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Blue Orange Holiday Gift Guide 2021 is here!

Posted on November 23, 2021November 28, 2022 by Corinne

All featured games are available at your local toy store or game store.

Additionally you can find them in the following store chains:

Pancake Monster: Barnes & Nobles, Fred Meyer/Kroger, Mills/Fleet Farm

Where’s Squeaky: Mills Fleet Farm

Wilson & Shep: Amazon

Block Ness: Amazon

Neoville: Soon on Amazon

Cross Clues: Mills Fleet Farm, Amazon

What’s that Sound?: Amazon

Paco’s Party: Fred Meyer, Kroger, Amazon

Snip Snap: Barnes & Nobles, Kohl’s, Fred Meyer/Kroger, Mills Fleet Farm, Amazon

Loopy Looper: Barnes & Nobles, Kohl’s, Cracker Barrel, Mills Fleet Farm, Amazon

Loopy Hoopies: Amazon

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!

Blue Orange Games 2019 Holiday Gift Guide!

Posted on October 1, 2019October 3, 2019 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!

Our Very Own Holiday Gift Guide!

Posted on November 20, 2018November 20, 2018 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

Let us help you find the perfect game for everyone on your list!

Our 2018 Collection is full of very good games, so we picked our favorites, broke them down by age and highlighted their theme to help you find the perfect presents!

For 3 Years Old who love bunnies!

BO_NewGames2018_Happy Bunny

Blue Orange launched a collection of cooperative games this year and Happy Bunny is a favorite!

Everyone helps the bunny pick the best carrots to bring home to his family, plucking them from the box just like you would from the ground. The trick with carrots? You need to test them first to find the most delicious ones! Make sure to pick carefully- all the bitten carrots are for the bunny, while the untouched ones are for the farmer who is also working in the fields. Line up the bunny’s carrots at the end of the day and compare them with the farmer’s harvest to see who picked the tastiest bunch!

This adorable game is perfect to teach teamwork and counting.

Check out our Happy Bunny video

For 4 & 5 Years Old

BO_NewGames2018_Kitty Bitty

Kitty Bitty is our new adorable, all wooden memory game.

The game is set-up with all the mommy cats in the middle of the table, and all the yarn balls forming a circle around them. Each turn, roll the dice, look for the mommy cat matching their colors, and lift one of her eye. If there is a kitten underneath the eye, it means the mommy saw you, you have to stay where you are, and it’s the next player’s turn! But if there is nothing underneath the eye, your kitten advances one yarn ball. The first kitten to go all around the circle and back to the basket wins!

Players must correctly identify colors, and remember which mommy cat eyes will catch the kittens so that the fun never stops in this colorful game.

For 6 Years Old who like active play!

SlingBall_Freestyle_Pkg_Flat

Djubi is the ultimate game of catch that allows you to send the ball sailing over 100 feet! It relies on a unique launching system that creates maximum distance and maximum fun! The balls come with a rubber loop attached, allowing players to launch them from a hook on the racket frame.

The Djubi collection also includes Djubi Classic, Djubi Jr., and Dartball.

Check out our Djubi video

For 7 Years Old who like team play!

BO_NewGames2018_Maki Stack

Maki Stack is perfect for an afternoon full of fun and laughs!

Put on your mask and grab your teammate, or prepare to use your fingers as chopsticks. Balance and arrange the sushi, plates, and soy sauce bottles, and make sure to execute the order exactly as shown on the card. But be careful, one wrong move and everything might tumble over! Race a friend or challenge as a team in this sushi stacking extravaganza. High-quality wooden pieces and crazy stacking combinations make Maki Stack a beautiful gift for lasting fun.

Check out our Maki Stack video

For 8 Years Old who are into logic puzzles…

BO_NewGames2018_BrainConnect

Brain Connect is a clever twist on classic sliding puzzles, this game is perfect for solo solving or racing against friends!

Quickly slide and connect your thoughts into the right order (by connecting 2 points with a red line), then, be the first to complete the action illustrated on the card at play to win!

These sliding puzzles have 16 different start and stop points, so creating a clear train of thought is always a new and exciting challenge.

For all board games lovers…

BO_NewGames2018_RoyalCollection

You cannot go wrong when offering Kingdomino. Our Spiel Des Jahres winner is one of the best board game on the market. Children 6 & Up will understand the easy rules, but the truth is, this game is enjoyed and appreciated for its game mechanic (and fun graphics) at any age.

Each turn, connect a new domino to your existing kingdom, making sure at least one of its sides connects to a matching terrain type already in play. The order of who picks a tile first depends on which tile was previously chosen. Make sure to secure tiles with crowns- these royal treasures help to multiply the worth of your kingdom at the end of the game! The game ends when each player has completed a 5×5 grid, and then points are counted based on the number of connecting tiles and crowns.

Queendomino uses the same mechanic, at a more complex level, and Age of Giants is the expansion that was just added to the Collection. It allows for a 5th player to join in and adds interaction between players.The Giants meeples cancel crowns’ value so you do not want to end up with a Giant on your kingdom!

Winner_Photosynth_FB

Photosynthesis is a beautiful gift that will make a huge statement. In this game you take your trees through their life-cycle, from seedling to full bloom to rebirth, and earn points as their leaves collect energy from the revolving sun’s rays. Carefully pick where you sow and when you grow, as trees in the shadows are blocked from light, and from points.

This game features realistic game play and beautiful graphics. Photosynthesis won many Awards including the coveted MENSA Select, and the Toy of the Year Award in the Strategy category, delivered by the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association.

Check out our Photosynthesis animation (viewed over 32,400 times!)

We didn’t forget the Stocking Stuffers!

BO_NewGames2018_WhoDidIt

This little game has been very popular: A poop game in a poop bag! Who did it?

In this hilarious card game, players race to get rid of their cards so they can 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! Was it YOUR cat that pooped in the living room? Because it wasn’t my fish!

We recommend it as a Stocking Stuffer for 6 to 12 years old.

Check out our Who did it? video

BO_NewGames2018_Mindo (1)

Mindo is a collection of 5 clever puzzles: Kitten, Puppy, Robot, Unicorn for younger children, and Zen for older players.

Play solo, or combine them and race your friends. No matter which version you choose the rules are the same: turn and flip the double-sided tiles until you have recreated the color pattern on the challenge card. They only fit one way into a 3×3 or 4×4 grid, so think and plan carefully. 60 different challenge cards and 4 levels of difficulty ensure hours of brain teasing fun!

We recommend the kids’ themes as a Stocking Stuffer for 5 to 8 years old, and the Zen theme for children 8 & Up and adults.

Check out our Mindo video

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!