Interview with David Wexler, Inventor of Fish Club

Interview with David Wexler, Inventor of Fish Club

Posted on by Corinne Marcot-Jones
David Wexler, inventor of Fish Club
Toy Fair in New York

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.

David Wexler, inventor of Fish Club

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 very first Fish Club prototype

The very first Fish Club prototype

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!

Play Meeple Land on Stories during Gen Con online!

Posted on 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!

Indoor Games And Activities!

Posted on 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!

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.

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?

Die or Dice?

Posted on 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.” 

Pengoloo from Blue Orange Games (2007)

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!

Blue Orange Celebrates 20 Years with 20 New Games!

Posted on 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

Marchés de Noël in the Bay Area!

Marchés de Noël in the Bay Area!

Posted on by Corinne Marcot-Jones

Every year in Europe, there are street markets that occur during the four weeks of Advent in celebration of the holidays. The Christmas markets brings joy to local towns, illuminating streets with Christmas decorations, music and dancing, and the aroma of tasty sweets. The tradition originally began as the December market in Vienna, Austria in 1298 and began to spread all across Europe after Germany popularized it by giving it a Christmas theme in the 14th century. Every country brings their own unique twists to each market but they all hold the same value of bringing cheer to the people around them.

This tradition, called Marché de Noël in France, has spread to the United States and has become increasingly popular in the Bay Area due to the large French community. The Christmas markets help French and Americans alike to celebrate the holidays and have many fun activities for families that also support local businesses.

Blue Orange Games is proud to be represented in the Bay Area Christmas markets by Anne-Sophie Seret through her company, Little Dragon Toys. Little Dragon Toys’ mission is to be a community of parents and child-development experts who share tips, tools, and toys that will allow them to spend more quality time with their children while enabling them to play, learn and fly.

Below is the schedule for upcoming local markets, the perfect place to find Christmas spirit, play our games at the Little Dragon booth, and find the best holiday gifts for all your loved ones!

DEC 6thHoliday French Market
Alliance Française de Berkeley 2004 Woolsey St from 5pm to 8pm
DEC 7thThe Collab – Holiday Market
At 1603 Irving St – SF from 11am to 4pm
DEC 8thLycee Français – Winter Fair
At Ortega Campus from 11am to 3pm
DEC 10thHoliday Market
At Messy Art Lab – 345 Judah St SF from 2pm to 8pm
DEC 14thSunset Mercantile
At SF County Fair Building, 9th Ave/Lincoln from 11am to 5pm
DEC 15thMarche de Noel AF & L’Apéro
The Park Central 50 3rd St – SF from 10am to 6pm

For more information about Little Dragon Toys, visit their website at www.littledragontoys.com

Blue Orange Games 2019 Holiday Gift Guide!

Blue Orange Games 2019 Holiday Gift Guide!

Posted on by Corinne Marcot-Jones

The holidays are fast approaching and we understand it can be difficult to find the perfect gift for family and friends. We’re here to make the holiday shopping process easier with a great selection of our games!

These games are for the person in your life that loves to break out fun games when you get together during the holidays and can’t get enough!

Beagle or Bagel? Ages 7&up, 2-6 players

Who knew that sleeping dogs and bagels could look so similar! Flip the cards quickly and be the first to call out beagle or bagel depending on which is showing the most on the table! There are three different ways of playing to challenge your friends and family during the holidays and keep the fun going! Skills: Visual Perception | Processing Speed Check out this awesome video review by Vat19! How to Play!

Bears in Barrels Ages 7&up, 4-8 players

These two bears stuck inside their honey barrels love to play by wrestling and tumbling and racing! Roll them over so they can continue chasing one another and their fun never ends! This party game is all about dexterity and fun: with one finger, players rush to flip the bear so that it lands right-side up then pass it quick to their neighbor, to avoid losing a honey token. The goal is to not get caught by the other bear! Skills: Fine Motor | Social Play Check out this fun video on Bears in Barrels!

Panic Island Ages 8&up, 1-8 players

Hurry! The volcano on your island is going to erupt and the inhabitants are counting on you to save them before 2 minutes are up! Flip 2 cards at a time and remember their location to create the right pairs, don’t get delayed by the wacky action cards, and find the raft and paddle to escape safely! This unique cooperative race takes players on a frantic adventure they will only survive with strategic teamwork and memory! Skills: Memory | Focus & Attention | Cooperation | Social Play

Gifts for the person in your life whose mind is always buzzing. In their spare time they love to stimulate their minds in fun, creative, and challenging ways!

MindBlock Ages 8&up, 2-4 players

Rummy with stacking building 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 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 dissemble runs and sets and assemble them into new ones using your blocks. The goal is to get rid of your blocks first. Skills: Strategy | Focus & Attention | Math How to play!

TumbleMaze Ages 8&up, 1 player

Let’s get this ball rolling! In this solo action puzzle game, challenge yourself to roll a stainless steel ball into a specific spot with a minimum of trials, navigating between obstacles and using bonus walls to guide the ball into the right direction. This ball rolling game gets tougher with higher level challenges! Skills: Visual Perception | Focus & Attention | Logic Check out this video review by Lucky Penny Shop! How to play!

These games are the next hit at your holiday game night! 

Detective Club Ages 8 & Up 4-8 Players

Detective Club is a social deduction party game featuring beautiful, surreal artwork and intriguing player interactions! 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! Skills: Creativity | Storytelling | Social Play Check out this video review by The Dice Tower!

Planet Ages 8&up, 2-4 players

This game has been acclaimed by reviewers since its launch and even won the coveted Mensa Select Award. Player take on A world is taking shape in the palm of your hands. Take on the role of super beings and compete to create perfect worlds with the ideal conditions for wildlife to flourish. In this very unique game, each player’s board is a 12-sided 3-dimensional planet core. Throughout 12 turns, select landscape tiles representing oceans, deserts, mountains or frozen lands, and arrange them on your planet to create the best ecosystems. Win animal cards while fulfilling your own “natural habitat objective and create the most populated planet in the universe. Skills: Strategy Check out this video review by The Dice Tower!

Once Upon a Castle Ages 8&up, 2-4 players

Roll the best resources, strategically position them on your board to draw your castle with their residents, and earn points. Use the outlined castle on your pad, or play on your artistic abilities to draw, color, and decorate as you wish! The Great Architect version adds complexity to the game with visitors and their special powers. This charming roll-and-write game keeps players engaged planning the collection of resources and doodling their prestigious castle one piece at a time! Skills: Strategy | Creativity Check out this video review by The Dice Tower!

Slide Quest Ages 7&up, 2-4 players

The kingdom is in total chaos! Work together to guide this brave rolling knight through 20 adventures filled with twists and traps. Players each hold on to a lever and guide the moving platform in all directions, sliding the knight to follow the right paths while beating obstacles. As challenges become more difficult, hold on to your lives to make it to the highest level and win! Slide Quest turned a video game concept into a board game where dexterity and cooperation are the keys to success. Skills: Cooperation | Fine Motor | Focus & Attention Check out this video review by The Dice Tower! How to Play!

The perfect gifts to give to your little ones to help them explore their creative and motor skills through fun challenges!

Fishing Day Ages 5&up, 2-4 players

It’s too cold out to go fishing but luckily we have the perfect solution for your adventurers here! Pick up your lucky fishing line and head to the pond for a crazy game of fishing. Follow the card at play and use your line to catch the correct objects out of the water before the yellow duck makes it out. Fishing day is a clever race made to help your little angler work on their color and shape recognition, deduction, and counting! Skills: Fine Motor | Focus & Attention | Social Play Check out this review by The Dice Tower!

Pengoloo Ages 4&up, 2-4 players

A Blue Orange classic! This wooden game has been delighting little ones for the past 12 years, who wouldn’t be excited by a fun south pole eggs-pedition! Each turn, players roll the colored dice and look under 2 penguins for eggs that match the colors on the face of each die. Guess correctly and keep the penguin on your iceberg. Collect 6 penguins to win! Skills: Memory | Social Play Check out this video review by Marbles the Game Store!

Kitty Bitty Ages 4&up, 2-4 players

It’s nap time for the itty bitty kitties, but they just want to play! Help them jump, bat the yarn balls around, and race to the basket without catching a look from the watchful eyes of the mommy cats. Players must remember which mommy cat eyes will catch the kittens so that the fun never stops in this adorable memory game. Skills: Memory | Social Play Check out this video review by The Dice Tower!

Looking for a stellar gift to put in the stockings? Look no further! 

For the youngest in the family, we recommend Dog Rush! Ages 6&up, 2-6 players

It’s dog walking time in park. Oh wait! A reindeer passes by and all the dogs escape their owners to run after him getting their leashes tangled up. Quick! Find the end of the leash corresponding to the dog that was chosen at the beginning of the round, pull it from the messy entanglement, and win a treat for your furry friend! This unique party game will keep everybody’s attention at play! Skills: Visual Perception | Focus & Attention Check out this video review by HeyThatsMike!

For ages six and older, Oh My Gold! Sprint! Who did it? Are our top 3 favorites!

Oh my Gold! Ages 6&up, 2-4 players

Are you ready to embark on a lively treasure hunt? Roll the luck keys to open treasure to roll again… you only get one second chance! This quick push-your-luck dice game requires the right decision to be made at the right time! Skills: Focus & Attention How to Play!

Sprint! Ages 8&up, 2-4 players

You are a tenacious turtle racing against a fearless rabbit… Do you stand a chance? Yes! Guess the correct number of cards to take from the pile and the more precise you are, the further you will go on the track. If your guess is way off, the rabbit will speed through to the finish line! Skills: Visual Perception | Math | Cooperation Check out this video review from HeyThatsMike!

Who Did It? Ages 6&up, 3-6 players

The #1 card game about #2! In this hilarious game, race to get rid of all your cards to avoid the blame of owning the animal that pooped. Each game is as funny as it is fast; quickly find your card, be the first to throw it down, and then blame someone else’s pet! Skills: Social Play | Memory Check out this video review by Lucky Penny Shop! How to play!

For all ages, TopiCubes is sure to be a hit! Ages 7&up, 2-6 players

In this fun word game, players roll 10 dice, 5 with a letter, and 5 with an illustrated topic, and race to find matching words. A winning matching word must start with one of the letters showing on a dice, and must belong to one of the categories showing on a dice of a different color. With topics like celebrities, TV shows, articles of clothing, “something square”, mammals, and more, this game is sure to entertain your creative mind and guarantee bursts of laughter! Skills: Speech & Language | Creativity | Social Play How to play!

Sherlock Express and Dragon’s Cave provide lots of fun for the ones in the family that enjoy adventuring with strategy, logic, and quick thinking!

Sherlock Express Ages 7&up, 2-6 players

Help Sherlock find Moriarty’s accomplice! Each turn, observe the 6 suspects, and as alibis get placed down on the table, use your deductive skills to expose the culprit first and win the round! If none of the suspects are guilty, then Sherlock will finally catch his sworn enemy Moriarty. Sherlock Express is a fast game of deduction where everyone is a suspect… until proven innocent! Skills: Visual Perception | Processing Speed | Logic Check out this video review by The Dice Tower! How to Play!

Dragon’s Cave Ages 7&up, 2-4 players

Lured by a precious treasure, you are brave dwarves venturing into the dragon’s cave, gathering gold coins on your way! Pick each step carefully! If the dragon predicts your next move on the path, you will move backward and risk losing the coins you haven’t saved in your treasure chest. Bluff your way through the whimsical cave to strike it rich! Skills: Focus & Attention | Strategy | Social Play Check out this video review by The Dice Tower!

To take a look at all of our games, please visit our website: www.blueorangegames.com. Happy Holidays from all of us at Blue Orange!