BOARD games based on mobile phone apps are set to be top of the pops this Christmas.

With Christmas only a few weeks away toy retailer Toys “R” Us have announced what they think will be the top 10 board games this holiday season and Angry Birds, which is described as “the largest mobile app success the world has seen so far” is leading the way.

There is now a huge Angry Birds franchise with a massive catalogue of merchandise, and Toys “R” Us are expecting the Angry Birds Mega Smash Game to score highly with families.

Another favourite so far has been Words with Friends, a game which involves making words from tiled letters.

Monopoly CityVille, which is a variant of the Monopoly City board game incorporating elements from the CityVille online game, also appears on the list. The main goal of the players is to be the first to complete four skyscrapers by building up neighbourhoods

The marketing director and e-commerce at Toys “R” Us, Mike Coogan, said: “Online gaming apps are massive and the toy industry have been able to identify merchandise which can replicate the popularity of the apps but in traditional format. These board games are perfect examples of the diversity that we are working with.

“Over the years we have witnessed a strong development of younger family members replacing traditional family board games with video gaming consoles like Sony PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii, however these new app games could be just the ticket to bring the family back together on Christmas day.”

As well as the more modern additions, children’s classics from years gone by have also appeared on the top 10 list including Operation, Hungry Hippos and Elefun.

Twister Dance, a variation on the classic Twister also makes an appearance. The game features a DJ console with music, lights and sounds working together with the original ten non-slip spots