Cat and Mouse Game Store

January 29 , 2009

Our Best Selling Games of 2009

Here at Cat & Mouse, January is a time of intense reflection (between rounds of our favorite new games, anyway). We reflect on our goals for the future: find great new games and puzzles at NY Toy Fair, have lots of tournaments in the Spring, film more videos for our web site, figure out how to beat Andre at Crokinole, solve that pesky 36 Cube that's sitting on the counter, etc. We also reflect on the past, and in part that means running gobs of reports and looking at data. The report listing the forlorn, dust-gathering titles makes us cringe; fortunately the report showing the best-selling titles makes us smile! The list includes many games we truly love to play and sell, and so without further ado, we present the cream of our crop.

Strategy Games

Family Games

Party Games

Children's Games

New Release Highlights

Dungeon Lords - Learn to play the latest hit from ZMan Games this Sunday at 11:30 (see Open Gaming on Sundays below)
Pillars of the Earth: Builders Duel - This 2-player game of resource management is a great option for people who love Pillars or Settlers but want something for 2 players.
Campaign Manager 2008, Shipyard, World Without End and Thunderstone
Clue: Classic Edition (with nice retro illustrations) and Clue: Mystery at Sea (an oceanic and portable variation of the game)

Open Gaming on Sundays

Sundays are great days for hanging out at the store and playing some games. We have free open gaming all day, from 11am until we close at 5pm, and a huge collection of demo games to choose from. Occasionally we'll feature a specific game, but that doesn't mean that it's the only game being played. It just means that we have one table set aside for that specific game and someone on hand to teach it. Otherwise, anything goes. Whether you want to check out a new release like World Without End or Thunderstone or get in a game of a classic, join us for open gaming on Sundays!

1/31 @ 11:30 am - Beth will be on hand to teach Dungeon Lords
2/7 @ 2:00 pm - Andre will be at the store teaching and playing Go

Tournament Updates
Settlers of Catan, Dominion and Race for the Galaxy

Half of the Settlers of Catan Tournament Pre-Qualifiers have been completed, and we're happy to say that they've been a rousing success. The tournaments on 2/6 and 2/21 are full and have long waiting lists, so clearly we need to extend the tournament next year. Thanks to everyone who's participated so far!

All you Settlers fans can rest assured that competitive play will continue after the sanctioned tournaments are completed. Throughout the Spring we'll hold a series of tournaments just for fun, with a lower entry fee and various prizes including store gift certificates. We'll have beginner and advanced tournaments for Settlers, Dominion, and Race for the Galaxy, and will feature several "Learn to Play" events to coincide with the tourneys. Watch our event calendar and Facebook page for details!

Our Ever-Expanding Inventory
Poker Supplies, Dice, Game Pieces and Playing Cards

We're constantly looking for ways to expand and improve our inventory, and this winter we're concentrating on poker supplies, dice, game pieces, and playing cards. We've already received a big batch of dice (role-playing polyhedrals, educational dice, loose dice, fancy dice, plain dice, metal dice, you name it), playing pieces (pawns, chips, sandtimers) and poker supplies like felt layouts, poker tabletops, a greater variety of chips, dealer shoes, etc. Over the next few weeks we'll be receiving lots of new playing cards as well, including Kem cards.

Good Games That Teach: Jukem Football

Jukem Football is a card game that we discovered at ChiTAG last year when the company's sales manager gave us a demo copy, and we've been enjoying it with our kids ever since. That's saying a lot, since as a family, pro sports are pretty much at the bottom of the list of things that interest us. There's definitely a lot to like about Jukem, though! The game comes with a rookie deck for beginners and a second deck for more advanced players, so it works well across a wide age range. The football theme is also matched perfectly with the game play, which is well-paced and has just the right amount of player interaction. We also have to say that the outstanding graphics and card layout are models of good design. (This little company could teach some of the big boys a thing or two!)

So where does the educational part come in? In Jukem each player's goal is to build a "drive" of cards with a value equaling 100 for a touchdown. Special offensive and defensive cards such as field goals, pancake blocks, and penalties really mix things up. The game promotes kids' math skills through repetitive counting by 5’s and 10’s and sharpens their critical thinking skills. As players develop their Jukem skills, they learn to observe their opponents’ as well as their own play to make the best strategic choices during the game.

Who do we recommend Jukem for? We think a broad range of people will like Jukem: people of all ages who have an interest in football, families with kids ages 6 and up, and kids who need a fun way to practice their addition and subtraction.

Jukem Football: 20 min. / 2-4 players / $19.99 / www.jukemfootball.com