Spin Master Kinetic
Sand Kalm $30
This tiny sandbox is like a zen
garden for adults, but more fun.
The squishy, granular Kinetic
material feels like something
between sand and Play-Doh,
clumping together so you can
mold it with the included scoop,
rake, and knife. Our testers loved
its therapeutic effects.
Mattel Hot Wheels
Cybertruck $400
One-tenth the size of Tesla’s
real Cybertruck, this version
from Hot Wheels features func-
tioning head- and taillights, a
telescoping tailgate, and “Chill”
and “Sport” modes. Tesla and
Mattel are even leaning into the
now-infamous incident from the
actual Cybertruck’s unveiling—a
cracked window sticker comes
included. It’s a fun distraction for
those of us who may never own a
Cybertruck to pretend like we do.
Apple iPhone 11 Pro $999Yeah, it’s an expensive “toy.” But
the iPhone 11 Pro has plenty of
high-res screen real estate (at
458 pixels per inch) for playing
mobile games. And it was the
best iOS camera phone in our
testing. It’ll show you what’s out-
side the frame of the photo you’ll
take so that you can adjust and
not miss something (or some-
one) important, and the Zero
Shutter Lag function saves the
sharpest frame closest to when
you clicked the button, preserv-
ing crisp shots.Spikeball $60Spikeball continues to be one of our favorite games to whittle
away time in the backyard. The premise is simple: Think volleyball
where you team up with a friend (or, these days, an immediate
family member or someone in your household) to face off against
another pair, attempting to bounce the ball off the net so that the
other duo can’t return it. There’s not much strategy to it, but it’s a
great blood-pumping diversion after a week gazing into devices.BY WILL EGENSTEINER, DON MELANSON & DARREN ORFHow We
Game Now
Stay-at-home orders don’t
have to cramp your style
on game night—stay safe
by hosting the fun online.POGO
The joy and nostalgia of
playing a classic board game
is unmatched. Luckily, all you
have to forfeit is the tactile
component. With Pogo,
choose from free games like
Monopoly and Scrabble
to play with friends. Simply
create a private room and invite
others to join.STEAM REMOTE PLAY
With Steam Remote Play, one
player buys and runs a game,
streaming it to everyone else
in the group. The platform is
free, but you must purchase a
title to get started—something
like Overcooked! ($17) is
great for two to four players.ZOOM
Who said video-conferencing
was only for work? Invite your
friends to a video call, fire up a
game, and share your screen. We
recommend The Jackbox Party
Pack 3 ($25), which includes
five quirky multiplayer games.
—Courtney Linder70 November/December 2020
TREVORRAAB(IPHONE);^ COURTESY^ MATTEL^ (CYBERTRUCK);^ COURTESY^ SPINMASTER(SAND);COURTESYSPIKEBALL