Game and Toy Competitions:
Mensa Mind Games was founded in 1990, American Mensa's Mind Games has become one of the most respected national games competitions. Of the more than 50 games entered and judged each year, five are chosen as Mensa Select®. Winners such as Scattergories™, Taboo™ and Apples to Apples™ have gone on to become top-sellers and award-winners.
So, what is Mind Games?
It's a national event. American Mensans get together to play and rate the latest board and card games over one spring weekend. Want to play?
It's a competition. Game manufacturers enter their newest products in pursuit of the Mensa Select seal — proof that the most avid game-players in the country have judged their games to be the best. Want to enter.
It's the gold standard of gaming. When you see the Mensa Select seal, you've found a high-quality product that you're likely to enjoy. Want to browse the award winning games?
So, what is Mind Games?
It's a national event. American Mensans get together to play and rate the latest board and card games over one spring weekend. Want to play?
It's a competition. Game manufacturers enter their newest products in pursuit of the Mensa Select seal — proof that the most avid game-players in the country have judged their games to be the best. Want to enter.
It's the gold standard of gaming. When you see the Mensa Select seal, you've found a high-quality product that you're likely to enjoy. Want to browse the award winning games?
The Spiel des Jahres (German for Game of the Year) is an award for board and card games, created in 1978 with the stated purpose of rewarding excellence in game design, and promoting top-quality games in the German market. It is the most prestigious award for board and card games and is awarded annually by a jury of German game critics. It is thought that the existence and popularity of this award is one of the major drivers of the quality of games coming out of Germany.
The Major Fun Keeper award is given to games that have already received a Major Fun award.
Publishers of games that are candidates for the Keeper award are asked to send enough copies to let our tasters play the game, not only together, but also in their homes, with friends, family, kids, or wherever they want to play. After they’ve had enough opportunity to explore the game, personally, in depth, we meet, compare notes, and, if the consensus is that the game really is a Keeper, it receives our award.
We take this award seriously, so you can, too.
What, you ask, do we mean when we say “Keeper”?
Some games you loan out. Some games you give away. Some games you hold on to. For a very long time. You hold on to them, not so much because you are such a master at them, but much more because there just keep on proving to be fun, almost every time you take them out, with almost everyone with whom you like to play. Some are also toys. A few are game you play on an iPad or -Pod or -Phone or maybe on a computer.
All of these are games that you can play again and again, whenever the time is right and the mood is right. Because there are so many different times and different moods, the games you hold on to the longest are the games that you still like playing, even though the time has changed and the mood has changed. So when you feel like keeping score, you do. And when you feel like playing just for the fun of it, you do. And when you feel like making up a different way to play together, you can, and you do.
Publishers of games that are candidates for the Keeper award are asked to send enough copies to let our tasters play the game, not only together, but also in their homes, with friends, family, kids, or wherever they want to play. After they’ve had enough opportunity to explore the game, personally, in depth, we meet, compare notes, and, if the consensus is that the game really is a Keeper, it receives our award.
We take this award seriously, so you can, too.
What, you ask, do we mean when we say “Keeper”?
Some games you loan out. Some games you give away. Some games you hold on to. For a very long time. You hold on to them, not so much because you are such a master at them, but much more because there just keep on proving to be fun, almost every time you take them out, with almost everyone with whom you like to play. Some are also toys. A few are game you play on an iPad or -Pod or -Phone or maybe on a computer.
All of these are games that you can play again and again, whenever the time is right and the mood is right. Because there are so many different times and different moods, the games you hold on to the longest are the games that you still like playing, even though the time has changed and the mood has changed. So when you feel like keeping score, you do. And when you feel like playing just for the fun of it, you do. And when you feel like making up a different way to play together, you can, and you do.
Creative Child Magazine's Awards Program is unique in that all products submitted are reviewed by moms, music educators and early education professionals. Products are reviewed by many people - the very people who purchase them.
Each year, a two day event is held in Henderson, NV where over a 100 guest reviewers are invited to a local convention center to attend our product review. All products are divided into categories and displayed at various stations. Guest reviewers are asked to sit and review each product at every station. This allows for each product to be given multiple reviews.
A review form is provided to each guest reviewer, to aid them in evaluating each product. The review forms are to include written comments and a score value based on criteria that corresponds to the product's category.
Upon completion of the event, all review forms are collected by Creative Child Magazine staff assistants. All scores are tabulated and comments are reviewed.
Later, based on the scores and comments, certain products are then determined to be a finalist for DVD, CD, Book, Game and Toy of the Year. Only one product per category can win a Toy of the Year award, as well as, CD, DVD, Book and Game of the Year.
Each year, a two day event is held in Henderson, NV where over a 100 guest reviewers are invited to a local convention center to attend our product review. All products are divided into categories and displayed at various stations. Guest reviewers are asked to sit and review each product at every station. This allows for each product to be given multiple reviews.
A review form is provided to each guest reviewer, to aid them in evaluating each product. The review forms are to include written comments and a score value based on criteria that corresponds to the product's category.
Upon completion of the event, all review forms are collected by Creative Child Magazine staff assistants. All scores are tabulated and comments are reviewed.
Later, based on the scores and comments, certain products are then determined to be a finalist for DVD, CD, Book, Game and Toy of the Year. Only one product per category can win a Toy of the Year award, as well as, CD, DVD, Book and Game of the Year.
