The fascination with faeries will be coming to the board game community as University Games (under its Forbidden Games brand) launches its new Faeries & Magical Creatures board game on Kickstarter starting June 13th. According to University Games, the fast-funding initiative will accelerate the production of the game and, if it all goes as well as previous campaigns, the company will have an international release of Faeries & Magical Creatures in selected countries for Fall of 2023. Designed by the inventor of Raccoon Tycoon, Mosaic, Railroad Rivals, and Age of Empires, and featuring the lush oil paintings of renowned artist Annie Stegg Gerard, Faeries & Magical Creatures has the pieces in place for a beautiful, spellbinding and challengingly fun new game.

Next time the gang comes over to play a game, challenge them to communicate only by animating a string! That’s the hilarious premise for Stringamajig from Fireside Games. This device-free game is recommended for players ages 13 and beyond where players must talk or, better yet, shout as they guess what is being communicated wordlessly! Artistic ability is not required but knowing your players and how they think, abstractly, might be your secret weapon. You’ll get 60 seconds to use a loop of string to draw a shape, move it around, and interact with it to try and get the other players to guess your word. You’re trying to get them to guess as many words as you can in those 60 seconds. Each game box includes 1 loop of string, 140-word cards, 4 blank cards, a scorepad, a pencil, a 60-second sand timer and of course, a sheet of game rules.

schleich makes the iconic animal characters and playsets that let kids’ imaginations run wild. This summer, the brand is asking children around the world to help their summer fun soar to new heights by including their schleich dinosaurs, llamacorns, horses, ice monsters and more in the ultimate summer PLAYcation! Whether you are flying to the moon, turning the backyard into a magical fortress or becoming a mermaid in the sea, let your favorite schleich toys up the ante on fun, adventure, and storytelling. Five lucky families that share their adventures will win every single new product schleich releases in 2023!* Don’t have a schleich toy? The first 50 people to visit any of schleich’s 55 North America flagship stores and say, “I’m on PLAYcation,” will receive a free schleich toy! 

Neopets, the online virtual pet community, is taking a dip in the Rainbow Pool to celebrate Pride with a collection of apparel that lets fans show off their true colors! The collection, available year-round, donates 10% of total proceeds to It Gets Better Project, a nonprofit organization that uplifts, empowers, and connects LGBTQIA+ youth across the globe!  Neopets became a staple of the Internet in the early 2000—not just because of its fun features or cute virtual companions—it also served as a place for young people to express their individuality, identity, and interests in a safe forum. The Neopets Shop’s year-round Pride Collection is just one of the many ways that Neopets continues to create an intentionally inclusive space for the queer community today.