From the Archives: Game University Trigger

Posted by aMuse Toys on May 02, 2012 0 Comments

Trigger by Blue Orange Games

 

Blue Orange Games LogoWhen Spot It! by Blue Orange Gameswas released last year, we knew it was going to be huge fun in a tiny tin. Since then, it's become one of our most commonly requested games. You can imagine our excitement when we were introduced to Blue Orange's newest game in a travel-friendly tin, Trigger!

Trigger by Blue Orange Games

Trigger is a fast-paced true or false card game that requires quick thinking and speedy action. It includes one target and 60 question cards. To play, shuffle the cards and put the target in the middle of the playing area. Deal five cards to each player and choose someone to be the first-round moderator. This person will be the one to determines the player that has given the correct answer to the stated question the quickest.

To start the round, the moderator takes the top card on their pile and reads one of the six questions listed. Each question has a different color behind it, which will be important later. However, for the first round the moderator chooses whichever question they please and reads it aloud. They range in difficulty depending on who is asking and in what context you are playing the game. Bear in mind that the use of the word "I" always refers to the moderator asking the questions, and the word "you" always refers to you. Here are some example questions so you can get the gist:

"The chair you are sitting on belongs to you."
"If Thursday is in two days, then today is Tuesday."
"At least one player here is more than 6 feet tall."
"At least two of the players' first names end with the same letter."
"The last syllable of this month is "BER."

The questions require information processing, observation, some knowledge of science or math and other common-knowledge facts. Often they are worded in such a way that you really need to thinkbefore giving your answer.

Giving your answer is where the game gets a little crazy. Your right hand is associated with "true" and your left with "false." As soon as you can, shout your answer and place the corresponding hand on the target. The order the hands stack up on the target is the order points will be awarded. The first player who has the correct hand down on the target earns the question card as a point. Before they pick up a card from the draw pile, they check what color the back of their point question card is. This determines the question they will ask on the next round. The winner picks up a card from the draw pile and reads the next question.

If someone has answered incorrectly, they lose point a card. No changing your answers! Once your hand is down, it stays down. The player at the end of the game who has collected the most cards wins the game.

Trigger is a great party game for 3 or more people ages 8+. It only takes a few minutes to play, and its small tin makes it easy to take anywhere. Please stop by either aMuse Toys location and play a few rounds with us. We know you're going to love it just as much as we do!

Make room for it in your travel bag, because Trigger has just won a Dr. Toy's Best Vacation Product award!


Read More

Play and Preservation: Blue Orange Games

Posted by aMuse Toys on April 18, 2012 0 Comments

 

 

Using durable materials, Blue Orange pledges to produce high quality, eco-friendly games. Their respect for the environment and commitment to following ecologically responsible business practices permeates the company culture, earning them the first ever Dr. Toy “Green Toy Company Award” on Earth Day, April 22, 2007.  

As eco-pioneers in the toy industry, Blue Orange Games carries out many initiatives to ensure its Green ethos.

Tree Campaign
Blue Orange has pledged to plant two trees for every one used in the production of its games. Since their tree campaign began in the summer of 2006 over 25,000 trees have been planted each year. Blue Orange uses and replants a variety of trees such as Pine, Birch, and Beech to preserve the integrity and biodiversity of the environment.

Carbon Offset
In 2011 Blue Orange began an ongoing partnership with Pur Projet to offset it's carbon footprint. This project provides native trees for the reforestation on small producers’ cocoa plantations in Amazonia. Trees are planted following agroforestry systems improving the yield of cocoa trees while preserving soil and water quality. Through these efforts, 1,500 farmers cultivating Fair Trade and Organic certified cocoa will increase and diversify their earnings, protecting lands and biodiversity. As of March 2012, Blue Orange Games had offset 96 tons of CO2 while participating in the sustainable development of rural communities.

 Founders Julien Mayot & Thierry Denoual in the park where trees are planted in China

 
Green Materials
Minimizing the use of plastics and utilizing recycled and recyclable cardboard in their packaging Blue Orange Games continues to innovate to ensure minimal ecological impact.

 
Durability and timeless designs allow their games to be passed down and “recycled” through families for generations. Check out some of our favorite Blue Orange Games here.
 
 

 

Read More

Game University: Photoloco

Posted by aMuse Toys on April 04, 2012 0 Comments

From the fine folks that brought you Jishaku comes a wonderful new game called Photoloco.

A brilliant and inventive take on group drawing games, Photoloco challenges players to have their teammates guess as many of the words on their card as possible before the timer runs out. With Photoloco, however, players do not draw on blank paper.



Using an ingenious photo holder and a dry erase marker, players draw their clues over top of large pictures that, if used thoughtfully, can help teamates guess the correct word. It is as if you are drawing on a large canvas that helps put the clues in context. But if your clues are not spot on, the picture may only confuse and send them in the wrong direction.



A secret red-reveal panel keeps everybody honest, dry erase markers allow players to play over and over, and play is fast and often times quite hilarious.



The game comes with 100 photo cards and it perfect for ages 8 to adult. Come in and check out why Photoloco is an aMuse Team favorite. 

Keep up with all the great games that will be rolling in from our visit to Toy Fair by following us Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

Read More

Recent Blog Posts