Fresh

Cranium Classics

Funko Games

020 3376 3223 • www.funko.com

Funko Games is strengthening its relationship with Hasbro through an exclusive multiyear licensing partnership to reimagine the iconic party game: Cranium 25th Anniversary Edition. This partnership between the two powerhouse names in boardgames will see a refreshed line of Cranium classics as well as a new original children’s game launching this spring.

The Cranium 25th Anniversary Edition was the fastest-selling independent boardgame in 2001 and has returned for a new generation of party-gamers. Existing fans who grew up with Cranium can also reconnect with the original fun but with a fresh retro-sleek and redesigned gameboard capsule that also serves as storage for the game’s components.

The anniversary edition includes 800 new activities across 200 cards and 18 activity categories so everyone has a category to dominate in, whether it be sketching, acting, humming, sculpting, picture-puzzling or word unscrambling.

Accompanying the classic game are three other Cranium games: Cranium Hullabaloo, now adapted for the digital age with appdriven game modes and game play; and the all-new Cranium Big Brain: Detective which sees gameplay focused around an 880 square-inch game board, with hundreds of mysteries to solve. Cranium Hoopla, a lighter, faster, portable version of the original party game is also available for gaming on-the-go.

MegaGross Minis

Zuru

www.zurutoys.com • sales@zuru.com

Having kick-started the global minimania collecting phenomenon with the launch of its best-selling Mini Brands collectibles, Zuru has now launched a parody collection of miniatures called Mega Gross. The Mega Gross Minis feature over 36 spoof replicas to collect, imitating favourite lifestyle brands spanning categories such as food & drink, technology, social media and toys. Each Mega Gross capsule includes five different gross surprises to uncover, and once opened, can be reused for storage of the minis. The minis include the McMaggot Burger, complete with larvae cheese and maggot sauce; Vomito’s Pizza; Unhappy Meal; Pickers chocolate bar; Snotverse shoes; Rot Dog and the iPoo laptop.

Mini Brands is a proven social sensation and is cited as the most liked toy on TikTok, with the hashtag #minibrands now topping 5b views. Mega Gross Minis will be available on UK shelves from this month, with plans for additional ranges to be unveiled during the Q3 period, including Mini Brands, Foodie Mini Brands, and Mini Fashion.

Cyanide & Happiness games

Explosm

www.explosm.net • logistics@explosm.net

US-based Cyanide & Happiness started in the early 2000s as a webcomic and has since expanded its brand to include TV shows, video games, card games and a YouTube Channel with over 11m subscribers. The iconic characters are ready to bring laughter to game nights and parties by expanding distribution around the world.

The latest addition to the roster is the “messed up dating game”, Master Dater, where players get to unleash their creativity by designing wacky and lovable characters, all while vying for each other's attention and affection by pandering to some of the quirkiest dating interests imaginable.

This strategic game, which was successfully crowdfunded last year, is the first in a new series of products set to expand the brand line into new and exciting territory.

The popular Joking Hazard is an “extremely not-for-kids” card game which encourages players to compete with friends to complete an awful (-ly great) three panel comic, with millions of possible combinations.

L.O.L.Surprise!

MGA Entertainment Bubble Surprise

0845 0533 333 • www.mgae.com

L.O.L. Surprise! Bubble Surprise Dolls feature all-new innovation, 12 fan-favourite characters and a unique bubbling foam unboxing feature that reveals a hidden tot and several surprises. Kids simply mix water and the included 'sugar' and 'spice' found within the ball, then twist to watch the bubbles fizz up and change colour, revealing the surprise doll. This all-new series is out this month.

Other Bubble Surprise lines include: L.O.L. Surprise! Bubble Surprise Lil Sisters, 12 tots with unique colour change features from hair colour to new outfits; L.O.L. Surprise! Bubble Surprise Pets, 12 fanfavourite pets each with fizz surprises to discover; and L.O.L. Surprise! Bubble Surprise Deluxe, which includes an exclusive tot doll, Lil Sister, Pet, two outfits, two pairs of shoes, a bottle and colour changing fizz.

Glowies

Eolo Toys

www.eolo.com • sales@eolohk.com

Eolo Toys continues to develop popular pre-school brand Glowies. The collection of cute fireflies has been helping toddlers fall asleep since it hit the market last year.

After relying on toy design agency, ToyZone, to conduct research that provided the company with invaluable insights, Eolo drove the development of a new brand which has been designed to offer families benefits at bedtime. Recent studies showed that more than 45% of kids are scared of the dark and struggle when falling asleep. Eolo Toys’ goal is to help kids at bedtime by providing them with an attachment toy that combines soft lullabies and relaxing sounds with a glow-in-the-dark feature. The glow-in-the dark, friendly fireflies have lullabies, relaxing sounds and a timer. Glowies also work as a night light to give toddlers added security and are available in two colours: pink and blue. The product comes in appealing packaging that simulates a fireflies jar with a string for easy carrying.

Launched in markets including the US, UK, Argentina, Benelux and Spain, Eolo Toys is set to expand the collection and introduce Glowies Magic Touch for autumn/winter 2023. Glowies Magic Touch is a cute unicorn that is positioned at a higher price point. This new addition comes with a magic reveal feature and sliding touch technology, a light sensory feature that provides added value to the new character. Not only a bedtime toy, the unicorn is also a sensory one, enhancing relaxation through play. As well as the new technology, it includes sounds, lullabies and glow-in-the-dark features. The company will continue to invest in the Glowies line, with more additions to come in the upcoming months. With numerous touchpoints in its marketing strategy, including influencers, Glowies will have 360 coverage with a massive digital marketing plan.

Good Face Bad Face

BigPotatoGames

020 3620 9495 • www.bigpotato.co.uk • trade@bigpotato.co.uk

Good Face Bad Face is a push-your-luck card game from Big Potato Games that’s easy to learn, but tricky to master.

A bit like a round of Poker, but without any of the complicated bits, the aim of this game is to be the first to collect four Good Faces, while avoiding the Bad Faces. It might sound simple, but the pesky Bad Faces keep players on their toes. To start the game, players shuffle the cards and deal them out, then secretly look at each of their hands and decide who's going first. The first player then makes a stack of Good Faces and/or Bad Faces from their hand and puts them in a pile, face down, in any order. The stack is then passed to the player on their left. Once the stack is passed to a player, they can risk it and flip over the top card, or pass it on to the next player. If they turn over a Good Face they get to add it to their deck, but if they turn over a Bad Face it'll chase all their Good Faces away: every single one goes back into their hand, along with the Bad Face they drew. The first person to collect four Good Faces wins and can be crowned Good Face Bad Face champion.

Good Face Bad Face is an ideal game for playing with friends and family. It’s also lightweight and comes with a travel band, making it perfect to take on holiday this summer.

Stomp the Plank

Hachette Boardgames UK

www.hachetteboardgames.co.uk • rorykelly@hachetteboardgames.co.uk • ljaeger@hachetteboardgames.co.uk

Brand new from Hachette Boardgames and publishing partner The Flying Games, comes Stomp The Plank!, a game which takes place in an animal and pirate universe. Players are young elephant sailors, trying to get their hands on the treasures of Captain Giraffe, but when raiding the treasure trunk, each player has to be cautious not to let their plank flip.

It has been another busy year for the team at Hachette Boardgames UK but one that has seen the range grow significantly. During this year’s toy fair season, the team launched a number of titles across the family, logic puzzle and hobby sectors and Stomp the Plank! had most stand visitors trying their luck and testing their balance skills.

The range of games from French publisher, The Flying Games, has been a welcome addition to the Hachette catalogue this year. The company’s titles combine fun gameplay with great quality toy figures that can boost dexterity skills, be used as communication tools and enhance family time.

With titles like Jurassic Snack, Monki and Prehistories already being enjoyed across the UK, the expansion of the range with Stomp

The Plank! has been a major win for Hachette.

Dinobytes

IMC Toys

01904 720 908 • www.imctoys.com • info.uk@imctoys.com

Autumn/winter 2023 sees IMC Toys step into the action arena for the first time with the introduction of its new Dinobytes line. Dinosaur-themed toys remain ever-present and perennially popular, providing an evergreen opportunity for manufacturers and retailers alike.

Dinobytes introduces a range of collectible, battle-ready dinosaurs. The initial launch includes four dino characters to collect, each with interactive features to help them knock off their opponent’s helmets and win the battle. A Dinobytes Battle Arena play set has also been introduced to bring the battles to life: this includes dual functions for both solo play and play with friends. As the Dinobytes dinos go headto-head in battle, they can be moved from side to side within the arena, while a pull-back-andrelease mechanism activates a charge attack feature for an added element of surprise. The play set also includes two Dinobytes dinos, one of which is exclusive.