Toy World games & puzzles September 2018

September 2018

The Team...

12 Q&A: Draughts Board Games Cafe

John Baulch

Publisher and Managing Editor john@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 408 07932 651 207

22 Special Feature: Board Game Club

Mark Austin

Sales Director mark@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 405

CONTENTS September 2018 Volume 8 Issue 1

Anita Baulch

Circulation and Financial Director anita@toyworldmag.co.uk 01923 711 439

Rachael Simpson-Jones

04 12 14 16

Category Overview Q&A: Draughts Board Games Cafe Talking Shop News/NPD

22 24 26 36

Special Feature: Board Game Club Company Profile: Cartamundi Touching Base Feature: Games & Puzzle

36 Feature: Games & Puzzles

24 Company Profile: Cartamundi

Editor rachael@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 406

Casey Goodman

Editorial Assistant casey@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 406

toyworld The business magazine with a passion for toys

Mark Crowford

Design and Production Manager markc@toyworldmag.co.uk 01442 502 405

Alakat Published by

61 Maxted Road, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP2 7DZ

www.toyworldmag.co.uk @toyworldmag @baulchtweet

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Toy World Magazine

Games & Puzzles

Category Overview

Anytime, anyplace, anywhere…

In an age dominated by tech and computers, board games and puzzles are quietly becoming the heroes of our offline lives.

New board game shops and cafes are popping up left right and centre, riding the crest of a wave caused by the rapid pace at which new product is hitting the market. Is it a rebellion against the screen? A solid excuse to carve out social time with our friends? Or is it simply because they are really good fun? Toy World editor Rachael Simpson-Jones attempts to find out.

T

he festive season marks the most popular time of the year for clearing the coffee table and gathering round a board game or puzzle and with Christmas fast approaching, the market for these products is both buoyant and robust. At Wild & Wolf, Ridley’s Games’ autumn/winter lines are already enjoying significant early success, something Joelle Engolia, senior marketing manager, views as a positive indicator of the health of the market.

“Families are looking to cut down on screen time in favour of spending more quality time together by sitting down to play a game or assemble a puzzle, and Christmas is the peak time for searching out what’s new and fresh on the games and puzzle shelves,” Joelle says. “This bodes well for Q4 performance. Our new and bespoke Ridley’s Games IPs have successfully launched in retailers such as Waterstones, John Lewis and Smyths, with a strong early read and high rate of sale in the first four weeks for our games Avocado Smash, Sumo Slam and Selfish in particular.”

For this sector, a strong Q4 performance is vital for suppliers and retailers alike. “Like most retailers, the majority of our sales on games are going to come in December,” explains Paul Reader, product manager at Toymaster. “We are in a good shape as our members tend to stock a broad range of games all year round and we always have an extensive choice. The

key is having the right balance of ‘must have’ TV promoted games, and a range that suits all age groups.”

Hasbro’s senior marketing director Craig Wilkins acknowledges the importance of TV promotion, while pointing out that there are many other ways to engage consumers in the run-up to the festive season: “TV advertising continues to be an important way to market our games, while we also work with influencers and content creators to deliver our messages in a fun way that is relevant for our consumers based on how they are consuming content. For example, we’re working with social media publisher Ladbible to create and distribute videos for many of our key game launches this year, such as Speech Breakers and the Monopoly Cheaters Edition.”

In the past, games sales have been heavily concentrated in the last six to eight weeks of the year. However, in recent years there has been a marked shift towards games options have a year-round appeal. Games based on popular annual TV shows such as Love Island, which are aired during the summer, and portable games that play well in a beer-garden, at a BBQ or on the beach are opening up the gaming experience for any time/any place play.

“We have seen a fantastic response to our award-winning Love Island

Toy World 4

game,” enthuses Lewis Allen, director at Ginger Fox, a sub brand of Hacche Retail. “The game allows players to experience a taste of Islander life. Players pair up with a friend or significant other and face a series of challenges, some physical and some which must be carried out secretly.”

Craig Wilkins confirms that Hasbro is seeing additional opportunities open up throughout the year: “October through to December still continues to be the key sales period, but with the general popularity of board games continuing to increase, we are seeing positive uplifts in both game playing and game sales throughout the year. January, Easter and the Summer holidays have become increasingly popular.”

While new game launches continue to drive the games market, the category is also buoyed by classic brands which never go out of fashion.

Iconic board game Scrabble celebrates its 70th Anniversary in 2018.

Anniversary celebrations will kick off in October when Mattel will launch a campaign inviting consumers to reappraise the brand. The campaign will be spearheaded by the unveiling of an exciting experiential pop-up at Westfield White City, where consumers can explore the past, present and future of Scrabble, with a series of fun and engaging activities and merchandise opportunities to commemorate the 70th. Further touchpoints include PR support and a new social film that shows Scrabble in a new light. Fans can also follow the worlds most skilled Scrabble aficionados as they take on the Mindsports World Scrabble Championship in Torquay with a thrilling final at the experiential in London.

At Asmodee, one of the fastest-growing companies in the sector, games are continuing to stand up well to the challenging market conditions.

“Total games excluding trading cards is only marginally down,” says Ben Hogg, marketing manager. “However, our numbers are up considerably in card games and family games. Looking back over the last year, Pokémon has come through its incredible craze and levelled off for us at a rate of sale that is far above what we were seeing before Pokémon Go - and much higher than it has been for a long time. Our games sales, particularly family games and our quick-play card games, have really stepped up in a challenging market.”

Leading puzzle manufacturer Jumbo is likewise enjoying a strong year across its adult puzzles brands, with the company seeing continued

growth across its Wasgij, Falcon deluxe and Puzzle Mates ranges. Steve Washbourne, sales director at Jumbo, says there is every indication that this growth will continue throughout the key Q4 trading period: “The children’s puzzle market has become more challenging, with so many licences and brands all competing for the same space,” he notes. “With this in mind, we made a strategic decision to have a far more focused approach, looking at quality over quantity. This is proving to be a much welcomed strategy, building nicely towards the much-anticipated launch of Moon & Me for 2019.”

Licences remain popular across a range of formats – such as Winning Moves’ Harry Potter Top Trumps, Trivial Pursuit and Lexicon offerings – while games based on TV shows continue to prove popular. John Adams has high hopes for its new Strictly Come Dancing game, while Rascals has unveiled a game based on the Crystal Maze show.

With social trends dictating so much of what goes on around us, it’s little wonder that modern games reflect our lives. Up and coming designer VAP Games has launched Hashtag Trumps, which gets players interacting with a chosen social media platform, by phone, tablet or computer, in an effort to discover the most (or least) popular hashtags out there. Speaking of what led her to create the game, founder Jacqui Gahan comments: “Going from sports masseuse to game designer is not a traditional career path, but that’s just typical me. While building my social media presence for VAP I was living, breathing and starting to speak in hashtags. My fascination with the online wormholes of tagging, and my lifelong love of card games, inspired me to develop Hashtag Trumps.”

Avocado lovers can rejoice too. Now immortalised in their very own card game from Wild & Wolf, Avocado Smash features realistic avocado-shaped and textured packaging, while its small size allows it to sit conveniently in a CDU. “Avocado Smash is a simple, quick, and easy to learn party game, explains Joelle at Wild & Wolf. “It’s a twist on snap, with more shouting and more guacamole. The social interaction it brings really grabs people of all ages. There’s just enough novelty, whilst the familiarity means you can learn the game in 30 seconds. It’s also really travel-friendly and perfect for spontaneous games on-the-go. It’s already surpassed our expectations; the reception has been incredible so far. Let’s just say this may not be the last

n o i t c A play FAMILY GAMES | ACTION GAMES | GATEWAY GAMES | CHILDREN’S ACTION GAMES GIFT GAMES | TRADITIONAL GAMES | PLUSH | TOYS | SNACK GAMES | OUTDOOR GAMES | PARTY GAMES

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TO FIND OUT MORE, CONTACT TACTIC GAMES UK 01483 332070 / 332071

info@tacticgames.co.uk

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Toy World 7

Family games

food-based reaction game coming out of the Ridley’s Games studio.”

Our love of escape room experiences has likewise spawned a raft of games. The escape room premise – working together as a team to solve clues and get out of a locked room before the time runs out – translates perfectly to gaming (bar the locked room itself, but anyone with access to B & Q can sort that out). Thames & Kosmos’ award-winning Exit Games range offers players a truly hands-on experience as they and their teammates solve puzzles, find clues and work out what their ‘room’ looks like, in order to escape. With nine different scenarios to choose from, including being trapped underwater while searching for sunken treasure, or finding yourself locked in a pyramid in Egypt, fans of experiential games won’t be left disappointed. All Thames & Kosmos’ Exit Games are in the company’s top 10 best-selling products and they have also won the Kennerspiel Des Jahres award, arguably the most coveted international board game award.

Achieving this level of success is particularly impressive due to the range’s limited distribution, according to Joanna Drage, sales director at Thames & Kosmos. “Whilst many of the national retailers stock our science kits, only one has taken any of our board games, and this is online only,” she explains. “This means that the Exit Games have earned these sales positions purely from hobby shop and online sales. Whilst this makes me immensely proud of the effort and marketing that has created this success, I can’t help but wonder what this range could do with more recognition.”

The immense popularity of Escape room games also draws attention to the shifting nature of game play. Family fallouts over the rules of Monopoly, or whether a certain word is even in the dictionary, may become a thing of the past as games now increasingly call upon players to work collaboratively, rather than against one another. A particularly good example is an oft-mentioned but little heard of German card game called The Mind, in which players attempt to lay down numbered cards in the correct order (low to high). The twist? Players cannot communicate in any way other than stare at each other. And in Asmodee’s Pandemic, players must assume a unique role – Operations Expert, Contingency Planner, Quarantine Specialist, or Scientist – as they race as part of a team to halt the spread of several virulent plagues.

But why is collaborative play becoming so popular? Perhaps the format appeals to the sore loser among us, or offers a way of engaging with those family members that would otherwise lord it over you for days if they won at Risk (I speak from experience here). At their heart, games are supposed to be fun, sociable activities, and working together to achieve a desirable outcome for all leaves players with a sense of satisfaction that is arguably lacking from competitive games. And at least if you lose, everyone loses.

“The social aspects of board games are undoubtedly the big draw,” notes Ben at Asmodee. “For friends, it is an opportunity to connect face-to-face without a screen involved and create some fun memories. For families, in

an age where time spent together appears to be reducing, it is an activity everyone can enjoy equally and can lead to perhaps an evening of family interaction that might not otherwise have happened.”

Puzzle, of course, have always offered those who want to work together a mild-mannered activity for downtime. While competitive jigsaw championships exist, the vast majority of puzzlers enjoy jigsaws for the relaxation they offer, plus the feeling of standing back and admiring it when it’s done. “Puzzles offer people a cost-effective alternative to going out, where they can either enjoy them by themselves, or with family and friends in the comfort of their own home,” says Steve at Jumbo. “Plus, they can give hours, days (or weeks) or enjoyment.

They also offer a welcome relief from computer screens, something that everyone is becoming increasingly aware of.”

Unsurprisingly, in researching the games sector this year almost every single contributor we spoke to mentioned screens in one way or another. There’s no denying that our increasing screen time is under scrutiny, but is it really all that bad?

“Kids are growing up faster today, and it's all down to technology,” states Claire Freckleton, marketing manager at The New Lanark World Heritage Site, which is hosting the Game Plan: Board Games Rediscovered tour until November. “Everyone’s a mobile gamer now. Speak to anyone who’s got a smartphone, they’ve got at least one game they like to play on it. With so much concern about screen time, board games are a sociable reminder of the real dynamics of family life. They teach useful lessons about taking turns and handling defeat. They provide an outlet for tension and rivalry.

They require family members to sit down and interact with each other – increasingly important in a world where we spend much of our time in separate rooms, triple-screening. But perhaps best of all, they remind us how to play. There’s so much technology nowadays, everybody’s busy and board games bring people back together in a way that’s not just staring at screens. We are supposed to be together and communicating with each other – that’s human nature.”

Hasbro’s Craig Wilkins agrees: “Our consumers are looking for gaming experiences that are fun to play, fun to watch, and fun to share, so we are excited to launch new hilarious games this year such as Chow Crown, Speech Breaker, Don’t Lose Your Cool and the newest version of Pie Face - Pie Face Cannon. These games are perfect for playing with family and friends and lead to fun, sharable moments that we know our fans love to post on social media.”

Elsewhere in the category though, designers are tapping into the market for online or tech-enabled products. At VAP Games, Jacqui believes that Virtual and Physical gaming (which lends the company its name) can be combined in an innovative way, combining the social side of a board game with the advantages of the online world. Wild & Wolf has recently hired an in-house videographer to create bespoke videos for priority games to grab consumers’ attention. “It’s become expected for games to have video content available such as behind-the-scenes and how-to-play videos,” says Joelle Engolia. “Now we have our own videographer, we can get fans as excited about the game as we are.”

Even Clare at New Lanark concedes that our online lives could be actively helping the games sector, noting: “Many industry figures point to the internet as a key factor in the growth of tabletop gaming. The rise of smartphones and tablets has given players an inexpensive way to try digital versions of board games, and many then go on to buy physical copies.”

“But players and designers are keen to suggest another reason for the hobby’s resurgence,” she continues. “Games are simply getting better. Publishers are turning out products with elegant mechanics and impressive artwork as fast as their customers can snap them up. Board games really are going through a golden age.”

We hope you enjoy this year’s dedicated Toy World Games & Puzzles supplement, which features over 60 pages brimming with the latest and greatest games and puzzles this burgeoning sector has to offer – and long may this ‘golden age’ continue.

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Š 2018 Hasbro. All rights reserved

Q&A

Draughts Board Game Cafe

Board meetings Toy World spoke to Russell Chapman, events & social media manager at popular board game cafe Draughts London, about which games its visitors love and the reasons behind the growing demand for game cafes and events.

When did Draughts first open, and what kind of people visit to play games there?

us, though the popularity of the web-comic by its creator Matthew Inman (The Oatmeal) certainly helps make sense of this.

Draughts first opened in November 2014 and we recently opened a second location in Waterloo in June this year. We have a huge library of games which is constantly growing and adapting to suit our customers’ needs and wants, and we host a variety of different events which include tournaments and games design. The different events we run reflect the diverse crowd of visitors we attract, from games designers and young children to older people and everyone in between.

Why do you think board game cafes and clubs are so popular at the moment?

Which titles of game seem to be most popular among your customers, and why do you think that is?

There are a handful of core games that most customers who come to the cafe recognise, including in-demand titles like Catan, Ticket to Ride and Cards Against Humanity. Nostalgic and more traditional games like Risk and Monopoly make it to the table quite a lot too. The popularity of these games on the whole, as well as the memories the older games bring up for players, would explain why they get played so much. However, we have noticed that people are also seeking intriguing titles based on popular franchises such as Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones.

Exploding Kittens is another surprise success for

I feel people are seeking more entertaining experiences when they go out with their partner, friends or family, instead of just eating and drinking at a restaurant. Some prefer an activity that encourages socialising but still allows them to talk and catch up, and board game cafes are a perfect way to do this. The growing tabletop gaming industry also means that more people are recognising that a board game doesn't just mean chess or backgammon; there are in fact lots of games to suit every purpose, whether it's to laugh and have fun, or to compete against one another in a challenging experience.

How do you decide which games to offer?

We always try to offer the games that customers are seeking out, and our staff's gaming knowledge and passion for the hobby helps us to know what titles these are. We also like to try out new things; we’ll offer board games that have been asked for by various different customers, or because they are

Toy World 12

based on a successful game or TV/Film franchise which should make them popular. We like to think we are curating our collection, offering a bit of everything while trying to make sure the quality of our games is as high as possible.

Do you rotate titles or products throughout the year, or offer as much as possible year-round?

Not really - most board game cafes have limited space to store and display their games, and rotating stock would be frustrating for customers who are looking to play a game they’ve played before, only to be told it’s in storage. Instead, we will always look to replace popular games when they wear out and perhaps remove games that aren't getting played at all, replacing them with something more popular.

It is a challenge to manage this, but one that we love because we care about the games we offer.

Are you running any family friendly events over the summer holidays?

The cafe offers a variety of events that are mainly focused on adults due to their complexity, but we hosted an Ice Cool Tournament a couple of weeks ago that had some young attendees. We’ve also considered hosting a child-friendly RPG experience that we hope will inspire a new generation of D&D or other RPG players.

Toy World 13

Sponsored by

Talking Shop

Of dice and men (and women)

This month, Rachael Simpson-Jones spoke to specialist games retailers to find out how business is faring in the independent sector and how the games and puzzles category is performing for them currently.

Becky Ottery -

Eclectic Games, Reading income for households has been falling, which makes value for money, both perceived and real, a key sales driver for customers. Other titles that have seen strong performances are Dobble, Love Letter, Coup, One Night Ultimate Werewolf, Exploding Kittens, Rhino Hero and Suspend.

We are seeing strong sales on what might be termed 'evergreen' or 'modern classic' games: Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne, Stone Age, Lords of Waterdeep, Betrayal at House on the Hill, Forbidden Island and Pandemic, (although that suffered from an extended lack of availability of the On The Brink expansion pack). X-Wing, Magic the Gathering, Pokémon Trading Card Game and Yu Gi Oh also remain steady sellers, supported by regular events in our calendar.

Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition has had a

B

usiness has been steady over the past 12 months, but a little down on the 12 months before that. We suffered somewhat over Christmas 2017 as opposed to 2016, mostly because of suppliers being unable to fulfil our restock orders for hot items. In general, we are still attracting new customers and our gaming events are popular and well attended.

Our best-selling item this year so far is a small card game called The Mind, and last year it was the party game Codenames. Both of these are really simple to explain and play, and have huge replayability. They’re also at an affordable price point, something that is becoming more important to customers.

While board game prices have risen - for a number of valid reasons - disposable

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major resurgence and the Starter Set is selling very well for us across teens and early to mid-twenties.

‘Good, Quick Games to Play in a Lunch Break at Work’ is a category we make a huge number of recommendations for, mostly to mid-thirties gamers who are introducing their workmates to the delights of board gaming. Anything Rick and Morty is a guaranteed seller, and everyone still loves polyhedral dice.

Board games offer social connectedness and a break from the screens that dominate our lives.

Humans are social creatures and there are a lot of positive things to be said about sitting down around a table for a shared activity, be it a meal or a game. Board games represent incredibly good value as an entertainment medium, when considered on a £/hour scale and set against watching a film at the cinema, for instance.

Our games nights are a major element of our Unique Value Proposition as a retailer; they offer customers a chance to purchase with confidence, having tried out a game thoroughly. They also represent a very good value night out, in pleasant surroundings, doing something fun. It is a chance to discover new games and meet new people.

Our games demo library is huge and caters to pretty much every type of game we sell.

As a retailer, the games nights are a way to differentiate

Talking Shop ourselves from the crowd, increase customer satisfaction, build customer loyalty and offer something that online vendors such as Amazon cannot. It takes our best regular customers and turns them into brand ambassadors and enthusiastic sales-people for the games they love.

It also creates an extremely loyal community, with regular reason to be in store weekly, if not more frequently.

The breadth of board game appeal is huge; there is something out there for pretty much everyone, which means our potential customer base is huge.

Board games are great for building a community; gamers always want more people to play with and are welcoming to new players. Themed events are easy to support and there's masses of potential for good educational games, although the schools market is a hard one to get into. If it can be done, there's a very solid revenue stream, with reliable customers and a chance to help create gamers for life.

Lisa Dyson -

Rising costs is probably the biggest issue facing the games market at the moment, at least in the UK. Tariffs, if they happen as part of a trade war, would be a dreadful thing, as most manufacturing is done in China or Eastern Europe. We're seeing downward pressure on the amount people are able to spend on their hobby, as food costs rise and wages stay fixed. The counterfeiting of board games is also strongly affecting the major players in the industry.

One of the challenges of the last few years has been the sheer volume of excellent games available. There is a firehose of product we can order, six to twenty new titles a week, and keeping up with the flow is becoming impossible. Games have a very short window of time these days to make an impression and secure a continuing presence on our shelves, rather than being a oneand-done order.

I expect the games market to continue to grow, with a UK based caveat regarding the

uncertainty caused by Brexit. The experiencebased gaming segment, as represented by such things as Pandemic Legacy, the Exit series, and Time Stories, still has room to grow and surprise us. RPGs (role-playing games) have started to stage a comeback which should continue, and someone is finally going to crack the proper integration of app technology and board games in a way I haven't yet dreamed of. Kickstarter is going to represent a major disruptive element that traditional retail and distribution will have to deal with.

We're seeing more and more pubs and coffee shops deciding that they want to offer board games to their clientele as part of their experience, and we are working with several locally to provide games loaned from the store library to support this. We also help local designers with a monthly Playtest group held at the store, where designers can get feedback on their prototypes and benefit from access to potential players.

Games Crusade, Harrogate Games, Reading

B

usiness has been good since we opened last year.

The run up to Christmas surprised us as we were so new to Harrogate, yet we had an extremely busy Christmas period with stock flying off the shelves. Harrogate is very fortunate to have lots of visitors at this time of year and we benefitted from the various Christmas events that were on in and around town. The weather extremes this year have proved challenging; I have an hour’s drive to work every day, and for three days in the snowy period we couldn't open because I physically couldn't get to the shop.

I’ve had a shop in Skipton for many years and found that Harrogate customers were driving to Skipton more and more, in order to view our board game selection. This prompted me to look at opening another shop in Harrogate town centre with a large area dedicated to board games, and that was how Games Crusade came about.

Our best-selling games vary enormously depending upon the time of year. Right now, any game that is travel sized or fast and fun is flying off the shelves for holidays and camping trips. Dobble is still as popular as ever due to its compact tin and wide age range appeal, while Speedy Words from Green Board Games is a popular alternative for those who already have Dobble. We try and stock the latest upcoming board games releases and often have these on pre-order for customers, which ensures future sales.

Board games are definitely increasing in popularity, with adults seeing them as an opportunity to be sociable -combining a board game with a

pint down at the pub, for example, or bringing one out after dinner with friends. In addition, many parents want to encourage children to decrease their screen time and have realised that a family board game is an ideal way to do this. There is always time for short, quick games when time is limited, and longer, meatier games are perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon when the weather is poor. Board games allow me as a retailer to increase my customer base, while Games Crusade itself is place for adults to shop for themselves as well as catering to children like a traditional toyshop.

Amazon is definitely the biggest challenge for instore games retailers as customers often ask for a price match; this simply isn’t possible if the price is not far off the trade price. Whilst we can promote the service customers get in-store, and the extensive knowledge

Toy World 16

we have, there are customers who are purely price focused and are prepared to wait. The other challenge that we face is stock levels. There have been so many occasions where we’ll open a game, put it out on the demo table in store and actively promote it, only to find that we can't replenish our stocks because it is out of stock at the supplier. This can be for weeks and months at a stretch, which is deeply frustrating when I know that we could have sold many units in that time.

I think that the games market will continue to grow, but in order to stay ahead of the competition, time needs to be invested into finding out which hot new games the major retailers aren’t stocking and working out which ones we can easily demonstrate in store. I visit all the major toy fairs in the UK, as well as Nuremberg Toy Fair, to try and source more unusual lines.

I think Games Crusade is slowly building a reputation for its games knowledge, and this year we have been pleasantly surprised at the number of companies sending us free game samples to test out in store before we order. This makes our buying decisions much easier. We often do reviews of what we have played on our social media pages. We were chosen by Big Potato Games to host a Klask regional tournament one evening, which was great fun and great publicity for the shop. We had 25 competitors of mixed ages and the atmosphere in-store was amazing. A 16 year old boy called Tom won our tournament, and he has been invited to compete in London for a chance to win a trip to Helsinki, and to represent Great Britain in the World Championships.

News Best-selling game Atmosfear to be relaunched Hijinx Toys announced at San Diego Comic Con that Atmosfear, one of the bestselling games of its time, will be relaunched in 2019.

A game played for 3-6 players, Atmosfear challenges players to move around a board using playing pieces. However, a ghoulish video host, The Gatekeeper, randomly appears throughout the game to shout instructions and insults at players. His taunts, along with a building soundtrack of music and storm effects create chaos as players try to collect six playing pieces and make their way to the centre of the–board – where they must faceSeptember their greatest fear.

NPD Insight G&P Supplement 2018 (NEWS section) Norma Rosenhain, CEO Hijinx Toys, commented: “The original from 1991 was a true game changer in terms of bringing board games to a new market via VHS and DVD. We are relaunching Melissa Symonds - Director UK Toys, EuroToys NPD Atmosfear for the digital age and are so excited for its launch in 2019.”

Phil Tanner from A Couple of Cowboys, the IP owner of Atmosfear, commented: “The game UK Games and market originally sold over 3mPuzzles units at retail and is one of those games that people have wanted to rerelease. We are so happy to be teaming with Hijinx for this and the subsequent follow up games and look forward to what they can do to get new gamers to face their fears.’’

Creata Centa currently in regardingof whothe will distribute relaunched game across territories.

For more Games andisPuzzles isdiscussions a cornerstone UK toy the market with sales ofvarious £316m in 2017 andinformation, contact: darren.epstein@creata.com

accounting for 9.2% of total value spent on toys. Sales of Games and Puzzles has increased by +£94m in the last eight years. The top selling item YTD is Dobble from Asmodee, followed by Rubiks Cube from John Adams and Monopoly Classic from demonstrating the mix sectors of old– board classic and Thames & Kosmos UK isHasbro, differentiating between its two core product games andnew science kits, unveiling a brand-new website for its products, www.kosmosgames.co.uk. classics in the market. With UK a mixture ofgames innovation and heritage brands, Games is different from The site is home to the entire UK Kosmos board games collection and was designed with both consumers and trade customers in other areas of the toy industry. mind. Consumers can browse the site, find out more about all the games in the portfolio and locate their nearest stockists. Retailers can

Thames & Kosmos launches new website for Kosmos Games in the UK

apply to become stockists, view the full catalogue and source any product information they need.

2018 has been a challenging year for the UK toy market, but Puzzles hascommented: defied the YTD June,way for us to establish board Natasha Sullivan, head of board game marketing in the UK, “Thetrend website is the perfect games under Kosmos Games, in keeping with the board game branding itself.

The site acts as a hub of knowledge about every game we look with growth +2% driven by Adult Puzzles, up an impressive +17%. Within Games there are some after keyand we’re confident the simple to use interface will prove popular with our retailers and end users alike.” growth areas, including Pre-school Games up +10% and Card Games +6%.

While a quarter of annual toy sales are sold in the final month of the year, for Games & Puzzles this number is even higher with 35% of annual sales in December, so the remainder of 2018 could see the Games and Puzzle market changing further still.

reviews the UK Games and Puzzles market Top 5 Games Items YTD July 2018

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ames and Puzzles is a cornerstone of

2018 has been a challenging year for the UK toy

the UK toyon market with market, but Puzzles has defied the trend YTD June, Ranked Value £ sales of £316m in 2017 and accounting for 9.2% of total with growth +2% driven by Adult Puzzles, up an Dobble Asmodee Editions value spent on toys. Sales of Games and impressive +17%. Within Games there are some key John Adams Puzzles has increased by +£94m in the last growth areas, including Pre-school Games up +10% Leisure 2 The Rubiks Cubeitem YTD is Dobble eight years. top selling from and Card Games +6%.

Asmodee,

by Rubiks Cube from John Adams 3 followed Monopoly Classic Hasbro (Corp) While a quarter of annual toy sales are sold in the and Monopoly Classic from Hasbro, demonstrating the final month of the year, for Games & Puzzles this 4 Uno Original Mattel (Corp) mix of old classic and new classics in the market. With number is even higher with 35% of annual sales in 5 Scrabble Original Mattel (Corp) December, so the remainder of 2018 could see the a mixture of innovation and heritage brands, Games is different from other areas of the toy industry.

Ranked on Value £ Portapuzzle De Luxe 1000 L.O.L. Surprise! Puzzle 60 Pieces Jigroll Compact 500/1000pce Hatchimals Egg Puzzle 46 Pieces Wasgij Original Asst

Director UK Toys, EuroToys NPD

Games and Puzzle market changing further still.

Top 5 Puzzle Items Top 5 Puzzle Items YTG July 2018 YTD July 2018 Rank # 1 2 3 4 5

Melissa Symonds

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Special Feature

Board Game Club

Join the club

Toy World spoke to Lesley Singleton, who founded Board Game Club along with Peter Jenkinson, about what the club has to offer games players and manufacturers alike, why demand for board games keeps on rising, and where the category is headed next.

Board Game Club is now in its fifth year – how has the club itself evolved in that time?

Have you noticed any emerging trends or developments of particular interest this year?

We started out in the basement of a painfully hipster pub in Shoreditch back in early 2014, with a crudely thrown-together menu of about a dozen games and around as many people coming along to see what we were up to.

It felt right, though, and the next month saw our guest list double, then double again, and again.

Now we have over 700 people on our database and each event regularly attracts around 60-80 people.

We originally set this up as an informal way of getting people in the industry together for beers and games, but it’s evolved into a fantastically popular monthly fixture for the widest mix of people. We have budding inventors playtesting their wares; design students checking out the latest releases for inspiration; board game company bosses; celebrity gaming fans; members of the public who just love playing games and even a Rummikub champion regularly coming along to check out our selection of titles. The friendly vibe means people are happy to come along on their own and just join in with whatever they fancy. We’ve seen genuine friendships blossom, and fruitful business chat is also commonplace as people network and bond over amazing games in the sumptuous surroundings of our West End venue.

On the ground at the club, we’ve seen an increase in demand for co-operative games, where players are all working collaboratively to reach the same end goal. In addition, games with a social deduction mechanic – or any kind of bluffing or deception – seem to be really popular.

The surprise hit for us this year has been The Mind; a game where players have to lay cards numbered 1-100 in ascending order, without speaking or communicating what’s in their hand. So, in complete silence, you’ll have a group of maybe half a dozen people staring intently at each other, willing the cards onto the table. It’s bizarre and brilliant and goes to show that even the simplest premise can captivate.

The games menu has also grown too and now includes the hottest new titles, random finds from around the world, things we’ve backed on Kickstarter, sneak previews of big new releases and old classics. Most games take no more than half an hour to play – we’ve kept our focus on the distinctly non-geek side of gaming and have an entirely snobbery-free approach to the menu where silly social hits like Happy Salmon and Dobble are just as welcome as the more ‘serious’ titles like my personal favourites, Azul and Sagrada.

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We’re also seeing a shift towards more mainstream theming being applied to complex game mechanics. For a long time, the deeper role-play style games have felt almost exclusivelythemed around historical re-enactments or orcs and goblins, which is really off-putting for more mainstream games fans who don’t consider themselves ‘gamers’. However, there’s been a flurry of titles which have successfully brought more real life, relatable themes to their games. Great recent examples include Fog of Love – a romantic comedy in role-playing board game format; Untold

– a game where a team works together to create a whole television series, using Rory’s Story Cubes as part of the mechanic; and the forthcoming Holding On: The Troubled Life of Billy Kerr, another collaborative game which sees players explore the stories of a man in the last moments of his life in a hospital bed.

What does the club offer companies looking to launch their products?

There are three choices really – firstly the big brand take-overs where the entire games menu is exclusively a showcase of one brand’s games.

Secondly, we can do a one-game spotlight or ‘beat the inventor’ night, where we’ll make sure that one game has its own area and will ensure guests know all about it both before and during the event.

Finally, we invite brands to send us any games they’d like to see out there in the wild – if we like it and it fits our casual gaming audience, we’ll add it to the mix. We’ll always encourage our guests to share their favourites on social media (though they don’t really need much encouragement these days) and we know that guests will often go on to buy the games they find and love at Board Game Club.

Board Game Club hosts total brand takeover nights. What are the benefits of these?

These nights are a fantastic low cost way for brands to host a really stylish, brand-in-hand event in the heart of London’s West End. It’s the perfect time to invite buyers, key trade contacts and other stakeholders along to see the games being played by a mix of people. It’s also a good way of getting onthe-ground feedback about games as brand staff are free to mingle, demonstrate the games and see for themselves how people actually play their games.

We handle all the event logistics and planning, the trade PR related to the event and the entire invitation process. We also have our dedicated social media manager on hand all evening to capture proceedings.

Demand for board games seems to have increased hugely this year – why do you think this is?

Certainly when it comes to today’s population, I think it’s true to say that we’re seeing an increase in demand for experiences. People of all ages want to feel things, rather than just have things. This can be seen in the huge rise in popularity of escape rooms, pop-up cultural events like Secret Cinema and kidult experiences like bars and restaurants themed around ballpits and crazy golf courses. Board game cafes and clubs have become part of that movement and in turn that makes people want to replicate the experience at home.

I wouldn’t say there’s a backlash against tech or a sudden desire to move away from screens – but I do think that people crave more interesting and engaging ways of interacting face-to-face, even though they simultaneously can’t wait to tweet, snap or Instagram what they’re up to. Board games increasingly provide brilliant opportunities for people to socialise, both in person and via their social media accounts, and more games are being designed specifically with this in mind – you only have to look to Hasbro to see how they’ve recognised and embraced the trend for social media sharing through game play in recent years, when you consider titles like Fantastic Gymnastic and the various incarnations of Pie Face.

What big challenges face this sector at the moment, and how can these be overcome?

The challenges I see in the games sector may not be considered huge issues by some, but these are the things we see as genuine barriers to play.

Firstly, the game’s instructions. I’ve lost count of how many times Board Game Club guests have given up on a game – even a very, very good game – simply because the instructions have either been poorly written or abysmally translated. There are so many games to choose from, and it’s incredibly frustrating when a decent game gets overlooked because nobody thought to invest in a decent copywriter for the rulebook.

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Secondly, the lack of quality playtesting being done – not just by new inventors but also some of the bigger brands. I shan’t name names, but we have had games from reputable brands which are unplayable without having to make tweaks to the rules. Your customers shouldn’t have to do this!

Often, these are things which would be apparent during any decent playtest, and while some people are really good at robustly testing their games with a variety of players, I do fear that others are too reliant on the old “well, my friends and family all said it was great, so…”.

How do you think the games category will evolve in both the short and long term?

I think we’ll see more brands looking beyond their usual pool for games ideas – Spin Master has fully embraced The Sock Game, a phenomenal title from two brothers who thought they’d try their luck in the London Toy Fair Greenhouse and ended up with a global toy company snapping up their game within weeks of the show. And speed to shelf will continue to be important – brands know they need to respond fast to trends before they die out.

Longer term, I think the biggest evolution we’ll see is the games category becoming less of a seasonally dependent one. Q4 will always be key of course, but as consumer demand continues to grow, and the mainstream media continues to showcase the brilliant titles being played at clubs and gaming events all over the country, board game sales will become more evergreen.

Finally, does BGC have plans to evolve itself?

There are lots of ideas in the pipeline but first and foremost, Board Game Club is a labour of love. It was born out of a desire to share great games and beers with a decent bunch of people and evolved into something with so many layers – networking, playtesting, a launch platform for brands and inventors alike. Like some of the greatest games we’ve played on those nights, we’re not going to over-think or over-engineer it.

Company Profile

Cartamundi

Cartamundi: We're Game Toy World spoke to Daniel King, general manager UK at Cartamundi, about what the games manufacturer brings to the table, and why he thinks the demand for boards games is booming.

You have been general manager at Cartamundi UK for a year now. How has it been for you?

It has gone very quickly! I have certainly learnt a lot and really got to grips with our core business functions across consumer products, games manufacturing services and promotional services. Cartamundi is an amazing organisation with many facets and lots of opportunities for growth. There’s always lots going on – it’s been great.

Cartamundi has always been known for being a leading manufacturer of playing cards and card games, but in more recent years has evolved to become a major player in the world of board game manufacturing. How important is the board games side of the business to Cartamundi?

Games manufacturing services (GMS) is the biggest area of our business and board games represent the largest category so yes, board games are extremely important to us. There seems to be an insatiable customer demand for table top gaming so GMS is a key growth area for the business too.

We’ve got a number of exciting projects planned for the future that actually take us out of card or board game production and we’ll be sharing more news on that in the coming months.

As the world’s biggest manufacturer of board games – what does that mean on a day to day basis in terms of turning product around and keeping things fresh? How nimble can you be given your size, and what level of product are you currently turning around?

We produce around one million card decks a day and one million boxes a week through 14 factories across the world. Despite the huge volumes going through our factories, we are able to be incredibly nimble. One of the best examples of this is producing Speak Out for Hasbro, which went from idea to being on the shelf in eight weeks.

Through our My Cards platform we can produce personalised playing card sets and games including Uno and are able to turn these around in 72hrs, even though they are using the same press that is printing hundreds of thousands of trading cards or collectibles.

Do you have any plans to evolve your offering in the future?

As a global business you have a number of offices across the world.

What happens here in the UK?

Our offering is always developing as the market evolves. We have taken great steps to broaden our product range and we are proud that we can offer a variety of game formats for any size customer. Our strategy is underpinned by our manufacturing excellence, and our ability to evolve is testament to this.

We are most definitely a global company but we act local and the trusted partnerships we build with our customers is key. Each region has its own games manufacturing services (GMS) manager to support the local market and they have the support of a global organisation.

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Lewis Young is our GMS manager here, looking after the UK and Ireland. He’s a complete expert in games and offers consultancy and expertise to our customers. Depending on the spec of the game, he will also draw on and consult a network of expertise across our factories.

We have the capability to manufacture in the UK, but currently our main focus is finishing projects for other factories in the group.

We have a large storage facility here which is great for smaller companies to store stock that can be called on when retailers demand it.

Our set up means that we are able to accommodate every size of customer and business – whether your head office is in your bedroom or part of a multi-national company.

We’re passionate about games and have excellent contacts across the industry. We want to share this and pride ourselves on offering a consultative service and bringing ideas to life.

The industry continues to advance incredibly quickly – how easy is it to keep up the levels of innovation as a company, and what are some of the ways that you’re bringing innovations to the table?

We continue to invest in innovation and have various global projects where we work with partners across a wide range of industries.

We recently launched Make My Game (www. makemygame.com) which allows us to make rapid industrial prototypes – a service for developers and publishers. We can make one copy up to 1m copies.

Our ICard technology encompasses AR, Touchcode and Near Field Communication (NFC)

- we have successfully used these technologies with GMS customers to enhance gameplay.

What challenges do you see coming from Brexit and what steps is Cartamundi taking to weather the Brexit storm?

The impact on sterling remains a constant challenge and consumer confidence is directly linked to Brexit uncertainty - it’s this uncertainty that’s contributing to lacklustre spending.

Obviously trade restrictions and tariffs could become an issue for us in the UK as we manufacture in the EU and any further impact on sterling remains a threat. However, we have the real possibility to manufacture in the UK again.

We still have a core team and machinery and could ramp production up fairly swiftly, so we do have a plan in place if needed.

What would you say is one of the biggest challenges that games publishers are facing today?

I believe that sourcing will become increasingly challenging. We are already seeing major publishers continuing to diversify production and move away from China, as it is becoming increasingly more challenging both in terms of costs and complexity.

It is not just a matter of pure costs - the toys and games market has changed dramatically. Trends can develop overnight through social media, so speed to market is critical. Over the last few years, Christmas has got later and later in retail terms and last year it was a case of too little too late. Publishers are having to hedge their bets by committing to large volumes and then hold that stock.

The markets have moved on, as has consumer demand. With online now representing 38% of all toy sales, there is more of a need for stock to be supplied little and often rather than in bulk.

That’s actually something we’re helping our customers with – we manufacture but we can also store stock here and release according to need.

It’s about offering a bit more flexibility, which is a growing requirement.

Mobile and digital technologies aren’t going anywhere – how is Cartamundi embracing tech, and how much a part of the future of the company do you think tech will be?

We’re embracing mobile and digital technologies and integrating them in a wide variety of products. One example of this is the production of Lightseekers and Warhammer trading cards for Playfusion, where the cards really come to life through AR. It’s a brilliant example of digital and physical worlds coming together – we’re producing millions of cards but each card is unique. We see this as a big growth area.

What do you think is making the market for board games grow at the rate it is in the UK? I believe there are a variety of reasons; primarily I think board games offer everyone an escape from screen time and a level of interaction with family and friends that can’t be replicated.

Yes, it’s about nostalgia but it’s not just about

"

a retro trend of classic games or play patterns.

Major new players have emerged through crowdfunding, which has helped to tap into a whole new audience for games.

Board games also offer a level of social interaction that you can’t quite get from screen time. There is a level of human interaction in video games such as Fortnite, which I think is one of the reasons for its popularity, but it’s interesting to note that even that format of digital game – the Battle Royale – may potentially be turned into a board game with a Kickstarter campaign currently live.

So, you’re confident for the future then?

Absolutely. It’s not just the continuing appetite for games that brings that confidence. It’s knowing that the team I work with has such a passion for games to be able to see it through.

We’re a group of people who basically live and breathe games, and we’re keen to share that passion with our customers.

We are able to accommodate every size of customer and business - whether your head office is in your bedroom or part of a multi-national company.

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Touching Base

Major players As the Games and Puzzles category enjoys a resurgence in popularity, Rachael Simpson-Jones talks to a selection of industry experts to discover how they are finding the market at the moment, what new introductions they have high hopes for in 2018, and the challenges they have come up against in the category.

Michelle Probert - Sales and marketing manager, Juratoys The great thing about Janod is the added play value every product contains. The Janod Flamingo Balancing game has been a huge hit this year. Not only is it on trend and very cute, it is also a fun game for all of the family to play. The Janod Flamingo is made from FSC wood, is brightly coloured and has cute little chicks which really appeal to children.

We are up against some of the world’s most recognisable brands when it comes to games and puzzles. However, we feel that Janod products are in-keeping with our brand, and we have a great design team which always comes up with gorgeous, innovative ideas to ensure that Janod games are both fun and educational, with a real sense of quality and design. Our slogan is ‘Play Different’ - we want children to have fun whilst learning and we are confident our games and puzzles do just that.

Katherine Daniel - Marketing manager, Mattel UK ToyBox The games market is always interesting in the lead up to Christmas, especially with all the innovation that comes through in trending games. This year we’re excited to introduce two new games – Flushin’ Frenzy, a family game which really taps into toilet trend humour, and Handimonium, which is already getting phenomenal influencer views on Youtube. Our world-class heritage brands, including Uno and Pictionary, are also important to us in this key period.

To commemorate Scrabble’s 70th Anniversary we’ve created a beautiful new special edition board, with premium foil-stamped tiles and a modern new black and gold colour scheme. The reimagined board is just one piece of the puzzle – we will launch a campaign of activity in October, inviting consumers to reappraise the brand with an amazing experiential activation, PR and a new social film, while the world’s biggest Scrabble enthusiasts will also gather for the MindSports World Scrabble Championship.

Christmas is often a time for cross-generational families and friends to come together and play games, and it’s also when consumers step away from online games and social media. It’s important to keep our portfolio fresh and exciting, particularly with our more kid-focused offerings, which is why we’re so excited about Flushin’ Frenzy.

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Rob Fort

- S ales director, Tactic Games

I believe that 2018 will prove to be another good year for the games and puzzles sector. Gameplay is becoming more appealing to a wide range of ages thanks to the variety of games on offer, and as we get closer to Christmas we would expect to see an uplift in sales because of interest from families.

Ninja Rush is one of our key lines; it’s a fast paced, quick reaction game which is based on the ancient Sensei training principles. The game is set to be popular as it involves all of the players at all times, and really keeps them on their toes. It’s also appealing to a wide range of ages and comes with three fantastic Ninja Sand Timer Figures, plus a board that imitates a traditional dojo.

Competition is always a factor that poses a challenge to the market. Over the last few years the games market has become more competitive, with manufacturers developing games to try and keep consumer interest high, while reinventing traditional classics too. At the same time, concerns over the state of the high street, as well as consumer confidence, are having a knock-on effect on pricing.

Touching Base Ben Hogg - Marketing manager, Asmodee It’s no secret that the toy industry is struggling this year but, given the circumstances, games and puzzles has remained fairly robust. Even in a weak market, games remain a key social activity that brings friends and family together to enjoy something affordable. So far this year our own games sales have been up and we hope to maintain this going into the key Christmas period.

We release games every week, so we always have something new and exciting to talk about. A title that has gone down really well recently is Who Did It?, which we launched at Playtime PR’s Board Game Club in July. It is part of our Fun Fast Games range which also includes Dobble, Bananagrams, Cobra Paw, Rory’s Story Cubes and Set, reflecting the confidence that we have in the game.

Like many other toy categories, games have suffered from counterfeiting in the last few years. And like many other toy categories, falling toy sales, exacerbated by the loss of Toys R Us in addition to a high level of consumer uncertainty over Brexit, collectively makes for a challenging trading environment. We have seen before that games can still perform in challenging times, and we hope that we continue to see this in the future.

Sarah Henderson - UK brand manager, Tomy The games and puzzle market is experiencing exciting times and we are entering Q4 with a strong collection of family favourite lines as well as three new releases for Tomy Games. Our new launches will be supported with a heavyweight TV advertising campaign that is expected to deliver 1800 TVRs across the three lines, in three bursts over September, October and December. We are also working on a targeted influencer campaign with parenting bloggers and vloggers, social media influencers and lifestyle media to create editorials that will generate interest ahead of gifting season.

We have three new games launching in Q4, including Burp the Baby, a game of chance that will have everyone giggling; Run-Around Hamster; which sees players going head to head to help Hammy the hamster store the most food, and Puzzle Wars; a head-to-head strategy puzzle game. All products feature lots of surprises and excitement, through pure and simple fun.

Over the years there has been a big increase in popularity of video games, with less emphasis on quality family time with traditional games. We strive to ensure Tomy’s collection remains a firm favourite amongst families by creating fun games that encourage quality time together.

Jacqui Gahan -

Shahbaz Khan -

Founder, VAP Games

Country manager, UK & Ireland, Clementoni

It’s an exciting time to be a part of this industry with the move towards more fresh, innovative and quirky games.

The growing trends in Secret Santa and Christmas table games means it is the ideal time to launch a product such as Hashtag Trumps.

Hashtag Trumps is simple, fun and most importantly #ontrend. Our vision for Hashtag Trumps is to make social media more social and inclusive – embracing the future with traditional values.

People are not only time poor but they are also a more considered purchaser. Getting them to part with their hard-earned cash is now our biggest challenge. Our aim is to create quirky affordable games to experience with family and friends.

The market is in very good shape leading into Q4. We have seen this sector perform really well in last 18 months, and I think the games & puzzles sector itself is geared up for another successful year. Our adult puzzles are selling extremely well and we expect another strong performance for the range across the next 12 months.

The traditional play format is evidently still important to consumers, which is encouraging; in recent times we’ve seen tech toys taking spend away from traditional.

Our Panorama formats, both licensed and generic, are our best-sellers across the market. These are unique in terms of the imagery we use, and our packaging really gives the consumer the best possible idea of the puzzle inside.

I still believe the biggest challenge to this sector is technology. Tech is becoming more appealing to young kids and it is important that the toy industry works together to ensure traditional educational toys have their place in the market. Puzzles and games is a very traditional category, so Clementoni is working very hard to stimulate this area through innovative concepts and fresh licences.

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THE UNIQUE AND HIGHLY ENTERTAINING PUZZLE BRAND!

POPULAR FESTIVE & CHRISTMAS THEMED PUZZLES…

CONTACT YOUR JUMBO SALES REP FOR MORE INFORMATION Jumbo Games, 2 Carters Row, Hatfield Park, Hatfield, UK, AL9 5NB Telephone: 01707-289289 Email: uk.saleshotline@jumbo.eu www.jumbo.eu

Touching Base Tris Hyatt-Williams - Co-founder, Big Potato Games For us, the first half of the year has been really strong. We’re up on last year and have got all our ducks in a row for a big second half where all the action happens. It’s looking promising but you never know. We’re definitely entering the squeaky-bum half of the year!

Our line-up this year is a mix of sequels and spin-offs (Bucket of Doom II, Obama Llama II, Santa Banter) and new entries (Weird Things Human Search For, Clickbait, Don’t Get Got and Dino Dump). We’re particularly excited about Don’t Get Got, a secret mission game that runs alongside anything else you’re doing, including playing another game.

The biggest problem is always the fact that sales are so heavily skewed towards the end of the year. It makes juggling the cash flow through the long lean times an art in itself. Developing games that sell strongly outside the fourth quarter is something smaller publishers like ourselves need to crack.

Lewis Allen Director, Hacche Retail

The Ginger Fox team has been exceptionally busy with new gameplay development and testing over the past 12 months and we feel well placed to achieve great Q4 results.

We have seen a fantastic response to our award-winning Love Island game. The team has worked closely with ITV and the Love Island production crew to perfectly capture the fun and flirty nature of the show. The format really delivers as a party game and is perfect for playing at home or taking on your own travels. We expect the demand we’ve seen for the game to carry through to Christmas, with fans desperate to continue their Love Island experience beyond the show. We’ll be heavily supporting the game with lots of social media activity through to Christmas.

For the industry in general, the retail environment remains challenging and is in transition. This is impacting everyone throughout the supply chain and there is a particular pressure on margins. We continue to work closely with our buyers and manufacturers to make sure new product development delivers, both creatively and commercially. From a sales perspective, we are looking at opening new distribution channels, including internationally - particularly in the US, where we see great opportunity for revenue growth fed by existing and new product.

Joe Rushworth Sales manager, Marbel The games & puzzles market is shaping up to be exciting this year. Christmas is always a special time, and we feel there is a big buzz for this Christmas in particular. Traditional toys and gaming are surging in popularity, and they are ideal for the whole family to join in with.

Spending a little extra family together is only ever a good thing.

We have quite a few major new lines, but the George Luck range stands out. These puzzles are not only vibrant, colourful and intuitive but they all encourage learning through play too. The range has many different characters and images to fill every child’s imagination.

Some would say the biggest challenges facing the games & puzzles market are the issues seen on the high street, but we feel that gives us a great opportunity to work more closely with independents and increase our sales through stronger relationships with retailers.

Nicki Gumbrell Sales director, Gibson Games The games and puzzles market is in an excellent position at the moment; the UK jigsaw puzzle category is up +5% YTD June 2018 vs 2017 and we personally are up +15% YTD in the adult puzzle category (NPD).

Our biggest new line is our 12 Days of Christmas Countdown Calendar. Behind each window is an 80 piece puzzle and once all 12 are complete, they can be joined together to create a panoramic scene. We’re so pleased with how this product has turned out, and it’s certainly an achievement to be the first jigsaw puzzle company to introduce a Christmas jigsaw puzzle calendar.

The decline of the high street is a real concern for the toy industry at the moment, not just the games and puzzles market. Rising overheads, combined with high inflation rates and the shift to online shopping has drastically changed the way we have traditionally sold games and puzzles, so it is essential that we adapt to these new consumer buying habits while still supporting the high street as best we can. There is also the TRU factor to consider, and it will be interesting to see where those shoppers head this autumn.

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POPULAR PUZZLES FOR AUTUMN/WINTER GIFTING…

37 NEW PUZZLES FOR AW!

CONTACT YOUR JUMBO SALES REP FOR MORE INFORMATION Jumbo Games, 2 Carters Row, Hatfield Park, Hatfield, UK, AL9 5NB Telephone: 01707-289289 Email: uk.saleshotline@jumbo.eu www.jumbo.eu

Touching Base Joelle Engolia - Senior marketing executive, Wild + Wolf We’re gearing up for a successful Q4 owing to what we believe will be a solid Christmas gifting period for the games and puzzles market. All of our clients are currently reporting strong trade with double digit like-for-like growth across games and puzzles through the key travel/holiday period, and this is largely down to a sustained demand for offline family interaction.

Our biggest new line has to be Avocado Smash, our new party game that’s just launched in stores this month. What really sets this game apart is the imaginative avocado-inspired packaging. We’ve seen a real buzz around this product at trade shows, with visitors to the stand asking what ‘the avocado game’ is all about. It’s the little touches that bring Avocado Smash to life, from the avocado-shaped packaging with its soft-touch feel, to the lifelike avocado-textured cards.

The games market is doing very well at the moment. We’ve seen more and more indie games companies being formed and an increased number of products being released to market each season. This creates the challenge of getting your product heard in the noise, and ensuring it’s reaching the right market. Getting the correct retail distribution is key – whether through a distributor, online, or direct to mass or indie markets.

Darrell Jones -

Head of marketing, toys & games divisions, Vivid Imaginations The games market has had a challenging start this year, especially with the closure of Toys R Us which was one of the main bricks & mortar retailers for games. That said, we have seen some encouraging sales in the pre-school sub category, as well as steady performances for Articulate and Logo.

We have five new games being launched this year; Wally The Washer, Word Bandit, Foxy Pants, Super Ski Jump and Escape Room The Game. My personal favourite is Foxy Pants – this game is so much fun, and the game play features a great surprise to enjoy.

One of the biggest challenges facing the games & puzzles market right now would have to be the ongoing reliance on Q4 sales. I have just visited hyper-markets and toy specialists in France and Germany; retailers in these countries have far more dedicated space in-store for games & puzzles, and it would be good to see the same level of space offered by UK retailers.

Dan King General Manager UK, Cartamundi I think it will be another strong Christmas for games and puzzles.

Consumers’ appetites for games are seemingly insatiable, and it’s great to see lots of new developments coming through.

We believe that Color Addict (I can spell, it’s an American name) is set to become one of our biggest games ever. It’s a best-selling game in France and we believe that it will be huge here. The game play is fast paced and lots of fun, which is inherent to all successful games, and we have some exciting marketing plans in place. We’ll also be bringing in limited stock for 2018 before a full launch in spring 2019.

Rising costs and supply chain issues seem to be the biggest current challenges out there, but speed to market also presents a hurdle. Trends are developing overnight through social media, so getting quality product to the market quickly is key.

Steve Washbourne

- Sales director, Jumbo Games

With the Puzzle market already up +4.6% at the half way point (NPD YTD June), during a challenging year for retail, we are positive that Q4 will continue to see growth for the category, especially through Adult Puzzles (currently +19.5% YTD).

It’s all about the Christmas puzzle for Jumbo at the moment, and this year’s brand new Falcon de luxe Christmas Shopping 1,000-piece puzzle also includes a free 1,000-piece Christmas themed puzzle. It’s our third year giving away a free 1,000-piece Christmas puzzle inside the box as an added value 2-for-1 treat for consumers, and we remain the only puzzle company to do so.

The weather is a huge challenge right now! Who wants to puzzle in 30+ degrees…

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Touching Base Philip Morris UK and Ireland country manager, Bertoy At the Harrogate Home & Gift Fair we launched our autumn range; this included six new puzzles from Crocodile Creek, with themes such as A Day at the Zoo and Tell me a Story, and 11 new puzzles and games from Mudpuppy including additions to our current selection of Search and Find puzzles. For the first time in the Mudpuppy range we have added a magnetic puzzle. Tiger Tribe has launched 22 new items too. All these extra items across the brands will really help shape up our presence going into the Christmas period.

From the response received from our customers at Harrogate, we feel that the new 48-piece Day at the Zoo puzzle will prove to be very popular. The puzzle is 45.7cm x 61cm, and the design features all of the most popular animals you would expect to see on a day out to the Zoo. The biggest challenge we face currently is the weather - for puzzles and games we need it to be wet or cold. An increase in foot-fall in retail shops would also improve demand.

Lynette Norris -

Marketing manager, John Adams Despite the games market being down YTD in terms of NPD data, we’re bucking the trend and growing our business year on year thanks to a strong portfolio of products that really does include something for everyone. Our ever-popular children’s action games such as Soggy Doggy and Gooey Louie continue to perform well, whilst heritage brands such as Rubik’s and Rummikub are going from strength to strength.

We’ve launched some very exciting new games this year; for the younger ones we have an all new version of Mr Pop and our cheese chasing action game Hamster Race. We are also very excited about our official Strictly Come Dancing Board Game. Strictly is a much-loved TV favourite for families across the nation, and the board game allows people to metaphorically step into the dancing shoes of the contestants they see on screen.

The biggest challenge within the games market is to ensure that our products stand out from the crowd. By concentrating on successful and proven formulas with both product and our marketing strategies, we are confident that our new lines will help drive our games business even further in the latter stages of the year.

Rob Eatwell - Managing director, Cheatwell Games The market is holding up well; we’ve seen growth in most of our key retailers and obtained a number of listings with new high street multiples, which is exciting. You have to keep creating new and desirable products if you want to remain competitive.

Our biggest line this year is Baffled, which is a memory board game. It is a great family game in the traditional sense; the family can all sit around the board and play the game together over Christmas. Despite the rise of phone-based games we believe that great board and card games will continue to be popular, as they offer a fun way of socialising without the need for a screen. Interestingly, we have another - much naughtier - game which is performing exceptionally well, but it’s a bit too risqué for these pages!

The UK market has changed drastically from when we set up our business 32 years ago, with big beasts like Toys R Us, Woolworths and BHS disappearing from the high street. The growth of the internet has been a major cause but this offers great new opportunities. We believe that unless you adapt you will not survive, and so we have continued to create fun and elegant products that appeal on high street gondolas as well as on-screen.

Joanna Drage - Sales director, Thames & Kosmos We are having another bumper year in board game sales. By the end of this year we will be close to a 50/50 share of sales between board games and science kits, which is amazing considering we have only been selling games for four years. Other publishers’ games also appear to be selling well, and so I see no signs of any slow-down in the growth of this sector yet.

Our biggest new lines are definitely the Exit Games. This range replicates the experience of an Escape Room, but in the comfort of your own home, tapping into the popularity of both board games and the escape room phenomenon. I feel that winning the Kennerspiel des Jahres award absolutely sealed its fate. We have released three new titles so far this year, and are releasing another title later in the year.

The biggest challenge facing the games and puzzles market right now is the lack of national exposure. It’s obvious from the massive increase in popularity of the UK Games Expo, the addition of other UK board game consumer shows, all the new board game cafés and the huge offering of new Kickstarter games that there is an increasing call for more strategic or euro games. While all nine of our Exit Games are in our top 10 best-selling products, I can’t help but wonder what this range could do with more recognition.

Toy World 34

DISCOVER playful development with Puzzles & Games

9 MASSIVE

TV Campaigns

Sept - Dec

Tel: 01869 363800 sales@ravensburger.com

Feature

Games & Puzzles

Spin Master 01628 535 000 | www.spinmastertoys.co.uk Kicking off Spin Master’s new games line up is The Sock Game, a fast-paced game where players’ fingers do the seeing. Included in each set are two socks and an assortment of random items. The player turns the spinner on the board and once the arrow lands on an object, players must reach into the sock and feel their way to the chosen object. The first player to find their object wins a point. The Sock Game can be customised by adding items from around the house into each sock and writing them down on the board’s blank spaces.

The Cat Game is a hair-raising drawing game. Players pick a card from a CATegory, draw the clue and see if other players can guess the answer, facing off individually or breaking into teams to battle it out. The drawing game is ideal for small and large groups alike, while the hairy, pettable packaging makes it a true conversation-starter or gift for cat lovers.

Brainy players can fire up their competitive side with Otrio, the head-to-head strategy game. To win, players must get three pieces of their colour in a row based upon similar size; lined up in ascending or descending order; or within the same space as three concentric pieces. Depending on the wit of their opponent, players may need to sharpen their strategic skills and exercise critical thinking. The game board is made of solid wood, giving players an elegant playing experience.

Pimple Pete is a pressure-packed, pimple popping game. The spinner arrow will land on Pete’s forehead, left cheek, right cheek or chin; players choose a pimple from that area and carefully twist and wiggle the pimple out. Players earn 1, 2 or 3 points for every pimple they extract depending on the level of difficulty, while yanking too hard will set off the Mega-Zit filled with water on Pete’s nose. Pimple Pete offers two ways to play; the game can be won by earning the most points for popping pimples, or players can simply pop the pimples without bursting the Mega-Zit to reign as pimple popping champion.

Finally, Spin Master’s new Unicorn Ring Toss allows players to don sparkly unicorn hats and catch brightly coloured rings on their horns. The player to catch the most rings – no hands allowed – wins the game.

Jumbo Games 01707 289 289 | www.jumbo.eu Jumbo Games is launching its new adult Disney Collection, kicking off the range with commemorative Mickey Mouse 90 Years 1,000-piece montage puzzle that shows the magic of Mickey throughout the decades.

Alongside this anniversary puzzle launch, Jumbo has also released some true Disney classics with the Snow White and Bambi 1,000-piece movie posters.

The Peter Rabbit licence is another new property to enter Jumbo’s adult portfolio this year and has already been a hit with puzzlers since the launch of the 1,000-piece and 500-piece puzzles in the classic Beatrix Potter style. Alongside these adult releases, the 4 Shaped Box Set and Giant Floor puzzles are ideal for pre-schoolers.

From its No. 1 puzzle brand Wasgij, Jumbo will be launching a further two new puzzles including this year’s Christmas puzzle, Christmas 14 Santa’s Little Helpers! 1,000-piece puzzle, which features a free 1,000 piece puzzle, making it the ideal Christmas gift for puzzle lovers. Also new to the Wasgij collection is the Original 30 Strictly Can’t Dance!, inspired by the hit show Strictly Come Dancing.

Having already released over 30 new puzzles in the Falcon de Luxe range, Jumbo has just released a further nine brand new puzzles, including The Whitesmith’s Cottage in Winter, Playing in the Snow, Winter Birds and Autumn Garden, all across 1,000 piece formats. With the festive season just around the corner, fans can also look forward to Jumbo’s new Christmas puzzles – the Christmas Market 500 piece puzzle and the Christmas Shopping 1,000-piece puzzle, which comes with a free 1,000 piece puzzle.

Jumbo has expanded its games portfolio with the launch of four new Strategy Games, having seen the growing demand and popularity in this category over the past couple of years. Partnering with some of the most popular game developers and illustrators in this market, Jumbo’s new titles include the semi-cooperative How to Rob a Bank Game, which is already a strong seller in the US, the tactical tile placement game Forbidden City, a collect and dominate game titled Okavango, and Isidore – School of Magic.

In Jumbo’s licensed children’s portfolio, the company has recently launched a new range of puzzles for the popular Disney Junior shows, Disney Puppy Dog Pals and Disney Vampirina, with a 4 Shaped Puzzles Box and 4-in-1 Puzzle Pack for each property.

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Games & Puzzles

Asmodee 01420 593 593 | www.asmodee.co.uk Asmodee UK is gearing up for a successful Christmas period with a host of titles the company expects to make a big impact, led by Dobble, the biggestselling game in the UK this year.

The card game of speedy observation has gone from strength to strength since winning Game of the Year at the Toy Industry Awards, and is a star attraction in Asmodee’s new Fun Fast Games range. Comprising the best of the company’s easy-to-learn titles that reward in-store demonstrations with sales, the range also includes storytelling game Rory’s Story Cubes and Bananagrams, the word-building game for all ages.

The Fun Fast Games range is rounded out by the game of catlike ninja reactions, Cobra Paw, the brand new Who Did It, in which players establish whose pet made the mess on the floor, and Set, the picture-matching game which is proving popular in the US. Joining them will be the newest game in the Asmodee portfolio, D-lerium.

This quick-thinking, fast-paced party game challenges players to be the first to perform the actions indicated.

Asmodee’s Modern Classics range is a new initiative which sets out to champion the key products that have driven the worldwide growth of tabletop games in recent years, and which are ideal for new and established gamers alike. The brand boasts Pandemic, the pioneering cooperative board game in which players are tasked with saving humanity from four deadly diseases, Carcassonne, a tile-laying game where players build up the area around the medieval French town, and Dixit, the game of storytelling and communication.

The Modern Classics range is completed by Splendor, in which players develop the best strategy to acquire expensive gems, Ticket to Ride Europe, which takes five minutes to learn but gives hours of fun building railway networks across Europe, and Catan, the multi-million-selling game of building and trading.

Both the Modern Classics and Fun Fast Games ranges are being heavily supported with eye-catching POS materials that will encourage consumers to check out Asmodee’s full range of family-friendly games.

Big Potato 07472 824 526 | www.bigpotato.co.uk The Big Potato team is back with a whole host of brand new party games, including its first board game sequel.

Clickbait, a family party game for ages 14+, is all about writing attention-grabbing slogans for some of the most ridiculous products that the internet has to offer.

Examples include Unicorn Jerky, Giant Family Slippers and Flamethrowing for Kids: A Step-By Step Guide. To begin, the judge chooses a Product Card and rolls five lettered dice, each displaying a single letter. Players then have to think of a short, snappy line to advertise the product, using the five letters on the dice to start each word. Each player writes down their slogan and passes it to the judge. Once the judge has chosen their favourite, the player who wrote it is given a point. Then, a new product gets revealed and the dice are rolled again. The first player to write three pieces of awardwinning Clickbait (and receive three points) is the winner.

Don’t Get Got is a party game about tricking each other and not getting caught.

Players are given six secret mission cards each. The first player to successfully complete three missions wins the game. However, there’s a catch: the game has no time limit. It could take hours or it could even take days. To complete these missions, players will need to trick another player without getting rumbled. Whether that means convincing them to open a jar of jam or hiding a card in their bag of crisps, one thing is for sure – players will have to be at their absolute sneakiest to win.

The dynamic duo Barack Obama and Tina the Llama return in the second edition of Obama Llama. With all new content, the game is not just about celebrities anymore; it’s crammed with rhymes about all sorts of weird and wonderful stuff including Severus Snape choking on a grape, T-Rex mixing on the decks, and The Eiffel Tower taking a shower. In this family game, players must describe a rhyme whilst their friends and family try to guess as many as they can in 30 seconds time. The more they get right, the more chances they player will have to navigate the labyrinth of facedown pair cards and win the game. There are three hundred brand new rhymes to discover, so players can split into teams, roll the dice and get ready to describe, mime and rhyme their way to victory once again.

Big Potato will be appearing at Top Drawer London from the 9th to the 11th of September. For more information, please visit the team at stand H35.

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Games & Puzzles

John Adams 01480 414 361 | www.johnadams.co.uk Joining the John Adams Leisure range for autumn is Mr Pop, in which players must pick a card and race to build Mr Pop’s face, matching the card before the time runs out and he pops up, sending all his pieces flying. Also joining the John Adams family this year is Hamster Race, the cheese chasing, hamster racing game. Players line up their hamsters on the starting grid, roll the dice and set off, racing around the track as they fill their hamster’s pouch with cheese before making a dash for the wheel. The last hamster to hang on and stay on the wheel wins.

Kids can test their nerves with Tumbling Monkeys, by pulling sticks out of the tree without letting the monkeys fall. Different colour monkeys score different penalty points and when all the monkeys are down, the player with the lowest score wins.

Fans of the world’s most perplexing puzzle can take on a new challenge with the Rubik’s 4x4 Cube. A new design means smoother, faster and stronger twists and turns, while no stickers means no cheating. The Rubik’s range is also boosted with two new games. Rubik’s Flip is a new head-to-head strategy game with only eight moves per player. Participants place a tile into the grid, then flip one of their opponent’s - it sounds simple but is a challenge to master. The first person to place three tiles of the same colour in a row, which cannot be flipped, will be crowned the winner. Rubik’s Battle is a quick-thinking, fast-action card game. Players deal out the cards and each player flips over their top card. The fastest person to spot unique colour matches wins, with the objective being to collect all of the Rubik’s Battle cards.

An array of pick up and play games is also available from John Adams, including Pointz, a new spin on fast-reaction games. Players race against the spinner with game challenges that make them move, speak, act, think, look and react to win the point. Grabolo lets players compete to prove which of them has the best eyes and the fastest fingers. A roll of the dice determines the combination of colour and shape playing pieces to find and grab before the others get there first.

Slam It! is a game for all ages. Each player plays a card while counting in sequence from 0 to 9. When the card played matches the number spoken, players must slam their hands on the pile of cards. The last person to slam their hand down keeps the pile of cards. And with Sneak Peek, only a quick mind and speedy hands can win the game, as players race to match any three cards by symbol, colour, or both.

5 Gold Rings is a fun family board game, based upon the popular ITV show hosted by Phillip Schofield. The goal is to place different sized rings onto picture cards to circle where the players thinks the correct answer is. Smaller rings score more points.

Last but not least is the official Strictly Come Dancing board game. Players can put themselves in the dancing shoes of both the contestants and the Strictly judges, with challenges and Strictly trivia for all the family to enjoy.

All key launches are TV advertised and have full PR, social media and digital marketing plans in place.

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Thames & Kosmos 01580 212 000 | www.thamesandkosmos.co.uk Building further on its strongest performing category – which accounts for 32% of Thames & Kosmos’ business – the company has further boosted its Kosmos board games portfolio with an array of new arrivals.

Continuing a successful run for Kosmos, two new editions in the Exit: The Game series are joining the range - The Mysterious Museum and The Sinister Mansion. Replicating an escape room experience, players unlock codes, solve puzzles, collect objects and earn their freedom bit by bit. With luck, tactics and high-quality playing materials, these games are engaging until the very end.

Building on the success of the original hit game Word Slam, the new version Word Slam Family contains all the same fast-paced enjoyment but in a streamlined, compact format. Without speaking or using any actions, competing team captains must simultaneously describe the same word to their teams, using only the word cards provided (600 over four difficulty levels). The first team to guess the word correctly wins the round. There are easier, family-friendly answer words in this version, and the die and timer have been replaced by an app. Word Slam Family can be played on its own or as an expansion to the original version.

Mercado puts two to four players into a marketplace environment, with die-cut market stalls as a backdrop. Each player has their own ‘grab bag’ with various coloured coins inside. Players take turns to blindly grab three coins from the bag then place them on the market stalls of their choice. If a player has enough coins on the market stall after a few rounds, they receive the goods from this stand and score points. The fun of the game lies in the unknown; which coins players will retrieve from the bag, and which goods their opponents are playing for.

To further broaden and strengthen its games offering, Kosmos has formed a strategic partnership with Devir, whose popular games include Check Point Charlie, a card game of observation, deduction and mental agility. Players watch all the suspects carefully and try to find out which of them is the chief of spies, using the clues that they and the other K-Nine investigators uncover. Other titles include Dragons and Chickens, Dungeon Raiders, Holmes: Sherlock & Mycroft, Fast Food Fear, Picnic and 1,2,3.

Games & Puzzles

Mattel

01628 500 000 | www.mattel.com In 2018 Mattel continues to strengthen its games portfolio with an extensive offering that introduces new games and family favourites alike for 2018.

The iconic board game Scrabble celebrates its 70th Anniversary this year. Anniversary celebrations will kick off in October when Mattel launches a campaign inviting consumers to reappraise the brand with an engaging experiential activation, PR and a new social film. Fans can also follow the world’s most skilled Scrabble aficionados as they take on the Mindsports World Scrabble Championship in Torquay, with the final to be held in London.

To commemorate this historic milestone, the brand is launching a Scrabble 70th Anniversary Edition. The classic board game has been lovingly re-imagined for today’s Scrabblers with a modern, luxury aesthetic and now features special black and gold foil-stamped spaces on the board.

Tapping in to current trends, Mattel also introduces brand new game Flushin’ Frenzy for autumn/winter. A game that requires fast reflexes, players roll the dice and plunge the toilet the amount of times shown. If the poop comes flying up, and they catch it in midair, they earn two chips, with the player who finishes the game with the most chips being crowned the winner. Flushin’ Frenzy provides hours of fun and toilet humor for two to four players.

Handimonium is an entertaining game that allows kids and adults to challenge their friends to seemingly simple tasks. However, these tasks suddenly become outrageously difficult as players must perform them wearing tiny plastic hands. Players start by flipping the first instruction card over to reveal a challenge which must be completed, such as ‘Can you fill a cup with household objects?’. Handimonium also offers another way to play the popular party game charades, as teammates take it in turns to act out clues. They’ll soon find out just how tricky simple actions can be when they’re working with hands that aren’t their own.

Rounding off Mattel newest games offerings for 2018, the classic card game Uno expands play with a modern takeover; Uno Baby Animals and special licensed ranges including Uno Junior Fireman Sam, Uno Jurassic World, Jurassic Attack, and Uno Minecraft. All the new ranges offer the enjoyment of the classic card matching game with new themes and engaging, unpredictable ways to play, including special rules and characters.

SJD Games 01296 583 315 | www.jaskgames.com Following the success of its flagship board game Jask, SJD Games is proud to introduce its third innovative word game - Jask Connect. The prevailing theme of Jask games is Words Beginning With, and Jask Connect is no different. This game not only encompasses the fun and educational elements that made its predecessors so popular with families, but also includes two great games in refreshed and eye-catching packaging.

In the first of the Jask Connect games - the simple and easy to play Regular Game - players aim to be the first to shout out the name of an object/picture beginning with a certain letter shown on the letter card. The successful player wins the card and the overall winner is the player who has won the most cards by the end of the game.

The Advanced Game is played the same way as the Regular Game, but features one engaging twist; the cards are returned to the bottom of the deck, with each player writing down the letter they have won in that round on the Answer Board provided. The first player to spell one of the Jask Connect pictures/objects wins the game.

With these two quite different games, Jask Connect offers a truly entertaining way to not only master the basic alphabet, but also develop and improve spelling and literacy. Suitable for ages 4 to 104, Jask has cemented its place as one of very few games with the ability and longevity to appeal to children, teenagers and adults alike.

The Jask brand is just starting its journey, and the company confidently predicts that its Words Beginning With element, along with game play which invokes the category-style games so popular with parents and children, will see the brand become a best-seller in households across the UK. The range includes Jask, Travel Jask and now Jask Connect.

Jask, the original family board game and the first product released by SJD Games, is popular in households up and down the UK and also around the world. With flexible gameplay that incorporates easy and difficult questions, and different scoring systems, Jask allows different ages and abilities to compete at the same level.

The gameplay also permits all players to participate at the same time and for all players to move in every round, ensuring that no one will feel bored or be left out.

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Best Selling game in France now comes to the UK & Ireland!

BLUE B L U E

RED

Limited early stock available November 2018 Phone: 01268 511522 Email: Info.UK@cartamundi.com

BL UE BL U E

RED

A colourful TV, digital, influencer campaign 2019

Games & Puzzles

Character Options 01616 339 800 | www.character-online.com Character Options has game and puzzles for all tastes, including spinning top challenges, guess the answer games and a handheld puzzle that will have everyone flipping out.

Name It! is a pop culture trivia game with over 400 audio questions to draw on each player’s knowledge on anything from pop music to cult films, sports or even animal sounds. It’s easy to play; participants just switch on, listen and press the buzzer if they know the answer - the interactive game master does the rest.

For kids with Pokémon as their specialist subject, the successful Pokémon Trainer Guess is now available in the Johto Edition. In addition to the 151 Kanto Pokémon featured in series 1, the new Quick style Pokéball has an additional 100 Pokémon from the Johto Region to discover and collect.

The addictive game FlipSlide is slated to get players hooked. This clever game of memory, speed and skill is inspired by classic games such as Tetris and Rubik’s cube, and comprises a handheld electronic game which tasks players to flip and slide coloured blocks in order to solve puzzles.

Also highly addictive, whether playing solo or challenging fellow spinners, is iTop, the pocket-sized electronic spinning top that counts the number of revolutions and keeps track of high scores. With three main play modes including Top Score, 99 Spin Challenge and a Compass mode, iTop also comes with unlockable play modes; players can spin the secret combination to see special animations appear. It’s simple to do but will take practice to master.

Added to the line-up are two magical games. Catching Stars is a whimsical Fairy moon projector that emits a pretty star show onto the ceiling, challenging children to wave their magic light-up wand to catch the brightest shining star, while Wizard Battle game arms kids with special magic wands the first wizard to correctly complete the selected magic spell and turn off all of their opponent’s amulet lights wins the battle.

The entire Character Options games portfolio will be supported with a wide variety of marketing, include TV advertising, kids press, influencer outreach and online activity.

Wild & Wolf 01225 789909 | www.wildandwolf.com Ridley’s Games offers products that are specifically designed to intrigue, amaze and inspire hours of fun for all ages. From board games to toys, novelties and puzzles, Ridley’s products offer players innovative bespoke packaging designs and original game play.

The company has several new games launching in autumn/winter, including Avocado Smash!, Sumo Slam!, Caffeine Hit!, Selfish: The Space Edition, and Draw A Blank. Referred to as ‘The Big 5’ by Ridley’s, these brand new games have all been designed and developed over two years in-house by the specialist design team. The company has also been working on mini brands like Mash Ups!: smaller, fast-paced games that hit multiple price points and markets.

Avocado Smash is a fast-paced and fresh twist on the popular Snap card game. Featuring avocado-textured cards, players need to think and act quickly if they want to win, by yelling Smash! when the Smash card turns up, or after two consecutive matching number cards. Change Direction cards, Smash cards and Guacamole cards spice up each round, so players will always have a chance to Smash it. Suitable for two or more players, the portable game is finished with innovative and life-like avocado texture packaging. The game sits in a nine-unit fruit crate style CDU, making it ideal for till-point impulse purchases.

Players can test their luck and prepare for battle with Sumo Slam!, in which mini Sumo wrestlers are thrown to score points. Each landing position has a different points value, so players must avoid their wrestler falling flat on its back. Designed with retail placement in mind, the innovative noodle box packaging is designed for easy stacking on shelf. Suitable for two or more, Sumo Slam! is ideal for on-the-go and playground enjoyment.

Game lovers can find out just how far they would go to save themselves with the new game Selfish. With bespoke gameplay and eye-catching illustrations designed completely in-house, this is a game where only the ruthless survive. The Space edition sees astronaut players stranded in space with oxygen supplies running low. In order to survive, totally selfish behaviour will be needed as participants battle to stay alive while their fellow astronauts look out only for themselves. Sabotage cards such as Oxygen Siphon, and action cards like Wormholes, Asteroid Fields and Laser Blasts keep game play interesting throughout. Suitable for two to five players, dynamic and fun gameplay plus a strong price point provide good value for money.

Ridley’s Mash-Ups! range is also new for this season. Unforgettable conversations can be sparked between players, with four game decks of 100 cards in bespoke, travel-friendly packaging available, covering fun and light-hearted themes; Desert Island Dilemmas, Who Would Beat Who, Would You Rather and This & That. Ideal for parties and on-the-go, players and their friends can debate important questions like: Would you rather fart flames every time you kiss someone or have armpits full of sticky honey?, or Who would beat who: Justin Bieber vs. Yoda?. Mash Ups! Is available in a branded twelve-unit CDU to promote mix-and-match repeat purchases.

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Games & Puzzles

Hasbro 0208 569 1234 | www.hasbro.co.uk This autumn, game fans can look forward to Hasbro’s latest new offerings - Monopoly Cheaters, Pie Face Cannon, Speech Breaker, and Chow Crown.

Monopoly Cheaters is an updated version of the classic Monopoly game, in which players are permitted to bend the rules and ‘cheat to win’ as they travel across the gameboard in an effort to own it all. For the first time, ‘borrowing’ (stealing) money from the bank, skipping spaces, and avoiding rent are welcomed in this engaging and decidedly different version of the iconic Monopoly game. When players complete the cheats as assigned by the game they’ll get a reward, but if they get caught they’ll pay the consequences; pretend handcuffs will leave offenders chained to the board until they are released.

Kids can have a blast as they take aim and pie their opponent with the Pie Face Cannon game. To start, one player will step up and put their face in the facemask, while the other player aims the cannon and tries to launch whipped cream onto their opponent’s face. The player behind the mask can try to avoid getting pie-faced by using the included blocking hand. Players can earn points by either blocking themselves or by successfully pie-ing their opponent.

The first player to get five points wins. The Pie Face Cannon game includes a whipped cream cannon, cannon holder, numbered track, connecting stick, base with buttons, blocking hand, chin rest, splash-card mask, and spinner.

With Speech Breaker, players are reporting live from the scene as they try to overcome this voice-jamming challenge. Kids put on the game headset and talk into the game microphone, while their teammates attempt to guess who/what/where they are, without saying any of the words on the cards. It sounds simple, but there’s a catch; the microphone jams the player’s speech with a built-in delay. As they talk, they’ll hear their delayed voice through the game headset, making it harder to speak clearly.

Finally, Hasbro’s new Chow Crown game puts a fun twist on viral food eating challenges. To play, participants load the six hanging forks with various food items of their choosing. They then place the spinning crown on their head, and eat as many snacks as possible before the music stops to keep their crown. Chow Crown can be played solo or in a head-to-head tournament, and includes an electronic crown, six plastic forks, and instructions on how to play.

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Cartamundi 01268 511 522 | www.cartamundi.com Cartamundi’s award-winning Fundels Play & Learn range has been strengthened further with the new addition Clock Reading.

The game helps children learn to read the clock and tell the time in both analogue and digital. The Fundels Play & Learn range allows kids to learn through play in a way that is fully aligned with the UK national curriculum. The whole product range is written in Dyslexie font, which increases readability for dyslexic children.

The company’s card brand Shuffle is going from strength to strength, with new additions in Shuffle Aqua and Shuffle Go added to the range for 2018. The waterproof, plastic Shuffle Aqua cards can stick to the side of the bath or bathroom tiles, allowing kids and their parents to enjoy card games during bath time. The range includes the properties Paw Patrol, Cars and My Little Pony.

The Shuffle Go range allows for gaming on the go, and autumn/ winter sees the introduction of Double Domino with Disney Princess, Rainbow Rummy with Minnie Mouse and Number Rumble with Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.

To celebrate the 90th anniversary of Mickey Mouse, the company is launching a Game Box and a Game Box Compendium, both presented in an eye-catching 1920’s retro box. The Game Box offers kids eight card games and 16 dice games plus Yatzee, while the bigger Game Box Compendium offers all these dice and card games, plus Happy Families, Dominoes, Yatzee and Pairs.

Cartamundi has been making playing cards since 1765. Royal Flush - the company’s leading playing card brand in the UK - has had a refresh with a premium linen finish to appeal to all card players. Copag 310 has been a success with cardists and magicians alike, and September sees the launch of the Svengali, Stripper and Gaff decks to complete the offering.

Due to unexpectedly high demand, the company has announced that it will have limited stock of Color Addict in November ahead of its 2019 full launch. Color Addict, a best-selling game in France, is a fast paced game where players aim to be the first to get rid of their cards by playing the right colour or word, or vice versa. The company has a heavyweight marketing campaign in place for 2019, which will kick off in November 2018.

November also sees the release of the hotly anticipated Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Crimes of Grindelwald.

Cartamundi has produced an eye-catching deck of playing cards which should prove popular with all fans of the Wizarding World.

Games & Puzzles

Ravensburger 01869 363 800 | www.ravensburger.com Currently landing on shelves all across the UK now, Let’s Visit Santa! is Ravensburger’s 22nd Limited Edition Christmas 1000-piece puzzle and is set to be one of the biggest selling 1000-piece puzzles this year. Available for one year only, the traditional-style illustration shows a family sharing their Christmas wishes with Santa in his winter wonderland grotto.

This year Ravensburger is also proudly supporting Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day, in partnership with Entertainment One, with a special Peppa Pig Christmas Shaped Giant Floor Puzzle. The 32-piece shaped jigsaw puzzle features a colourful Peppa Pig Christmas scene, created specifically to help raise money and awareness for the children’s charity. Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day is on Friday 14 December and £1 from the sale of every jigsaw puzzle will go to the charity.

Amongst the 31 new children’s licensed puzzle launches for this season, the new Thomas & Friends 24-piece Giant Floor Puzzle, featuring Rebecca from Big World Adventures, has been specifically created for Ravensburger. The puzzle measures 70 x 50cm when complete.

This season will also see the launch of 15 adult jigsaw puzzles and eight new 3D puzzles, including the hugely anticipated Porsche 108-piece, a complete Planetary Solar System comprising of eight 3D puzzles in different sizes to represent the solar system, as well as the new Arc De Triomphe Night Edition 3D Puzzle, Buckingham Palace 3D Puzzle and Notre Dame 3D Puzzle. The full Ravensburger 3D Puzzle range is supported with two huge TV campaigns running from October right up until Christmas.

Bertoy 0774 815 0906 | www.bertoy.com Bertoy will be expanding its puzzle portfolio for autumn, with a selection of new items from Crocodile Creek and Mud Puppy launching from September.

Crocodile Creek has already seen success with its Day at the Museum range, and for autumn 2018 the brand now welcomes its new Day at the Zoo puzzle to the product range. This observational puzzle transports kids to the zoo, with a high level of illustrative detail depicting the range of activities that happen there. For in-store and shelf presence, the puzzle is packaged in a clever shaped box.

For fans of fairytales, Crocodile Creek has produced its new Tell Me A Story range. The three innovative and detailed puzzles each feature three charming or villainous characters to sweep a young imagination to a faraway land. The puzzle tells a fairytale story without words while encouraging interactive imaginative play.

Featuring bold colours and whimsical illustrations, Crocodile Creek’s 24 piece Pirate Party puzzle encourages hand-eye coordination and problem solving. The puzzle is ideal for interaction between parent and child, the sturdy box makes for easy storage and the puzzle’s small size makes it a great accompaniment for travel.

Children are naturally intrigued by the wonders of magnetism, and now they can puzzle on-the-go with Mudpuppy's popular range of magnetic puzzles. The new and on-trend Magical Unicorn Magnetic Puzzle provides children with a fun and easy way to puzzle while they travel. The portable tri-fold portfolio package includes two puzzles, each with 20 magnetic puzzle pieces. The puzzle pieces stick to the magnetised portfolio so there is no slipping or lost pieces. The portfolio also includes an extra magnetic surface in case it’s time to pack up before the puzzles are complete.

The Owls and Foxes Guessing Game is an engaging game for children to play on the go. Players ask yes or no questions, guess the other player’s character, and win. Sturdy game boards feature 18 cute owls and foxes sporting a variety of accessories. With dry erase markers, no loose pieces and easy clean up, playing in the car, train, plane, or at home is hassle free.

The new Dinosaur Search and Find Puzzle design offers children double the fun. First, children can piece together the 64 piece puzzle featuring diverse and colorful dinosaurs living in the forest. After putting the puzzle together, children can then test their observational skills as they find the 40+ dinosaurs, insects, and plant life in the border around the puzzle image.

For further information please contact Bertoy’s UK country manager, Philip Morris.

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bigpotato.com @bigpotatogames

This September we’re going to be at Top Drawer, London for the first time, laden with the fruits of our summer labours.

products, and Obama Llama II – the sequel to our classic rhyming charades game with the ridiculous sounding name.

We’ve got three brand new games to show off.

There’s Don’t Get Got, our secret missions party game, Clickbait, a game all about selling pointless

Contact Emily Polglase on 07472 824 526 or at emily@bigpotato.co.uk to arrange a meeting or just pop by and see us at stand H35.

BiG

PoTaTo gAmEs

Games & Puzzles

Ginger Fox 01242 241765 | www.gingerfox.co.uk New from Ginger Fox (a brand of Hacche Retail) is Placing the Past. This game of recall and risk offers something for everyone, from history buffs to those who prefer to make a guess and take a chance. Players must place their hand of event cards in chronological order to win points, but other players can steal their points if they get it wrong.

Maki Staki is a stylish sushi-themed card game for three to six players. Players simply collect sets of sushi cards to make their maki, but must also be ready to roll with the action cards – if they are unlucky they could fall foul of the Fatal Fugu or Wasabi Burn, while the Conveyor Belt will help them pass the buck.

A game for the secret agent in everyone, Kryptos is a spy-themed challenge in which keen deduction and skilful decryption must be used to crack enemy codes. Furtive planning and covert operations will be needed by players if they are to prevent their opponents from ruthlessly exploiting their weaknesses. This enigmatic game is ideal for anyone who enjoys strategic play laced with tension.

Taxi! is a family board game in which players’ British and general knowledge will be put to the test as they sound off on a variety of subjects – just as any true cabbie would. Players build up their fares and tips in a bid to earn the most during their shift, trying their luck with Give or Take cards and watching out for diversions. The Great British Taxi! Board Game balances traditional elements with fast-paced, inclusive and fun gameplay.

Tomy 01271 336 155 | www.tomy.com Tomy’s games portfolio currently sits in the top five manufacturers in the childrens’ games category with family favourites Pop Up Pirate and Screwball Scramble, as well as successful new games like Greedy Granny. This year, Tomy will expand its popular games collection with the addition of three entertaining new releases.

New releases for autumn/winter include Run-Around Hamster. Suitable for two to four players, the aim of the game is to help Hammy store the most food.

Players watch as Hammy the Hamster takes food from his house, storing it in the bedroom for safekeeping.

Also new to the collection is Burp the Baby. A game of chance that will have everyone in hysterics, players take turns trying to burp the baby, but if they burp him too much they’ll be in for a surprise.

Finally, puzzlers will enjoy the brain teaser Puzzle Wars. Players can go head to head against a friend or challenge themselves with this fast-paced puzzle game, using the pieces to match the shapes and colours shown on the card. The first to finish and hit the buzzer wins.

Tomy will support its new releases and hero lines with a multi-touch point marketing campaign that combines TV, digital, PR, a targeted influencer campaign and retail to result in better conversion.

Paul Lamond Games 020 7254 0100 | www.paul-lamond.com Games and puzzles specialist Paul Lamond has unveiled a selection of new and innovative products, as the marketplace turns its attention to Christmas – the peak season for board gaming.

Now in stock is the new trivia-style board game Reveal, the game with no questions, only answers; Stupid Deaths, a family board game of grave humour; and Gogglebox 2018, a brand-new TV trivia board game based on the BAFTA-winning observational documentary series.

Ideal for the children and families market is Kersplatt, a fast-paced and creative modelling dough game, while fans of Roald Dahl’s most famous characters can enjoy the company’s imaginative series of 250-piece jigsaw puzzles. Starring a host of characters and themes, from The BFG and Matilda to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or James and the Giant Peach, the puzzles offer something for all fans of the popular author.

Pre-schoolers can choose from a host of engaging and educational new games and puzzles, including Let’s Feed the Hungry Caterpillar and The Highway Rat Stand and Deliver board games, the Enormous Crocodile Floor Puzzle and Memory Card Game, and a 35-piece Puzzle and Domino Set from the World of Dinosaur Roar.

Also joining Paul Lamond’s successful football portfolio this autumn are two new licensed 3D Football Stadium Puzzles; The Olympic Stadium, the home of West Ham United and St James’ Park, Newcastle United’s home ground. For football lovers who enjoy a challenge, the company has also produced new licensed football club Rubik’s Cubes featuring Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, West Ham and Newcastle United.

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3

4

2

LET THE GAMES BEGIN! SAY HELLO TO US AT

NEC Birmingham Birmingham, UK 2-5 September 2018

Parc des Expositions de Villepinte Paris, France 7-11 September 2018

STAND 4 D02-F03

HALL 3 STAND A56-B55

SALES@WILDANDWOLF.COM / WWW.WILDANDWOLF.CO.UK / 01225 789 909

Games & Puzzles

Gibsons Games 020 8661 8866 | www.gibsonsgames.co.uk Having undergone a box makeover that Gibsons says will ‘blow player’s minds’, the explosive word game Pass the Bomb tests participants’ nerves to the limit. Lasting approximately 30 minutes, each game is kept interesting thanks to the threat of the ticking bomb. Players take turns to shout out a word that contains the letters on their card and pass the bomb before it ‘explodes’. Pass the Bomb has been one of Gibsons’ bestselling games over the last two decades, and the revamped packaging has a contemporary feel, paving the way to an innovative and engaging new direction for the brand. The new box design can be purchased at the end of September, just in time to bring the family together during the festive season.

Gibsons has recently launched an imaginative new game, Crystal Hall. Developed by a group of four friends - John, Ben, Luke and Maren - the game sees players lead their troupe of wizards into the Crystal Hall in a quest to discover and collect powerful crystals, thereby becoming the strongest wizard and winning the game. Casting spells, drinking potions and teleporting to new locations will all be necessary as the wizards explore the board. But players beware - curses, warps and fireballs are just a few of the dangers lurking in Crystal Hall.

Finally, Gibsons has an array of new jigsaw puzzles for the upcoming season, including the latest Limited Edition Christmas puzzle, Driving Home for Christmas. Packaged in gold foil, the 16th puzzle in this bestselling range comes with a special serial-numbered certificate, making it the ultimate collector’s item.

SmartGames 01903 885669 | www.smartgames.eu SmartGames has launched three new games this autumn to add to its portfolio of award-winning products. The eye-catching Smart Games Cube Puzzler Go (2D) tests players’ skills as they complete the cube. Also hitting the shelves is the Smart Games Cube Puzzler Pro (3D), with unique 3D challenges that test players in this portable, visually pleasing game. Both games include 80 challenges and a case that expands to create the game board, and are suitable from 10 years of age and above.

This autumn also sees the launch of Sleeping Beauty. Players must help rescue Sleeping Beauty by navigating through a maze to the castle, or alternatively they can play as the Dragon. With 48 challenges to tackle, this multi-level logic game will have young minds entertained for hours. The game also includes a picture book, making it an ideal gift.

Tactic Games 01483 332 070 | www.tactic.net Tactic Games has announced a range of new product development in the games and puzzles category this year.

The Great Tour, a strong example of a Gateway Strategy Game, straddles the boundaries between family and table top gaming, challenging players to travel their way around Europe in an attempt to visit the most places and attend the most events. Players can rediscover freedom as they travel through the beautiful countries of Europe, ready to go wherever the next event takes them. Flipping over destination cards will reveal the next stop on the tour, and players must then aim to reach the various historical cities presented as quickly as possible, whilst avoiding the jams created by other players along the way. The Great Tour is a great family or party game.

Drawing on nostalgic storybooks where players choose their own destiny, Story Chest brings together imagination and fantasy with an engaging gameplay element. Players open the Story Chest to reveal a world full of stories waiting to be told, taking turns to tell a continuous story inspired by one of the illustrated cards dealt while other players have to predict which card they will choose next.

Ninja Rush is a fast paced reaction game based on ancient Sensei training principles. The Ninja time warriors are trained to harness time, the most precious of commodities, and their Sensei trains them to react quicker than the blink of an eye to see the future before it happens. Players can experience this in gameplay - their Ninjas hold the sands of time. Players simply flip the Sensei cards and quickly choose who to flip, and where to, before the sand runs out. Successful runs will win them Ninja Stars, while players must also watch out for the change of direction cards – all players need to be Ninja focused at all times.

Flags of The World is an award-winning and fun family card game. The geography-based game takes players on a trip around the world learning about all the national flags, countries, capital cities and much more. Flags of the World includes 200 cards, each with questions about different countries and their special features, as well as a detailed map of the world. The aim of the game is for players to correctly guess the flag and place it on their board; the person with the most correctly placed cards on their board at the end, wins.

The game is suitable for children aged eight years and over, and can be played with up to nine people, making it ideal for larger gatherings.

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Games & Puzzles

Accentuate Games 07748 184 525 | www.accentuategames.com Sibling inventors Graeme and Fiona Fraser-Bell, the duo behind guess-the-accent game Accentuate, have launched their second game – a fast and furious word game with a scientific twist.

Frenetic uses element symbols of the Periodic Table, challenging players to race against the clock as they form as many words as possible using the Element symbol tiles. Points are scored according to the atomic numbers of each tile used to create the word; for example Ba Na Na = Banana = 78 points. The first player to 1000 points wins.

More than 10,000 words can be created using combinations of the element symbols of the Periodic Table. The game combines skill, strategy and an element of luck, while the novel scoring system adds a fun twist to the game. Coupled with Graeme’s chemistry background, Frenetic has undergone an extensive and robust play-testing regime and has been well-received since hitting shelves in April.

To support Frenetic, Accentuate Games attended UK Games Expo 2018 in June for the first time and will be rolling out Frenetic challenges nationwide, supported by partnerships with board game cafes and local school workshops.

Brainstorm 01200 445 113 | www.brainstormltd.co.uk The popular Igloo Mania from Brainstorm continues to perform well in 2018. A great game for children as well as the whole family, Igloo Mania requires skill and a steady hand. The game features 64 numbered ice blocks and challenges each player to use a penguin ice pick to carefully remove a block from the igloo, without letting Parka Pete tumble form his spot on the top. If the igloo crashes, they lose. Players keep their blocks, and, at the end of the game, the player who has removed the trickiest blocks is the winner.

As its name suggests, Addict-a-Ball is hard to put down once play begins. There are two versions of the puzzles; Addict-A-Ball 1 features a 3D maze puzzle with 130 numbered stages with spirals, drops, flips, slides and swinging arms. The player must simply get the ball from the start to the finish without it falling off the maze. This game challenges dexterity, hand-eye co-ordination, and most of all patience. Suitable for all ages, Addict-a-Ball is fun for the whole family to enjoy. Addict-A-Ball 1 measures 19cm diameter, while Addict-A-Ball 2 is 13cm in diameter and features 100 stages.

Hape / Marbel 08456 000 286 | www.marbel.co.uk George Luck’s single and multi-layer puzzles from Hape combine creativity and quality craftsmanship to form an engaging range of products for kids of all ages.

More than the average puzzle, these brightly illustrated wooden products offer countless opportunities for learning, presenting kids with interesting problems to solve and questions to answer. George Luck puzzles help develop a child’s hand-eye coordination, shape recognition, learning technique and imagination and with lines suitable from 24 months to 8 years and over, there is a puzzle to suit every child’s capability and stage of learning development.

The George Luck Sports Car Puzzle is suitable for younger children. This whimsical single-layer puzzle includes 11 chunky wooden pieces, which, when pieced together, depict a crocodile driving a red sports car, with a giraffe in the passenger seat.

The five-layer George Luck Grasslands Puzzle includes six pieces, with the completed puzzle showing five colourful animals – a monkey, lion, rhino, elephant and giraffe - gathered for a drink at the watering hole. An ideal introduction to the increased challenge of layered puzzles, kids and their parents can also use the puzzle as an opportunity to learn colours, counting, and animal names.

Featuring 27 pieces depicting a wide range of species from across the animal kingdom, the George Luck Amazing Animal Alphabet single-layer puzzle gives children the opportunity to learn letters of alphabet and the name of each animal.

Each puzzle piece uses a different first letter that matches the respective letter on the base of the set, helping to guide young puzzlers towards the learning outcome.

Rounding out the range is the George Luck Hidden Depths Puzzle. The two-layer puzzle includes 95 pieces. With animals to spot both above and below the water line, kids can search for all the characters hiding within their natural habitat and learn their names too.

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Games & Puzzles

Learning Resources 01553 819 386 | www.learningresources.co.uk Sculptapalooza is a fast-paced, hands on, party game that gets teams racing against the clock as they sculpt their way to victory through hilarious challenges.

Incorporating the best-selling Playfoam brand into the gameplay, Sculptapalooza sees two teams battle it out to mould the Playfoam into specified models, with team mates having to guess what the sculpture is. The first team rolls the dice to determine its sculpting category, flips the timer, and sculpts what’s shown on the card using the special sculpting mat. Sculpting battles combine the creativity of Playfoam with engaging, imaginative gameplay, with players facing a variety of challenges as they make their creations.

Players simply create the specified model in the Straight Up Sculpt challenge, while Put It On Your Face tasks players to mould the Playfoam onto their face to bring the creation to life. The Just Close Your Eyes challenge sees players mastering creations with their eyes closed, while Playfoam Props allows players to incorporate props into their masterpiece. Finally, Sculptor’s Choice lets the player build anything then can imagine for their team mates to guess.

The game contains 200 challenge cards plus a further 20 blank challenge cards for custom clues.

As Playfoam is mess-free and never dries out, Sculptapalooza can be played time and time again, offering both children and adults hours of sculpting fun.

The game comes in eye-catching window box packaging and includes Playfoam, a sculpting mat, 200 challenge cards, 20 blank challenge cards for custom clues, scorecard, dice and timer.

Sculptapalooza is produced by Educational Insights and is available from Learning Resources.

Clementoni 020 3206 1397 | www.clementoni.com Clementoni continues to bring robotics to the games category with the 2018 launch of Mind Designer, an innovative and intelligent robot which guides children through the process of learning mathematics, arithmetic and geometry with engaging game play. The robot can be programmed manually or by voice recognition, while an exclusive app lets children experiment with coding and play interactive games. Mind Designer will be available this autumn/winter.

Puzzles continue to be a strong foundation of the Clementoni business. The 2018 licensed range has seen new launches tied into popular properties such as Ben 10, Marvel, Disney and the cinematic release of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom across Clementoni’s recognised concepts. The head-scratching Impossible 1000-piece, High Quality Panorama 1000-piece, 250-piece and 104-piece all feature striking imagery.

Vivid Imaginations 01483 449944 | www.vividtoysandgames.co.uk Autumn/winter 2018 sees a selection of entertaining family games joining the Drumond Park portfolio.

In Foxy Pants, a greedy fox is snapping up the chickens and stuffing them into his pockets.

When there are too many chickens his pants will fall down and the chickens will escape. Players must rescue them and return them to their chicken coop. This game is suitable for two or more players, and includes one fox, 21 chickens, four chicken coops, one sticker sheet and game play instructions.

Kids can watch Wally spin and fill their washing line to win in Wally the Washer. Players take it in turns to press the button and watch Wally throw out the clothes, which they need to hang on their line. But if players get the smelly sock, then all the clothes go back into the washer and it starts again. The first players to collect all their clothes and hang them on the line wins the game.

Word Bandit is a head spinning word-spotting game, in which teams of players take on the one-armed bandit, finding words, names, celebrities and more. More answers mean more points, so players must be quick as they race around the board to win the game.

Super Ski Jump is the ultimate trick challenge. Players earn points by jumping the farthest, doing tricks and sticking the landing as they tackle the toughest slope of them all. Kids pick their chosen skier, take to the ramp and get ready to go. Success in this game is all in the timing; getting it just right will nail the jump to become the winner.

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Games & Puzzles

Little Tikes 0845 0533 333 | www.mgae.com Jazwares/WowWee 020 3598 5119 | www.jazwares.com

The new Little Tikes range of games and puzzles are a fun way to get little ones memorising, matching and moving, inspiring both active Distributed play. in the UK by Jazwares, What’s That Smell is the and imaginative new from WowWee where taking sniff makes To begame in with a chance of winning CrazyaBlender, kidsplayers need to throw a winner.

The first ever fragrance-guessing party the fruit in the blender in the right order. This game game, includes 25 fruit What’s Smell a world an of interesting whiffs. guide so pieces andThat recipes to opens follow,up alongside easy step-by-step the scents to win or game. suffer the thePlayers whole must familyguess can enjoy a funcorrectly and frenzied fruit stinky consequences, andCrazy for added entertainment there a The pop-up toaster game Toaster challenges kids toiscatch the companion app to download that lets participants capture it toasted bread as it flies out. There’s a twist however – they never know allmany on their Cam-Reekorder. how slices will pop up. The game, which is suitable for 2-6 players, 50+ Smells, fourgame Stankguaranteed Cards, tokens, Hot Hoops isincludes a fast-paced basketball to get cardholders, and scoreto pad. kids giddy as they goahead head in a mini hoop challenge. The Jazwares will promote What’s That Smell with creative two adjustable spring-loaded shooters fire shots at the hoops while online campaigns audiences social game is opponents can shoot reaching again for large constant action.across This compact media and influencer channels, plus marketing activity and PR ideal for on-the-go play, or to liven up a lazy afternoon. campaigns from launch through to Christmas.

Juratoys 020 8878 2133 | www.janod.com The No. 1 wooden toy brand in France, Janod offers kids a comprehensive selection of charming and high quality wooden toys including games and puzzles.

One of the newest products in Janod’s portfolio is the Flamingo Zigolos Balancing Game. The pink flamingo stands on a rocking base with wings outstretched, and kids must balance her charming multi-coloured chicks on them without causing any to fall. Suitable for two players or more, the person who causes the chicks to fall off loses the game. Developing skill, patience and dexterity, the game is made of FSC certified wood and painted in water-based colours to ensure the highest levels of quality and safety.

Kids will need concentration, skill and a light touch to master the Animal Balancing and Puzzle Game, which is both a puzzle and intriguing balancing challenge in one colourful product. The 13 wooden animals - including an elephant, crocodile, monkey and penguin - can be stacked on top of each other, encouraging kids to develop their dexterity, hand-eye coordination and critical thinking. Alternatively, the game can be used as a puzzle. The wooden tray the animals come in has a guide on the bottom showing where the animals belong, so kids can enjoy slotting the animals in amongst each other – a fun twist on simply packing a toy away. The Animal Balancing and Puzzle Game can be enjoyed solo, or with friends and parents for a cooperativethinking task.

The Janod Sardine Fishing Game challenges kids to catch colourful wooden fish with the included fishing rods. There are 10 fish in total, each featuring a different colour and pattern, and the game comes supplied in a metal sardine shaped tin.

Children simply dangle their fishing rods and attempt to catch the fish by attaching their hook to the magnetic circle on each one. Kids can either race against each other to be the first to catch five fish, or enjoy the quiet simplicity of hooking the pretty fish in their own time.

Little Tikes 0845 0533 333 | www.mgae.com The new Little Tikes range of games and puzzles is a fun way to get little ones memorising, matching and moving, inspiring both active and imaginative play.

To be in with a chance of winning Crazy Blender, kids need to throw the fruit in the blender in the right order. This game includes 25 fruit pieces and recipes to follow, alongside an easy step-by-step guide so the whole family can enjoy a fun and frenzied fruit game.

The pop-up toaster game Crazy Toaster challenges kids to catch the toasted bread as it flies out. There’s a twist however – they never know how many slices will pop up.

Hot Hoops is a fast-paced basketball game guaranteed to get kids giddy as they go head to head in a mini hoop challenge. The two adjustable spring-loaded shooters fire shots at the hoops while opponents can shoot again for constant action. This compact game is ideal for on-the-go play, or to liven up a lazy afternoon.

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.

JACQUI@VAPGAMES.CO.UK

Two brilliant games in one box Everyone can play simultaneously Entertainment & education in an innovative dual-game format Learn the alphabet & spelling while you play Suitable for ages 4 - 104

tel: 01296 583 315

iginal r O in le b a il a v Also still a s & Travel version

www.jaskgames.com

Games & Puzzles

IMC Toys 01904 720 908 | www.imctoys.com This autumn/winter, IMC is planning heavyweight marketing campaigns across its Play Fun games range. The range can be enjoyed by the whole family, with game play designed to inspire laughter and create memorable family moments. Campaigns will focus primarily on TV, with 800 TVRs planned in, and will include digital and YouTube influencer activity. IMC is also planning to invest in press office support with planned in celebrity engagement and TV appearances.

A new game, Truth Detector, will join the IMC Toys Play Fun brand portfolio. In Truth Detector, players pick a question card from the pile and select another player to interrogate, watching them sweat as they put their fingers on the lie detector. If they’re lying the machine will let players know, but if it’s not sure and flashes amber the interrogator will need to ask the question again. If a player is caught telling a lie, the siren sounds and red light flashes, and they lose a life. The winner is the last person remaining with life cards. Truth Detector is suitable for ages three years and over, and will be available for autumn/winter.

The latest launch joins the successful game Boom Ball, which launched in 2017. Boom Ball was supported with intensive marketing including TV advertising, prime time kids sponsorship and YouTube influencer activity.

In the action game Boom Ball, players must catch balls in their head net as they are fired randomly from the canon. The player who catches the most balls will win the game. The Boom Ball set includes two head nets, a canon, and 12 balls.

DKL Marketing 01604 678 780 | www.dkl.co.uk Distributed by DKL, the Scratch range includes Magnetic Darts; familyfriendly reversible hanging dart boards which are packaged in tubes. The Magnetic Darts FSDU holds both the small and large sized darts-tubes for effective merchandising. Also from Scratch is the 150 piece World Map Puzzle, packaged in an eye-catching round box.

DKL support all its ranges with a full marketing campaign, including everything from bespoke planograms to extensive social media and PR activity.

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University Games 03334 050120 | www.university-games.co.uk Having sold over 2.5m copies worldwide, University Game’s Smart Ass is back, bigger and better for 2018, remaining a must-have party game for board game retailer and players alike. The rapid fire game, in which players listen to 10 clues whilst trying to be the first to answer the Who Am I, What Am I and Where Am I playing cards, is benefitting from a rebrand, plus new questions and expansion packs.

Smart Ass will also be launching new Facebook and Instagram channels to further support the current YouTube and TV advertising.

The channels, which will be self-titled Smart Ass, will be engaging and interactive, bringing the game play to life with weekly quizzes based around the game. This will ultimately open the brand up to a wider audience and assist it in connecting with core consumers in their social world.

Pointless has also been revised, with game play now being in line with the BBC show following consumer insights from the original University Games offering. The updated Pointless app also allows players to follow the game in real-time, as they battle it out to be crowned the winner and take home the new Pointless replica trophy.

The new game mechanic is paired with fresh packaging; a smaller box and vibrant, eye-catching branding.

Following on from the new releases and rebrands, October to December will see University Games launching its main marketing campaign across TV and YouTube, with heavyweight TV advertising and pre-roll providing a pivotal role in marketing the new releases.

In total, seven brands will feature on TV in the run up to Christmas along with social activity throughout the year.

September will see University Games take the main stand at the Blog On conference in Manchester, marketing all ranges to over 100 parenting bloggers. Following the event, PR activity will see the launch of a blogger board game campaign, with product reviews going live ahead of the main marketing campaign launch in October.

Mini games will also be a key focus for the remainder of the year, with the UK’s best-selling mini-game 5 Second Rule continuing to perform well for the business, retaining its No. 1 category position.

The mini game range has also been expanded with trivia releases under the Smart Ass brand umbrella, including 90s Nostalgia and Geek Chic (both of which can be used as standalone games and as expansion packs to the Smart Ass board game). Other games include Fishing for Words and Switcheroo, both of which are aimed at ages 12+. This range expansion actively responds to the market appetite for fun games people can pick up and play whenever and wherever they are.

A colourful g first matchin activity

A fun counting and colour game

Contact your local rep/agent or the sales admin team on

01953 859539 or email: sales@orchardtoys.com

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Games & Puzzles

Binca Games 01494 372 130 | www.fletter.in

VAP Games 07966 368 893 | www.vapgames.co.uk New from VAP Games is Hashtag Trumps, a card game that will open players’ eyes to the weird and wonderful world of hashtags. The game sees two or more players challenge each other to predict what’s hot and what’s not on social media right now. This fresh take on the classic trumps game concept uses live social media hashtags to give ever-changing results – cleverly making the game’s playabilty endless.

Each card has four hashtags on the yellow side and four hashtags on the purple side, with each card featuring different themes and hashtags. The player going first decides to play either the yellow side (looking for the most popular hashtag with the most posts) or the purple side (looking for the least popular hashtag with the least posts).

Once they have decided which side to play, all players pick the hashtag they think will win and then search for it on the group’s agreed social media platform. The winner of the round is the player with the most or least posts, depending on which side they are playing. The winner collects all the cards in that round and adds them to the bottom of their pile. Play continues until the player has either lost all their cards or won all the cards available.

Additional Hashtag Trump levels are explained on the VAP Games website along with a list of forfeits. These will be changed regularly to keep the game fresh and appealing.

Hashtags Trumps is available now in original packs, as is the 18+ adult drinking game version. Seasonal bumper packs will also be ready for the festive season, making ideal stocking filler gifts or secret Santa presents, while the trendy and compact packaging will brighten any retail display.

Also available is VAP’s first game to market, Escape the Casino. The game took its inspiration from the boom in popularity of live escape rooms. The company skilfully boxed this experience and added an innovative interactive app which fully immerses the 2-6 players into their escape room experience. Escape the Casino is available to buy on Amazon, Giftwink and Etsy.

Binca Games is set to strengthen its games portfolio for 2018 with the launch of two new titles ahead of the key Christmas buying season.

Joining Binca’s popular word game for all the family, Fletter, is Fletter Fuse, an advanced version which builds on the original card game by adding slightly trickier gameplay. While fast-paced Fletter sees players shouting out all the words they can form from the single letter cards in front of them, this new version features single, double and triple letter cards as well as bomb cards to add jeopardy for a more challenging play. Fletter Fuse is suitable for players aged 10 years and above.

The second new title joining the Binca portfolio is the money-laundering card game Whitewashers, which made its debut earlier this year at the UK Games Expo. Tapping into the current trend for social deduction and bluffing, Whitewashers is a game of deception where players have to outwit their opponents to clean the most ‘dirty money’.

Players win by bluffing and tricking other players into losing cash while they battle to become the richest money launderer.

Available now is Spill, an adultsonly drinking game which puts friendships and relationships to the test. An ideal party game for over 18s, players can learn new things about old friends, surprising facts about new friends, and spill dirty secrets themselves.

Winning Moves 0207 298 9507 | www.winningmoves.co.uk Harry Potter fans can play with all their favourite characters from the franchise in this new version of Harry Potter Whot! Players aim to be the first to eliminate all of their cards by matching numbers or characters from Hogwarts and beyond, using the Marauders Map to see what their opponents are up to, or using the Time-Turner to change the rules. However, players should also watch out for Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans.

With the Harry Potter Ultimate Edition of Trivial Pursuit, players can test their wizarding trivia with 1,800 questions on the Dark Arts, objects, artefacts, magical creatures, witches, wizards, locations, spells and more. With six distinct categories to choose from, Wizarding World fans can really put their knowledge to the test with this edition of Trivial Pursuit.

In the Harry Potter Edition of Lexicon G! players must race against others to get rid of all their playing card tiles, by swapping letters and even adding their tiles onto other players' words. Included in this exclusive edition are four spell tiles that will increase a player’s chances of winning. The Polyjuice Potion tile can be used as any letter desired, and if a player can spell the word ’Snitch’, they win the round.

Rounding out Winning Moves’ magical games range is the new iteration of best-selling game Top Trumps. Top Trumps 30 Witches and Wizards sees 30 of the greatest Witches and Wizards from J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World go head to head.

Players can discover who will become the highest rated sorcerer of all time: Voldemort, Sirius Black, Severus Snape, or perhaps Harry Potter himself.

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Games & Puzzles

GP Flair 020 8643 0320 | www.flairplc.co.uk GP Flair is to reintroduce to the market one of the smartest and most popular handheld tech games in its portfolio, when 20Q relaunches for its 30th anniversary this autumn.

Through its in-built algorithms, 20Q always knows what players are thinking. The concept is simple; players think of something and then let 20Q guess what that thing is. 20Q is so clever, it’s practically guaranteed that it will succeed in guessing correctly in less that its allotted 20 questions.

Those that loved the original game can rest easy in the knowledge that 2018’s 20Q is smarter than ever, and features a new ergonomic design that makes playing it even easier. Players can use it solo, testing it against whatever object they can think of, or amaze their friends with 20Q instead.

20Q will be launched with a full marketing schedule including TV advertising, sampling and influencer activity.

Absolute Dice 07768 316 508 | www.absolutedice.com Absolute Dice produces a series of fun, fast paced family dice games.

The company’s first licensed game - Absolute Dice emoji - is the only 100% authentic emoji dice game on the market. Retailers can benefit from full marketing support and an ever-growing social media presence, along with a free demo game for all first time orders.

With no complicated rules or special score sheets, these games of chance are ideal for kids, families, travellers and emoji lovers everywhere. It’s simple if you can count, you can play.

Coiledspring Games 020 3301 1160 | www.coiledspring.co.uk

Chicco 020 8953 6627 | www.chicco.co.uk Mr. Ring gives the traditional hoopla toy a modern new look. With a rotating base that can move at two different speeds, the hedgehog features five colourful spikes that children can try to hook one of eight plastic rings on to. With six different melodies, Mr. Ring plays out music as he spins. He can be set to one consistent speed, or for an added challenge, can be set to change speeds as he turns. Stimulating manual coordination and precision skills, Mr. Ring will keep children entertained for hours on end.

The much-anticipated latest edition in the Forbidden series by Matt Leacock, Forbidden Sky, will be landing in the UK in September.

Players must work as a team to explore a mysterious platform that floats at the centre of a savage storm. Connecting a circuit of cables will launch a secret rocket, but one false step could ground the team - permanently.

This high-wire act of a game will test players’ capacity for courage and cooperation to the limit.

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Games & Puzzles

Cheatwell Games 02392 524098 | www.cheatwell.com With Cheatwell’s new board game Baffled, players will need the memory of an elephant as they try to memorise the 12 symbol tiles in just 60 seconds. But there’s a catch - the tiles swap and change positions throughout the game. Designed so that kids and adults can play together on a level playing field, Cheatwell is sure that Baffled will become a firm family favourite. Other family games available from Cheatwell for the festive season include Charades, Tension, Re:Play and Pass The Pen, all best-sellers.

Quirky, the fast-moving, quick-thinking bluff and banter game, is fast becoming the company's top performer. Quick wit and cheeky confidence are as important as knowledge in this game where players decide the answers.

The Spin Timer Games are new for this year. Each game comes with a novel timer, and players must get the ball spinning as fast as they can.

They have until the timer stops to take their turn. Three new titles have been launched this year in the Spin Timer Games range - Hubbub, Jabber On, and Spin Point.

What’s In The Box is the game of 21 questions, but with physical objects. Players can hunt around the house, secretly hide something in the box, then get everyone to try and guess the object. For added fun, Cheatwell has supplied a pack of picture cards so that players can hide the unhideable.

Cheatwell’s Round Tin Games - Polar Panic, Silly Safari, Lift Off and Caveman – are sure to appeal to kids. These spot-and-grab games offer great entertainment as well as real value for money.

Finally, those looking for a gift line for Dad or brother need look no further. Cheatwell’s QuizMaster and Quiz Cube range of elegantly packaged quiz questions are ideal for Christmas Day.

Trefl 07850 779 797 | www.trefl.com Creative thinking and a steady hand are needed in Mistakos, an enjoyable chair-stacking dexterity challenge. The aim of the game is for players to get rid of all of their chairs by stacking them one upon the other until all the chairs are used. However, as the tower grows larger it becomes harder to keep the tension and avoid toppling the whole construction. If the chairs fall during a player’s turn, they must take all of them and start again.

Mistakos may look easy, but the challenge lies in the different ways the chairs can be stacked. Every play is unique and depends on how the structure is built, with the added twist of differently shaped chairs sometimes a help, sometimes a hindrance. The game is intended for one to three players and is suitable for ages five and up.

The game was published originally in Poland, and since the launch has been very successful. The innovative stacking concept immediately earned fans from across Europe, with over 200,000 units now sold.

Mistakos arrived in the UK in May of this year.

The product is one of hundreds from the portfolio of Polish manufacturer Trefl. The comprehensive range of products is distributed to over 50 countries all over the world. The company also manufactures and distributes jigsaw puzzles with piece counts from 20 to 6000. The puzzles feature eye-catching images of landscapes, buildings and artworks from some of the world’s most talented photographers. Trefl is also a licensee of brands such as Disney, Marvel and Warner Bros, with popular kids’ characters from some of their most popular properties appearing on board games and jigsaw puzzles for young children.

Orchard Toys 01953 859539 | www.orchardtoys.com Orchard Toys is launching two exciting new educational games this September, perfect for the Q4 gifting period.

Giraffes in Scarves is a fun counting and colour matching game for ages 4-7. Players roll the dice, match the cards and build their giraffe - the winner is the player with the most scarves. The quirky giraffe characters in this simple game help to make learning fun and engaging for children. The game will last play after play with sturdy, wipe clean cards and is suitable for up to six players.

Following the success of bestseller Farmyard Heads and Tails, the company has launched a jungle version. Jungle Heads and Tails features a variety of wild animals for children to match and pair, from a crocodile to a flamingo. As they grow in confidence and ability, the game can be played as a more advanced memory game by turning the cards over. The game offers children as young as 18 months the perfect introduction to first gameplay and turn taking. The large, wipe clean cards are designed to last and perfect for little hands to hold.

Both games are key examples of Orchard Toys’ ethos of ‘learning made fun’, combining fun characters, engaging gameplay and educational benefits.

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Worlds Apart 0845 602 2119 | www.worldsapart.com

Taking traditional board games away from the table-top, Monkey Mania is a chimp challenge where the fastest wriggler wins. This high-energy game combines laugh out loud moments with active family fun, all in the aim of players shaking an ape off of their body in the fastest time possible.

Featuring a plush monkey with an electronic sound unit, players must take it in turns to spin the spinner to see where to place the monkey’s hands.

The spinner indicates different parts of the body, as well as a question mark where players are given the opportunity to place the monkey wherever they like; the perfect opportunity for stitching-up mum or dad with the trickiest and silliest positions.

Once attached, players simply pull the monkey’s tail to start the timer. Players must wriggle and shake to escape the ape, while he makes crazy monkey sounds and clings on for dear life. The longer he’s on, the louder and crazier he becomes, with the aim of the game being to shake him off in the fastest time possible before he goes ape.

Once the monkey has been shaken off, the player must run to where he lands and pull his tail to stop the timer. The monkey will then tell the player how many seconds they shook him off in and the player with the fastest time wins. But if the players aren’t quick enough to shake his grip within 25 seconds, the monkey will blow a raspberry to let them know he’s top banana.

Monkey Mania launched in the UK, Europe, and Australia in July 2018. The game is supported with a TV campaign, as well as digital and social media advertising targeting kids, parents and gift-givers.

Rascals info@rascals.uk.com Rascals is bringing all the adventures from one of the nation’s best loved TV shows to the living room with its latest launch; The Crystal Maze Board Game. Filled with a labyrinth of perplexing puzzles and tricky challenges for friends and family, now anyone can finally take on The Crystal Maze.

Suitable for ages 10 and above and for two or more players, teamwork is paramount as players voyage through the four themed time zones in one of two teams competing against each other. Packed with an assortment of mental, mystery, skill and physical games, The Crystal Maze Board Game is sure to challenge all, with success being rewarded in the shape of precious time crystals, just like in the hit Channel 4 show. Each crystal won means more time to spend scrambling for gold tokens in the game’s furious finale.

To challenge players further, each team is given one A.L.I.S card (Automatic Lock-In Situation).

This can be played before any player starts one of the challenges and means that if unsuccessful they can be ‘locked in’ for the rest of the game unless they are bought out with a crystal, so players must use this wisely.

Rascals has also developed an official smartphone app to accompany the game called “The Crystal Maze: Game Timer” for both Android and Apple iOS devices. This free app features authentic music and sound effects from the show and can be used as a timer for games in the four zones and for the Crystal Dome game, which both teams play at the end.

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