Blue Orange and ThinkFun, two innovative companies that make great toys for families to enjoy together, have sent us some of their new games for review this year. One of our top picks is Battle Sheep (about $25), a strategy game that combines elements of chess, Blokus and Settlers of Catan — but with playfully illustrated cartoon sheep that soften the blow when you get “fenced out.” (Click here for details.) Spot it! is a fast-moving matching game with several new versions this year — including one that’s waterproof and another that teaches the alphabet with characters from Disney’s Frozen. (Even if your kids can’t read yet, don’t assume that means they won’t beat you at this game.) There are more than two dozen different Spot It! games (priced from $9 to $13). We also like Puzzle Battle ($15), a deceptively simple speed-puzzle game for two players (click here for details) and Last Letter ($13), which reminded us of a word game we played with our siblings on family road trips (click here). You can buy all these games online, of course. But we recommend supporting our local toy stores.
