December 29, 2009

Host a Stress-Free New Year's at Home With

Skip the crowds and the cold by opting in for a night of games with friends

EAST LONGMEADOW, Mass., Dec 29, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Each year, as the calendar races towards December 31, adults around the country are faced with the annual question of whether to go out on the town or stay home to celebrate New Year's Eve. This year, however, more people are keeping local. According to a recent survey commissioned by Hasbro, 88 percent of those polled said that they would rather ring in the New Year in the comfort of home with friends than stand among thousands in New York City's Times Square. Once the decision has been made to stay home, hosts and hostesses are faced with the question of what to do to keep guests entertained and having fun until midnight.

Hasbro's adult party games, which include titles for all personalities and interests, from PICTIONARY to TABOO to ELECTRONIC CATCH PHRASE, offer one way to get the party started and keep it going. After the invitations have gone out and the menu has been planned, make sure the closet is fully stocked. The only choice that will be left to make is which game to play!

"Hasbro games provide a great atmosphere for creating lasting memories, inspiring laughter and having fun at an affordable price that suits everyone's budget," said Sarah Hoskin, Senior Brand Manager of U.S. Marketing for Hasbro Games. "Games set the tone for a bright and lighthearted start to the New Year."

Guests at parties large and small will be glad to trade awkward party chitchat for entertainment that will lighten the mood and spark conversation. For those who love to collect fun little tidbits of trivia, impress the crowd with your random knowledge during New Year's when playing Team Edition. Make the game even livelier by organizing the group into teams of men vs. women, or couple vs. couple. Creative partygoers who have a knack for drawing will be happy to show off their sketching ability over rounds of PICTIONARY, the classic quick draw game. And for a more raucous crowd, divide into two teams for a hysterical game of TABOO. In this game of unspeakable fun, guests will be challenged to try to describe and guess words without saying the TABOO word - if you do, prepare for the opposing team to press the TABOO buzzer for all to hear!

For bigger groups, set up game stations around the room and let guests mingle while sampling the games. Be sure to bring out a range of titles for all personality types and party scenarios - from the conversation starters to group gatherers. SCATTERGORIES is a great way to start the evening, especially for those who are witty and like to think on their feet. Guests who choose this game will be asked to come up with the most unexpected words according to the letter rolled on the dice to score points. To drum up the crowd and draw more people into game play, try ELECTRONIC CATCH PHRASE, in which partygoers rush to describe the word or phrase on the handheld game unit in hopes that teammates will guess the word or phrase correctly. As the timer speeds up, the more hilarious the clues become. For the close knit group, THE GAME OF THINGS... allows partiers to be silly and use creative license as they write down the wackiest thing that comes to mind when hearing phrases such as "Things...you shouldn't do in public," leaving everyone to guess who said what. You won't believe the things your friends will say!

Each of these must-haves from Hasbro will spice up the festivities and leave guests hoping for another invite the following year. No matter the size of the gathering, Hasbro Games has something for New Year's Eve parties of every size. Each of these adult party games can be played in an intimate setting with close friends or family, or with a big crowd of new and old friends.

As you prepare for this New Year's, save money and skip the hassle by staying in for a night of games. With so many laugh- out-loud, edge of your seat games to choose from, noisemakers are optional this year. These Hasbro games are available at major retailers nationwide with approximate retail prices ranging from $22.99 to $29.99. For more information and tips on hosting a game night, go to http://www.hasbrogamenight.com/.

Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS) is a worldwide leader in children's and family leisure time products and services with a rich portfolio of brands and entertainment properties that provides some of the highest quality and most recognizable play and recreational experiences in the world. As a brand-driven, consumer-focused global company, Hasbro brings to market a range of toys, games and licensed products, from traditional to high-tech and digital, under such powerful brand names as , , , MILTON BRADLEY, , CRANIUM and . Come see how we inspire play through our brands at http://www.hasbro.com/. A© 2009 Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

SOURCE Hasbro, Inc.