Each year, the Chicago Toy and Game Fair returns with a great time for the whole family. Here are our top 5 picks on the games and toys we saw at the show for 2017:
Toy of the Year Award Winner 2017. This game is very reminiscent of Kerplunk, but with a cute yeti on a stack of spaghetti noodles. The object of the game is to keep the Yeti steady while removing the spaghetti. That rhymes! Ha ha! This is a game for 2 to 4 players and for ages 4 and up. Click here to get your copy now!
Who doesn't like magnets? Get ready to be entertained and create unlimited structures with this game! A great game for kids that promotes brain development by exploring different types of construction and geometric concepts with these colorful magnetic panels. For ages 3+.
Winner of the Rising Star Innovator of the Year. Fairy gardens have been on the rise for the past couple of years, but what we like about this is that you can either use real plants and soil, or use artificial plants to put into the set - quite handy for anyone who's allergic to plants). You can get the base set here. You can also get accessories below such as the gate, moss turf and the bridge added to your kit.
Described as a "rolling ricochet game" - Bonk caught our eye because everyone who seems to play this game end up chuckling and having a great time. The only thing we didn't like about this game is that they didn't have this available at ChiTag. But none the less, you can get a copy at your nearest Target store. The object of the game is to roll down a metal ball down a chute as you aim it towards a wooden ball in the middle of the board so that it travels towards the goal. For 2 to 4 players and ages 7 and up. This game seems to be at its most intense and most fun as a 4 player game.
1. It's a tie between Truck Off and Merge Cube
Let's begin with Truck Off - Truck Off combines strategy and a great way to polish your math skills. Yes, that's right--big nerds over here reveling about a board game with math. We had a great time play testing this game, which was easy to pick up and has a relatively quick playtime as you place your foodtrucks at venues, competing with rivals and calculating the odds of success on a die roll. This game has a good blend of probability and strategy to stimulate minds young and old.
As for Merge Cube - we love the versatility of this game. Unlike any other VR game, Merge Cube looks just like a cube, but it comes to life with a variety of games that you can play on it using a VR headset. You can also use the "cube" sans VR headset and just use your phone to play. It is known as the world’s first holographic toy you can hold in the palm of your hand. With the number of downloadable games for the Merge Cube, we can see this being one of the top toys of the year. Click here for a variety of VR headsets compatible to the Merge Cube.
Check out our video highlights from ChiTag 2017 below:
