Clix appeal: The Seattle Times delves into the world of HeroClix, which it describes as "a cross between chess and comic books." Almost 50 million HeroClix figures have been sold worldwide:

"The characters are easily recognizable. Superman, Batman, Captain America, Spider-Man. The game is attractive, well-paced and the rules are simple. It's not a game where a high budget will help you that much. Having all the figures won't help you if your opponent plays well and gets good dice rolls."