Five board games are also among the nominees for the top 10 toys of 2020. "Inspire, encourage, stimulate the imagination" is at least what the Federal Association of Toy Retailers expects. This probably also applies to the buyers and all those who are supposed to play with the "toys" after the purchase. Every year, the trade association places ten toys on a hit list, including this year. Five board games are also hot candidates.
Every year at the toy fair in Nuremberg, retailers from the toys segment show what they have to offer. That was over 120.000 new products recently, and it is almost impossible for consumers to keep track of them. The Federal Association of Toy Retailers lends a helping hand to playing kids and - also annually - chooses the best toys of a year. In 10, the top 2020 will be selected from a total of 39 nominated toys.
A jury decides on the best toys
The jury will have to make tight decisions again this year. The 39 nominees for the best toys of 2020 have it all: flashing, interactive, clever, creative, sporty, innovative, technical - the toys can be described with a wide variety of attributes. For the manufacturers, the awards are essential as sales arguments, especially with a view to Christmas: an award increases the chance that the toy will end up under the fir tree.
Anyone who thinks that only modern gadgets are nominated is seriously mistaken. With the Toynamics railway construction kit, a kind of toy evergreen is on the nomination list. That is not surprising: the toy promotes role play and communication, the jury believes - and is probably right about that. If you look back at your own childhood, you will quickly see yourself in your mind's eye at the switch circuit or as a bridge builder or train driver or locomotive derailleur.
This year, there will be plenty of bling-bling toys as well as five board games from various publishers, including Piatnik, Rudy Games or Kosmos. The nominated board games differ significantly in terms of their concepts, so parents and grandparents have plenty to choose from when it comes to putting child-friendly games under the Christmas tree.
Activity knock out von Piatnik competes as a nominee for a place on the hit list of the best toys. The board game is not geared towards toddlers, but appeals to those players from the age of twelve who favor titles where speed is of the essence. It's about fighting a knockout battle, hourglasses are ticking along and ensure plenty of stress, but also a good mood. The jury of the trade association liked the concept - apparently so much that Activity knock out* was able to secure a place on the list of nominees - and that among competitors such as Transformers, Playmobil and Co.
The children's board game also comes from Piatnik Llama Express. And at Llama Express* It is, hardly surprisingly, about llamas - but on a big world tour. Players travel to four continents by train - only Australia is omitted due to the lack of train connections. In the end, it's about getting your llamas back home as quickly as possible. Because the animals are sometimes stubborn, there are intermediate stops.
Innovation comes - again, you might almost think again - from Austria, more precisely: from Rudy Games. Once again it will be a board game with app support, but this time in cooperation with a top brand on the toy market - Carrera. The racetracks, which almost everyone knows from their own childhood, makes the leap to a board game.
The highlight: Thanks to the app support, children - probably many adult fans of the brand as well - can unpack the game and get started right away. The software explains what it's all about and what players have to do. "More action, more speed, more fun" is the proclaimed motto for Carrera Crazy Driver. Just drive next to each other? Not with this board game: nasty opponents lurk in the rearview mirror to push racing drivers off the track. The board game with pp support costs around 35 euros and is aimed at players aged eight and over. Two to four racing drivers take part, a game lasts between 45 and 60 minutes, which shows that basic endurance at the table is required.
Goliath Toys is also competing for one of the ten coveted spots on the top list with a board game. carcata is the name of the dice game by Roberto Fraga, who is behind titles such as Dr. Eureka, Spinderella or Captain Sona is stuck. Players, ages eight and up, dare to take a trip to a volcanic island.
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Carcata* | 18,50 EUR |
“Each tribe tries to expand its own sphere of influence through the tactical use of its dice actions
Enlarge, knock the opponent out of the game and collect most of the gems that the volcano spits out." Surprises always create moments of tension. It gets even better: Every action of the other players has an impact and together you have to keep an eye on the movements of the ancestral tortoise. The board game costs around 40 euros.
Carcata was not only nominated for the "Top 10 Toys 2020" award, but also for the "Golden Rocking Horse" in the family games category. With this title, Goliath has a hot candidate for the top of the list.
Also represented among the nominated toys is the Franconian publisher Kosmos - with the animal board game "Dodo - save the wobbly egg!". Touted as "fun for the whole family," there's plenty of action on the program.
The board game focuses on a haptic element: The task is to bring the rolling wobbly egg safely to the foot of the mountain together. Building materials have to be rolled, resources have to be collected and bridges built. Speed is required here - and that is exactly what should appeal to children in particular. According to the publisher, the board game is suitable for ages six and up. The game costs around 30 euros and is one of the favorites among the nominees for the top toys 2020 due to its table structure.
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