Latest news with #UnoShow'EmNoMercy
Mint
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Everybody's mad about Uno
When a fight breaks out between a couple at one of his New York board game cafes, Greg May can guess the likely culprit without even looking up: Uno. More than 50 years after its debut, the card-shedding game is now more popular than ever, fueled by savvy marketing, nostalgia and viral stunts. That is especially true among young adults, who organize game nights around Uno, incorporate drinking rules and embrace increasingly cutthroat variations. But taking a game that already seemed designed to make people mad and reintroducing it to grown-ups who were raised on different rules can be a recipe for tension. Think politics divides? Try mixing competitors with different views on stacking 'action" cards, or getting everyone to agree on the true power of the Wild card. And nobody can seem to decide whether staples of the game of their youth – like mandating players yell 'Uno!" when they have one card left – are socially acceptable at a bar with strangers. 'Emotions can definitely run high," said May, co-founder of the Hex & Company and The Uncommons cafes in New York. Josh and Erin Alderson by all accounts have a peaceful marriage. But there is one issue on which they can't seem to come together. Josh says a Wild card only lets a player change the color, while Erin argues it allows the player to change the color and play a card. The couple typically defaults to Erin's ruling. Sitting on the floor of their living room in St. Louis one night this month, the duo were locked in a different kind of standoff: an Uno match that wouldn't end. 'We're both very competitive, so we can't finish in a tie," Erin said. 'I think we ended up playing nine rounds." (Josh won, she added somewhat begrudgingly, crediting his victory to a strategy of hoarding action cards until late in the game.) Uno's publisher, Mattel, has embraced the game's power to test relationships and often acts as referee, settling disputes on its X account, realUNOgame. '*Per management: You cannot STACK a +2 on a +2," the account posted, denouncing a commonly held belief that stacking—or playing the same card on top of itself to double its consequence—is allowed. 'Go ahead, roast us." Mattel also launched Uno Show 'Em No Mercy, a version designed that features what gamemakers call ruthless rules and penalties. It was the second-best-selling card game in the U.S. last year, according to research firm Circana, trailing only the classic version of Uno. Ray Adler, vice president and global head of games at Mattel, said the game's appeal stems from both its simplicity and its power to divide. 'Best friends become merciless. Seven-year-olds turn strategic," Adler said. 'This is what makes Uno special – universal accessibility meets authentic emotions disguised as family fun." Despite several new iterations, Uno's basic rules have remained largely unchanged since its 1971 debut. Players take turns shedding cards that match the color or number of the top card on a discard pile. If a player can't play a card, they draw a new one from the deck. The first person to ditch their hand wins. The deck is sprinkled with cards that force another player to draw more cards, thwarting their path to victory and extending the game. The other catch: You have to call out 'Uno!" when you have one card left. Maggie Burke learned this the hard way while playing Uno at summer camp. After shedding her hand down to one card, she was too shy to yell, 'Uno!" The other campers called her out. Now a 28-year-old writer in Boston, Burke had a full-circle moment while playing with an attractive stranger at a dive bar. 'Had to be really chill abt the fact that they didn't announce uno when they had one card left making their win invalid," she posted on X. 'Couldn't let them see the game night aggression." Burke said Uno has had a revival in her life thanks to regular game nights with friends. The group created a drinking version by adding blank cards that require the next person up to either draw 25 cards or take a shot. 'People I don't know will join in at the bar, and I'm just like, 'I feel bad because I don't know you, but I gotta give you the Draw 4,'" she said. Expletives are often exchanged—especially after a few drinks—but 'it's always playful," Williams said. Uno got an unexpected viral boost from a British YouTuber. At a charity soccer match in 2023, Max Fosh sprinted down the pitch in front of more than 60,000 spectators at London Stadium and tackled an opposing player in the hopes of drawing a yellow card. When the referee obliged, Fosh whipped out a green Uno Reverse card. The stunt helped supercharge a movement to use the card—which in the game reverses the order of play—as a real-life comeback meaning, 'No, you." Now American middle schoolers stash Reverse cards in their pockets to redirect any manner of affront. In turn, teachers have tucked the cards into lanyards and stowed them in desk drawers, prepared for when students try to use the cards on them. Leigh Dyer, a 25-year-old account manager at an Orlando, Fla., marketing firm, loves Uno so much that she recently bought a miniature deck to keep in her purse for when she goes out with friends or colleagues. She has long followed house rules that allow stacking, as well as dropping multiple cards at once: 'If I have three Draw 4 cards, I'm laying them down," she said. But recently, Dyer has started to rethink that strategy. 'I've become very cautious about stacking when I'm sitting next to my mom or my fiancé," she said. 'Because what goes around comes back around, especially with the Uno Reverse." Write to Connor Hart at
Forbes
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
25 Of Our Favorite Easter Basket Ideas For Teens
Even if they've outgrown the Easter bunny, you can still treat your teens to an Easter basket stocked with personalized gifts. Although it might seem surprising, the treats they're craving aren't only of the beauty and tech variety. Incorporating some playful items, games and activity sets might be better received by your teen than you're expecting, says Brenna Hicks, a play therapist with 20 years of experience. 'We're all hardwired to need play in our lives,' she says—and playtime can offer a whole host of benefits from reduced stress and anxiety levels to stronger family bonds. After speaking to Hicks, as well as other experts in gifting, tweens and teens and attending multiple toy and gift trade shoes in the last few months, I selected these top Easter basket ideas for teens in 2025. Create a tempting display of treats with these can't miss Easter basket ideas for teens. Hicks says she still organizes an egg hunt every year for her 15-year-old son. 'I think you capitalize on just having fun with your teen, number one,' she says. Although teens—and tweens—shift away from little kid imaginary play and 'more toward activity-based' play and items, you can still find plenty of toy-like fun to fill their baskets. Hicks plans to add a Rubik's Cube, favorite candies and something related to her teen's passion for baseball into his basket. 'Give something that you know your teenager likes, that they care about, and try to make it playful or interactive in some way.' It's through play that 'kids make sense of their world,' and when kids and teens have the space for play, they feel better, she says. Plus, it's often during play that teens and caregivers find ways to reconnect and laugh together. Amazon Games remain hot with tweens and teens, including boys, says Casey Sartain, owner of Tutoring Toy in Salt Lake City, including Uno Show 'Em No Mercy. My own tweens love this version of Uno that moves a lot faster and ups the challenge for older kids with essentially more types of wild cards—and more painful ones like a draw 10. Hicks also points out that teens are more likely to open up to you, talk and connect when playing a game with you or just keeping their hands busy. 'They can squeeze a squish ball, they can doodle, they can do a puzzle, they can play Uno,' she says. 'It doesn't really matter what it is, but if their hands are actively doing something, they're more likely to feel comfortable dialoguing.' Amazon Slime is irresistible to kids, even teens. Customizable slimes or those with mix-ins are popular at Tutoring Toy among older kids. Similarly, the tweens and teens that attend therapy or family therapy at Love Play Grow in New Jersey most often pick up slime, a creative activity or another tactile sensory item, say its therapist founders Kerri Adams and Christina Eromenok. 'They love slime, but expensive slime,' says Eromenok, who recommended this Dope Slime brand, along with Kawaii Slime. 'I think a lot of families have a hard time remembering just how much stress teens are under. Socially there are so many challenges, and they put so much pressure on themselves to perform. So teens are under an immense amount of pressure, and those sensory experiences are all about stress relief and relaxation for them, because they have very few opportunities for that.' The Paper Store If there's one brand that everyone referenced when it came to teens, it was Jellycat. While many teen shoppers gravitate toward the brand's quirky food and drink Amuseables (including the eggs this year), the animal plush also frequently sell out explains Shannon Collins, marketing and social media director at Tutoring Toy. Capybaras are also having a bit of a moment, and this furry little face of Clyde is pretty hard to turn away from without a giggle or a smile. Hook him onto their keychain or bag—and he'll be there at all times to provide a little comfort and comedic relief. That's part of the appeal of Jellycat, say the Love Play Grow therapists who note that the brand's unique characters provide unexpected humor and nurturing for teens. 'We know teens need comfort more than they let on, and Jellycat characters are a great way to provide that in a non-threatening way.' Rhode For teens who enjoy experimenting with beauty and skincare items, they'll likely swoon to receive this essential cheek and lip duo from model and influencer Hailey Bieber's beloved skincare company Rhode—and they're sure to work it into their 'Get Ready With Me' (#GRWM) routine. It's available in six duos but waitlist requests are a bit frequent at Rhode I've noticed, so snag their preferred tint while you can. Amazon Customization remains huge with tweens and teens, says Collins, and they're adding charms to everything, from their phones to their shoelaces. This phone charm comes in more than two dozen styles, so they can find the one that suits them best. Amazon 'Teens love LED lights,' says Adams. 'A simple way to make that playful is you actually have a color code for what each color led light means and how that represents the team. So brown is poop, blue is sad today, red is crazy, and pink is like, 'Welcome. Come on in.'' I bought this LED strip for my tween after she begged for a set, and she does enjoy alternating the colors to suit her mood. They were relatively painless to install with the sticky adhesive backing. Nike Restock their sock collection with one of teens' favorite brands—just make sure they're crew and not ankle height. This six-pack of cushioned Nike socks are available in a rainbow of colors just right for spring, but your teen likely just wants black or white. Amazon Gift them their very own Sonny Angel, one of the most popular collectibles among the tween and teen girl population. The Hippers version hangs on their phone or wherever they place them, flashing the figure's naked baby booty—all the better for showing it off. If you want to really wow them, grab one of the latest releases in the series directly from Sonny Angel site. There's a new cherry blossom series release coming this spring, as well as new Smiski series, another popular Japan-grown collectible. Keep in mind that it's typically one figure per box, and it is a blind box, so you can't control which new collectible they'll receive—of course, that's all part of the fun for a generation who grew up on surprise packs and toy unboxing videos. PacSun Help them get ready for swim season with a new set of trunks. This Quiksilver pair offers a full mesh lining, side pockets and a back one, actual adjustable drawstrings and a comfortable 7-inch inseam. Like Hicks, I also find that my tweens still enjoy an egg hunt, and I plan to keep it going as long as we can. I do stuff those plastic eggs full of candy, but I also like to add a couple of eye-catching, larger treats to their baskets. Select a treat that they like best, of course, like this cute funnel of milk chocolates (it also comes in a Reese's Pieces peanut butter, carrot-shaped option). A solid milk chocolate bunny is another way to go, or if you've got a non-chocolate loving kid, a giant egg of Skittles or a pretty Peeps marshmallow stick are fitting choices for the holiday, too. Amazon My tweens love the solo puzzle game Kanoodle, and I love to see them working hard at it with their hands: building and rebuilding in order to solve each challenge. The Kanoodle Extreme offers three types of puzzle challenges and more than 300 individual puzzles in one box. The Love Play Grow therapists also recommend Kanoodle as a great way for teens to 'practice mistake making, not knowing and perseverance.' Fanatics Scoop up a fresh jersey, kit, hat or tee of their favorite home team, so they can represent them all spring and summer season long. Fanatics carries it all—like this Los Angeles Dodgers World Series commemoration hat in the famed Dodgers' blue. Amazon Made popular by the aforementioned Bieber, the phone lip gloss holder is suddenly an essential accessory for those teens who really take pride in and identify with their personal brand and look. This Case-Mate accessory snaps right on to Mag-Safe phone cases, or they can peel and stick it to a case. Walmart Many teens gravitate toward squishy things or tactile items to fidget with, and the NeeDoh line has a particularly satisfying squish. This Nice cube is a little bit more firm and requires you to press it harder, which the Love Play Grow therapy team especially likes for teens. 'Trust us, we've tried all of the fidgets around and NeeDoh ones are the best,' they told me. 'A fan favorite is the Nice Cube. Teens have a lot of stress to squish out!' Amazon This kit in cute giftable packaging comes with everything your budding crafter needs to learn to crochet. The Woobles patterns are particularly playful and kid-friendly, available in a variety of cute and quirky animals and objects. They come with a pre-started piece and plenty of online tutorials. It's a great activity to do together or for them to learn solo during downtime. I've gifted a number of these over the years and my artsy tween has enjoyed making them. Amazon I love to give flip-flops, sandals or slides in my kids' Easter baskets, and I know a lot of other parents have told me they do too, along with other spring and summer essentials. These Crocs Mellow Recovery slides provide that cloud-like plush cushion under their foot that so many comfort-craving teens prefer year-round, not just on recovery days. The price is a bit more teen-centric than some other adult recovery slides, and it's a beloved brand among kids of all ages. Owala In case you didn't know, Owala water bottles have taken over with the backpack crowd. Personally, I also love the two-ways-to-drink model of the Owala FreeSip and have found my tween's bottle to be leak-free, though it takes an extra firm hand to close the lid. This pretty yellow would look great in a basket and keep them hydrated through spring sports season. There are dozens of colorways to choose from and new shades dropping all the time, so select the one that speaks most to your teen's aesthetic. Amazon Whatever their sport, now is the season to spoil them with a new bat, ball, a fresh set of cleats—or just a whole new hobby. Just as you tucked sidewalk chalk and bubbles into their baskets when they were little, add something that's big kid ready to get them outdoors this spring. This pickleball set is among our favorites, and it arrives with everything a family or a group of their pals needs to get started, including four paddles and balls. Urban Outfitters Rollers are back, but today's teens are not interested in messing with the painful, pinch-y rollers of the past or suffering through heat damage. Instead, they're smartly gravitating to heatless, often satin 'pillow rollers' that can be left in overnight with a lot less fuss and pain. This pretty Glov Coolcurl set includes four satin curlers that promise voluminous curls. Amazon Teens love miniatures and gravitate toward nostalgia—even for eras well before their birth. These mini retro arcade games are actually playable and come in full color. It also fits right in their hand. Sure they can play any game on their phone, but the mini version is so much cuter and can be played even when phones aren't allowed. My tween son has a keychain version that's quite popular among his friends, too. REI This lightweight pair of polarized sunglasses offer excellent protection from the sun with UV400, blocking both UVA and UVB rays. They fit well and comfortably with glare-reducing, polarized lenses, so they can wear them to all their many sports activities and hang this spring and summer. Baggu Miffy is back—and trending with teens and young adults. You can find Miffy plush again, clothing and even pimple patches. This Miffy print Baggu case for earbuds can be a sweet pick-me-up as they reach for their music, and of course is on-theme for Easter. Amazon If you have a crafty teen on your hands, this terrarium kit from STMT has everything they need to create a mini hanging plant feature for their room. With multiple colored rock and sand options, they can design it so it feels right to them. My kids have enjoyed multiple STMT sets in the past, including its jewelry-making kits. I think the company does a really nice job of bringing some more elevated activity sets to kids of a variety of ages—especially tween and teen girls. Adams at Love Play Grow loves terrarium and other slower-paced activity kits for teens. 'While teens pretend that they hate to play, they actually love to play,' she says. 'Their materials just look different. So it could be stacking stones, it could be those tiny terrariums.' Amazon If you've noticed that your teen gravitates toward all things soft and cozy, you're not alone. They seem to crave comfort and security—and today's teens love positive affirmations, which is maybe why smiley slippers like these were trending all holiday season on TikTok. Keep your teen smiling and their toes warm with their very own pair. Amazon Another fun stress reliever that comes in Easter-ready hues, Speks Crags Ferrite Putty feels calming in your hand. They're magnetic and stone-like, so teens can shift them back and forth in their palms, roll them between their fingers and otherwise play with this big-kid (ages 14 and up) fidget toy. They feel cool to the touch, have a bit of weight and some people even like the sound they make. Love Play Grow says these are 'another great anxiety reliever that your teens will appreciate.' The Forbes Vetted editorial team has researched and published dozens of gift guides, including those for kids and teens. We aim to recommend the highest-quality picks and also those that our editors love and have tested themselves as often as possible.
