If you know the owner of Geppetto’s Toy Box, you know that he absolutely LOVES games!!  Not only can he pick out the perfect game for a gift, but he has his own list of personal favorites that he just so happened to share with me.  From the toy-man himself, here’s a list of his own personal favorites:

1.  Pentago

Pentago is a fast and fun strategy game that is both simple and sophisticated.  The object of the game is to create a row of five marbles anywhere on the board.  The mind twisting part is that you’ll twist on of the four game blocks as part of your move.  This causes the game to dynamically change, making for a fun and challenging game experience, both for beginners and masters alike!

Ages 8+
For 2 players

2.  Froggy Boogie

The Fun Memory Race Around the Pond!  It’s naptime at the pond but the baby frogs still want to play.  Baby frogs try to be the first to hop around the pond without being seen by the adult frogs.  Players guess or remember which adult frog popping eyes will freeze the baby frogs in their race.  This fun memory game is a delight for the entire family!

Ages 4+
For 2 to 6 Players

3.  Element

Element is an abstract and educational strategy game where a great sorcerer king and queen do battle with the elements.  In an age long before ours, when dark things still roamed the earth, people would look to those whom the very elements of nature would obey, the Elemental Sorcer Kings and Queens, to protect them.  In order to hone their skills to the greatest degree, these Sorcerers would often meet in a tournament of duels, calling upon the powers of Fire, Wind, Earth and Water to capture their opponent.  The victors would earn the right and the duty to protect the lands from where they came.  The field of battle is readied as two opponents stand face to face.  The die is cast, power is unleashed, and destiny awaits!

Ages 9+
For 2 players

4.  Zingo

Zingo is a simple Bingo-style game, with a fancy plastic tile dispenser that kids just LOVE!  Everyone who knows Zingo loves it, kids and parents alike.  To play, players try to fill their Zingo! cards with matching tiles from the Zingo Zinger.  The first player to fill his/her card wins! Rules can be adjusted to favor more or less competition among players, and to vary length of time that each game takes to play.

Ages 4 to 8
Multi Player

5.  Ligretto

Ligretto is a fast moving card game where you must get rid of your Ligretto stacks as quick as you can to be the winner.  You must have fast hands and quick thinking, as the need for speed is key in this color stacking card game!  All players play at the same time, so there’s no time to lose!  Add different colored decks together for a lightning fast game for up to 12 players.

Ages 8+
For 2 to 4 players

6.  Take it Easy

Take It Easy is a true multi-player solitaire in which each player individually completes a hexagon-shaped board with spots for 19 hexagon tiles.  There’s no limit to the number of players if you’ve got enough sets on hand.  One person (the caller) draws a tile randomly and tells the others which of the 27 tiles featuring colored/numbered lines crossing in three directions, with numbers from 1 to 9, it is. “The 9-8-7,” for example. Each player then chooses which empty spot on his own board he’ll play the 9-8-7. This is repeated until the boards are filled.

The idea is to complete same-numbered lines across your board. Scoring is calculated by multiplying the number on the tile with the number of tiles in the completed line. A complete column of three 9s is worth 27, for example… but a lot of players will hope for five 9s to fill the big column down the middle.

Ages 10+
For 1 to 8 players

7.  PitchCar

Build your own track, choose your car, and pitch it!  Choose the best trajectory using the safety rails, stay on your wheels and don’t go off the track if you don’t want a penalty!  This outstandingly beautiful game of skill is made of wood and is composed of 16 track parts, which allow you to build a vast number of  long tracks.

Ages 6+
For 2 to 8 players

8.  Consensus

Consensus is a game about opinions.  Consensus is not a trivia game, nor is it a strategy game.  It is a game that allows its participants to express themselves as individuals and/or as part of a group.  Although Consensus is the perfect game for a party setting, it is extremely well suited as a family game.  In addition, Consensus has a subtle yet strong educational component as well.

Ages 12+
For 3 to 8 players

9.  Abalone

This beautiful and functional board has room for two teams of large marbles.  Players take turns pushing the marbles around the board, with the goal of pushing six of the opposing player’s marbles off the board.  The central idea is that a column of marbles has weight given by the number of marbles in line.  Someone will need to push with a heavier group of marbles in order to push the column along that axis.  However, with six possible directions, it’s difficult to defend yourself perfectly.

Ages 7+
For 2 players

10.  Dig It

Join the neighborhood dogs in their search for these tasty, but well-hidden bones!  To find these elusive treats, you will need to move one piece of turf at a time to an empty space in the yard until you have managed to uncover the bone.  This requires creativity, cleverness and determination. The challenge will only make the reward that much more delicious.  So get out there, think it through and dig it!

Ages 7+
For 1 player

Keep an eye out for Staff Favorite’s, too!  We’ll have those lists coming soon to help with those hard-to-shop-for people on your holiday shopping lists!  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!