Games, Playthings, and Plush

four players to play, some even up to eight.” Teens and young adults tend to favor more fast-paced games and she has had great success with Carma Games like Slapzi, Itzi, Pairzi and Tenzi. A new game from Hog Wild Toys – Upside Down Challenge – proved to be a sleeper hit over the holiday period. “I just knew it was going to be a fun game if I could just get enough people to try it.”

Although puzzles have pretty much sold themselves, getting people to try games – a once-reliable sales technique – has been hard during COVID times. Like most stores, William’s Fun Smart Toys has pulled all samples off the floor. Their workaround has been to keep a couple of games off to the side for demonstration purposes. “If someone really wants to see it – like, FatBrain Swingin’ Shoes is a game that pretty much has to be demoed – we’ll pull it out and show them. Once people see it, they’ll say oh! That’s easy,” said Allen. Since it’s mostly parents these days who come in looking for things to play with their children, short and simple translates to more family fun time. “I want people to have fun with their kids. That’s my goal.”

Games are definitely hot these days at Wonder World Toys in Medford, N.J. Selections from the ThinkFun brand are doing particularly well, according to

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