,
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Boardgamegeek
UG Is the Leader in Mystery Party Games and Puzzles MURDER MYSTERY PARTY® 21 Mystery Games and Puzzles Endcap Murder Mystery Party® 100,000+ annual units Case Files 400,000 annual units Case File Puzzles 50,000 annual units Classic Mystery Jigsaws 225,000+ annual units
150K ANNUAL UNITS SOLD PREMIUM FOIL PACKAGING THE ORIGINAL MURDER MYSTERY 22 MURDER MYSTERY PARTY® GAMES 22 NEW! Bestseller! Bestseller! The year is 1942, you’ve been invited to a dinner at the official residence of the Deputy Mayor of Casa Blanca. An esteemed French performer is meant to be the guest of honor but never arrives. Why? Murder… “The best I have tested…” -The Independent
THE MURDER MYSTERY PARTY® CASE FILE DIFFERENCE
Why the original Murder Mystery Party® Company is still the best:
● Immersive Evidence: Real handwriting, physical pieces of evidence such as matchbooks and ID cards plus articles from magazines and newspapers. All cases contain roughly 50 pieces of evidence plus online evidence as well.
● Online Interaction: Detectives can head online to check for hints and answers. With over 7.5 million page views players prefer the online element.
● Differentiated Packaging: The unique Case Files are modeled after a real dossier and are exciting to open. With a multitude of colors it’s easy for consumers to grab titles missing from their home collection.
● Highest Ratings: Consistently rated the highest of crime/detective games across ecommerce platforms.
23 In 2023, 5 million+consumers will have played Case File games. UG will take Case Files to the NEXT LEVEL…
24 AI interaction powered by WhatsApp and Telegram
® LIVE MISSION GAME AVAILABLE NOW! AVAILABLE NOW!
BLACKHAWK
BLACKHAWK® LIVE MISSION GAME 1. Assign Your Operatives 2. Finalize the Plan 3. Reach the Bank 4. Access the Funds 5. Sabotage the Cartel 25
The Leader in Mystery Since 1985 Unparalleled Online Interaction 7.5 million page views = 7.5 million remarketing opportunities (up from 1 million in 2021) DRIVE ONLINE: 8 TITLES NOW AVAILABLE List Murder Mystery Case Files in store and online to maximize sales! Mission Blackhawk Excellent Online Reviews UK Amazon 4.5 stars 26 “The sheer amount of effort that clearly gone into creating this game is genuinely amazing!” “Gets the adrenaline going!” MURDER MYSTERY PARTY® Case File Online Interaction
THE NIGHT HUNTER GAME
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CAN YOU FIND THE KILLER BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE?
100+ unique components in various envelopes and case files
Evidence includes: The Night Hunter's journal entries and cryptic messages, interviews, crime scene photos, fingerprints, bite mark scans and more
Detective notes and documentation such as: Field Guide, chemical analysis reports, autopsy reports, magazine articles, maps, brochures, etc.
4 Chapter
Comes with a blacklight to discover hidden information
Experience
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CHILDREN’S
PRESCHOOL &
GAMES
PRESCHOOL & CHILDREN’S GAMES 29
30 RICHARD SCARRY SEEK AND FIND GAME SEEK & FIND ACTIVITY GIANT 40-INCH LONG BOARD 150 MILLION+ BOOKS SOLD FALL 2023 FALL 2023
31 PETE THE CAT TERRIFIC TACO GAME FOOD GAMES ARE PROVEN WINNERS AMAZON PRIME ANIMATED SHOW 80 MILLION+ BOOKS SOLD FALL 2023 FALL 2023
Fill your rainbow with food of every color. 32 WORLD OF ERIC CARLE RAINBOW PICNIC GAME FOOD GAMES ARE PROVEN WINNERS CROSS GENERATIONAL RECOGNITION 175 MILLION+ BOOKS SOLD FALL 2023 FALL 2023
GAME RELEASE 3/28/23 LAUNCH EVENT ACROSS ALL RETAIL 50 MILLION+ BOOKS SOLD 33 DOG MAN 2023 GAME MARCH 2023 MARCH 2023
34 CAT KID COMIC CLUB CREATIVITY GAME KIDS DRAW AND TELL STORIES ENCOURAGES CREATIVITY AND SELF-ESTEEM DAV PILKEY’S TOP SELLER IN 2021/2022 FALL 2023 FALL 2023
2023 MARKETING FOCUS CREATED BY OTIS DESIGN STUDENTS INNOVATIVE SKILL & ACTION GAME 35 SHOE SHOO PIGEONS! Kick off three shoes of your color. FALL 2023 FALL 2023
36 PUZZLES & BRAINTEASERS
PUZZLES PLUS LIKE NO OTHER 37 Leader in Puzzles Plus Shelf Displays to Showcase Program Refreshed Assortments = Newness Cross Sell to the Next Purchase Innovation Bringing Differentiation Premium Offering UG STRENGTH IN PUZZLES
38 Premium Attributes for High-End Lifestyle Brand FINEST QUALITY | EASY HANDLING | FLAWLESS FIT • 1,000 piece puzzles from multimedia artist Scott Mednick • Works have been inducted into Library of Congress • Matte Satin Finish Lamination, Luxury Look • High quality blue board puzzle • Foil accents on packaging for premium look Concept Detail
imagery with unique patterns cater perfectly to the discerning puzzler ARTIST SERIES: SCOTT MEDNICK PUZZLES
Fantastical
ARTIST SERIES: SCOTT MEDNICK PUZZLES
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MURDER MYSTERY PARTY JIGSAW PUZZLES® 40 READ • ASSEMBLE • SOLVE
New Collection Packaging! CLASSIC MURDER MYSTERY PARTY® JIGSAW PUZZLES
✔ Millions sold annually ✔ Strategic licenses ✔ Collectible ✔ Unique to the category ✔ Puzzle plus brainteaser ✔ Displayable ✔ Great Productivity (4-5X that of $10 jigsaw at $.42/in²) ○ $2.13/in² for Standard ○ $1.63/in² for Deluxe 42
43 “Platinum” editions for the 100 year anniversary. Will be limited time offer through June 2024. New SKU opportunity! SPRING 2023 SPRING 2023
44 Mickey Standard Crystal Puzzle March Launch Minnie Standard Crystal Puzzle March Launch Pooh and Piglet Deluxe Crystal Puzzle March Launch Full Color Updates for Disney! Will be translucent pieces made with our new co-molding technique.
Snoopy Campfire Licensed Crystal Puzzle January Launch 45 SpongeBob Licensed Crystal Puzzle TBD Launch Patrick Star Licensed Crystal Puzzle TBD Launch
and
Standard
Puzzle
Standard
Puzzle 46
Standard Crystal Puzzle
and Baby Standard Crystal Puzzle Grand Castle Deluxe Crystal Puzzle Updated with 125 pieces!
Lion
Cub
Crystal
Koala and Baby
Crystal
Squirrel
Gorilla
✔ 70+ puzzles with increasing difficulty levels ✔ Newness to continue challenge ✔ Cross sell in every box ✔ Shelf display merch is key to success ✔ Great Productivity (6X that of $10 jigsaw at $.42/in²) ○ $2.73/in² for all Hanayama 47 COLLECTIBLE: Average fan becomes a repeat customer with an average of 6 purchases in the first year. In 2023, new levels 4, 5 and 6 are coming!
