New York Toy Fair is always one of our favorite times of year. It’s when the gaming world pulls back the curtain and shows us what’s coming, and this year did not disappoint. We wandered the halls of the Javits Center with our eyes wide open, hunting for the games most likely to land on your family game night table. Here are five things that genuinely got us excited.
1. Crossfire Is Back and It’s Built for Action
If you grew up in the 90s, the name Crossfire probably just triggered a very specific jingle in your brain. The classic marble-blasting battle game is making a comeback, and it looks like a blast for families with kids ages 7 and up. Two players load up blasters, aim, and fire metal marbles at targets, trying to drive them into their opponent’s endzone. First to 5 points wins. The whole arena folds into a handled carrying case, which means it’s ready to travel wherever your family goes. At $19.99 and arriving July 1st, 2026, this one is worth putting on your radar, especially if you’re looking for a competitive two-player game that gets everyone off the couch.
2. Candy Land Got a Refresh. We’re Cautiously Optimistic.
We’ll be honest. We weren’t sure Candy Land needed an update. After seeing what Hasbro has done with this refresh, we’re cautiously optimistic. The new version keeps the spirit of the classic alive while adding a collaborative play mode alongside the traditional game, which is a welcome addition for families with younger kids who aren’t quite ready for head-to-head competition. The board is larger and beautifully re-illustrated, there’s a fabric pouch filled with 50 cardstock candy tokens, and five sculpted character movers make the whole thing feel more special than the original. There’s even a read-aloud story built in. At $14.99, this makes a solid first game for toddlers and preschoolers, teaching color matching, counting, and turn-taking. It’s available now, so you can judge for yourself.
3. Final Fantasy Is Coming to Your Tabletop
This one had us doing a double-take. KessCo has announced a licensing deal with Square Enix to bring the Final Fantasy universe to tabletop gaming, and the scope of the partnership is genuinely exciting. The first board game in the multi-game deal focuses on Final Fantasy I-II and is designed to capture the essence of the early titles in an accessible tabletop format. Alongside it, KessCo is releasing collectible RPG dice sets inspired by the Final Fantasy I-VI Pixel Remaster era, featuring sculpted character figures on the containers. Both products are targeting a Q3 2026 release.
Details are still scarce, but for families with older kids and teens who grew up loving the classic Final Fantasy games, this is the kind of announcement worth watching closely. We’ll have more to share as it develops.
4. Wildblooms Looks Like a Gorgeous New Family Favorite
We’re always on the lookout for games that are visually inviting and strategically satisfying, and Wildblooms by Kasper Lapp fits that description beautifully. Players take turns collecting seedlings and planting them in their flower beds, triggering special powerups and growing wildflowers into their meadow. The goal is to build the most impressive meadow through clever combo chains. What we really love about Wildblooms for families is the design choice to keep every player active on every turn, not just their own. That’s a design feature that’s especially great for younger or easily distracted players. Available from Kosmos in May 2026 for 2-5 players ages 10 and up at $29.95.
5. Bookshelf Is the Cooperative Stacking Game We Didn’t Know We Needed
From Alley Cat Games comes Bookshelf, a cooperative dexterity game where players work together to stack books on a tower of cards. Each card tells you which books to place and where most of them need to go. It sounds simple. It is not simple. And that’s what makes it great. Cooperative games are among our top recommendations for family play because they eliminate the “sore loser” problem and build genuine teamwork. Bookshelf looks like it’ll deliver laughs, light tension, and shared triumph in equal measure. Look for it June 30th, 2026.
Toy Fair never fails to remind us why we love this hobby so much. There is genuinely something for every family, at every age and interest level. We’ll keep sharing new finds as we learn more details on all of these titles. Which one has you most excited? Let us know in the comments!
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