Three design-oriented card games build off of the color spectrum
A new line of games from Funnybone Toys looks to the design world as inspiration. The three innovative card games, Array, Cubu and Spectrix, build off of the color spectrum, sequencing and counting to create engaging children’s activities. While the rules for each game are somewhat similar to traditional dominoes, the punched up colors and non-traditional shapes of the colorful trio are bound to enhance both creativity and cognitive learning.
Spectrix is the most approachable of the three games, and arguably the most entertaining. Players are dealt a hand of cards with the purpose of getting rid of it before their opponents do so. By combining colors pairs and arranging cards into a communal spectrum, players gradually unload their hand in a colorful, number-free variation of gin rummy. When a player finishes off a spectrum, he or she calls out “White Light” to tack on five extra points to other players’ scores. Spectrix cards also function as simple memory game for young children.
The nicely free-flowing Array uses twelve-sided cards that players must lay down and connect by color, with the ultimate goal of eliminating your hand while creating the highest number of different color arrays. If players are particularly creative in their strategy, they have the ability of playing multiple cards per turn, based on the different combinations available. Additionally, the game is mixed up by “slam” and “splatter” cards, which add cards and points to a fellow player’s hand.
Admittedly more complicated, Cubu uses a radial sequence of multicolored squares and rectangles to determine player moves. In order to use a card, participants must play a series up or down from one of the cards on the table. For example, a card with a red rectangle at position three could be followed by a card with a red rectangle at position four. While it takes a little while to get used to Cubu, it is by far the most challenging and well-suited for older players.
The latest ways to enhance game play with your smartphone or tablet
With additional reporting by James Thorne
Realizing that competing with the popularity of smartphones and tablets is a game they’ve already lost, toy manufacturers are finding ways to incorporate apps and devices into their product experience. New options range from simple tactile cases to QR codes and elaborate augmented reality board games. We’re really impressed by the breadth of the examples we discovered at the 2012 Toy Fair in New York City this week, even if more often than not the concept is more impressive than the execution. This is a space in which we expect to see a huge amount of innovation, and look forward to seeing how large companies and startups jockey for position in the growing market.
The simple foam design of this ball opens the gaming experience to loads of new opportunities. By combining motion sensors, app-based games and TV visualization, the toy from Phyiscal Apps is able to dramatically expand the capabilities of your smartphone simply by securely wrapping it up in a foam ball. Experience bowling by watching the game on your TV and roll the ball against the wall to simulate bowling, for example.
A range of games from Hasbro slated to appear this year are swapping out traditional game boards for iPads. Old favorites like Life and Monopoly are among the ranks, although we were most excited by the company’s plans for Battleship. The strategic two-player game has come a long way since pegs and model ships ruled the board. The game leverages an app and is supplemented by placing battleship pieces on your iPad’s screen. For the game of Life, significant “moments” trigger relevant videos, from graduations to wedding ceremonies.
iBounce is reminiscent of treadmill televisions, giving kids an interface to play along with as they engage in physical activity. Currently accompanied by an eBook, the story prompts children to jump along with RompyRoo on his adventures. Apps are already in the works.
Age-old card games like Hearts, War and Solitaire aren’t left out of the appcessory world. The standard decks are enhanced by QR codes on some of the cards, which can be ignored offline or scanned to instigate new ways of play. For example, one scanned during Hearts may say to draw more cards, or to throw cards out. It’s a simple, clever way to engage those who are interested without modifying the game experience for those who aren’t.
Touted as “huggable learning”, these adorable smartphone holders give children something to grab on to as they learn through educational app play. The stand also serves as a charger.
This quiz game app and is created for family play, and leverages a dish that holds and counts tokens, and shields your screen-based entries from other players. Answer questions displayed on the screen by putting your colored pieces in the corresponding dish. Correct entries are then collected in the basin below without the need to manually tally responses. The company makes several other appcessories, including game show style buzzers for question-based games.
The original Eye Know card game has been enhanced with a free app component. Scrambled images gradually become clear, and players win points depending on how fast they can guess the person, place or thing coming into focus.
Featuring several different games, this triptych board by Identity Games uses the iPad as the central interface surrounded by two panels for real-world movement. Several two-sided inserts are included with the game board. Play is enabled by rotating the die in the holder, each face corresponding to a different game. Character pieces help keep kids involved as the integrated apps track progress, keep score and provide instruction. A version for smartphones is on the way, too.
The world of tablet styluses is given a natural kid-friendly counterpart with this “crayon” styled stylus by Dano. While not a game, it facilitates both drawing and game play. The triangle-shaped stylus teaches correct grip as users draw on the screen of the tablet, engaging with their app of choice.
An interactive narrative about the birth of the alphabet in a world of numbers
A charming interactive story app from Moonbot takes a pre-linguistic dystopia as the setting for a adventure tale about the invention of the alphabet. Following Moonbot’s first story “The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore,” Numberlys also takes a literary angle of a more cinematic quality. In part an homage to Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis,” the goose-stepping society of the Numberlys is less than intimidating as its citizens waddle across the frame.
The combination story-game-film app teaches a pseudo-history of the birth of the alphabet. Five friends set out to create something new in a world that relies entirely on numbers for communication. Their “number speak” is comically translated by our narrator, a European of ambiguous origins. In a factory reserved for number production, the friends cut, crank, twirl, bounce and bazooka all 26 letters into shape. In doing so, they unleash a new means of communication, bringing names, sunsets, jelly beans and Technicolor into their drab world.
While the high-brow references to film history and the curse of industrial capitalism may soar over the heads of little ones, the games and story are clearly aimed at young children. The mini games are entertaining enough, though really serve to keep the reader engaged as the story progresses. Closer to a film than a picture book, the story still makes good use of an alliterative vocabulary: “They were giddy! Glad! Gleeful! They would go forwards with grace, gallantry, and gusto!”
While there remains room for growth in terms of alternative story paths and better gaming, Numberlys represents a new standard in the development of interactive narratives.
Numberlys is available on the iPad and iPhone through iTunes.
Dominoes’ historically royal roots—they were discovered in King Tut’s tomb and played for centuries by Chinese emperors—are often forgotten since today, “bones” are frequently played on the streets of Brooklyn and the back rooms of bars. While there’s no discounting the standard double-six set gracing most tables, the limited-edition Bronze Bones set designed by the clever trio behind The Principals for The World’s Best Ever definitely puts a regal spin back on the classic game.
The geometric bones are each machined by hand in blackened bronze and feature rectangular grooves in place of the standard circles. Packed in a hollowed-out leather-bound book, the sexy 28-piece set comes with a score pad, pencil and sleek sharpener. The unique design may take players more time to read, but that just leaves more time for shit-talking—a major part of any good game of bones. Best of all, these heavy gems are the perfect weight to slam down with proper force when you’re making a major play.
Having just launched at the Mondrian South Beach during Art Basel, Bronze Bones are now available for $1,500—check out the dedicated website for purchasing information.
Romain Lagrange’s beautifully crafted set for indoor croquet
Nearly 300 years after King Louis XIV of France banned the game of croquet because it couldn’t be played during winter, French-born designer Romain Lagrange brings the royal pass-time inside from the fields with Gates. This simplified interior adaptation neatly bundles two mallets, six gates and two stakes in one clean, portable package. And although it’s been around the web as of recent we love the beautiful combination of wood, cork and leather and wanted to share in case you missed it.
All materials used were specifically chosen to realize the project in its ideal form, as Lagrange told CH, “the cork absorbs the blows and will not damage the floor of the house, while the resistance of the leather elevates all parts of the game.” When asked about their aesthetic properties he explained that the uniquely beautiful grain of Maple made it a perfect fit for all pieces in the game. Adding that the wood’s sturdy weight was key in designing the gate’s unique shape as well—as to keep it upright even after being hit with the ball.
For those outdoor devotes that fear the physical experience may be lost by playing indoors Lagrange swears the sound produced when the ball hits the gates is something unique to the materials that cannot be imitated elsewhere. This, combined with the expert combination of essential materials is sure to bring croquet inside from the depths of dark garages everywhere.
Although not if full production yet, Lagrange is currently in negotiations to bring this gem to the masses soon. For now head over to his personal site to learn more about Gates and other projects.
A new software program trains aspiring pianists through interactive learning
Gaming meets Chopin with Playground Sessions, a downloadable software that teaches piano through its breakthrough “Play to Learn” approach. Riffing on the strumming-to-scoring simulation of Guitar Hero, Playground Sessions enables users to practice “in an interactive environment with real-time feedback,” backed by an interconnected keyboard and hit music library.
Created by brand invention firm, ZAG, Playground Sessions is a “Choose-Your-Own-Adventure” method of self-driven learning motivated by the gaming allure of rewards and level ups. Drawn to their research and design expertise, Managing Director Chris Vance turned to Jan Plass and Bruce Homer, founding partners of NYU’s Consortium for Research and Evaluation of Advanced Technologies in Education (CREATE) “to fine tune specific learning-related design elements,” says Vance. Aiming to “identify design patterns for effective educational games,” CREATE’s joint initiative with Microsoft Research, Games for Learning Institute (G4LI), aligned with Playground Sessions’ innovative design requirements.
Playground Sessions uses a split interface that simultaneously highlights keyboard hand placement, musical notation and video instruction led by the self-taught pianist and YouTube sensation David Sides. “The pedagogy behind Playground Sessions taps into three powerful mechanism for learning—the motivational power of games, the ability of games to engage the learner in meaningful activities that are effective for learning, and the ability to provide detailed performance feedback to players,” explains Dr. Plass.
Organized by level—beginner to advanced—and subject—rhythm, ear training and more—Playground Sessions’ “Bootcamp” lessons appeal to learners of varying styles and preferences. Playground Sessions also allows users to share their scores via Twitter and Facebook or high-kick their skills into action with a collective competition amongst friends. Playground Sessions bolsters confidence through effective and encouraging steps, evidenced by the above video, “Days to Play,” a heartwarming story illustrating the software’s success.
“Games have a number of benefits that make them powerful learning environments with the potential to impact learning. They involve learners in the kind of activities that allow them to develop skills essential for success,” states Dr. Plass. Indeed, it’s with this gaming mentality that Playground Sessions seems to mix a winning formula for a new generation of hyper-stimulated kids and adults burnt out on traditional piano lessons.
A new iPhone app rewards good memory with discounts
Putting a modern twist on the childhood matching game of Memory, the newly launched iPhone app REcollection tasks users to uncover product pairs for real-life rewards in the form of discount codes. Created by Dave Brown of the daily lifestyle blog Holiday Matinee, the app is not only a well-executed digital game, but a savvy marketing tool for participating companies at the same time. “We built this app because we wanted to turn people on to awesome products designed by awesome people,” explains Brown. “There’s no denying that feeling when you discover something super creative and this app lets you experience that 40 times over.”
To play, users flip over two face-down “cards” from the board and try to match up products. The more boards you complete, the more discount-code prizes you win. Products featured on the game boards come from a roster of independent designers that includes Curse of the Multiples, Orange and Park, The Quiet Life and many others chosen by the Holiday Matinee team, while discount codes unlock incentives for lifestyle brands also hand-selected, like Toddland, Photojojo, WeJetSet, Feelgoodz and Holstee.
The memory-testing paid game app goes for $0.99 at iTunes.
Up your game with the best gear for staying active and having fun
Tossing a frisbee around makes a great way to stay fit and have fun in warmer months, but to keep yourself challenged (and stylish), more and more brands are offering products to inspire the potential Olympian in all of us. With local events like NYC’s community-based Recess (pictured below left), Susan Sarandon introducing her Ping-Pong franchise SPiN across the U.S. and intramural sports leagues on the rise, now’s the time to pick up a new sport.
The beauty of bocce is that you don’t need a professional setup for a good time. Any level strip of grass, sand or dirt will do, but a beautifully-appointed set like Haus Interior’s Deluxe Bocce Ball Set ($450) makes the difference.
Nike’s new Seitiro Soccer Ball ($150) uses the brand’s GEO II technology with premium foam layers for arguably the most advanced and well-balanced ball available. Perfect for casual pick-up games at the beach or more serious play, this high-tech ball’s graphics are specially-designed to up your game by using graphics more easily seen in the periphery.
Leather Head Footballs ($132) are handcrafted from individually-selected hides of Horween leather. Slightly smaller than the average pigskin, this upscale version will add a little class to the scrimmage at your next picnic.
Badminton, created by British military officers stationed in India in the mid-1700s, makes supremely fun way to keep active even if you don’t have a sprawling estate. Manufactum’s racket (£20) uses bamboo for its superior bending strength. Their feather shuttlecocks (£15), however, keep it traditional with natural feathers for superior flight quality.
Take the leisurely activity of kite flying up a notch with New Tech Kites (average prices run around $70). The award-winning kite-maker offers an extensive collection of sport kites, some with wingspans over six feet wide. Fun for kids of all ages, the more challenging designs are also a great way to train for kite surfing.
Umbra’s portable Pongo Ping Pong Game ($40) allows you to take your table tennis with you anywhere. The easy setup includes two paddles with retractable handles, two balls and drawstring bag.
Up your home game on scaled-down ping-pong tables from the pros
Borrowing its name 60 years ago from veritable German sports store Jooss and its Landau location, Joola is now synonymous with ping pong and standard for multiple world championship competitions. The brand also caters to amateurs as well, offering a variety of recreational tables that will fit anywhere from a Tokyo apartment or frat house.
Joola’s Midsize and Mini tables are great for practicing your moves or holding your own mini-tournaments. If you are tight on space but still want to perfect your drop shot, the Midsize—at almost six-feet-long—offers enough surface to seriously challenge your opponent. Measuring just three feet, the Mini makes a winning choice for table tennis-obsessed urbanites or children who are just starting out.
Both the tables are regulation height and fold up for easy storage. They each sell from Joola for $220 (Midsize) or $100 (Mini).
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