We asked figures in the industry for their favourite toy and game launches of the year. The only caveat… They couldn’t choose a product they were involved in!

Here’s what they said…

Naomi Brugnatelli, Inventor Relations Manager, Games, Hasbro
I’m a big fan of FRIENDS and thought my friends at Mattel did an amazing job capturing so many details from the show in a tiny compact Central Perk mug. I especially loved Monica’s turkey head, Phoebe playing the guitar and Joey and Chandler’s pet chickens. Could this collectible Polly Pocket play-set BE ANY CUTER? Now if only I could get my hands on one!

Rob Ames, Creative Director, Triclops Studio
The top slot for me is Zuru’s Mega Gross Minis; part of their popular 5 Surprise line. 36 minis, brilliantly executed and parodying all your favourite brands – but with a rad gross-out filter. I’m a huge Garbage Pail Kids fan – as well as Madballs, Mad Scientist and anything else with a gross twist from the Eighties and Nineties… The minute I clocked these, I was in! The little shopping bag is a nice touch, as is the mouldy, stinky-scented rarities – especially as most collectibles rely on glow-in-the-dark or metallic variants to drive collectability. My personal faves include Poo-Kemon, Sick Tacs, the ‘Just Spew It’ Puke sneakers and the Santa Ooze skate deck. Great job!

Dianne Lauble, Director of Inventor Relations, PlayMonster
For me this year, it’s Barbie. This amazing toy/icon/empire reinvents itself over and over again with themes, forms and – as is the case this year – an oh-so-relevant blockbuster movie. The good news for the inventing community is that Mattel has historically relied on new features to keep her going. It has to be said… She’s got legs.

Sam Unsicker, Partner, Big Monster Toys
One of the coolest things I’ve ever seen is the Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Transforming Rhinomite RC. Not only is it two amazing toys in one, it was created by two amazing people: Peter Williams and Robert Schwartzman of Pace Development. When I first saw this at Toy Fair last year, I thought: ‘Here it is, innovation is finally making a comeback in the toy industry!’ I was excited for Mattel, I was excited for Robert and Peter, and I was excited for the tons of young kids who will now have a favourite toy in their lives! Congratulations to all!

Tony Serebriany, Senior Director, Inventor Relations & International Sales, The Op
Another year with so many great games being released, but two amazing small box games are the ones I’d like to highlight. The first is Sides from Captain Games. I had the good fortune of being introduced to this co-op word mystery game earlier in the year at a small convention. This simple and clever game was one that regularly was finding its way to the table with groups of all sizes – and well into the night with bigger groups too. It seemed to by flying off the shelves at Essen this year!

The next one is a clever bluffing memory game from Ravensburger called That’s Not A Hat. This game is so simple and elegant in its execution… And fast becomes hilarious as you try and track which gifts are in which location around the table as players are passing cards left and right.

David Snow, Owner, The Fantastic Factory
The game I loved this year for its simplicity and multi-generational play is Smash Down by Ideal/John Adams. It’s a simple concept with great repeatable gameplay that will be a hit – or smash – this Christmas.

Dougal Grimes, VP Innovation & Inventor Relations, Spin Master
For me, it’s Elmer’s Squishies by Elmer’s – part of Newell Brands. Elmer’s Glue, for those who didn’t grow up in the USA, is a brand of PVA glue that’s used in schools… It’s kind of the ‘Kleenex’ in terms of a brand for kid’s glue and school supplies. With the social media boom in slime around 2015 – then amplified over the pandemic ­– Elmer’s glue became hugely popular as an ingredient in making homemade slime. Having released a line of slime-focused Elmer’s products, it’s cool to see the brand extend out into other types of compound play, such as their Squishies that launched this year. It’s one of those great situations where consumers really dictate the usage of products and then innovation can grow from there. Kudos to the Elmer’s team for listening to the trends and building on it with fun new play patterns.

Fi Murray, Founder, Making Things
I’ve loved seeing all the activations surrounding Biggies. It’s always great to see a new brand make it through in this retail climate. From the origin creation through to the 360 brand launch, you can see how much effort has gone into it from Eolo and Fun-Damental.

My second pick is Pretentables from Fat Brain. It’s an awesome twist on an evergreen category. Intuitive, considered and creative – with a stylistic design-led twist on pretend play.

Gavin Ucko, Founder, The Happy Puzzle Company
Screwball Scramble: Level Up. I mean seriously… Screwball Scramble gone vertical! What’s not to love?

Boaz Coster, Partner, Theora Concept
My first pick is Foosbots by Fat Brain. An all-round addictive product and perfect game. Toyetic, collectible, compact, playful – fun!

I’d also choose Reel Big Catch by Educational Insights. The cute surprise – a very ‘stretchful’ feature – that makes all the difference and adds so much fun to that game.

Finally, I’d say Clixo by Toyish Labs. Flexible creative construction, unique designs, easy and very colorful – truly imaginative play.

Alex Prieto, Head of Fun, Eolo Toys
Choosing one is not an easy task… But I must say I’m impressed with execution of Beast Lab from Moose! The boys space is tough – and taking the magic of a girls toy and passing it into a boys toy is even more complicated… But Beast Lab nails it. It takes the best parts of Magic Mixies and transforms it into a strong boys property and toy.

But I can’t just say one! So my second pick is Real FX T-Rex – another super execution by the Wow! Stuff team.

Jim Harrison, Director, Butcher & Harrison
My first pick is Trio – designed by Kaya Miyano and published in Europe by Cocktail Games. It’s a great little pick up and play card game that’s perfect as an icebreaker! I picked this up in Essen and my three grand-daughters are obsessed with it, endlessly wanting another game. A deck of 36 cards – numbering from two to 12 – is dealt out between the players with a number of cards face down on the table. On their turn, a player can ask any player ­– including themselves – to reveal either their highest or their lowest card, or flip over one of the face down cards. They do this a second time, and if the two cards match, they can do it a third time. If all three cards match – a Trio – the player takes them and places them face down in front of them. Win three Trios to win the game.

My second pick is Ticket to Ride: Legends of the West – designed by Alan Moon, Rob Daviau and Matt Leacock and published by Days of Wonder. This one is Ticket to Ride meets legacy games at the gates of the Wild West. An enormous box contains twelve separate Ticket to Ride adventures that are played in sequence, with each game adding new board sections, components and rules which will make permanent changes to the way the game is played. Although the basic gameplay will be essentially familiar to anyone who has played a Ticket to Ride game, this is definitely a re-invention and re-imagining which breathes new life into an old favourite!

Andrew Hajithemistou, Head of Innovation & Inventor Relations, tms
My top pick this year has to be the ingenious Build Your Own Wallace and Gromit Rocket Kit from the creative powerhouse team at Paper Engine. Their collaboration with Aardman to bring to life the iconic characters, machines and widgets from the Wallace and Gromit animations is just magic! The kits re-introduce a late Eighties classic animated short to kids of today, giving children – and ahem, kidults too – the freedom to build these fully interactive cardboard kits, with no glue and just a little time and patience. I love how simple sliders, tabs and flaps are pulled and opened to move and reveal hidden features… And with zero plastic in sight, Paper Engine have truly set the bar high with a focus on delivering a great play experience with sustainable materials. Wallace would totally agree… “Cracking good job!”

Gary Pope, Co-Founder, Kids Industries
Without the slightest shadow of a doubt it has to be Piñata Smashlings as my favourite launch of the year. Digital first, brave, start-up-scrappy with super high quality. It’s their eggs that have done it for me… On the face of it simple – but actually, anything but. The play value is built in versus other eggs and Toikido has taken the time to really understand what they are making and who they are making it for. Two Smashings, a game code and playable egg? Yes please… Joined up thinking and dedication to the development of the IP that rivals any of the big boys – and this a teeny team of 10.

Sen-Foong Lim, Game Designer, Developer & Writer
My family loved Robot Quest Arena from Wise Wizard Games in conjunction with Perfect Day Games. Not only are the miniatures super cute, but the gameplay features quick and snappy deckbuilding in a PvP Arena setting. We really enjoyed the combinations that the robots and cards provided, but my personal favourite bit of design magic was how robot destruction is handled is such a way that there’s no player elimination – and no runaway leader. While getting your robot wrecked obviously doesn’t feel great, it’s not the soul-crushing experience it often is in similar games. Robot Quest Arena has a wonderful, family-friendly vibe and that’s reflected in its mechanisms – just reboot and respawn!

Robert Yusim, President, Product Counsel
My choice would be Clixo! Clixo is brilliant because of the 3D end results you can create from the innovative 2D shapes. And pieces click together with a pleasing ‘click’ sound! Clixo is fun and educational at the same time… The possibilities are endless.

Christian Castro, Director of Product Development, Relatable
I’d like to recognize the team at Tragos Games for their newest game, Get Loud: the Bilingual Guessing Word Game. As a Colombian-American who grew up in a Spanish speaking home, it was always hard to find a card game that would resonate with both my Spanish-speaking family and my English-speaking mentality. The team at Tragos Games have mastered solving that issue with Get Loud. While many continue to say that toys and games targeting the Latino community – or any under-represented group – are too niche to have mass market appeal, Tragos Games founder Carolina Acosta has proven them all wrong. How? By getting the bilingual Get Loud – as well as her OG game Tragos – placed in Target stores across the United States in 2023!

Leila Nosrati, Licensing & Inventor Relations Advisor
My favourite product this year – “hands down” – is the Make It Real Party Nails Glitter Nail Studio. Who doesn’t love a glitter vortex? Seriously though, this thing is not just for tweens! If you like sparkly nails, this kit makes it incredibly easy to give yourself or a friend a lovely and long-lasting manicure. I love that the glitter is biodegradable and the pods really do cut down on the mess. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go pick a colour…

Danielle Reynolds, Project Director, Wacky Wizard Games
I’d pick Runaway Parade Game’s Smug Owls. It’s a riddle generating party game that’s small, cute and clever. My friends really enjoyed playing it when I brought it back from Origins this year.

Scott Rogers, Game Designer & Author
2023 was such a great year for toys and games, it’s hard to choose just one! At the top of my list is Mars Toys’ Prank Villain 12″ figure. Based on the villain from the classic Batman TV show, this figure is amazing! The likeness is eerily perfect – it’s like having a miniature Cesar Romero on my shelf. He comes with lots of great accessories straight from the show and is the perfect companion piece to Hot Toys figures that came out a few years ago.

Next is Mezco’s One:12 Collective Golden Age Batman and Two Face figures. They are exactly what I’ve wanted since childhood! They come with so many additional hands and heads and accessories, it’s crazy. They are gorgeously made, have great articulation and look fantastic!

Hasbro has done a great job with these playsets in the past – especially the Jabba’s Throne Room and Tantive IV adventure sets – but the Star Wars: The Vintage Collection Boba Fett’s Throne Room kicks it up a notch! It’s chock-full of super-detailed accessories and furniture – and even comes with a fat Bib Fortuna to sit on the throne… At least until Boba Fett shows up! It’s so fun to display figures in and even photograph. I hope Hasbro makes the Tatooine Cantina next!

And because I love board games, I would remiss not to mention Septima from Mindclash games. This game is a gorgeous production with beautiful art by Villo Farkas. It’s a strategy worker placement game about witches helping out a village while competing to be the next Septima. It even includes an amazingly helpful guide to put all the pieces back into the box! Highly recommended!

Alex Murty, International Growth Manager, Joking Hazard
I’m obsessed with Japanese games publisher Oink. When I go to a convention, the first thing I do is go to the Oink booth and grab myself a bargain before things start to sell out. This year at Essen was no exception and one of my many purchases from their stand was their new game Tiger & Dragon. I’m all about small box games and Oink have perfected this corner of the market with their cute box sizes and cool art style. Tiger and Dragon is based on the traditional Japanese game Goita and is described as being ‘the ultimate kung fu showdown between martial arts masters’. Essentially you are attacking and defending using numbered tiles and the first person to get rid of all their tiles is the winner. It’s a very simple game to play, but has a real strategic depth to it… And like all of Oink’s games, it’s absolutely gorgeous. The tiles especially are weighty and look and feel beautiful. It’s soooo good – go get yourself a copy!

Tyler Turk, Owner, Crated with Love
This last year I met the founders and inventors at Womple Studios and fell in love with their DinoGlows collections. These prehistoric and pulchritudinous plushies are not only reversible – showing both their cute outward appearance and their skeleton within – but also glow in the dark! I brought one home for my daughter, which quickly became her go-to plushie for nap time. This product is a perfect example of inventors looking at trends and adding their own beautiful design and innovation to bring something to life!

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The post Stuff We Loved: What are the industry’s favourite toy and game launches of 2023? appeared first on Mojo Nation.

Sam, it’s always lovely to catch up. We’re here today to delve into the fab-looking Monopoly Scrabble. There are two big clues in the name, but for anyone yet to see the game in action, how would you pitch it?
Hi there Billy! Always a pleasure to chat with you! First of all, I have to agree with you, Winning Moves and Hasbro did an amazing job on the game and it does look FAB! Ha – yes, the name does kind of give it away – we originally called it Scrabblopoly.

We feel that it takes the best of two iconic games and melds them into a fast-playing game that still retains the flavour of the originals. This game amps up all the action with players zipping around the board and properties changing hands several times throughout the game. Everyone is always “in it” until the last tile is played.

It sounds – and looks – like a winner! How did the idea come about?
Probably not the way anyone would have expected. I was at home playing around with different food and drink mash-ups… For example, I combined Strawberry hard cider with Guinness for a very tasty new Black and Tan. Then I removed the pimentos from large green olives and replaced it with the cream filling from Oreos. You all may be thinking that sounds disgusting – but I know that a few of you reading this will try it… And you won’t be disappointed! The sweet with the salty… Mmmmm!

Ha! I’m with you all the way – as soon as we wrap up here I’m trying that!
Do! But anyway, I started thinking about mashing up different games as well – and Scrabblopoly was born!

From an Oreo/olive mash-up to a game on shelf – I love that. I wonder how many other games out there have stemmed from kitchen experiments! Anyway, the game feels like a seamless, smart union of the two brands! Was it a fast ‘yes’ from Hasbro!?
Nope, no, nada – not even close! In fact, this all came about around 15 years ago.

Wow!
Seriously. From the time we first played this game until it finally hit the market, it was well over a decade. In fact, the person who became the first champion of the game was Phil Orbanes Sr from Winning Moves. Winning Moves has been partners with Hasbro for many years and creates games based on the Hasbro licenses. Phil and his team really fell in love with this game and brought it to Hasbro for permission to produce it.

We are not privy to what actually happened in those meetings, but Hasbro denied Winning Moves from pursuing this game. This happened several times over the years, with BMT showing it to Hasbro and Winning Moves showing it to Hasbro – and it never seemed to get any traction. But, as we all know, you have to have thick skin and tons of patience in this business. So, since we really believed in this game, we would keep pulling it out every few years.

Is that a familiar story in terms of ideas not getting picked up, going back into archive only to find a home years later? Are there any other BMT items that went through that cycle?
It certainly does happen from time to time. This is why we keep everything we make and try to store it in a way that makes it easily accessible to pull out and present again at any time. We have had success in both pulling out our products that have been produced and our prototypes that never quite made it to market yet.

Some of the items that pop to mind are the Ogre with Fisher Price, the Bird Loving Barbie with Mattel and UNO Showdown with Mattel.

Each one of these was shown a number of times before actually going to contract. Timing is everything, so you just need to be aware of what is going on and bring things back out at the right time.

So, who do we have to thank for Monopoly Scrabble finally getting over the line?
Hasbro’s Tanya Thompson and Naomi Brugnatelli – the Dynamic Duo! – both really helped push this one over the finish line. They had begun travelling again after the pandemic and joined us at our office for several hours of game playing. I believe it was the first time either one of them had seen Scrabblopoly and we played it through a couple of times. They seemed to really like the flavour of the two games combined into one – and the fact that it plays so quickly.

Sizzle videos are obviously vital in today’s inventor landscape, but do you think playing the game in-person with Tanya and Naomi helped its chances?
Videos are great – and they certainly became very important during COVID – but sitting down and actually playing through a game is key. There are certain features, especially with games, that you just cannot capture in a sizzle.

Speaking of sizzles, our video team did an incredible job on the sizzle for this game – I did my own little segue there!

Ha! I can take the day off! But yes, do tell me about the sizzle for this one?
They took the old Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups “You got your peanut butter in my chocolate. No, you got your chocolate in my peanut butter” gag and made such a great video. Hasbro and Winning Moves are actually using it for the online commercial for the game.

Oh great! Let’s put that in here so we can check that out…

Fantastic video! And there’s a link to slightly longer version here. Going back to Tanya and Naomi, how important is it for your ideas to find a champion within the toycos?
Having the Inventor Relation person go back and champion your idea is crucial. These folks are the ones that go back and sell for YOU. You want them to be excited about your item and eager to get it in front of the team back home. Their enthusiasm and drive can make or break the next step of the process.

Speaking of inventor relation folks, you’ve worked with lots of them over the years. What do you think makes someone good at inventor relations? What traits do the best ones share?
Passion. That’s it in a nutshell. The best IR people treat every idea as if it were their own and are passionate about getting it to market. They’re in a tricky situation because they represent both the inventors and their company – so they are trying to get the best deal for both sides.

The ones that take each idea as their own then present and fight for your submission are the best in the business. As you know, there is tons of rejection in the business… When you have an IR person who feels the rejection as much as you do, then you can tell that this is a person who truly cares.

Absolutely. Now, Monopoly and Scrabble are obviously huge brands. Is there a science or method to how BMT looks at inventing for brands versus totally original concepts? I imagine there are risks and rewards unique to both.
We probably look at the risk/reward the same way that all the inventors do. One of the first things that we think of is: “If this client passes on this, can we show it to other clients?” If the answer is “yes”, then you’re more likely to give it a try because you have multiple chances of getting it placed. If the answer is “no”, then you have to really try and calculate how much time and money it will cost you to make this idea… And do you think this brand could be strong enough to get that money back and then some.

With Monopoly Scrabble, we were sure that we could get the game done very quickly and we did have TWO clients to show it to in Winning Moves and Hasbro. So, it seemed well worth the risk… We will see if it pays off.

Sam, as always this has been a joy! Before we wrap up, are there any other recent BMT launches we can highlight that folks should keep an eye out for?
I always choke when it comes to this question… Brian answers it way better than I do! I am always focused on what we are trying to place now and what we need to come up with in the future – but I will give it a shot!

Here goes… I know that we have about 10 new games coming out – many of them placed through TinkerTini – and we have a girl’s collectible, some pre-school stuff, an animated plush and some boy’s collectible stuff! How about that! See, I told you I’m not good at answering that question!

Haha! You nailed it Sam! Big thanks again and congrats to you and the team on the arrival of Monopoly Scrabble.
Billy, it’s a pleasure to chat with you and, as always, thank you for everything you do to promote this industry that we all love so much!

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The post Big Monster Toys’ Sam Unsicker on Monopoly Scrabble’s 15-year journey to market appeared first on Mojo Nation.

When designing a mass market kids’ game, what makes for a great theme?

From Hungry Hungry Hippos to Gator Golf, it would appear you can’t go too far wrong with animals. Soggy Doggy, Pig Goes Pop, Foxy Pants, Rattlesnake Jake, Burping Bobby…. A fun animal doing something eye-catching – and a great name – seem a winning formula.

Burping Bobby’s windy hippo falls into another area that seems to be a breeding ground for game concepts: the stinky, slimy, gloopy world of all things gross. Flushin’ Frenzy, Don’t Step In It, Gassy Gus, Doggie Doo, Gooey Louie, Pimple Pete, Skid Markz… They all bank on kids’ evergreen love for burps, farts, boogers and poop – and again, they all boast great names.

It’s worth stressing this space isn’t limited to animal games and titles based around gas. It’s a vast sector with an eclectic raft of themes. You have an OAP being blown around in Windy Knickers. Felines going boom in Exploding Kittens. Furniture spitting out goodies in Grouch Couch. Aliens taking off in Drone Home. The list goes on and each year brings with it more fantastic eclectic themes.

We spoke with Big Monster Toys’ Sam Unsicker, Peggy Brown Creative’s Peggy Brown, Ulco’s Don Ullman, Creating Unique Toys’ Adam Borton, PlayLenz’s Richard Heayes and ToyZone’s Alex Prieto to find out what guides their approach to inventing great kids’ games.

Sam Unsicker, Big Monster Toys
“From my experience, there is no “one way” to come up with a game for kids, but I will say that there is one little trick that I have used a time or two and that is… Cliches and idioms. Some of the wackiest sayings from culture involve animals – but are used in ways that you don’t normally think of that animal. For example, Cold Turkey… That’s a saying used for stopping something immediately, but we took it and made a “plucked” and shivering bird that kicked ice cubes out of a frozen pond! As stupid as that is – it has had great success for many years! Ants in the Pants is another example of a cliche/idiom turned into a game. Again, I don’t believe there’s a perfect way of coming up with a game – but this is one way that certainly works!”

Peggy Brown, Owner, Peggy Brown Creative Consulting
“Game themes and builds run in bunches, like highway traffic. Somebody will come out with a certain theme – whether it’s gross, animal-focused, abstract or whatever – and others quickly follow. Then, by the time most decide it’s a solid trend and move to get on board, it’s too late – or they simply swamp the market and drown the theme. The good news is it all cycles over time… If you’re too late on one trend, wait a few years and you can hit it when it comes back around. Or better yet, ‘start’ it later when it seems fresh and new. That being said, I’ve always believed we’re better off sticking with fun and funny instead of gross, cheeky, animal-focused, abstract, etc… Fun and funny never gets stale, and the longer I watch the churn, the less I know about how to predict the next hot tamale.”

Don Ullman, Owner, Ulco Toy & Game Co.
“Picking themes for kids’ games is tricky and I’m not sure there is a specific formula; at least we haven’t found one.  These are some of the steps we take in hopes of landing on a good theme…

• We look around at retail and try to find an under-represented animal – or some other inspiration – and look to build off that.
• We look at the current trends.
• We play with fun names and see where that takes us, because sometimes a good name will dictate the theme.
• We might have a cool mechanism or pay-off idea that lends itself to a particular theme.

Any combination of these things may lead to a game theme that can resonate!

And while it’s great to deliver a great game mechanic and a great theme together, we have had experiences where we didn’t deliver the perfect theme but the mechanic or pay-off was good enough that we licensed it anyway.  Sometimes a licensee might be able to put the perfect theme on it.

We also try not to go too far into left field for kids’ games. Ultimately for a kids’ game to successful, it has to be in their ‘knowledge universe’, although with humour you can push the boundaries a bit.”

Adam Borton, Founder, Creating Unique Toys & The Toy and Game School
Choosing an appealing theme is tricky… If you get it right, you’ve got many more hurdles to overcome afterwards as a great theme alone is not enough! If you get it wrong, it may not matter how good the game is!

For me, theming a game goes with the idea stage. If I brainstorm some ideas and can’t find a great fit between theme and gameplay, then it’s not worth spending time on. Sometimes, great gameplay might result from the idea stage but it doesn’t match the theme – so the story of the game wouldn’t make sense. That’s when the theme can be changed to more closely match the gameplay.

You have to find the balance between mass market appeal and saturation with a theme – there are lots of cat and dog games, but it’s harder to stand out. Whereas there aren’t many pangolin games – but very few people even know what a pangolin is!

In the past few years, toy and game companies have tried to theme games based on trends. This is risky as once the theme goes out of fashion, the game might too. Games need to have gameplay that allows that theme to have a life past the trend.

Theme is an important factor when creating a game – but it’s only the start. There are many games with the same theme but they don’t all succeed.

Richard Heayes, Founder, PlayLenz & Heayes Design
“It’s important, whatever you are creating, to be flexible with your approach. A fun name, a quirky character or a little mech can all be the starting points to create a fun kids’ action game. That said, I do tend to have basic gameplays in mind that I think can be fun to play and age appropriate. But in order to create a product around that, the name and story are key; they are the glue that holds it all together. The story and theme can then enhance the basic gameplay you had in mind.

An example was a game I created some years back called Monkey Madness. I had an idea to use an inflatable as the main component of the game to make something with physical presence, but that was light, cost effective and easy to set up. That soon fused with another idea I had where you’d hammer a spring-loaded base and collect items in a hammer head with a one-way entrance. The result was a tree whose coconuts fell down when you smashed its base. On top was King Ape who had a stash of coconuts that you were trying to plunder.

The gameplay certainly was pretty mad, with a large inflatable tree and coconuts bouncing all over the floor that kids raced to smash and collect with their hammers.”

Alex Prieto, Director of Fun, Eolo Toys & ToyZone
“At ToyZone, we focus on four main questions:

• Are we going to have fun in the process?
• Is it a global, well-known, classic concept or a current global trend?
• Is the concept ‘Wow’ enough? By ‘Wow’, we mean amazing action, speed or a reveal.
• Will families want to play it again and again and again?

From there, we go straight to the fun of developing a new game!”

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The post Talking Games: Gross, animals, abstract… How to choose a theme for a kids’ game? appeared first on Mojo Nation.

This year’s Toy of the Year finalists have been announced, including those in the running for Game of the Year.

One interesting thing that stood out in this year’s crop of Game of the Year nominees is that only one of them uses a ‘wow’ moment; meaning an in-game mechanism that triggers a surprising – and often sharable – moment. Think the splat of Pie Face, the snap of Crocodile Dentist or when Pop-Up Pirate’s Pirate Pete soars into the air.

Out of this year’s nominees, the game boasting one such moment is Spin Master’s HedBanz Blast Off, a twist on HedBanz that sees the card fly off your headband if you take too long to correctly guess what’s on your head.

The surprise factor has always been popular with kids’ games, but enjoyed a boost following the success of Hasbro’s Pie Face in 2015 – itself a Game of the Year winner in 2016.

Some recent examples of games that embrace a ‘wow’ moment include Mattel’s Flushin’ Frenzy, Spin Master’s Soggy Doggy, Goliath’s Rattlesnack Jake, TOMY’s Seasick Sam, PlayMonster’s Drone Home and John Adams’ Windy Knickers.

Between them, the ‘wows’ span soaring turds, soaking dogs, pouncing snakes, barfing sailors, flying spaceships and swinging pensioners – and they’re all inventor items too.

To find out what makes for a great ‘wow’ moment in games – and whether it’s still a must for the mass market – we spoke with Big Monster Toys’ Sam Unsicker, Ulco Toy & Game Co’s Don Ullman, Fuse’s Oliver Morris and Creating Unique Toys’ Adam Borton.

Sam Unsicker, Partner, Big Monster Toys
I believe that a great ‘wow’ moment is something that you want to experience again and again. We call it the “wet your pants” moment. The thing that makes you jump, or giggle, or drop your jaw in amazement.

It’s like a jump scare in a horror movie – it keeps you on the edge of your seat and – even though you KNOW that it is coming… It just “gets you” every time!

Is this still a must for the mass market – YES, I do believe so. Again, like the horror movies – it can work in classics or in B-movies… It plays on basic human nature. Kids and adults will always want the thing that keeps them entertained and coming back for more.

Sounds easy right? I wish it were so! Coming up with the right mechanism, the right action, the right theme and the right game play – all meshed up into one item – is key.

Our goal is to figure all those things out and to keep those kids “wetting their pants”!

Don Ullman, Founder, Ulco Toy & Game Co
I think the most important part of a ‘wow’ moment in a game is that the payoff is slightly unexpected and hopefully quite unique. Certainly, our most successful games have had this kind of payoff!

Although the Pie Face ‘wow’ moment is not exactly unexpected, the result of the payoff is somewhat unexpected in the look of the person with whipped cream on their face.

Drone Home has an amazing payoff; it’s the first board game to have a flying drone and that is an exciting play experience! And Soggy Doggy’s realistic shaking action is one of those unexpected payoff moments in a game that really resonated with consumers!

One of my kids’ favourite games when they were little was Elefun, where the magic for them was in watching the butterflies flutter out of the elephant’s trunk.

That said, I don’t think a ‘wow’ moment is necessarily a must for mass market games as there are all kinds of successful games that don’t have this kind of payoff. The Floor Is Lava is a great example of a game that has been very successful without this type of ‘wow’ moment. It’s the play experience that is most important!

Play experience is kind of a weird recipe. Throw anything in – a good name, a good hook, maybe a novel play mechanic, a relevant theme, a simple mechanism and simmer… If the mix is just right, it can be a mass market hit!

It’s also worth noting that the importance of a ‘wow’ moment is also very segment driven because it’s much more important in pre-school and kids’ games.

I think there has been a “pseudo” arms race when it comes to these payoffs. It’s getting more difficult to deliver them for the magic $20 price point, so I think you may not see as many of this type of game in the next five years as we’ve seen in the last five.

Our family loves games like Codenames, Ticket to Ride, and card games like Five Crowns and Canasta. They don’t have big payoffs – they are just super-fun games with great repeat play value.

Oliver Morris, Design Director, Fuse
Being an inventor, I think what makes a really great ‘wow’ moment in a game is a totally unique payoff that can give even a seasoned player an unexpected jump.

The market is so full of these games that when one does something original, it really stands out. Often this is a proprietary mechanism with some clever engineering – or sometimes it’s an established play pattern given a fresh twist or theme.

For me, the most enjoyable are the games that marry the gameplay perfectly with the mechanism so that even when you know what’s going to happen, you’re so absorbed in trying to win that the jump can still get you.

These surprises make great first-time games for younger players. My own daughter is not always able or interested in taking turns or following the rules (what three year old is?!). However, if I show her a game with a feature that gives her a bit of a jump, she enjoys triggering this moment over and over, adding her own play narrative and rules. I remember doing this as a child, trying to master my fear of Pop-Up Pirate!

I don’t think big ‘wow’ moments are a necessity for mass-market success, but having them of course helps get a game trending. People’s reactions to these moments are great to film and share, generating their own buzz and reaching those players who spend more time on digital platforms. They can bring everyone to the table, young or old, complete novice or seasoned gamer.

For me, this is the real value of these games, creating tangible, real-life moments, away from screens. These jumps and scares are remembered long after the game is over and are enticing, keeping us reaching for these games to master our nerves. I think there should be at least one in everybody’s collection.

Adam Borton, Founder, The Toy and Game School and Creating Unique Toys
A ‘wow’ moment is a really great way of grabbing the attention of the players and the viewers, whether that’s people watching in-person or watching a video. It provides a singular moment of excitement and it’s usually a payoff for the tension and build-up during the game.

As I mentioned in my recent Mojo Nation column on ‘TV Moments’, some of my favourites include Shark Bite and Jenga. These moments can happen at any time and everyone – apart from the person it might happen to! – is excited.

Besides Drone Home and Pie Face, other examples that I like are Pig Goes Pop, where the pigs belt pops open because it ate too much, and Crocodile Dentist, where the wrong tooth press means you get ‘bitten’.

A classic example is the Jack in the Box – where you slowly wind it up until it pops. You know what’s going to happen but it’s still surprising as it’s so quick and dramatic.

The randomness really helps here. If it’s predictable, it’s simply not as exciting. You can apply this principle to nearly any kind of entertainment – movies, TV shows, sports or mobile games. It’s the unpredictability that hooks you and not knowing when something is going to happen keeps it interesting.

I think there’s still a lot of value in the ‘wow’ moment, especially for the mass market. When most consumers are browsing the (virtual) aisles, the games that will catch their attention are the ones with an exciting, stand-out moment which sticks in their memory. They’re also looking for something that’s replayable time and time again.

If it gets their attention with a ‘wow’ moment and they can picture themselves having fun with it again and again, you’ve got the chance of a sale.

Today and in the future, the attention span of the mass market is also a factor. With social media, TikTok and others promote instant moments of entertainment – with a great ‘wow’ moment, you’ve got that attention-grabbing feature that will help to gain views, followers and sales.

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The post Talking Games: From the splat of Pie Face to the lift-off of Drone Home, what makes for a great ‘wow’ moment in games? And is it a must for the mass market? appeared first on Mojo Nation.

With inventions spanning evergreen classics like Hot Wheels Criss Cross Crash to recent launches such as Jakks’ Slap Ninja, Mattel’s Hackin’ Packin’ Alpaca and the Polly Pocket Mega Mall, BMT has been a reliable source of great concepts for toy and game companies of all sizes and specialities since launching in 1988.

We caught up with Sam Unsicker, partner at BMT, to find out what it takes to be a designer with the firm, and how – in such a trend-driven industry – the studio has remained on top of its game for over three decades.

Hi Sam, so first off, how did you get started in the world of toy and game design?
As a kid, we didn’t have a lot of money – so we entertained ourselves by playing a lot of games. After I graduated college, I decided to become a game designer – so I literally went out and knocked on the doors of all the toy design companies.

The timing and location could not have been better – I was in Chicago in 1987 – right when Marvin Glass & Associates (the original toy designers) was being dissolved. So there were a ton of new toy design companies popping up (known as ‘Shattered Glass’) and I knocked on every one of their doors!

BMT is one of the top invention studios in the world. Is there a unique trait that all designers have to have to thrive at BMT, or is the secret sauce in the variety of skills and personalities you have at the company?
From my conversations with a lot of the other inventors, I have realized that BMT is pretty unique! While we have a bunch of really talented people, I think one of our biggest differences is that we, as partners, do not tell what people work on. They can work on a game one day and an RC car the next – whatever they come up with.

If you are a motivated individual who doesn’t need a lot of direction and have the mentality of a six to 12 year old… then you could thrive here!

Next year will mark your 30th anniversary at BMT; has your approach to design changed much over the years?
Yikes!! That can’t be true – I am only 23 years old!

I would say that a lot of the techniques have changed (computers and 3D printing) but I think the approach remains consistent. Fun is fun no matter what.

Obviously, as your life changes you focus on different things. For example, when you are younger, you are thinking about fun games for your friend group – then you have kids and you start thinking about infant toys and baby gear – then you get older and you think about family games and toys for your teens. Once I have grandkids I’ll get to go through all of it over again!

How has BMT remained on top of its game for so many decades in a industry that’s constantly in flux when it comes to trends and what’s ‘hot’?
Again – this is due to our people! We have an amazing group here. We also really focus on getting them out in the world and experiencing what is going on. We almost never put in more than eight hours a day and have ½ day Fridays all year long.

You are going to come up with more ideas in a park, or playing with your kids, or even sleeping well at night as opposed to being stuck inside these walls. So go out – live life and keep on top of what is going on in the world… then come back and make something fun from that!

But as far as walls to be in stuck in go, you guys have quite nice ones! It’s a properly brilliant building; there’s a toy train that circles the office, an impressive wall of cogs – representing each member the team – and of course, the huge yellow door housing the monster! How does working in such an interesting space help to fuel the team’s creativity?
Thank you! We really enjoy our space. It is amazing how many toy people come in here and say, “Man! I wish our place looked like this!” I think that having a shop that looks like a big play place keeps people in the mood to have fun!

Of course, work can be work – but walking in here and then seeing a normal office space – it reminds you that inside here… anything is possible!

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