Corinne Marcot-Jones

Author: Corinne Marcot-Jones

Gameschooling with Blue Orange games!

Posted on February 25, 2021February 25, 2021 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

We love hearing and reading about our games being used for a purpose that goes beyond playing and having fun! Over the years we have observed teachers and therapists using many of our games as educational tools and we thrive in knowing that with good mechanics and quality components our games are very versatile. We invited Juliet Smith, a mother and gamescooling supporter, on our blog to talk about how she uses our games for gameschooling. She selected our classic Tell Tale and our original Once Upon a Castle to illustrate her passion. We invite you to visit her blog through the links below for more game reviews!

Hello! My name is Juliet Smith, Julie for short. I am 27 years old and married, and we have two beautiful children. I am here today to talk to you about Gameschooling. Let’s start with what that is. Gameschooling is simply using board and card games in a way that utilizes the various academic and social/emotional benefits that they have to offer. Research shows that children learn and retain information best through play. Let me give you an example of Gameschooling in action.

Tell Tale is a great story-telling game. It is fun and the children really enjoy playing it. I typically pass a number of cards to each child and myself, and we take turns adding one of our picture cards to the center of the table, continuing the story that we are creating together. It is usually silly and there is much laughter and excitement involved. We also enjoy switching it up by taking turns telling our own individual stories using all of our cards.

Now, take a step back and look at this with me for a moment. Tell Tale, in and of itself, is wonderful for language arts! It gets you noticing details, listening, connecting ideas together, and sharing them with others. What you will see is a group of people practicing public speaking skills, working together, using their imaginations, opening up the avenue for great conversations, lowering walls, and breaking past mental blocks.

Want to take it a step further? Have the child retell the story you have all just finished creating together. Have them write it down in a special notebook. End the story with a cliffhanger and have them finish the story in that notebook and then share it with you. Turn it into an art project and create your own cards to add to the deck. Act out the story. The possibilities are endless.

Let’s look at another game: Once Upon A Castle. Is this an “educational game”? No. Does it have great educational value? Absolutely! Once Upon A Castle covers the subjects of math and art. It is a strategic game where you are trying to gain the most points. You roll the dice to gain materials, which are then used to construct bits of your castle. How you spend these materials is where the strategy really comes into play. The bits you construct earn you points. You keep track of all this on your player board and your score sheet.

The game end scoring in Once Upon A Castle (and many others) is a wonderful opportunity to practice mental math skills. To utilize this opportunity, do not use a calculator. Let me say that again, Do NOT use a calculator to add up your score. As an adult playing games with kids and following this simple rule for their sakes, my own mental math has improved significantly. It feels good to not have to pull out my phone and open my calculator app all the time. It feels good to get faster at performing the calculations in my head. It’s a skill that requires practice and frequent use.

The greatest value, from a Gameschooling standpoint, in Once Upon A Castle is this: the opportunity to experiment with and gain confidence in your artistic abilities. This is not a requirement to play the game. Your score has nothing to do with your artistic ability. The beauty lies in the open, unspoken, invitation to be artistic.

A child may start by just tracing or coloring pieces of their castle. This may then lead to adding a little bit of creative design to their walls or towers. As they grow in confidence, they will begin applying more and more artistic touches and may eventually want to use the backside of the score sheet for complete artistic freedom in designing their own castles. To allow for this growth, it is best not to rush the game. Don’t pass the dice until you are done (or almost done) adding a piece to your castle.

There are so many great games out there now, each with its own hidden (or not so hidden) benefits. I have created a website to tell you about them, reveal their benefits, and share any rule changes I have found helpful. The games are organized by grade and subject. It is https://www.juliesgameschool.com.

Disclaimer: I do not make any money off this website. Instead, I put time and money into it. Why? Because I believe in the power of Gameschooling, and it doesn’t stop at the academic subjects. Please enjoy it, share it with others, and reach out to me any time.

Do you want to talk more about Gameschooling? Want to try some of these great games for yourself? Julie’s Game School with have a booth in the exhibit hall at the Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference this summer (June 2021). I would love to see you there and share more with you. Until then, please check out the posts I have written about these Blue Orange Games:

Tell Tale: https://www.juliesgameschool.com/post/tell-tale

Keekee the Rocking Monkey: https://www.juliesgameschool.com/post/keekee-the-rocking-monkey

Piece of Pie: https://www.juliesgameschool.com/post/piece-of-pie

Once Upon A Castle: https://www.juliesgameschool.com/post/once-upon-a-castle

Dr. Eureka: https://www.juliesgameschool.com/post/dr-eureka

TopiCubes: https://www.juliesgameschool.com/post/topi-cubes

2020 Holiday Gift Guide

Posted on December 8, 2020November 28, 2022 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

2020 was a difficult year that brought on unthinkable challenges and hardships for many of us. Throughout this year we have been extremely grateful for the simple pleasures in life. In these uncertain times, playing board games has allowed us to escape the world for just a minute. Board games have provided reliable smiles and laughs and has kept us occupied when we have been stuck indoors. We have loved seeing our Blue Orange family using our games during this time and the cheer and joy that it has brought to so many of you!

With the holidays right around the corner we know that many of you are looking for meaningful gifts this year. Our holiday gift guide is the perfect tool to get the most amazing games for everyone on your list.

Fish Club

Invented by David Wexler, the son of the inventor of Connect 4. Fish Club is the winner of several prestigious awards including the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award. Fish Club is a classic strategy game with a twist! Two families of fish go head to head for the best spot in the new aquarium! Players choose one of their fish pieces to drop in the tank with the goal of keeping their fish together. The game has a randomized floor which causes the fish to scatter and move when new pieces are added. The first player to connect 5 of their fish together is the winner!

Bye Bye Mr. Fox!

In this adorable cooperative game, help the hens keep their chicks safe from the cunning little fox! Move wisely and make sure the fox doesn’t steal the eggs from the chickens before they can bring them home. Players must work together to move three eggs into each hen’s house to win the game.

Save the Dragon

It’s time to use your royal powers! Do you have the strength and cunning to rescue the helpless dragon from the mean guards? Climb the stairs to the dragons tower…but watch out for falling boulders! The guard will try to knock you off and send you back to the start!

Slam Cup

Match the cups then slam then down fast! Slam cup is a fast paced matching game. Match the color on the inside of your cup to the color on the outside of the top cup on the stack. Then slam your cup on top as fast as you can before someone beats you to it! The first player to stack all their cups is the winner!

Gobblet Gobblers

Gobble up, line up, and win! This easy to learn strategy game has an irresistible cast of characters. Just like in Tic-Tac-Toe, players have to line up 3 of their Gobblers in a row to win. But here’s the catch: you can gobble up your opponent’s smaller pieces to steal their spot!

Starlink

Starlink is a drawing party game that takes inspiration from the stars in the sky! Draw a secret word on your turn by connecting the stars together and hope the other plays can guess what you drew. Be careful you can only connect the stars with straight lines! You win the game by creating the best constellation.

Cupcake Academy

Work together with your fellow pastry chefs to organize your kitchen in this cooperative game of logic and speed! Each assignment wants your cupcake cups to be arranged in a specific layout. Move quickly, before time runs out!

Talent Show

In this silly party game players take on a variety of challenges to win the Talent Show! Players roll the dice to complete the challenge for the round which include; drawing, singing, miming and combining words together. You’ll be laughing in no time!

Cross Clues

Work together to interpret the clues in this cooperative party game! Consider your clues carefully and think as a team to find 2 words the clues connect, in order to fill in as much of the grid as possible! Thousand of different combinations and guaranteed endless fun!

Detective Club

Detective club has won many awards including the Actual Best Party Game of 2018. In this social deduction party game players work to figure out who the conspirator is. Each round, one player secretly writes a word in all but one of the other players’ notebooks. The player who does not know the word is the Conspirator this round. All players then take turns playing cards they feel best represent the word. When the word is revealed at the end of the round, each player explains why their cards make sense with the word. The player who didn’t know the word will have to quickly come up with an explanation in order to not be detected!

Piece of Pie

In this tasty pastry strategy game player’s piece together the perfect pie! Piece of pie is a deliciously themed drafting game. Each turn players pick one of the available pieces of pies and add it to their personal pies. Players have unique objectives to gain more points.

Battle Sheep

Opposing sheep herds go head to head in this quick-moving strategy game.The goal is to have your herd occupy the most pastures. Each turn, split your herd and move your stack to a greener pasture, as far as you can on a straight line on the board. This easy to learn game of strategy is fun for the whole family.

Kingdomino

Kingdomino was voted “Game of the Year” in many European countries and won the coveted ASTRA Best Toys for Kids Award. In this domino reminiscent strategy game players work to multiply the worth of their kingdom by adding valuable crowns to their grid. Each turn players pick a domino to connect it to their grid, and determine their position in the next round based on the domino they have chosen. The game ends when each player has completed a 5×5 grid.

Mindblock

Like Rummy but with stacking blocks! Create Sets and Runs by combining blocks that range in height of 1 to 7. Sets are made with 3 or 4 blocks of the same size, but different colors. Runs are made up of 3 or more blocks of the same color in consecutive order. New opportunities come from the ability to stack blocks on the top of others to form new heights. Think ahead and make the right decisions, without losing track of what’s on the table as you disassemble runs and sets to reassemble them into new ones using your blocks!

Strategy Games For Big Kids and Adults

Photosynthesis

Plant and shape the ever-changing forest as you cultivate your seeds, and your strategy. Take your trees through their lifecycle, from seedlings to full bloom to rebirth, and earn points as their leaves collect energy from the revolving suns rays. This game features realistic gameplay and beautiful graphics.

Photosynthesis Expansion- Under the Moonlight

Photosynthesis game - Under the Moonlight expansion

Enhance the world of Photosynthesis with Under the Moonlight expansion! The moon turns the opposite direction of the sun and casts its moonlight into the woods. Players collect lunar points for their new forest animals to activate special powers. This expansion requires the base game Photosynthesis to play.

Meeple Land

Create your dream amusement park with Meeple Land! This game is an immersive resource management and tile placement strategy game that allows players to build their own amusement park by buying rides, offering services, buying advertising and welcoming as many visitors as possible.

Cloud City

Cloud city is a city building and planning 3D strategy game where players build their city model by strategically positioning buildings and walkways to optimize the amount of points they earn. The goal is to earn the most votes from the city council for each walkway you build.

Maracas – 5 & Up

Shake those maracas! Maracas is a silly guessing game that is played with a single maraca. One player fills the maraca up with beads and the other players try to guess how many are inside by shaking it and listening closely.

Pig Puzzle – 5 & Up

In this single player logic puzzle game, the player helps the pigs get home safely while keeping an eye out for the hungry wolf and the flooded lake! This game is played over a series of challenges that increase in difficulty.

Snip Snap – 7 & Up

Snip Snap is a high speed dice game where you need to be the fastest to find matches between your dice and the dice your opponent rolled. See two sharks? Call out “Shark Snap!” and snatch them fast to win.

Rip Off – 8 to Adults

Rip off is a game of making every dollar last as long as possible… by literally ripping the money into smaller and smaller pieces! Make sure the piece you rip off is just the right size to cover the objects you want to buy. The more you rip off now, the less you will have in the future!

Rose Ceremony – 8 to Adults

Love is in the air! Offer a rose to the player of your choice. If they refuse it, it’s yours. In this bluffing game, you try to create the most beautiful bouquet of roses while watching out for thorns which count as negative points. Try to score the most points by trading in bouquets.

Animix – 8 to Adults

Animix is a set collection game with beautiful modern illustrations. Animals you collect score points based on the animals left in the center of the table at the end of play. Each animal scores points differently so plan ahead to collect the perfect mix to win!

Blue Orange games are distributed through toy stores, game and book stores, and online. If you have any question do not hesitate to e-mail info@bluerorangegames.com. Happy Holidays!

Interview with David Wexler, Inventor of Fish Club

Posted on December 4, 2020November 28, 2022 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

David Wexler is a toy inventor, film director and also happens to be the son of the inventor of Connect 4! He is the inventor of the award winning strategy game Fish Club, released by Blue Orange this year where two families of fish go head to head for the best spot in the aquarium.

Here is our conversation:

Nicole: What interested you in the game industry and how did you get started?

David: I grew up in and around the toy industry. My father Howard, inventor of Connect 4, had an office in the apartment building where we lived. I would often head downstairs to his office, a converted apartment that was like Santa’s Workshop. I was close with the artists, model makers and seamstresses that worked there, and loved setting up my own area where I could draw, work with clay, and paint. A lot of that creativity seeped in, probably subconsciously, throughout my childhood.

When I graduated college with a degree in Communication Arts with an emphasis on film, I immediately began making movies, commercials, and television shows. Soon I realized that a paper script was no different than a paper (or cardboard) model of a board game, and trying to sell both were equally as daunting! The skill set was very similar for me, and I realized I could create a niche in the “entertainment” business – noticing that lines were being blurred between toys, games, film, and television.

Nicole: How did you come up with the idea of Fish Club? What was your process of creating Fish club and how long did it take?

David: I came up with the idea for Fish Club some time in 2017. I was clearing out a storage facility, and unearthed some clear, plastic “tanks” that my father and I had used for various projects in development years prior. In my office I keep an area of assorted parts and tools (dice, pawns, etc.). Things to create games. I kept staring at this thing that looked like a tank, and immediately thought of a fish tank, or an aquarium. I always keep foam core on hand and began to create shapes – I thought about fish, and buoys, and scuba divers – things you would find in a tank. For my first model I used plastic rings (meant to look like life preservers), they were just on hand.

The idea would be to gather a group of your life preservers before your opponent as these various sea creatures got in the way. In the second model I decided to swap out fish for life preservers, and after play testing it a bunch it became clear that a curved bottom would add a nice randomizing sea floor to the game – giving it a bit of unpredictable action. I called it Fishy Tank – it became Fish Club through the development process with Blue Orange. Fish Club, from the first day I built the original prototype, felt like a special game. It played clean, I loved the characters, it had great replayability. I pictured it on shelves early on in the process – when that happens, you know you have something special.

Nicole: What makes Fish Club a unique game?

David: I think what makes Fish Club unique is that very young children, who might not even totally understand the gameplay, can enjoy dropping the characters and watching them bounce around their tank. There is also a satisfying aspect that if you cannot cluster together five fish, there can still be a winner – the one who has the largest cluster. This is a good way to prevent too many “ties,” which are ultimately unsatisfying. I love that Fish Club looks like an aquarium when you are done playing! No need to store it (I always hated putting games away in boxes!). Just leave it on your shelf, it looks like you have a new pet.

Fish Club final look — Fish Club is a 2 player strategy game for 5 & up. The goal is to be the first to group 5 to win.

Nicole: What inspires you to invent?

David: The first seed of an idea, and my first drawing, as I begin to plan out the game – that’s the best part. Selling it, and having it do well, that’s the cherry on top, but it’s such a tough industry. If you don’t love the creating, you’re in trouble – there is a A LOT of rejection. What inspires me to invent is coming up with a story (in this case, two families of fish, going head to head, to fight for a new spot in the aquarium). I am a storyteller as a filmmaker, and that has translated naturally into working in the toy industry – even if the game doesn’t have great characters like Fish Club (currently we even have a Fish Club comic that is released weekly), I try to come up with a backstory (even if it’s just in my mind) for abstract strategy games.

Nicole: What advice would you give to new game creators?

David: It’s very important to love every aspect of the process. As I mentioned, the turn down rate is about 90 (if not 95%)! You need to have thick skin, and not take anything personally. Every successful concept or sale I’ve had was a NO before it was a YES. It takes a lot of perseverance and knowing that having a great product is only part of the battle. Timing, good design, and knowing the marketplace is just as important.

Nicole: What was your favorite game growing up and why?

David: I was lucky to be surrounded by a ton of wonderful games and toys growing up. Some of my favorite toys were products that my father invented that never even made it to market! I have wonderful memories of play testing new creations with my brother, family, and friends, all the time.

Nicole: Do you have any new game projects coming up?

David: It’s important to ALWAYS have new games and projects on deck and in development. I am constantly creating, pitching, and selling. In Spring 2021 I am releasing a line of six games for a wonderful company called Galison. The line is called Wexler Studios – three dice games, two card games, and a game called Paper Gravity. All of them are sold in beautifully designed tins. I am very excited about this line.

Fish Club has won several awards this year including The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award, the Mom’s Choice Gold Seal Award and the Creative Child Magazine 2020 Game of the Year Award in the Strategy category. Fish Club is also a finalist for the prestigious TOTY 2021 Award (Toy of the Year) in the Game category. You can vote for Fish Club here: https://toyawards.org/toyaward/custom/GameToy.aspx…

Follow our social media pages to keep updated on Fish Club!

Play Meeple Land on Stories during Gen Con online!

Posted on July 20, 2020July 20, 2020 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

This fall Blue Orange Games is releasing Meeple Land, an immersive resource management and tile placement strategy game, designed by Cyrille Allard and Frédéric Guerard, and illustrated by Tomasz Larek. Players build their own amusement park by buying rides, offering services, buying advertising, and welcoming as many visitors as possible.

Our sister company in Europe has partnered with Stories to make playing Meeple Land a possibility during online conventions and we are very excited to announce that Stories is letting us use their platform during Gen Con online to allow up to 80 players to register and be the first to try the game before its release in September.

We know this platform might not be familiar to you but its very easy to install and we will have animators to guide you. Register on Gen Con online on Saturday 8/1 at 9AM, 10AM or 11AM ET to secure a spot. https://www.gencon.com/event_finder

The Stories new platform is an intuitive and easy to access platform that makes it possible to provide virtual rooms with various tables to accommodate players.

Each table presents the de-materialized game seen from above (in 2D) with the aim of transcribing the sensations of the game as closely as possible to reality (no AI). In order to make the experience immersive, each table has a dedicated audio / video channel which allows the animators to support the players and the players to communicate with each other.

The difference with other platforms is that it aims at creating the closest sensation to a real gaming convention. Players actually enter a room filled with tables with games on them. The integrated sound and video allow an immersion and a contact between players or with the animators closer to reality.

Live animators in the welcome room explain how the platform works and what the rules of the game are to everybody participating. This allows for us to maintain what we love about board games so much, sharing. We are literally meeting around a table to play.

The installation is easy. Players need to:

· Have a microphone and webcam (its better but not mandatory)

· Download the app (www.stories-gaming.com – Click on ‘’telecharger’’ – create your account with your email and a password). We will provide you with a link to the playing room before the event.

· Click on the logo Meeple Land to enter the room at your scheduled time

· Let the animators guide you

We look forward to see you online to play Meeple Land!

The Blue Orange team

Indoor Games And Activities!

Posted on March 19, 2020March 25, 2020 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

With the outbreak of the coronavirus, COVID-19, we want to provide support and advice to the families and children staying home during this time of uncertainty. We’ve put together some tips to help keep the little ones entertained and keep families safe. We encourage all of you to listen to healthcare providers and officials regarding best practices and procedures to ensure your safety and well-being.

“Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.”
World Health Organization

Staying Safe

How to wash and dry hands with liquid soap and water

Keeping The Kids Entertained (And Safe)!

ARTS N CRAFTS!

Arts n crafts are the perfect way to keep kids entertained, and safe! Whether it’s painting, drawing, or creating homemade crafts, kids are having fun while stimulating their creative side!

Tons of resources from our friends at Lakeshore Learning: https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/resources/free-resources
Art Inspiration: https://www.itsalwaysautumn.com/20-kid-art-projects-pretty-enough-to-frame.html
Great Book Ideas: https://redtri.com/best-childrens-books-march-2020/slide/20
Resources for fun crafts: https://www.dltk-kids.com
Stories to listen to: https://www.storylineonline.net/

GAMES!

Board games are always fun for kids! At BlueOrange, we have educational, strategy, speed, and party games that are perfect for staying in and testing your gaming skills. Want to learn how to play the games? Visit our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/BlueOrangeUSA

Kitty Bitty: It’s nap time for the itty bitty kitties, but they just want to play!
Super Genius: This matching game will propel your child into ABC fun as they sound out the letters while matching them with familiar and vibrant illustrations.
Sumoku: Sumoku is a unique crossword-style game with numbers.
Double Shutter: Roll the dice, add up the dots and find the best combination of numbered tiles to shut down.

APPRECIATE NATURE!

Although it’s important to practice social distancing and stay six feet apart, we can take this time to appreciate nature. Go on a walk, a run, plant a garden, take your dog out! As long as we remember health guidelines, it can serve us well to enjoy the outdoors.

Seeds that grow fast: https://mytechclassroom.com/fast-growing-seeds/
Flower craft ideas: https://rhythmsofplay.com/flower-nature-crafts/
Nature art: https://artfulparent.com/nature-art-for-kids/
Nature themed crafts: https://www.artycraftykids.com/craft/50-nature-crafts-kids/

Want to order games?

It’s still possible! Visit our online store here, order your favorite games, and a local retailer will be able to ship them to you!

Die or Dice?

Posted on February 21, 2020March 2, 2020 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

“Dice” in Board Games

As I write this, Blue Orange Games is preparing to debut sixteen new games at the annual New York Toy Fair. We will soon be one of hundreds of toy & game publishers filling up New York City’s Javits Center, with giant booths showing off all our new products for the year. And if you look closely at the new games, you might notice the language we are using to talk about them has changed. Going forward, Blue Orange Games rule books will use the word “dice” to refer to both the singular and plural forms of the component.

Part of my responsibilities at Blue Orange include the writing and revising of rulebooks. And my goal in this is to effectively communicate the rules of a game without confusion or discomfort. But in the weeks since deciding to change our language standards, I must admit that I still occasionally feel some discomfort saying “dice” in the singular form, which has caused me to ruminate on the subject longer.

There is no need to say “die” in board games, and if we are to go as far as the old adage suggests, then one should in fact “never say die.” It saddens me that during my time playing board games across America, I have often overheard one person deride another’s usage, by saying something like, “Actually, it’s die”, or more bluntly, a single stern, “die,” used to chastise and correct, often accompanied by a condescending eye-roll and sigh.

As a self-proclaimed “fan of language,” it is unacceptable to me that we feel so comfortable evoking a word that is a command for death when talking about the componentry of a game. And because I specifically work in children’s games, I really don’t want the word “die” creeping into my games about adorable penguins and rainbow dice. I don’t think that any little person should be telling another that “it is imperative that death finds them.”

Now, I suppose I should be clear that I understand “die” and “die” are homonyms. I get that they are separate words, with separate meanings, but taken out of context there is no way to tell them apart. Even taken IN context, the word still resonates in our minds with the meaning of the other sense, and this is not to our benefit.

My hope is that “die” goes the way of “whom” and “fewer” and the dreaded semicolon; hapless relics of speech long gone by. I believe the point of language is to be understood, to communicate an idea clearly from speaker to listener. I don’t think there is a single English speaker who would misinterpret the phrase “roll one dice”. But there are plenty of people who would be confused by the blunt utterance of the word “die!”

I am also aware that the act of changing our company standard to “dice” MIGHT have the unwanted side effect of causing more people commanding conformation to “die!” But should this turn out to be the case, it is my hope that it will also conversely embolden and strengthen others to deny the die-sayers. Language is ours to do what we speak with it. There is nothing forcing us to succumb to “die” and it is for these reasons that I am happy with our adoption of “dice” in the singular, and I encourage you to join us in embracing this change.

If we follow traditional rules for English grammar, the origin of the word in the French language (des) would actually suggest that the proper usage would be “die” and “dies” (as used with the cutting machines referred to as a “die” in the singular and “dies” in the plural). There is also evidence to suggest dice be treated as a mass noun like “milk” or “oil” because very often we don’t actually care about the specific number of dice, just that a good enough amount is handed to us. But such relevant topics take us further away from the singular issue in my mind. There is simply no need to force a word for death into a children’s game.

I believe it is in our best interest to embrace language as the silly and strange experiment that it is! There is no need for it to be morbid. As an homage to the absurdism of language of the past, I leave you with a simple poem to ponder, from the poet and fabulist, Ambrose Bierce:

A cube of cheese no larger than a die
May bait the trap to catch a nibbling mie

Blue Orange Celebrates 20 Years with 20 New Games!

Posted on February 12, 2020February 12, 2020 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

WALNUT CREEK, CA— (February 11, 2020) — Blue Orange Games celebrates twenty years of award-winning games with the release of twenty new titles this year, each honoring the company’s history of creating high quality games that are easy to learn, fun to play, and enjoyable for everyone. “It has been twenty years now since the launch of our very first game, Gobblet,” says Martin Marechal, CEO of Blue Orange Games. “So we are celebrating twenty years by releasing twenty new games in the year 2020. As we always say, ‘time flies when you’re having fun,’ and it feels especially true when you’re in the business of making games for children and families, and partnering with wonderful toy stores! We are so excited for the year to come! Our team has worked hard to develop the very best games possible, while staying true to our commitment to quality games that ignite family fun and develop fundamental children’s skills.”

We will showcase sixteen of our new releases, along with all of our classic family favorites, at the American International Toy Fair in New York City on February 21, 2020, at Booth #103. The games shown at Toy Fair will be available for purchase in stores and online early the following spring. For more information, visit: http://toyfair.vporoom.com/BlueOrangeGames.

New Game Highlights for 2020

Fish Club 2 players | 5 & Up

Fish Club is a classic two player abstract strategy game with a modern twist. Two families of fish go head to head for the best spot in the new aquarium! On your turn, choose one of your fish and physically drop it in the tank. Try your best to make it land next to the other fish in your color. The first player to connect 5 of their fish together wins the game.

The inventor of Fish Club, David Wexler, drew inspiration from his father, Howard Wexler, the inventor of Connect Four. The two always test their games together.

Snip Snap 2-6 players | 7 & Up

Snip Snap is the fast-action dice-matching game that will get your head spinning! Roll the dice and race to find a match between the dice you rolled and the dice your opponents rolled. See two sharks? Call out “SHARK SNAP!” Then snatch them fast to score!

Snip Snap is the very first game from Blue Orange CEO Martin Marechal, in collaboration with company founder, Thierry Denoual, the inventor of Gobblet.

Starlink 3-6 players | 8 & Up

Starlink is a drawing party game that takes its inspiration from the constellations in the night sky. On your turn, you must try to represent a secret word by drawing straight lines between the stars on the board, and then hope that the other players can guess what you are illustrating.

Slam Cup 2-4 players | 6 & Up

Slam Cup is an intensely fast speed matching game. Match the color on the inside of your cup to the color on the outside of the top cup on the stack. Then slam your cup on top as fast as you can, before someone beats you to it! The first player to stack all their cups is the winner!

Droll 2-6 players | 7 & Up

Time to break out the dice and get this party rolling! Droll is the hilarious dice-drawing party game where players race to draw images related to a secret word on each side of their giant dice. When everyone is done drawing, everyone rolls their dice and tries to guess the other players’ secret words!

Cupcake Academy 2-4 players | 8 & Up

Cupcake Academy is a cooperative game of logic and speed. Work together with your fellow pastry chefs to organize your kitchen based on your instructor’s assignments. Each assignment wants your cupcake cups to be arranged in a specific layout in the kitchen, so you must quickly move the cups to empty plates or on top of smaller cups, one at a time, before time runs out!

Cross Clues 2-6 players | 7 & Up

Cross Clues is a cooperative party game about making connections between clues. Work together to fill in the grid of code words by giving single word clues that represent the crossing of two different words in the grid. Consider your clues carefully and think as a team to fill in as much of the grid as possible! Thousands of different combinations guarantee endless fun!

Talent Show 2-10 players | 7 & Up

Talent Show is a silly party game with a variety of different challenges. Play against the game or each other! Roll the dice and complete the challenge for the round. Challenges include: drawing, singing, miming and combining words together. You will score points if the other players can guess what you are trying to represent. Do you have what it takes to win the talent show?

Rip Off 2-6 players | 8 & Up

You’ve got just one bill to cover all your expenses! Rip Off is an innovative game of visual perception unlike anything you’ve played before. Each turn you will physically rip off a piece off your fake bill to literally cover the objects you want to buy. Make sure the pieces you rip off are just the right size! The more you rip off now, the less you will have to cover future expenses. The player with the biggest bill remaining at the end is the winner!

Rip Off is the newest game from Urtis Šulinskas, the inventor of Planet and Emojito (nominated for the Kinderspiel in 2018).

Piece of Pie 2-4 players | 8 & Up

It’s time to piece together the perfect pie! Piece of Pie is a deliciously themed drafting game. Each turn, you take one of the available pieces and add it to your personal pie. Follow the recipe cards to earn the most points possible. Pick the pieces that match the featured recipes on display… and don’t forget the decorations!

Piece of Pie is the newest collaboration from Brett J. Gilbert, the inventor of Elysium, and Trevor Benjamin, one the inventors of War Chest.

Rose Ceremony 3-6 players | 8 & Up

Love is in the air! In Rose Ceremony, you get to offer a rose to the player of your choice… but they can refuse if they suspect it comes with too many thorns. If a player doesn’t accept your rose, then you will have to add it to your own bouquet! Try to create the most beautiful bouquet of roses possible, while avoiding all those pesky thorns.

Rose Ceremony is the newest game from Ken Gruhl, one of the inventors of Happy Salmon and Fast Flip.

Animix 2-6 players | 8 & Up

Score the most points with the right mix of animals! Animix is a set collection game with beautiful, modern illustrations. Animals you collect score points based on the animals left in the center of the table at the end of play. Each animal scores points differently, so plan ahead to collect the perfect mix to win the game!

Pig Puzzle 1 player | 5 & Up

A storm is brewing! Help the pigs get home safely while keeping an eye out for the hungry wolf and the flooded lake! Pig Puzzle is a single player logic puzzle played over a series of challenges of increasing difficulty. Each challenge, you will gather the pieces listed and then place them on the map so that you make a continuous path from the pigs to the safety of their homes!

Bye Bye Mr. Fox! 1-4 players | 5 & Up

Bye Bye Mr. Fox is an adorable cooperative game that teaches young players about teamwork and strategy. Work together to help the hens keep their eggs safe from the cunning Mr. Fox! Spin the spinner and see what will move this turn: an egg, a chicken, or Mr. Fox? Move three eggs into each hen’s house to win!

Bye Bye Mr. Fox is the newest game from Wilfried and Marie Fort, the inventors of Fishing Day and Where’s Mr. Wolf?.

Save the Dragon 2-4 players | 5 & Up

Save the Dragon is a roll & move game with an engaging table presence. Take turns rolling the dice and climbing the stairs to the dragon’s tower… but watch out for falling boulders! The guards will try to knock you off and send you back to the start! The first player to reach the top is the winner.

Save The Dragon is the newest game from Frederic Moyerson, the inventor of Saboteur and Vroom Vroom.

Maracas 2-8 Players | 6 & Up

Shake those maracas… with a twist! Maracas is a silly guessing game that is played with a single maraca. One player fills the maraca up with beads and the other players try to guess how many are inside by shaking it and listening closely.

Maracas is the newest game from Bruno Faidutti, the inventor of Citadels and Attila.

View the entire 2020 catalog online at https://issuu.com/blueorangegames/docs/bo_cat_2020