Touching Base - Games & Puzzles

Katy Fletcher Head of Marketing and Product Development, Ravensburger UK

Last summer, we announced an exciting collaboration with Disney: the Disney Lorcana collectible trading card game. This is my most anticipated launch in 2023, made even more exciting as we’re launching in Disney’s centenary year.

The development of Disney Lorcana has been a truly global effort. Our core team has over a century of combined trading card game experience, and they have worked incredibly hard alongside Disney’s own product design team to create a fun and beautiful game that will launch in August.

In Disney Lorcana, players take on the role of an Illumineer and use magic inks to summon ‘glimmers’ of Disney characters. These glimmers can appear either as familiar friends or in fantastically reimagined forms. Together, Illumineers and their teams of glimmers explore the world of Lorcana and search for lost lore.

As we’ve got closer to the launch, it’s been a joy to see gamers and Disney fans react to news and reveals. Disney Lorcana has more original art than any other Disney product ever created. Our team has also created a game that will be welcoming to Disney fans and TCG beginners while having enough strategy to engage experience players. We will release four new card sets each year, each with approximately 200 unique cards.

David Norman

President of Global Games, Moose Toys

We’re always looking for new and innovative products, and new experiences for our customer base. Keeping to the very high standards we have for products sold through our channels, we think Hunt A Killer offers an incredible selection of games that we know our retail partners and their customers will love. Hunt A Killer has sold well over 1,000,000 units and is one of the leading adult games brands in the United States, so we are thrilled to bring it to the United Kingdom.

What makes Hunt A Killer so great is that it comes with few rules but plenty of painstakingly created evidence that players need to sort through to find the killer. Moose will feature the case Death at the Dive Bar during the brand’s launch in autumn 2023. In this mystery, players and their fellow detectives are in charge of investigating the demise of local tavern owner Nick Webster, who has fallen to his death from a cliff behind his bar. One of his employees suspects foul play and she needs players’ help to prove it as they discover if they have what it takes… to Hunt A Killer.

Peter Gatling, Product development manager, Ginger Fox

This year, we’ll be launching Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win Board Game, our tabletop adaptation of the hit new ITV game show.

Translating a TV gameshow into an immersive tabletop experience that can be enjoyed by the whole family is an exciting but challenging task, but the guys at Hello Dolly and Mitre Studios have been fantastic to work with. We spent a great deal of time perfecting and testing the concept. You can imagine the challenges involved in developing a game-board worthy of being ‘Limitless’, and one which matches the scale and excitement of the iconic money ladder from the show.

To further add to the immersion, we’ve created some really nice digital functionality that replicates the high-pressure, quick-fire Life Builder round from the show with all the sound effects to add to the tension.

We feel the result is a unique board game proposition that delivers all the excitement and tension from the show right to players’ dining tables.

Mark Jones, Sales director, University Games

My favourite has to be Forbidden Games’ Raccoon Tycoon. I just love this strategy game: it is innovative and captivating and really brings out the competitive side of me. Raccoon Tycoon was born from a Kickstarter campaign in the US and has already proved itself across the globe, recently winning Game of the Year in Australia. It’s very exciting to bring this award-winning strategy game to the shelves of UK retailers this spring.

Set in Astoria, Raccoon Tycoon is a fun and accessible gateway game of commodity speculation and town development. Players attempt to corner the market on the most valuable commodities, create a small fortune and become the ‘top dog’ in Astoria. The lower complexity level coupled with higher strategic play elements, alongside superb production quality and beautifully illustrated artwork, make Raccoon Tycoon a fantastic, all-round, family strategy game.

Kate Gibson, Managing director, Gibsons Games

Following a hugely successful Kickstarter campaign, I am incredibly excited that we are bringing back Kingmaker. First launched in 1974, the game makes a much-requested return.

Simulating the 15th century Wars of the Roses, Kingmaker was invented by the late Andrew McNeil. Players control ‘factions’ using their military and political power to control and influence the Lancastrian and Yorkist princes, supporting the heir in their control as king while trying to take down all other heirs.

The Kingmaker team has been working on the relaunch for over two years and it’s been a real project of passion. The task was to honour the wishes of the many Kingmaker fans by not only resurrecting the original game, but also creating something better and more suited to today’s gamers. The team acknowledged that the original game had some shortcomings so collaborated with Kingmaker expert Alan Paull, from Surprised Stare Games, to develop the new version, which offers four games in one box.

We were blown away by the response to the Kickstarter campaign when it ran last October. It was funded within 24 hours and we ended up making 220% of our target. With such a huge international demand for this game, we’re really excited to launch to trade on the 24th April and encourage customers to get their orders in as soon as possible.

Hannah Preston, Social media manager, Galt Toys

Following its incredible success in Europe, I (as well as the rest of the Galt Toys team) am thrilled to launch Hitster in the UK under the Jumbo brand. I’m incredibly excited about Hitster. Party games is a new area for the company, and what better time for a game like this to hit the market but summer. Hitster is a fast-paced music card game. Players use Spotify to listen to songs and guess the year they were released.

As both a game fanatic and a music lover, Hitster is the perfect combination for me, promising an unforgettable game of laughter plus plenty of singing and dancing with family and friends. With over 300 of the greatest hits from the last 100 years, it really does have something for everyone. As a must-have party game for 2023, Hitster has already sold out in our European markets. We expect it to do the same in the UK following fantastic early consumer and trade show feedback, so we’re urging all retailers not to miss out on the fun. Get ready to play Hitster and have a blast.

Stephen Brissaud, Senior director EMEA – Games, Funko

Funko Games, in collaboration with Hasbro, is thrilled to have the opportunity to reimagine not only the classic game but the entire Cranium franchise line for its 25th anniversary.

We’re introducing classics such as Cranium 25th Anniversary Edition and Hoopla to a new generation of millennials, Hullabaloo and Big Brain (a totally new game) to their children and bringing long-time fans back to the tabletop with their families for all-new experiences.

Cranium was the first game to define the party game genre and was popular among Gen Xers back in the 1990s, when they were 20-somethings. I fondly remember building pyramids of freshly minted Cranium games in the retail game chain I was the buyer for; they would vanish within hours. Today, Cranium is remembered as a go-to party game for friends and families. I’m excited to be a part of the team given the opportunity to evolve and re-introduce the popular franchise to a new generation of players. With four stimulating and unique offerings available within the Cranium brand, long-time fans will want to return to the table with their friends to experience it all over again for the first time.

This is a new chapter in the story of Funko Games, and we couldn’t be more excited to launch it to consumers in the summer of 2023.

Austyn Romero Senior designer, Ridley’s Games

We are absolutely thrilled to be launching our first ever Ridley’s board game: Van Life. Players will take a tour of the fantasy island of Vantopia to visit popular tourist attractions such as Trifle Tower, the Pyramids of Cheesa and San Fran Disco Bay. As players move their wooden van meeples around the board, they’ll collect points for learning new skills, going on adventures and embracing anything life on the road throws their way (free pass to Wood Sock Festival, anyone?)

Over the past few years, we’ve really been feeling the wanderlust here at Ridley’s, so we wanted to create a game that not only filled the travel void but also inspires a desire to get back out there and explore – and Van Life does just that. Plus, we designed the box to be compact and portable compared to other board games, making Van Life the perfect travel companion. As much as we love to travel, we also know it’s essential to have some entertainment on hand in case of delays or not-so-sunny days.

We’re so excited for Van Life to be out in-store and online, and we hope everyone who takes the tour will share their adventures with us using #ridleysgames.

Declan Fahy Founder and sales director, HoloToyz

As technology advances, children are increasingly drawn to the digital world for entertainment, leaving traditional toys behind. But what if we could bridge the gap between physical toys and the digital world, creating an experience that combines the best of both worlds? That's exactly what we at HoloToyz have achieved with our new 4D magnetic puzzle cube, BlokPix.

At its core, BlokPix is a traditional puzzle cube that challenges children to use their spatial reasoning and problem-solving skills to assemble it. But once the cube is built, the real magic happens. Using a smartphone or tablet, children can scan the cube puzzle and watch it come to life with HoloToyz’ Awesome Reality, including animations, sound effects and interactive elements.

What makes BlokPix so exciting is its ability to seamlessly blend the physical and digital worlds. Children get the satisfaction of completing a puzzle and the added reward of seeing their creation come to life. It's a perfect example of how technology can enhance, rather than replace, traditional play.

At HoloToyz, we believe that children shouldn't have to choose between physical and digital play. By creating innovative toys like BlokPix, we hope to inspire a new generation of children to embrace the best of both worlds. And this is just the beginning - we're already working on new ideas and partnerships to bring even more exciting experiences to our customers.

Steve Asbey, UK sales manager, Cheatwell Games

When we presented our new games at London Toy Fair this year, we were really excited about the feedback and reaction to Wild Guess in particular. It’s an easy game to set up and play, and whilst it’s hilarious listening to some of the answers, it’s also a little nerve racking to play as you don’t want to look like a complete chump.

You are given a question, to which the answer is always numeric, write down what you think the answer is on your pad, and then everyone playing has to reveal their answers. The closest player to the actual answer wins two points. The winner is the top scorer after 20 rounds, meaning each game lasts about 30 to 40 minutes.

There are over 500 confounding brainteasers to answer, such as: minutes it takes a camel to drink 30 gallons of water, number of starting contestants in the TV series Squid Game, average number of hairs on a human head, quantity of eggs used in the world’s largest omelette, and ‘one billion seconds is how many days?’. As the answers are on the back of each card, the question master can play too.

Wild Guess is part of the new travel range we are launching this year. Other titles include Travel Family Quiz Night, Travel Family Charades and Travel Take 10, the animal, mineral or vegetable game. All are packed in sensible carton sizes and have SRPs of £13 or less.

Simon Prest, Sales director, Orchard Toys

Our new title Unicorn Fun! is a must-buy game for any unicorn fan. There’s so much more than you’d expect in this game: in fact, it’s three games in one, making it great value for money. This is obviously good news for consumers, especially when their purses continue being squeezed. The three magical fun gameplay and have cleverly designed to be totally different. This variety is a really strong selling point as its great for extending the length of time kids play and therefore keeping them entertained for longer. Unicorn Fun! is also ideal for birthday and Christmas gifting.

Craig Wilkins

Senior vice president Marketing, EMEA & Asia, Hasbro

It’s so difficult to call out one item, especially given the incredible innovations we have planned for the second half that we aren’t able to talk about just yet. However, the recent Cluedo refresh which we have just launched is a really exciting moment for Hasbro. We have taken an already iconic game and reimagined it, offering players and fans a thrilling new experience.

To make the refresh even more exciting, we brought the game to Instagram with our first ever global, online murder mystery. Crime solving sleuths were given the opportunity to get on the case and investigate the mysterious death of Boddy Black in a whole new way. The Cluedo characters of 2023 were transformed them into metahumans, sharing new evidence, suspect testimonies, witness statements and first-person accounts that drew viewers around the globe through the twists and turns of a refreshed, first of its kind, Cluedo mystery.

The Instagram campaign has driven high awareness and demand for the game, and the reaction we’ve received from retailers and customers has been excellent. I can’t wait for everyone to enjoy the Cluedo mysteries slated to keep coming throughout 2023 as we continue to accelerate the franchise.

John Briggs Commercial director, Epoch Games

We’re really excited about the continued growth of our Games division with our latest game launch, Super Mario Rally Tennis. With the new Super Mario Brothers Movie just around the corner, this title is sure to be a big hit, just like our other games.

An action-packed tabletop tennis game, Super Mario Rally Tennis features Mario and Luigi figures which slide left and right under your control to receive the ball. Hitting the button at the right time serves and returns it to your opponent - there’s definitely an element of skill involved - and a handy scoreboard helps players keep track of the match in true tennis style.

The figures are interchangeable with those in our other games as part of the Super Mario Link System, driving collectability while keeping the gameplay fresh. Suitable for players from the age of just five, it’s ideal for encouraging the whole family to get involved in a bit of healthy competition as they find the Rally Tennis champion. Plus, as no batteries are required, it provides fun straight out of the box.

John Styring CEO, Curious Universe UK

We have so many exciting products being released this year thanks to our brand-new Curious Universe Games range. If I had to choose a personal favourite, then I would go for 3D Unicorn Racers. In this exciting game, players must race to the top of a dreamy rainbow with their unicorn play pieces, collecting sparkling gold along the way. Whoever bursts through the clouds and reaches the top first becomes the ultimate rainbow racer.

I think the 3D aspect will be a huge appeal to young children and will get the whole family involved as they interact and ascend the board. Visually, the artwork is vibrant and appealing, whilst the gameplay will really engage the young players, solidifying it as a family favourite.

Additionally, we have placed a huge focus on sustainability for this launch and have made determined efforts to look at slot-together card-based playing sections and sustainable packaging solutions. I’m excited to showcase how our commitment to becoming a sustainably aware company is reflected in this brilliant, eco-conscious board game.

Alex Green Managing director, Asmodee

At Asmodee, we’re excited to announce the launch of a new way to play the fast-paced, observation game Dobble - Dobble Connect – which will be available this summer. Like Classic Dobble, in Dobble Connect players must match the symbols with that of another card. The difference with Dobble Connect is that players now play in teams and must join up hexagonal cards by matching the common symbols to win. The pressure is on as everyone plays simultaneously, and players can use their cards to block other teams before they connect.

This exciting new release offers increased complexity and modern graphics featuring lifestyle items. Dobble Connect will appeal to teens and adults who have grown up with Classic Dobble and want to continue the fun with their family and friends with a more complicated version of the much-loved game. Like the rest of the Dobble range, Dobble Connect provides fast-paced family fun.

Andrew Brown Head of Marketing, Cartamundi

We are bringing a new Spidey Mystery at The Museum game to market this year as part of our Marvel licensed Spidey Games & Puzzles range. Spidey and his Amazing Friends continues to be a huge success on CBeebies and Disney Channel, so consumer awareness of the series and associated licensed products is at an alltime high.

The gameplay is beautifully simple, meaning children can immediately grasp it, and the addition of Spidey goggles makes it a fun, exciting and immersive experience for younger children and fans of the series. All kids’ favourite characters appear within the game including Spidey, Spin, Black Panther, Doc Oc, Green Goblin and Ghost Spider.