All over the world, it seems that everyone has gone Angry Birds crazy. That said, what about those unfortunate few who don’t own one of the many platforms it’s been released on? How do they get their Angry Bird fix? Mattel, worldwide producer of toys and board games, has got it covered with the recently announced Angry Birds Knock On Wood board game.

Adapted from the massively popular mobile phone game Angry Birds, Knock on Wood is a novelty tabletop board game which follows the same principle as the video game. Designed for two to four players, the game sees players picking cards with predetermined obstacles which must be built then knocked down. Points are awarded for the ensuing chaos, with the first one to 1000 being declared the winner.

Currently priced at $14.99 (£9.70), the board game comes complete with its own replica birds and pigs, as well as all the equipment needed to get into the fling of things. This includes the slingshot launcher, 14 blocks, and 56 variants for players to build and destroy as they see fit. No news has yet been released on which retailers will be stocking this. It would be safe to assume that the game won’t be hard to find, given the influence Mattel has in the retail sector.

Angry Birds has proven popular on a number of platforms, becoming one of 2010’s sleeper hits. With versions of the game available on Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android, in addition to the console versions just released for the PS3 and PSP, the game’s popularity looks set to increase in 2011. As Game Rant reported recently, 7 million copies of the game have been sold via the Android Marketplace, a staggering number for a game that just a year ago wasn’t even a household name. It’s no surprise that Mattel sees potential in the franchise beyond the video games, and with such a simple premise it’s surprising this hasn’t been thought of sooner.

This writer personally feels the board game is an ingenious move for the Angry Bird franchise. This just screams fun, and already members of the Game Rant team can see themselves throwing down money to get their hands on it. While it might not be as convenient as the mobile games, it’s something that can be enjoyed by everyone – even those who have no video game experience.

Will you be picking this up at launch? What other video games would you like see turned into table top games?

Angry Birds Knock on Wood is expected to hit shops worldwide in May 2011.

Source: ElectricPig