As all the festivities of the season begin to die down, New Year’s Eve is the perfect time to haul out all the games received over the holidays. At our house, Santa for some reason really likes to give games as presents. What a fun guy!
By New Year’s Eve, all the Wii and Xbox360 games have been over-played. The array of guns has been shot – Nerf, snowball, potato, etc. The books have all been read. (Forget that last one.) The activity kits and models have all been built. Now, it’s finally time for the family to assemble and play!
A few thoughts about the gaming industry that are rather cool:

• This month, Newsweek published an article titled New Research: $13 Christmas gifts = 13 point gain in kids’ IQ. The research of Dr. Silvia Bunge, a neuroscientist at UC Berkeley, has shown that playing games increases a child’s IQ by an astonishing amount.
• In a NRP Morning Edition report, Mathew Fay who owns a game shop in Cincinnati called YottaQuest commented that his business increases 25% every year --- and even in the current recession, this year’s sales are up 40%.

New games that are a hit in my house this year:
Scrabble Slam!
Fun, fast, and easy-to-play by all family members. Seventeen-year-old daughter has been playing it with all her friends. Ten-year-old was playing it by himself the other night while I made dinner. What a fantastic game to play to increase vocabulary and cognitive development. Scrabble Slam would be a great game in the classroom!
Jukem Football
Fun game for the whole family. Perfect game for Super Bowl Parties, or any football fans. Reviewed earlier this year - Football Season 2009/10, Let the games begin.
Jishaku
This game sold out the first day at the Chicago Toy and Game Fair, so I couldn’t wait to play (focus group) it with the family. Again, another fun, fast and easy-to-play for ALL members of the family, but this game also adds a different element – the cool feel, look, and aura of the game. Great to mix in with the harder games so kids don’t get overwhelmed.
Pictureka! Card Game
This game became popular with it’s introduction a few years ago at the Chicago Toy and Game Fair. The card game version is unique and fun because it offers 4 different ways to play the game.
Apple Scrabble
OK, I have to admit that this game left the house and hasn’t ventured home yet. But, teenage daughter proclaimed it the hit of teen game night!

New games from last year that were a big hit:
Bananagrams   Currently, #1 on Amazon Toy and Game Sales Rank
Sequence
UglyDoll Card Game – seriously, it was fun and fast.

Games that have been family favorites for years:
Blokus Read my reviewed from two years ago on my Books, Toys, Etc blog. #7 on Amazon Sales Rank
Jenga Met the inventor, Leslie Scott, this year. Love how the game was conceived.
Cranium
Candyland
Chutes and Ladders
Uno Attack!
Monopoly
Sorry!
Mexican Train Game
Scrabble

Game that I predict will become a hit:
Infunitum
This game was a big hit at the Chicago Toy and Game Fair. Laughter from the booth could be heard from across the showroom. Extremely fun and hilarious with easy instructions, but adds some right-brain thinking that I feel everyone can benefit from! Your stomach muscles will hurt from laughing and your creative thinking skills will increase.

It has to be mentioned that there have been several games, many award-winners, that didn’t pass our test. Some didn’t make it past reading the complicated instructions. Now, only if I can get everyone off their iPhones playing Scrabble and Words With Friends to play some family games!

So, grab your family, some snacks and appetizers, some bubbly and sparkling cider and have some fun this New Year’s Eve!
And, here’s to a fantastic new decade to everyone! Cheers!