The magnetic Crossword game from Hamleys retails at a modest `399. The brush steel matt finish steel box is all elegance. Inside lie four transparent classic crossword grids. And two thin printed magnetic sheets with 180 letters to be painstakingly peeled off. With some bending one way and the other, the letters came off

As the spirit of revolution seems to weaken, at least from the media reportage perspective, the World Cup demanded attention. In a space of under a month, I’ve been faced with flags of countries I’d never have been able to identify earlier. Flag It from the Dr Wood Challenge Centre, is selling at a surprisingly affordable ` 199, and confirms my flag identification capability hovers between abysmal and embarrassing.

Personalised brain training begins with a customised plan, goal-based cognitive exercises, and improvement potential tracking. I was quizzed on five core brain areas: memory, attention, speed, flexibility, and problem solving. My training plan involved 40 daily sessions of Basic Training, 20 sessions of Memory Boost, and 20 sessions

Another Hamleys store brand game, now available in India. Beautifully finished. Sensibly priced. A wooden edition of what was apparently ‘an old seafarers’ favourite, with its origins in Normandy! ‘Shut the Box’ is elegantly engineered. Nine numbered tiles in open position, independently pivot shut. The objective of the game is to shut as many numbered tiles as you can, in your round.

As revolution resounded through the central square in Cairo, I was discovering ‘Mancala’ a strategy game which apparently originated thousands of years ago in ancient Egypt.

Trio Vision from the Dr Wood Challenge Centre is a cunning game of logic, visualisation and strategy. The instruction sheet assures me that it will vastly improve my arithmetic skills as well. The disarmingly innocent looking 4x4 play grid didn’t deceive me for even a moment.

Wen Jiabao might have disappointed television pundits self-importantly analysing matters of state, but visuals of the calligraphy session left an indelible impression. A few months ago, another Chinese phenomenon left me astounded. Tucked away in a neglected corner of a once throbbing-with-activity toys and games store, was a little wooden box with some indecipherable Chinese lettering on the slide-off wooden lid. It was selling at an unbelievable `30. Tucked inside the box, was a folded plastic

Funskool retails a remarkable endangered species card game by Ame Lauwers for a very reasonable Rs.175. The marketers missed an opportunity in the run up to the Tiger Summit at St. Petersburg. What a coup if Vladimir Putin had played a few rounds with a few of the distinguished participants! The Funskool card game is beautifully

Kattam Vilayattu–II from Kreeda is another magnificent title from this cardboard-packaged, charmingly-ethnic, shells-for-play counters series. The instruction sheet is an uninspiring black and white affair, which could have been vastly improved at no additional printing cost, with some simple relevant graphics and a more inviting font choice.

Pictureka! is another conveniently sized, affordable (`175), easy-to-carry-around game from Funskool. It has 75 picture cards, 32 mission cards, three wild cards, and four possible games that you can play with the same deck. The illustrations are stylised. The mission cards suitably generic, allowing for some width in interpretation during game play. The deck is well finished. The packaging is agreeable. Yet, there’s something about Pictureka! that seems like more posturing and passion.