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Category: Blue Orange Staff

Our New 2018 Games: Blue Orange Team Members’ Picks

Posted on February 27, 2018February 28, 2018 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

Last week, the Blue Orange Team spent a whirlwind few days in New York City at New York Toy Fair launching our new 2018 collection. We presented to and played with everyone and anyone in the industry who stopped by our booth, and all of their positive feedback makes us incredibly excited for our games to hit stores this spring. Want to know which games the members of the Blue Orange team are most excited about after four straight days of playing? Take a look below!

Happy Bunny (Corinne, Marketing)

“I love Happy Bunny because of how adorable every part of the game is, from the artwork on the box to the realistic feeling of picking the carrots. It helps kids work on teamwork and counting, and the anticipation about what size the carrot you are going to pick will be makes it the perfect game for any three year old. As cooperative games are a new adventure for us, it was great to see that all of our retailers and industry friends loved this game as well.”

Where’s Mr. Wolf? (Xavier, Sales)

“Every time I presented Where’s Mr. Wolf?, people immediately loved the game because of the artwork and cool 3D barns that players sort tokens into. I like that it is a cooperative, so everyone works together to beat the game, and it is also self-contained, so you play the entire game inside the box.”

Clouds (Alice, Management)

“Clouds is my favorite out of this year’s collection because of the cute zippered pouch that makes it an easy game to take on the go. It also brings up the excitement and imagination that you get from cloud gazing, which I really like. As a mom, I’m always looking for easy ways to keep my kids entertained and they have loved this game since we received the original prototype!”

Who Did It? (Emile, Sales)

“I have the most fun presenting and playing Who Did It? because while the funny emoji poop pouch catches people’s attention, the card game itself is what keeps them laughing. Everyone I played with got a kick out of pinning the blame of being ‘the pooper” on other people’s pets, and when you are saying things like ‘It wasn’t my fish that pooped in the living room, but I think it was someone else’s hamster!’, it’s almost impossible to not laugh!”

Maki Stack (Adrien, Sales)

“I think Maki Stack is the most fun out of the entire 2018 collection. In the game, you’re racing to stack the sushi either blindfolded or using your fingers as chopsticks, while also playing in teams, so it has a lot of elements that are different that our other games. At Toy Fair, every person I presented to loved the wooden sushi pieces and asked to play another round during the demo, which is always a good thing!”

Pool Party (Kathryn, Marketing)

“My personal favorite out of our new games is Pool Party. It’s fast, addicting fun that’s impossible to stop playing, and I think our fans will like it because it’s easy enough for the whole family to enjoy together. The coolest part about the game is the pool- it sits on top of a spring and every time you launch a diver it sways back and forth. It will eventually toss all the divers out if it gets too full, so you are racing against your opponents and the balance of the pool at the same time.”

Mindo Zen (Louis-Paul, Sales)

“I like Mindo Zen, and the rest of the Mindo collection, because we don’t have many one player puzzles. It’s perfect for people looking for entertainment without competition, and it doesn’t take up much space. I actually keep one on my desk at work so I have something to do when my brain needs a break.”

Congratulations to Figpickels Toy Emporium in Coeur d’Alene, ID for Winning November’s Store of the Month

Posted on November 3, 2016November 3, 2016 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

With Halloween past, the time has come to throw away our jack-o-lanterns and hang up our costumes. However before we prepare the house for our Thanksgiving banquet, we must announce November’s Store of the Month! Congratulations to Figpickels Toy Emporium in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho! Our sales rep Jean chose Figpickels for their cute store and outstanding reputation in the city. I had the pleasure of discussing Figpickels’ success with the store owners Susan and Brett Sommer.

Picture taken from the City of Coeur d’Alene site.

Coeur d’Alene resides right next to an alpine lake that bears the same name. With the fantastic scenery, Coeur d’Alene has become one of the fastest growing tourist locations and has earned a spot in 1000 Places to See in the USA and Canada Before You Die by Patricia Schultz. When I asked Brett about the city, he said its moderate climate and the fantastic ski spots during the winters are just a couple of the many factors that make this place an absolute marvel. These are also a few of the many qualities that drew Susan and Brett to settle here on their travels.

The Sommer family was living in New York City during the devastating 9/11 Terrorist Attack in 2001. After the attack, the family made the difficult decision to quit their jobs, pack up, and leave New York to travel the US. They came across Coeur d’Alene and purchased a historic building, which they renovated and leased out. The building, however, was never rented. Brett and Susan noticed there was no toy store in Coeur d’Alene, and they recalled how excited they had been to find a toy store in the towns they visited. They decided to take the building for themselves and make their own toy store out of it.

When I asked Susan and Brett about their favorite part in running the store, they said they loved the community and the people they meet. They said it’s “always a party in there” for them and they love to meet people from around the world. The Sommer’s once met a teacher from Portland, Oregon that worked with autistic students, and with help from their son, she was able to find a toy that could help her in the classroom. The business also takes pride in working with educators in their area, and learning more about how toys can engage in developmental therapy.

Devin Sommer teaches English in Turkey using Blue Orange Games!

Speaking of education, Susan and Brett find that Blue Orange Games hold a lot of educational and cognitive benefits. Brett is personally excited to learn how Dr. Eureka may help those with autism and ADHD. Their son, Devin Sommer, even took some Blue Orange Games games with him to Turkey in his study abroad program to help teach English to the people there. He partners with the Institute of International Education and has recently won the Generation Study Abroad Video Challenge.

Beyond the exciting location and educational games, Susan and Brett know their games are a blast to play. How do they know this? Because they were tested by the Board of Directors, a group of twelve children who won the Figpickels essay contest.

“Figpickels Toy Emporium’s twelve Board of Directors winners were selected from over 350 entrants encompassing the entire region through an essay contest designed to encourage students to creatively and effectively communicate.” Figpickels Toy Emporium’s Board of Directors for 2013

Xavier met with the Board of Directors to teach Blue Orange Games in 2013.

In 2013 the Board of Directors tested over 500 games to compile a holiday list for the Figpickels store. Xavier, one of our Sales Manager, also came on the scene to show the kids how to play the Blue Orange games. Susan and Brett were thrilled to work with the manufacturers that provided the games and toys. During our conversation, they also expressed that their esteemed Board of Directors would always end up picking Blue Orange games for the holiday list.

It is no wonder that Figpickels Toy Emporium won November’s Store of the Month. We are so proud of our friends at Figpickels. Check out for yourself why Figpickels Toy Emporium is November’s Store of the Month at 210 E. Sherman Ave, Coeur d’Alene, ID or visit their site here! Congratulations again! We hope your store continues to succeed and your community prospers.

Blue Orange brings Games to Camps all over the Bay Area

Posted on August 12, 2016August 12, 2016 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

This summer you sent your kids to summer camps, and I got the pleasure of joining some of them!

Every year when school is out Blue Orange visits camps around the Bay Area for “play days”. Its our way of giving a little something back to the community, and we love exposing kids to screen-less wonder that can be found in a board game.

Let’s break down how it all went:

1,000 kids +15 camps+ over 40 games donated – a few lost game pieces = A sucessful program and one happy intern!

The play days happened at camps all over the Bay Area, in cities like Danville, Mill Valley, Oakland, Berkeley and in Blue Orange’s very own San Francisco. Kids ages 4 to 13 got the chance to play our newest games, as well as some old favorites, at camps that ranged in size from 10 to 350 (!) kids.

For me this was such an amazing opportunity, as I got to see the joy that Blue Orange’s games bring first hand. To watch kids of different ages, (and their counselors!) interact with each other and have fun together gave me such a new perspective on the impact that something as simple as a board game can have.

Check out some snapshots I took during some of my camp visits below!

Me and my trusty game box- it went to all the camps with me this summer!

Campers in Moraga play Fast Flip, Fastrack and Doodle Quest.

Campers in Danville play Gobblet Gobblers, Battle Sheep, Niya and Fastrack.

Blue Orange’s Marketing Manager came out to one of the camps to help out. Here she is playing Dr. Eureka with campers in SF’s Sunset District.

The other marketing intern joined me for the SF sunset camp as well!

What Went Down at ASTRA!

Posted on July 11, 2016July 12, 2016 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

Each year the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association organizes a Convention for manufacturers and retailers to meet. ASTRA is the largest association for companies in the toy and children’s products arenas, and aside from providing outstanding support for the industry, every year they review and judge games for their Best Toys for Kids awards. We were very happy to find out that four of our games Top That!, Kaboom, Vroom Vroom, and Dr. Eureka were finalists for the ASTRA Best Toys for Kids 2016 Awards. Yesterday, after collecting thousands of votes from retailers all over the country, ASTRA announced Dr. Eureka as the winner in its category!

June 5th through June 8th, our sales team took a trip east to the ASTRA Marketplace in Denver, CO. We always treasure our time with our retailers, and this year was no different. We especially enjoyed showing off five great new games. They are still in the making, but they’ll be coming soon to the market before the holidays. Read more below about those clever Blue Orange findings. But unlike our releases during Toy Fair, you might find that these games are for the more mature crowd and jammed with strategy, abstract though, and some good old fibbing.

Six Making

[box]This Gobblet-like game was welcomed by retailers as a fantastic mix of chess and checkers.[/box]

Chess players loved breaking their brains over this new wooden strategy game at ASTRA. The height of the tower defines the move set that tower can take. A one-piece tower makes a pawn, two pieces make a rook, three make a knight, four a bishop, five a queen, and six you win the game! The color at the top shows which player controls that tower. There are also special pieces that can add more fun and complexity to the game. Our sales reps and retailors loved battling out their wits in this new twist on a strategy game.

Cup of Bluff

[box]Everyone enjoyed the bluffing fun in this teen-adult party game![/box]

Our sales reps were hard pressed to put on their poker faces as they tried to bluff it out with visiting shop owners. Cup of Bluff is an uproarious party game with sly looks and some sneaky white lies. The point of the game is to trick your opponents. Roll the dice in your cup of bluff and peak inside to see the number. Then pick your target and say the dice’s true value or lie and pick a different number. If they find the truth, they get the points, but if you trick them, the points are yours!

U-Turn

[box]Players loved the brain teasing conundrum just as much as the game’s colors and affordability.[/box]

This game flexed and folded minds up with complex geometry as players searched tried to latch on shapes to wrap their colors around orange and green dots. U-Turn challenges players to build elaborate and complex structures by three dimensionally surrounding dots to capture them in a two dimensional way so that when you look down at the dot, the color surrounds it. Tricky right? We created awesome 3D sculptures at ASTRA while snapping on pieces to capture dots in this three-dimensional puzzle strategy game.

Vikings on Board

[box]This viking themed game wowed players with it’s elaborate set up and reasonable price.[/box]

Our sales reps set sail against retailers as they battled in this elaborately crafted strategy game. Vikings on Board is a big box, family strategy game in which your objective to set sail on a ship best equipped for the voyage. However, your viking brethren are masters of sabotage and would soon switch the parts on your ship then have you sail out of the harbor. The sales team enjoyed this brilliant battle of wits against the retailers, while the crowd marveled at the 3 dimensional boats and the board’s masterful illustrations.

Boss

[box]The game was applauded for its American style theme and beautiful artwork.[/box]

The Blue Orange crew was twisting their minds over probability and bluff in this test your luck twist on the American mob tale. In the Boss, players bluff, deduct, and push their changes to get the cut of the profit. It’s a game full of hard decisions and sacrifices, where arrest, injury, or even death can endanger any of your gangsters on every job. Tensions where high between our staff and the players as everyone dared probability on their adventure into organized crime.

We are so honored Dr. Eureka won ASTRA’s Best Toys for Kids, and we were thrilled to play these awesome new games with our retailers. Check out what a blast we at at ASTRA Marketplace 2016!

Blue Orange Supports Mini-Transat Competitor Pierre Chedevielle

Posted on May 26, 2016May 26, 2016 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

Exciting news! Blue Orange is sponsoring Pierre Chedeveille in the 2017 Mini-Transat.

The Mini-Transat (or the Transat 6.5) is a one-man-crew transatlantic race on a sailing boat 6.5 meters long. You heard right! Individuals race their small vessels across the open seas without anyone helping them! The race was created in 1977 by Bob Sandman, and has been organized every other year since.

“Aside from the around the world race, I do not know any other race more extraordinary than this one. There are as many winners as there are contestants,” said Jean-Luc Van Den Heede, second at the 1979 Transat.

In order to be able to qualify to enter this race, you need to participate in several races during the 2016-2017 seasons. You also need to do a solo trip of 1000 miles without stopping.

Talk about intense! The race proceeds as so: the sailors depart in France then stop for ten days in the Canary Islands or on Madeira Island before continuing to the French Caribbean Islands where the race ends. We asked Pierre a few questions about his preparation for this daring trek, and he was kind enough to grant us his thoughts. We’ve translated his words from French to English below.

My name is Pierre Chedeville. I’m 29. I’m an officer of the Marine Marchande. In September 2017, I will embark across the Atlantic Ocean in a 6.5-meter boat in the Mini-Transat. I have dreamed of this project ever since I participated in the Mini-Fasnet Race, a race for small boats in South Ireland, several years ago. I was born in a small village in Brittany, where I grew up surrounded by sailing and nautical sports. I started sailing with my parents during family outings. Later, I became a certified Sailing Instructor, and taught sailing for many summers in Brittany. I’ve windsurfed, surfed, and kite surfed all my life. I am fascinated by the ocean, and that is why I decided to make my career in the Marine Marchande.

My physical coach prepares me for the water, and my mental coach gives me advice to relax before the race like how to fall asleep quickly. Sleeping is the nerve of the war (it’s the most important part for solo sailors). Often you will have to spend several days without sleeping on this type of boat, and naps usually do not exceed 20 min because you need to keep the boat on course and watch out for competitors or other boats that you can cross with.

I was lucky to meet Julien Mayot and his wife (co owners of Blue Orange) when my boat was baptized last summer. They were on vacation in Brittany at a mutual friend’s house. When they saw the boat and heard what I was trying to accomplish, they became very enthusiastic about my endeavors right away. Knowing that I was looking for financial partners, Julien told me about Blue Orange and promised to support me. We got along right away and shared many mutual passions like kite surfing and sailing (of course).

The mini Transat will be the accomplishment of a 2 year sportive goal, 2 years during which I will invest myself to the fullest to achieve this dream. I don’t have any predictions as far as where I will rank, but the goal is to cross the ocean without breaking the boat and arrive happy and healthy in the Caribbean. It’s a solitary project which I want to share as much as possible with people around me who support me: my girlfriend, my family, my friends, and Blue Orange who supports me financially and all who will follow my adventures.

Congratulations! Launching Success in Bellingham, Washington is our May Store of the Month

Posted on May 4, 2016February 17, 2021 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

launchingsuccesslogo — Visit them at 133 Prince Avenue in Bellingham, WA

The Store of the Month for this month is (drumroll!) Launching Success Learning Store in Bellingham, Washington! This store was nominated by our sales manager Xavier for their contagious enthusiasm for our games.

In my chat with Jen, the co-store owner, I learned that Launching Success Learning Store was originally started 13 years ago by Sandy and Bob Hiorns, and Barbara and Dan Sanford, a group of retired educators who noticed that there were no stores that sold teaching supplies in their area. They started the store to provide supplies to educators. Two years ago they passed store ownership onto their employees Jen and Kristen. Both have been working excellently in advancing the store to new and great heights. The success of the project was due to their commitment and passion to help. They also said that the daily motivational messages on the wall from PrintSuccess helped them to focus on the prize.

Jen Zimmermann, co-owner of Launching Success

In 2006, the store upgraded to a 5,600 square foot space. This was a large jump for the small business. Jen mentioned that new time customers still come in with a look of surprise and awe at the sight of the stores size and selection. After this big move, the owners had the space to add a section for educational games. As developed in our previous blog post, “Identity Through Play,” children source of development and self-discovery is play. Jen and Kristen understand this and continue to make it the basis for all their games. Since its conception, Launching Success has become a store more dedicated to joining education with fun.

Kristen Krumdiack, co-owner of Launching Success

According to Jen, the most rewarding aspect of being a store owner is the help and encouragement she receives from the companies that support small local businesses. She’s thrilled to work with Blue Orange, and she enjoys sharing her enthusiasm for games with our sales representatives every time they visit. She remembers first seeing Blue Orange crew at a convention. She was most stricken by their enthusiasm for the Blue Orange Games and how that passion showed even through their end-of-the-day exhaustion. She was happy to share her own enthusiasm for the games and encourage them in that last part of the day. Since that day, Jen has been thrilled to meet with Xavier about each year’s upcoming games.

During our discussion of favorite games, Jen mentioned that she enjoys games that are quick to explain with rules flexible enough to allow for other variations. For this reason, she enjoys most of the tin games including Fast Flip and King’s Gold. She’s also thrilled with Dr. Eureka for its simple rule set. She adores the preschool and wooden games and found Froggie Boogie particularly lovable with its adorable story of baby frogs trying to avoid bedtime. “Every kid can relate to that,” she told me.

Jen advises that any future store owner be open to what is out there. She mentioned that she keeps in touch with what’s out there through the Good Toy Group. Besides being open to opportunities for new toys, Jen emphasized the importance of also “follow your gut.” Trends are tricky to catch so it’s important for a store owner to see everything that’s available. However, there’s also a level of intuition involved in choosing toys appropriate for a store.

Go visit Launching Success Learning Store yourself or check out their website. The Blue Orange Team is proud of Jen, Kristen, and all of their employees. Congratulations! Keep up your fantastic passion for games and fun!

Check Out the Buzz at New York Toy Fair!

Posted on March 3, 2016March 11, 2016 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

New York Toy Fair was such a blast! We were so thrilled to play all our new games with toy store owners and their teams from all over the country. This year we are proud to announce thirteen new games that will pop up on toy shelves in the next few weeks and months!

New Games for 2016

Gigamons

[box]Everyone at Toy Fair adored the cute monster figures and the refreshing illustrations while enjoying Gigamons‘ unique game play that combined a memory game with superpowers![/box] Enter a realm where magic reigns and the world’s elements are creatures with mythical abilities! Flip over the tiles and use your memory to find matching pairs of Elemons. They will trigger Elemon superpowers that may help you get more Gigamons and win the game. Gigamons is a game artistically designed to engage the player’s imagination and carry them away to a new world. Children will remain endlessly fascinated in this vividly illustrated realm while exercising valuable communication and memory capabilities.

Dr. Eureka

[box]Our live Dr. Eureka stole the show with his giant molecules and mixers. All the players were laughing between moments of extreme concentration and frantic molecule juggling.[/box] Stir up crazy molecular mixes in Dr. Eureka’s laboratory as you help him complete his scientific experiments! Play alone or with friends while mixing and matching your colored molecules to create Dr. Eureka’s winning formula. But watch those particles! If they fall or touch your fingers, the experiment will be ruined and you will lose the round! Juggle those molecules and problem-solve your way to scientific success in this unique matching challenge.

Vroom Vroom

[box]The wooden snail rollers were a hit at the Vroom Vroom table with their adorable appearance and unique counting process. [/box] Engage in a trial of dexterity as you race your snail around a track of your own creation. Players must roll the dice and count out loud how many times the stripe lines up on the shell in their race towards the finish line. But players beware! Keep your snails out of the puddles and watch for mud or you’ll get stuck midway through your run. Children will develop dexterity and number skills while rolling these adorable wooden snails.

Brix

[box]This game took players by surprise and had them playing over and over again with it’s clever concept.[/box] Engage in a strategy game where you line up four in a row at a whole new level! Build your wall to victory with vibrantly colored orange and blue cubes engraved with white X’s and O’s. Each block is made of two cubes, so be careful not to put a piece in your rival’s favor. Play with symbols, colors, or both! You decide! Brix is a uniquely creative game that is fast to learn but employs a complex strategy that older children and adults will love!

Kaboom

[box]Kaboom was quite the blast with dice and blocks flying all over the demo table.[/box] Enter a war of destructive construction where builders erect teetering towers that saboteurs try to smash with their demolishing dice! As the Master Builder, you must assemble your tower against the chaotic onslaught of catapults to try to get the most points. But come next round, you’ll be the saboteur behind the catapult creating catastrophe for your opponent builder. Will you build multiple towers against your enemies? Or will you try for the grand prize and master the Mega Tower? All ages will love this challenge of speed and precision mingled with some great destructive fun!

Fast Flip

[box]Players’ brains were flipping fast between fruits and numbers in this card game sensation. They loved the addictive game play and easy understandability, while appreciating the unique triangular shape of the cards.[/box] Get ready to scramble for the match in this crazy fruit salad! Match your fruits to a number or numbers to a fruit; you don’t know what match you’ll have to find next! Whether you play with tiles or with the cards alone, all players of any age will be fast flipping for this brain teasing match up. The game comes complete in a tin for your cards and tiles, making it an easy travel item. Children will find the smiling fruits so engaging and are bound to join in the captivating family fun.

Super Genius

[box]Everyone at New York Toy Fair were thrilled to see the long awaited Super Genius: Multiplication 2 and appreciated Super Genius: Alphabet as a logical addition for younger children. They were also impressed by Super Genius: Compound Words in its unique variation on the original style of play.[/box] Super Genius is back with three more ways to get your genius gears grinding! Super Genius: Alphabet will throw your kinder into ABC fun as they sound out their letter sounds while matching the alphabet with vibrant illustrations. Then master your math and learn your times tables 6 through 9 with Super Genius: Multiplication 2. Finally, there is Super Genius: Compound Words where you match your compound words three different ways: words to image, image to image equations, and image equations to words! Whether they play by themselves or in a group, little geniuses are bound to have fun feeding their minds with these smart games.

Pinpoint!

[box]Players at Toy Fair were rapt in the challenge to find each elusive original in this twist on the find the difference game.[/box] Join in a race for the original in Pinpoint! Flip the card and race with friends to spot the differences among aliens, skateboards, robots, snails, and other fun pictures! Each variation has only one small difference from the original, so keep your eyes peeled to catch the original before your opponents catch it from you. The game comes with 6 die to allow cooperative play or for each player to take their time. Play it with friends or alone, in a car or at home; Pinpoint! is a flexible game equipped in a tin, so it’s fun whichever way, wherever you play!

Top That!

[box]Our live Top That! magician mystified our buyers with the game’s deceptive difficulty. By the end of the convention, our magician had mastered the stacking skill to beat any challenger.[/box] Put on your hat, break out your props, and hide your rabbits in this magical match up! This game is a matching, stacking game where players race to stack items and hide grayed objects according to the images shown on the cards. Can you be a master magician and keep your starred objects empty for the brilliant reveal in your magical finale? No matter what age, children will enjoy stacking their way to magician fame while practicing key fine motor and social skills.

Rooster Run

[box]Players had fun playing Rooster Run with the wacky barnyard atmosphere and commended the challenge in searching for specific details in each worm.[/box] Join your friends for some barn house mayhem! Rooster Run is a twist of a memory game where you are a strapping young rooster ready to peck your way to that dear hen’s prize worm and win her heart. Flip over earth tiles to find the perfect dinner. First one to find their worms cries “Cock-a-doodle-doo” and ends the round. But don’t be too hasty! If you call out too soon without your prize worm, prepare for heartbreak and lose your dinner! Rooster Run is a thrilling real time race where children can practice skills in memory and focus while having fun with family and friends.

Sold Out!

[box]Players commended this card game’s unique and energetic style of play and how perfect it is for sleepover parties![/box] Scour an imaginary store as you and your friends race to complete your shopping lists in this super sale scramble! Sold Out! is a fast pace card game where you and your friends literally get up and race to find your items. Each player is given a shopping list to memorize before dashing around the room, looking through piles of cards representing clothes racks. Sold Out! is a unique get-up-and-go card game perfect for birthday parties and sleepovers! Children will love exploring their space and running around in this energetic race to finish their lists before the store is Sold Out!