There’s just something addictive about throwing dice.  It’s the mixture of calculated odds and luck that makes you want to pick up a handful and get playing.  The best thing is there are lots of games beyond Yahtzee that are based around a handful – or cupful – of dice.  A good one is Easy Come, Easy Go.  It combines throwing four dice with collecting and stealing fantastic prize cards.  The game includes nine cards that can be earned (or stolen) by rolling a particular combination like “exactly 13” or …

I love dice games, really love dice games. Every time I pick up a handful of dice there’s something about the shake and the throw that makes me feel lucky. Fortunately, this passion doesn’t extend into the world of craps; gambling just isn’t my thing, but I digress.
Thankfully, it’s not just me; I think my entire family has a weakness for dice games. Every one of us has at least one well-loved copy of Yahtzee and if you asked, I’d say we probably all have a copy …

I love clever ideas; they just make me happy.  (And sometimes envious that I didn’t think of them myself!)
This past February when I was roaming around Javits during New York Toy Fair I saw the cleverest feature in the Winning Moves product King Me.  It’s such a simple “duh” idea that I am still smitten with it.  You know what it is?  Self-crowning checkers.  Yup, that’s right, the crowns rise up from each checker when you twist them.  How cool is that?!
There have been thousands of versions of checkers including …

I’d bet that if you were in a room with a million people and asked “does anyone like reading directions?” not a single person would raise their hand.  Okay so no one in their right mind would take that bet, it would be like trying to win a raffle when you didn’t bother to buy a ticket.   Seriously though, directions are the necessary evil that comes before the fun.  Whether you’re learning how to use your new super-complex digital camera or learning the commands for your cool new Robosapien so …

I was cruising the game aisle at my local Target the other day when I witnessed something that I believe happens all the time.  A woman shopping with her daughter picked up a card game off the shelf and said “this looks cute, but I wonder if it’s any good?”  I thought, “I love that game!” should I intervene and tell her it’s worth all $5.99?  Well of course I did.  And after being a little startled by getting a glowing review from a random stranger, she thanked me, tossed …