Unconventional thinking and gambling

At Spiel ’08 in Essen the Munich games publisher will present a playful intelligence test for players twelve years and up, which is completely state-of-the-art. “Professor Pünschge“ challenges your intelligence. Unconventional thinking is called for here. The dice game series includes two new games in best gambling mode: “Hoppladi Hoplada“ and “Sushizock im Gockelwok“.

Demand is high in stores for “Suleika“ nominated Game of the Year 2008 and ”Didi Dotter“ nominated children’s Game of the Year 2008. There is also a lot of pride at Zoch looking back on the 10-year history of “Zicke Zacke Hühner-kacke“, which won the special prize Children’s Game of the Year in 1998 and the German children’s Game prize. This has in the meanwhile become a whole family with thirteen games, books and cuddly toys to date. The signet: “Zicke&Zacke“. “Sushizock im Gockelwok“ is the latest addition to the series.

       
Professor Pünschge challenges your intellect
Unconventional thinking is essential

In these days in which the Pisa study and new methods of learning are being avidly discussed the Munich games publisher Zoch has brought an entirely new type of game onto the market which really hits the nerve of the time. A playful intelligence test, which demands abstract thinking and combinations. A game which does not call for knowledge, but stimulates the intelligence thanks to a lot of cooperative fun.
Who could guess that in the task “red cloth“ the professor must call at all fields with bulls or in “place in the sun“ he has to call at all fields with a bench and a sun on his way home? Only one person knows the rules. For the others the way is the goal. The new playful intelligence test by Klaus Zoch of the game publisher with the same name is called “Professor Pünschge“. Every evening the cunning loner chooses a different way home. This makes it difficult for the players to crack the logic of his thoughts. 26 fields over meadows and mountains, through forests and over rivers offer the professor 702 different ways home and only the respective game leader, alias Pünschge, knows which he’ll take. The other players try to crack the code together. Whoever guesses the question behind the moves is rewarded with crystals. Even the professor himself can earn some.  
This cooperative intelligence game for two to eight players twelve years and up calls for unconventional thinking and a good ability to combine. The questions are divided up into five levels of difficulty, so that the challenge to the players’ intelligence can be playfully increased: Whereas “jealousy“, which demands that the professor crosses all yellow fields in the correct order, is still simple, the task “the traffic light never turns red” is already more demanding. Mathematicians are sometimes called for in the more difficult questions, when prime numbers are needed, for example. The best thing to do is to gradually get used to thinking “around corners”. Working things out together is fun and represents a real challenge.   
With a lot of love for detail a tip was worked out for each secret path and can be used for support. Professor Pünschge is a perky wooden figure and the graphic in midnight blue by Eva Paster, on which the mastermind pulls his ideas along with him, are almost mystical.

Professor Pünschge – a playful intelligence test
Author: Klaus Zoch
Graphics: Eva Paster
2 to 8 players 12 years and up
Game duration 30-45 minutes
Price: approx. EUR 35
In stores from end of October 2008

“Hoppladi Hopplada“– long ears build hutches
A dice game for up to seven players eight years and up

“Hoppladi Hopplada“ by Markus Kropf of the Munich games publisher Zoch is a dice game in true gambling style. Tommy Hare, mayor of Bunny Hill, sounds the alarm. Work is needed in the hutches of his town for his bunnies. Luckily there’s Uschi Hare from Hasablanca. She needs 333 long ears to build her new “hacienda“. The two to seven players take turns trying to score as many points as possible by throwing the dice several times. Bunnies diced for can be combined and multiplied by hutches diced for. You can even play with the numbers diced by the previous player. If, how-ever, no bunnies are diced then the player gets nothing.
The dynamic and variable course of the game ensures a wonderful “can’t stop effect“, and really tempts you to gamble. Included in the box are a memory aid, a score pad, markers, a calculating aid and seven wooden dice with six different symbols each. The bunnies on the cover and the game rules are lovingly illustrated by Doris Matthäus.

Hoppladi Hopplada – a dice game for gamblers
Author: Markus Kropf
Illustration/Graphics: Doris Matthäus
2 to 7 players 8 years and up
Game duration: ca. 20 minutes
Price: approx. EUR 11
In stores from end of October 2008

Sushizock im Gockelwok – Fish or bone
Who gets the best sushis? – a ”crunch question“ 

Fish have bones and that is also the case in the new dice game from Zoch: ”Sushizock im Gockelwok“ by Reiner Knizia. The players use wit and tactics to try to snatch as many sushis as possible, however these only appreciate in value thanks to a suitable number of fishbones. 
The dice game promises players gambling fun in its purest form: Do I want to take sushis or fishbones from the table or do I relieve another player of his or her catch? The quantity of sushis, fishbones or colorful chopsticks on the dice determines what is to be done. Who wins in the end is decided by the “crunch question“: How many fishbones must I take to get as many sushis as possible?   
“Sushizock im Gockelwok“ is a smart dice game, along the same lines as  “Heckmeck am Bratwurmeck“ which has already acquired cult status. The game guarantees 20 to 30 minutes of fun. With 24 haptically attractive figures and five wooden dice the game is richly equipped for up to five sushi ¬freaks.

Sushizock im Gockelwok – a dice game
Author: Reiner Knizia
Graphics: Doris Matthäus
2 to 5 players, 8 years and up
Duration 20 to 30 minutes
Price: about EUR 11
In stores since September 2008

Munich/ Essen, October 22, 2008

Additional press information and illustrations:
HEISS PUBLIC RELATIONS, Susanne Heiss
Tel. +49 89 27299322, presse@zoch-verlag.com

 

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Further press information, picture material and review requests:

Susanne Heiss, Heiss Public Relations
Tel. + 49 89 27 29 93 -22, Fax -34
presse@zoch-verlag.com