Derek Bruff loves Tennessee Game Days and lets his kids pick new games to try.
JP has only been to small local cons with his kids (Gen Con and Fan Expo Toronto without them) and prefers the small local ones. They’re cheaper and you can drive home each night!
SNAP Review – Mycelia
Whether you think mushrooms are delicious or gross, you’ll love the cute mushrooms in Mycelia, a intro-level deck-builder with plenty of variation for more experienced players.
If you have kids in school, you’ve probably heard of the “summer slide” or summer learning loss. The best way to keep your kids from losing math and reading skills is to use them! So let’s talk about five games that will give some practice.
1. Math Rush
“The most fun I have ever had with math flash cards!” Math Rush is truly all about reinforcing your math facts, but it does it in a fun way. Buy the version that makes the most sense for your kids: Addition/Subtraction, Multiplication/Exponents, or Fractions/Decimals/Percentages. And check out our review.
2. Kingdomino
You are going to practice addition and multiplication over and over in this game.
Keep your USA geography knowledge. Plan routes through the states. You don’t need to know already where each state is, but you’ll be referencing them on the map and relating them to each other as your build your route.
– Honorable mention: The Scrambled States of America Game
4. Unmatched
This is our top recommendation for reading – especially for ages 10 and up. Not only will you have plenty to read on the cards, but they’ll also give insight into the stories, which might pique your kid’s interest to read more about these characters!
This is a great opportunity to get some more history into your summer – but even if none of these historical women grab your interest, you can force a little bit of reading here with the one-page biographies on each card. See our review for more.
Runners Up
Math: Anything with score keeping, especially if it involves multiplication (Mind Up!, Next Station, Splito, Metro X, etc.)
Reading: Any game with a theme that hooks your kid and keeps them reading. (Horrified, Marvel anything, The Hunt for WWII naval history)
Vocabulary and Spelling:Illiterati – since it’s cooperative, there’s lots of room for Mom & Dad to help.
There was a Battleship movie and a CLUE movie. Terraforming Mars is getting its chance for a TV series. If there was any board game you wanted to see a movie or TV series about, what would it be?
Andrew’s would be Hero Quest. Anitra’s would be Tesseract.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
Check out our new Family Gamers and Play Games with Your Kids merchandise – T-shirts, hoodies, and mugs – at thefamilygamers.com/merch.
PLEASE don’t forget to subscribe to the show, tell your friends about the show, and leave us a review at Apple Podcast or whatever your podcast subscription source is. We’re also on Amazon Music, TuneIn, and Spotify.
The Family Gamers is sponsored by First Move Financial. Go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/familygamers to learn how the team at First Move Financial can help you pile up the victory points.
Episode 373 – Top Convention Tips for Families
Jun 10, 2024
It’s June, kicking off “convention season” for a lot of people. So, we’re sharing our best tips for navigating conventions with your family.
373 Fact
Apparently, 373 is a “sexy prime“. (It’s 6 away from another prime number.)
Sponsor Message
If you want to see an estimate of what your fee would be to work with First Move Financial, you can go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/FamilyGamers: there’s a fee calculator on that page, as well as a way to set up a quick (free) phone call to see if they’re a good fit for you.
What We’ve Been Playing
Ogre Under – off the shelf of opportunity! Cape May – also off the shelf of opportunity! It’s a nice game, but none of us loved it. Unboxed – solve mysteries involving “ancient” games. How on earth are we going to review this? Fleet: The Dice Game – an old favorite.
May Monthly Report
Anitra: 45 plays of 26 games. H-index: 3 with Ultimatch, Unmatched, King of Monster Island (enjoyed this MORE solo), and Mycelia.
Andrew: 21 plays of 15 games (but probably missing a few, since Anitra sees 23 plays with Andrew but he only sees 19 with her). H-index: 2 with Unmatched, Roll through the Ages, Sheep in Disguise, Ultimatch, Kirai: The Duel,
Good inserts. Chat GPT?!? How-to videos. Game topper (neoprene mat) – signifies “it’s game time”. Having all the special bits & organizers. Having convenient storage for the most-played games. Learning a game with a second player.
SNAP Review – Compile
Normally we stick with games that are already available, but Compile will be out in August. It’s gorgeous and amazingly replayable, with over a thousand different deck combinations.
This might become one of our favorite two player games. Check it out!
Top Convention Tips for Families
tippy tip tip https://www.thefamilygamers.com/episode-70-cons-with-kids/
Choose the right kind of convention for your family. There are all different kinds: large, small, consumer-focused, game-playing-focused, and conventions where board games are only a small part. Even choosing how far away you’re ready to go and where you’re going to stay.
Follow your kids’ interests. If they have social anxiety, stick with smaller conventions (if any). If they’re not big board gamers, find a convention that follows THEIR interests. (Our boys really enjoy smaller conventions that focus on playing games. But Claire wants to go to big pop-culture type conventions where she gets to show off her cosplay.)
Make a plan so everyone gets to do at least one thing they really want to do (cosplay, role-playing games, meeting up with friends, meeting a celebrity, playing a specific game, etc.)
This means… do research! We talked about this a lot way back in episode 148 about FOMO. If you research ahead of time, you’ll have a better idea of where you want to spend your time.
Be prepared! Snacks, water, first aid kit, face masks if you’re inclined, hand sanitizer, vitamin C. etc. Notice places to sit, bathrooms, places to eat.
Take breaks! Especially important with big overwhelming conventions. Could be as simple as getting outside for some fresh air and sunshine (maybe get food and eat it outside). But it could be going to see other sights in your destination city, or going back to the hotel and splashing around in the pool. Sleep and quiet time are also important.
Backtalk Question:
What’s your favorite convention? Do you bring your family? What’s your best convention win or best convention story? Tell us all about what YOU think or remember when you think about going to conventions!
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
Check out our new Family Gamers and Play Games with Your Kids merchandise – T-shirts, hoodies, and mugs – at thefamilygamers.com/merch.
PLEASE don’t forget to subscribe to the show, tell your friends about the show, and leave us a review at Apple Podcast or whatever your podcast subscription source is. We’re also on Amazon Music, TuneIn, and Spotify.
The Family Gamers is sponsored by First Move Financial. Go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/familygamers to learn how the team at First Move Financial can help you pile up the victory points.
Did you know that you can talk to our sponsor First Move Financial for free?
If you’re curious what it would cost to get help, visit firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers and scroll down, there’s a calculator there where you enter your income and net worth and it will tell you your estimated monthly fee.
What We’ve Been Playing
Onitama Unmatched: Slings & Arrows Mycelia Tangram City King of Monster Island Thurn and Taxis
We decided to limit it to only games that came out in 2023/2024. All of these games are super easy to throw in a pocket or a bag, but contain a lot of fun.
Paper App Dungeon
This is a solo dungeon crawl, but we’ve all been loving it (sharing the book and taking turns completing a dungeon). There are 44 dungeon levels in the notebook, and a special “P6” – a pencil with each side labeled with a number, so you can use it instead of a die!
Ultimatch
A cooperative (or solo) game that feels a bit like pyramid solitaire. Easy to learn, but with lots of layers of tactics and strategy. Everyone has cards in their hand that only they can know & play, so no single person can take charge. Check out our review – a rare perfect score!
Compile
A card game coming soon from Greater Than Games. A lane-dueling game (like Riftforce), in which you race to play enough value to a lane to “compile” it. Each player creates a deck from three “protocols” (card suits), and each protocol (out of 12) has a different play style. If you like this style of game, you can combine the decks in a ton of different ways.
(We discuss how we use “roles” in BG Stats to help us track which “protocols” we’ve tried.)
Trio
If you’re not tired of us talking about Trio yet, you’re in luck! This small card game feels very classic, with a combination of memory and deduction. It’s the type of game we’ll play two or three times in a row, since it’s quick and setup is easy. You will need at least three players, though.
A party game that lets you either feel clever, or appreciate other people being clever. There are so few games that are competitive but have you encourage and affirm other people’s cleverness! (Poetry Slam is another.) We love that vibe.
It’s pretty close to an all-ages game, and it helps us appreciate our kids’ imagination.
Oink Games, which publishes Deep Sea Adventure, Scout, and plenty of others. They fit a ton of gameplay into tiny boxes.
Button Shyonly does 18-card games. They try a lot of things with these games, and you can find just about any theme or mechanic. We recommend Wildtails, their legacy/campaign game, as well as Tussie Mussie, Sprawlopolis, and more.
Perplext is well known for their “Pack-O Games”, which are the size of a pack of gum. We reviewed BOO, years ago.
Backtalk, part 2
What is a thing you do (or an item you USE) to simplify or streamline your game time?
1 – Player packs! If people get the same “starting equipment” every time you play the game, set that up ahead of time!
2 – Some kind of container for small pieces that get used by multiple players (coins, tokens, whatever). Silicone muffin cups are a cheap choice, and so are dollar-store lidded containers.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
Check out our new Family Gamers and Play Games with Your Kids merchandise – T-shirts, hoodies, and mugs – at thefamilygamers.com/merch.
PLEASE don’t forget to subscribe to the show, tell your friends about the show, and leave us a review at Apple Podcast or whatever your podcast subscription source is. We’re also on Amazon Music, TuneIn, and Spotify.
The Family Gamers is sponsored by First Move Financial. Go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/familygamers to learn how the team at First Move Financial can help you pile up the victory points.
If you want to talk about ways to teach your children to manage their personal finances, set up a time to talk by going to firstmovefinancial.com / familygamers.
What We’ve Been Playing
Unmatched: Slings and Arrows – Hamlet doesn’t feel great. Ultimatch Jinxx Amun-Re Paper App Dungeon Roll Through the Ages: The Bronze Age
April Monthly Report
Andrew: 41 plays, 22 unique games. H-index: 3 (Trio: 10 times! and Flashback: Lucy, Compile, Tapple 10) Over 50% of games played in April were in the first week, on our work-related trip. “74 players” (although some were double-counted). Lots of games at 4 or 5 players this month!
Anitra: 69 plays, 33 unique games. H-index: 4 (Sherlock Solitaire, Trio, Tapple 10, Anomia, Flashback: Lucy, Palm Island). 32% of all games played in April were on that first weekend.
SNAP Review – Tapple 10
This “little brother” to Tapple is just as fun, and a lot more portable. Just a small box of double-sided cards and a 15-second timer. Saying there are ten games in the box is a bit of a stretch; but there are multiple fun ways to play.
Watch the video or read the transcript of our review.
We last talked about this specifically all the way back in episode 104. (Also the first podcast that included a SNAP review!)
1. Because it’s fun!
This reason hasn’t changed. Why wouldn’t you want to do something fun with your family?
2. Board games are a safe place to experiment.
Board games allow kids to fail in a safe environment. They can create antagonism or challenges that don’t exist after the game is put away.
You can even flip roles and let kids be in charge in the game, or allow them a chance to be better than their parents. Maybe even “beat up” Mom or Dad!
3. A board game is an activity everyone can enjoy together, any time of year.
We have a six year age gap between our oldest and youngest kid, and a lot of different interests. Playing a well-chosen board game levels the playing field and allows everyone to have fun.
Sports and outdoor activities are great, but it’s hard to adjust them so that family members at different physical abilities can all enjoy them. And they’re usually weather-dependent; hard to allow for that in New England where it’s sunny one day and freezing the next.
4. Games are active, not passive.
Watching a movie can make for family bonding, but you have to work at it. But board games require you to interact with the game and (usually) with each other.
Board games let you learn by doing. Skills like being a gracious loser (see Four Ways to Help a Sore Loser) get better with practice. Anitra observes that online video games encourage poor sportsmanship around winning and losing unless you actively work against it.
5. Games offer a window into other players’ thoughts.
Board games are about connecting with people. We have been more intentional about playing games one-on-one with our kids in the past few years. Especially with preteens and teenagers, it makes it easier for them to open up about things they think are important.
“Sometimes the board game is the least important thing happening while you’re playing a board game.”
It’s incredibly rare to have inter-generational experiences that come naturally. Board games do that for us.
If you have teens or young adults, we recommend playing board games with their close friends or prospective boyfriends/girlfriends, too. It provides so much insight into how these friends treat other people – like parents and siblings.
But this only works if playing board games is already normal for your family!
6. Board games are a great way to explore YOUR kid’s interests.
They love to explore nature? There are lots of games for that.
Anitra’s answer: Quacks of Quedlinburg (it’s a game that all five family members enjoy and will agree to!) Andrew’s answer: Anomia Tongue Twisters (Go get it for free!)
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
Check out our new Family Gamers and Play Games with Your Kids merchandise – T-shirts, hoodies, and mugs – at thefamilygamers.com/merch.
PLEASE don’t forget to subscribe to the show, tell your friends about the show, and leave us a review at Apple Podcast or whatever your podcast subscription source is. We’re also on Amazon Music, TuneIn, and Spotify.
The Family Gamers is sponsored by First Move Financial. Go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/familygamers to learn how the team at First Move Financial can help you pile up the victory points.
Did you know there’s a U.S. Law that allows every American to check their credit reports with each of the three major credit bureaus each year, for free? You don’t have to sign up for a service or pay a monthly fee, just go to annualcreditreport.com.
It’s important to check your credit reports so you know if someone has opened accounts in your name, if a creditor is mis-reporting an old debt, and to see which accounts you forgot to close that may be hurting your credit score.
First Move has a blog post about how to read your credit reports. If you’re overwhelmed by debt, hiring a financial advisor may not be right for you, but First Move is still happy to have a 15 minute phone call to get you going in the right direction and point you toward free resources. Go to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers to set up a time to chat today.
What We’ve Been Playing
Faraway – “a mind bending melange of simple mechanics” Sherlock Solitaire (review coming soon) Flashback: Lucy (our review) Dead Man’s Draw AKA Captain Carcass What the Heck? (our review) Roll for It! (our review) Drop It (our review) Compile (coming this summer) Genotype (review coming soon) Gorinto Stroop
SNAP Review – Doomlings
Doomlings is super cute, and easy to get started. It’s good for light family play without boring heavier gamers.
We first had Marc on the show all the way back in episode 53! Now we are good friends.
What is Bouba/Kiki?
The newest game from Grand Gamers Guild – on Kickstarter until May 3.
This is a party/communication game, based on the Bouba/Kiki effect. We mentally associate certain sounds with certain kinds of shapes. Could you match up with the rest of the table to pick the same one?
Marc always wants you to get a benefit from backing on Kickstarter – so you’ll get a slight discount, and either nicer components or extra packs of cards.
Marc’s not a big fan of stretch goals, but there are a few small ones here.
There’s a campaign (actually, six campaigns) with scenarios that bend the concept!
What is Stroop?
(We talked about Stroop back in episode 53! We’ve been a fan of it ever since.)
There’s a special add-on to this Kickstarter – can you tell us about that?
The Marriage Mix-up – another 18-card Holiday Hijinks. Also from the mind of Jonathan Chaffer!
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
Check out our new Family Gamers and Play Games with Your Kids merchandise – T-shirts, hoodies, and mugs – at thefamilygamers.com/merch.
PLEASE don’t forget to subscribe to the show, tell your friends about the show, and leave us a review at Apple Podcast or whatever your podcast subscription source is. We’re also on Amazon Music, TuneIn, and Spotify.
The Family Gamers is sponsored by First Move Financial. Go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/familygamers to learn how the team at First Move Financial can help you pile up the victory points.
Did you know that all multiples of 3 add to 3, 6, or 9 if you add the digits together?
Sponsor Message
If you want to talk to First Move about other habits you can build to take that next step toward your goals, go to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers to schedule a call.
What We’ve Been Playing
Kiri-ai: The Duel Sherlock Solitaire Time’s Up! Family Edition – this is like Celebrity, which we talked about in episode 35. La Familia Hort
Monthly Report March
Andrew: 25 plays, 16 unique games H-index:3. Most played: Doomlings, prototypes, and Tin Spin – 40% of plays were at GAMA Expo!
The topic for this podcast came from… not having time to play games lately. The few games we’ve been playing tend to be 10 minutes or less.
These are so fast we wouldn’t even call them filler games! Normally we would play these several time in a row, but you can play them just once.
So when even a filler game is too long, let’s go for a slider game!
Skyrockets – so short that if we lose, we usually play again and it’s still less than 15 minutes. More forgiving than most timer-based games. Cooperative.
Panic Island – also cooperative, and plays in ONE minute.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
Check out our new Family Gamers and Play Games with Your Kids merchandise – T-shirts, hoodies, and mugs – at thefamilygamers.com/merch.
PLEASE don’t forget to subscribe to the show, tell your friends about the show, and leave us a review at Apple Podcast or whatever your podcast subscription source is. We’re also on Amazon Music, TuneIn, and Spotify.
The Family Gamers is sponsored by First Move Financial. Go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/familygamers to learn how the team at First Move Financial can help you pile up the victory points.
Episode 368 – Ken Franklin and Flash Point: Legacy Of Flame
Mar 25, 2024
We are no longer restricting our interviews to just odd-numbered episodes. We couldn’t wait any longer to have Ken Franklin on the show again!
368 Fact
We learn about Studio 368, doing very cool stuff for creators and media (like Greta Gerwig, Lena Dunham, and the Safdie brothers).
Sponsor Message
Are you doing your taxes? Some states offer a tax break for residents who invest in their state’s 529 college savings plan. If you want help planning for your kid’s college education you can go to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers. There’s a link there to set up a 15-minute call to see if First Move can help you.
What We’ve Been Playing
Daybreak – A cooperative game where you try to reverse global warming. Ken also calls it “Terraforming Earth”
First in Flight – review coming soon from Anitra
Explosion in the Laboratory – 27-card game about mixing “vials” in progressively more dangerous environment. An interesting take on push-your-luck with no dice and limited card draws.
Tir na Nog – You’re sending storytellers into fairyland to get experiences to turn into a saga. (Claim cards and try to arrange them.) Scoop: Ken is designing an 18-card escape game based on this one! There will also be mini-escape rooms based on Roll Camera and The Artemis Odyssey.
Anitra: 30 unique games 48 times. H-index 3, with ArcheOlogic, Redwood, Unmatched, At the Helm, Skyrockets, and Pocket Paragons having at least 3 plays.
Outrace your buddies so they get bitten by the shark and you don’t! This new version of Get Bit! works with 2-7 players, but is still best at 4 or more.
What kicked off the design for a Flash Point legacy game?
Indie Boards & Cards had talking about it for a long time, but pushed to the back burner.
But in 2021, Ken found this out, and asked Chris and Kevin – “do you want to make a legacy version of Flash Point?” “YES, of course!”
Figured out the outline of the first third within a week, then pitched it to Indie Boards & Cards and signed a contract.
Then spent three years meeting virtually every week “and we played the snot out of it”.
Each designer brings their own strengths.
Kevin has a gift for narrative design. He wrote the “screenplay” of the campaign.
Chris is an incredible rulebook editor, and a gift for spotting what brings fun and what drains fun.
Ken put his prototyping skills to work and was spreadsheet master, mapping out the different paths the campaign could take.
The game was pretty much done after 14 months of solid work.
There’s a ton of expansions already for Flash Point. How does that work with the legacy game?
There are already so many expansions, you can’t play with all of them together. It just doesn’t work.
They looked at what elements in the expansions make sense for a story where cadet firefighters are going through their careers. So some expansion elements carried over to the legacy game, and some pieces are new. For example, they pulled the “Fire deck / event deck” from the Tragic Events expansion, replacing hot spots.
More about Flash Point: Legacy of Flame
You’ll be working through a sort of ensemble story, with many character arcs and events.
When you’re done with the campaign, you’ll have 12 new maps to play with any Flash Point module or expansion, and every character you’ve created can be used again.
Instead of making different terrain-styled boards, this game uses two spiral-bound books for the 12 maps.
Announcement: there will be a recharge pack, if you want to replay the campaign fresh.
When characters are knocked down, you are incentivized to sit them out and end up using all the characters.
Instead of using tons of envelopes, they’re using scratch-off elements in many places.
You don’t need anything extra, and you don’t even need to have played Flash Point before!
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
Check out our new Family Gamers and Play Games with Your Kids merchandise – T-shirts, hoodies, and mugs – at thefamilygamers.com/merch.
PLEASE don’t forget to subscribe to the show, tell your friends about the show, and leave us a review at Apple Podcast or whatever your podcast subscription source is. We’re also on Amazon Music, TuneIn, and Spotify.
The Family Gamers is sponsored by First Move Financial. Go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/familygamers to learn how the team at First Move Financial can help you pile up the victory points.
Episode 367 – Mr. Smith Goes to GAMA Expo
Mar 11, 2024
Andrew is back home from GAMA Expo! GAMA was kind enough to select The Family Gamers as Hosted Media for this year’s Expo, and we thank them for their support! GAMA is a growing and changing organization and we commend them for their hard work!
To schedule a time to talk to First Move about other ways to take control of your finances, head over to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers to set up an initial 15 minute call.
What We’ve Been Playing
Compile – “like a cross between Smash Up and Hanamikoji“. Draft decks of cards, then
This compact deduction game will have you guessing about the pixie’s complicated palette. We think it’s best for kids and adults who already like deduction.
Mind Up – Draft cards and play them into your sets. But you’ll have to play cards from your hand to “bid” and win the cards you want.
Knarr – Recruit Vikings into your band, activating groups by color.
Courtisans – Play cards to different places around the Queen’s table. Win points depending on each families’ status at the end of the game. A lot of take-that in a fast game.
Faraway – Have a great journey! Cards are scored in the reverse order from which they are played.
Boxtop Pinball – Flick dice down the board. Oops! We didn’t get a picture of this one.
0:42:45 Fireside Games with Justin
Ultimatch – Cooperate to make matches to clear cards out of a pyramid, but use addition or subtraction to make mathematical or color matches as well. Or use two cards to make an exact match – color and number! That lets you draw two cards – one for your hand and one towards a common pool for all players.
Zoomies – dog-walkers with domino tiles. Stay tuned!
0:48:00 Lucky Duck Games with Devon
Kiri-ai: The Duel – a 16-card dueling game. Hit your opponent twice (but always from the front, to be honorable) to win. Available now at LuckyDuckGames.com.
Toriki: the Castaway Island – Survive the island and leave on your own terms! Explore, gather knowledge, and complete your mission.
0:55:15 Skybound Tabletop with Matt
Invincible: Escape from Mars – Social deduction game based on the Amazon show / comic series. But the roles change every round!
Sheep in Disguise – You want to collect flocks of cute sheep (three of a kind).
ContraBanter – A word-smuggling party game. Answer the other team’s question with a story, inserting your secret words. But if you sneak your words well enough, you’ll have to sneak them into the next round’s story as well!
1:02:00 Thunderworks with Jess
Stonespine Architects – a pick-and-pass card drafting game in the Roll Player universe. Available end of April.
Citizens of the Spark – Use unique animal citizens with their own powers in each game. Mostly simultaneous play.
Metrorunner – a sci-fi game with a rondel representing the metro you’re riding around the board. Collect resources, hack the network, and/or finish job assignments.
1:11:30 Pink Hawk Games with Emily
Pirates of the High Teas – Make sets of dishes to serve your captain! Coming to Kickstarter in September.
Good Kitties – Cooperative game of plotting world domination, while avoiding the dog. Probably next year.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
Check out our new Family Gamers and Play Games with Your Kids merchandise – T-shirts, hoodies, and mugs – at thefamilygamers.com/merch.
PLEASE don’t forget to subscribe to the show, tell your friends about the show, and leave us a review at Apple Podcast or whatever your podcast subscription source is. We’re also on Amazon Music, TuneIn, and Spotify.
The Family Gamers is sponsored by First Move Financial. Go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/familygamers to learn how the team at First Move Financial can help you pile up the victory points.
For expert help applying some of the same principles that help you take down your friends in Agricola, head over to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers today to schedule a call.
We review the latest addition to the Unmatched series.
This one is based on real people from Japanese history, and we think they’re fascinating. Watch the video or read the transcript on our website.
FOR SCIENCE!
We try Oreo Space Dunk – an Oreo with brilliant pink and blue “marshmallow flavor” filling… and pop rocks?
Send us more weird food FOR SCIENCE! : The Family Gamers 60 Auburn St. #528 Auburn, MA 01501
Top Five Dragon Games
We talked about dragon games all the way back in episode 169 with Claire. But that’s not what we’re doing this time! This is our top five dragon games for families… in no particular order.
Dragonkeepers
By Michael Menzel, published by KOSMOS; brand new in 2024. You’re drawing cards from a “book”, and then playing dragon cards when you can play the exact quantity and kind specified by the book. There are ways to adjust the book, but there are also more constraints for which types you can play. We’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Dragon’s Breath
A wonderful kids’ game from HABA by Gunter and Lena Burkhart. Remove rings from the “ice tower” to drop gems – and “bet” on which color gems will drop the most.
A lovely family game from Calliope of creating a maze and trying NOT to get to the end of your path. It looks very “adult” but is approachable for kids with a bit of patience.
Block Ness
We love Block Ness, but Anitra argues this doesn’t fit. They’re not dragons!
Dragonwood (and Dragonrealm)
Dragonwood by Darren Kisgen is a fantasy-themed game for kids. Turn in sets of cards (matching numbers, matching colors, or runs in order) to roll dice and beat monsters. Different monsters are vulnerable to different kinds of attacks (sets of cards)! This game reinforces a lot of important math skills for kids in a fun way! Dragonwood from Gamewright was one of the first games we ever reviewed.
The most complex game in our list due to reading and lots of choices. But still very approachable for older kids (10+). This is our teenage daughter’s favorite. We reviewed it last year.
Anitra loves these dragons the most – cute dragons with jobs! There’s nothing combative or violent in the theme here.
Flamecraft is published by Cardboard Alchemy and Lucky Duck Games.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
Check out our new Family Gamers and Play Games with Your Kids merchandise – T-shirts, hoodies, and mugs – at thefamilygamers.com/merch.
PLEASE don’t forget to subscribe to the show, tell your friends about the show, and leave us a review at Apple Podcast or whatever your podcast subscription source is. We’re also on Amazon Music, TuneIn, and Spotify.
The Family Gamers is sponsored by First Move Financial. Go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/familygamers to learn how the team at First Move Financial can help you pile up the victory points.
Episode 365 – Tantrum Con with Jeremy Pike
Feb 12, 2024
Welcome to Jeremy Pike, staff writer! We’ll talk about how he joined our team, and what he did at Tantrum Con 2024.
365 fact
Why is a year 365 days? Because that’s how many times the Earth spins on its axis while making a complete trip around the sun. And, of course, it’s not exactly 365 either. It’s closer to 365.25, which is why we have an extra day every four years. But it’s a smidgeon less than 365.25, so we skip the leap year every century, except we have one every multiple of 400 years as another slight correction.
Sponsor message
Whether you’re worried about what’s happening or you are lucky to find yourself in a strong financial position and want some help in making the right tactical move, First Move Financial can help. If you want some help finding solid footing underneath you, or help finding the right step to leap to the next level, head to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers to schedule a quick phone call and see how First Move can help.
What We’ve Been Playing
Echidna Shuffle Get Bit! – The new bath-toy theme is cute. Andrew suggests we play this using gingerbread men for the swimmers. ArcheOlogic Ecosystem: Savanna (our review) First in Flight Mycelia (don’t mistake this for any other mushroom-themed games! It’s pink and adorable. Listen to the interview from PAX Unplugged.) Chicken! Redwood – “if Tang Garden and Photosynthesis had a baby, and gave it a photography theme” Picky Pixie – a competitive clue-giving game from Elizabeth Hargrave & Button Shy. Reminds us a little of Visitor in Blackwood Grove. D&D Dungeon Scrawlers: Heroes of Waterdeep (review coming soon!) Holiday Hijinks: The Turkey Trial – the most approachable Holiday Hijinks yet, in our opinion. (The Birthday Burglary is also very good with kids.) Unmatched: Sun’s Origins
Monthly Report – January
Andrew: 20 plays of 11 unique games. H-index 2 – Pocket Paragons (5 plays), Trio (4 plays)
Anitra: 49 plays of 20 unique games. H-index 4 – Pocket Paragons (10 plays), Calypso (9 times), At the Helm, Trio
SNAP Review – Pocket Paragons
Elliot and Anitra talk about this very quick two player duel. We think it’s a great choice for a portable and fast game.
How did Jeremy get involved with The Family Gamers?
Jeremy found TFG because of his son, Zach, Family Gamers super-fan. From helping Zach write an email to receiving a T-shirt to Tantrum Con 2023, to writer!
What about Tantrum Con?
Tantrum Con is the yearly convention thrown by Tantrum House. And it’s the most kid-friendly convention we’ve ever seen. With a larger location, they stepped up everything this year, including the kids section! They hired a group called “Living Rooms and Lizards” to run D&D style storytelling games for kids.
Everything was bigger – Exhibitor hall, Demo area for pre-release games, etc.
New game highlights at Tantrum Con
Run Run Run! – and the rest of the “2024 Import collection” from 25th Century. (look at that Kickstarter!)
Corps of Discovery: A Game Set in the World of Manifest Destiny – “Lewis & Clark and monsters”
Gems of Iridescia
What else is special about Tantrum Con?
Table-flipping face-offs
Tournameals – learn a game while having a meal together (plus giveaways)
VIP gaming area – for content creators and/or designers to teach games
Play to Win – a lot of cons have this, but it’s always great. There’s a huge variety of games in Play to Win at Tantrum Con.
And the people who are there playing games are just very kind and nice.
You get a goodie bag when you arrive – and kids get kid games in their bag! We love how much respect is shown towards kids, that they can be gamers too.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
Check out our new Family Gamers and Play Games with Your Kids merchandise – T-shirts, hoodies, and mugs – at thefamilygamers.com/merch.
PLEASE don’t forget to subscribe to the show, tell your friends about the show, and leave us a review at Apple Podcast or whatever your podcast subscription source is. We’re also on Amazon Music, TuneIn, and Spotify.
The Family Gamers is sponsored by First Move Financial. Go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/familygamers to learn how the team at First Move Financial can help you pile up the victory points.
Episode 364 – Look Back: How Did 2023 Predictions Fare?
Jan 29, 2024
We often talk about new games. But let's look back a little bit. We were excited for a lot of new games at the beginning of 2023 - how did they fare? Were all of them as great as we hoped?
Episode 361 – PAX Unplugged 2023 – Days Two & Three
Dec 18, 2023
Find out more about The Tree Trimming Game, Sequitur, Jokkmokk, Marvel Remix, Unboxed, Crabs in a Bucket, Star Realms Academy, Caution Signs, Pack the Essentials, Maize Craze, and Mycelia !
Episode 357 – Spooky Games and Hidden Gems with Stephanie Nye
Oct 23, 2023
Today, we're talking with the newest writer to join The Family Gamers, Stephanie Nye! What are some of her favorite games for the "spooky season"? And what games are awesome that not enough people talk about?
Episode 356 – Top 10 Games for Kids 7-10
Oct 02, 2023
We took a break for a while from our age-segregated lists. But now we're back at it! Plus: CuseCon wrap-up, contest winner, and a new community announcement.
Episode 355 – Panic Time! With Justin and Anne-Marie De Witt
Sep 18, 2023
Castle Panic has been a part of our lives longer than The Family Gamers has existed, and this week we talk to its creators: Justin & Anne-Marie De Witt!
It's been a long time since we talked about US history and gameschooling. Now let's talk about games that are newer, and games that are less US-centric.
Episode 351 – SAHM Reviews with the Bradys
Jul 24, 2023
Nicole and Scott have been doing family-friendly review content since 2008 with their site SAHM Reviews. But they're tied into the board game industry in many other ways...
Episode 347 – Board Games with BoardGamingMama!
Jun 19, 2023
Welcome to Heather, the Board Gaming Mama! 347 Fact There’s evidence oil wells going back to 347 AD! Chinese drills made of bamboo got to over 200 meters deep. Sponsor One of the first concerns from prospective clients is whether they can afford to work with us. If you want to see an estimate of what your fee would be
Episode 346 – Room to Grow: Word Games Edition
Jun 12, 2023
If you want to play word games with your kids, you're going to have to wait a LONG time for them to be ready. We suggest a few games that can help your family work their way up to "adult" word games.
Episode 336 – Most Played Board Games
Mar 27, 2023
Let's talk about the most popular games played in the Smith household. These aren't necessarily our favorites. They just make it to the table the most often.
Episode 334 – Noisy Games: Extra Fun or Parents’ Nightmare?
Mar 13, 2023
Every parent has some LOUD game that their kids love. Do you buy into the fun factor of noisy games, or do they drive you crazy? There are more games in this category than we thought...
This week, it's all about YOUR questions! What's the best game for a deserted island? What kind of mystery games can we recommend for a 7 year old? What games can you play with a short attention span?
Episode 328 – Room to Grow: Dungeon Crawl Games
Jan 30, 2023
Love dungeon crawl games like Gloomhaven, but aren't sure where to start with kids? Three dungeon crawl games that build in complexity, perfect for playing as a family.
Episode 327 – Top Anticipated Games for 2023
Jan 23, 2023
We look ahead to games coming in 2023: ones we've been anticipating for a while, ones that are new and we're hyped for, and ones that we "want to want".
Episode 325 – Board Game Trends with Ross Thompson
Jan 09, 2023
Our topic this week is trends in board games. And who better for this kind of conversation than Ross Thompson? He has held positions all across the board game industry.
This week, we'll talk about our top games of the year. Ones that were new to us this year; our favorites and games that really surprised us. And we ask each of the kids for their favorite game of the year, too.
315 – The Video Game Holiday Gift Guide with Stephen Duetzmann
Oct 31, 2022
It's that time of year again. We are joined by the "unmitigated hype monster", Stephen Duetzmann, to learn about recommendations for (mostly) family-friendly video games this holiday season.
310 – Top-Rated Games – The Family Gamers Podcast
Sep 19, 2022
We've been reviewing games for a long time, and have rated about a dozen games as "perfect" and about twice as many as "almost perfect". Do those ratings hold up?
308 – Different Ways to Adventure with Board Games
Sep 05, 2022
This week, we're talking about adventure! What games make you feel like you're going on an adventure? There are more ways to accomplish this feeling than you might think.
307 – Jon Manker and Pax Viking – The Family Gamers Podcast
Aug 29, 2022
Jon is the co-founder of Ion Game Design, making board games "based on reality". Although most are quite complex (Pax Viking, Sammu-ramat), there are some family-oriented games just around the corner...
306 – Room to Grow: Dice Set Collection – The Family Gamers Podcast
Aug 22, 2022
What is dice set collection? Think Yahtzee. You're rolling dice, usually with some re-rolls allowed, trying to get a certain result spread out among many dice (a straight, two/three/four of a kind, etc.)
303 – Beyond Board Games: Open Roading
Jul 25, 2022
This podcast has almost nothing to do with board games! Four years ago Joe and Kalyn sold their house and bought an RV. It requires a lot of planning...
302 – How to Raise Little Gamers – The Family Gamers Podcast
Jul 18, 2022
"One of the best ways to get your kids excited about doing something is by being excited about doing something." Can you get your kids to love games the way you do?
299 – Dani Effertz, Sovranti – The Family Gamers Podcast
Jun 27, 2022
Sovranti is a digital board game app allowing friends to play board games across the world. Dani is the community manager for Sovranti, and she's going to tell us more about it!
298 – Looking Forward to Summer – The Family Gamers Podcast
Jun 20, 2022
This week, we're looking forward to summer, with resources for playing games with kids, and a short discussion of what we're looking forward to playing with our extra time.
297 – Kevin & Melissa Delp, Tantrum House – The Family Gamers Podcast
Jun 13, 2022
Today on the podcast, we welcome Kevin and Melissa Delp, part of the team at Tantrum House. Fact – Clematis is a type of flowering plant – which currently has 297 species. What We’ve Been Playing Skyrise (Roxley)Under Falling Skies (CGE – our review)UNDO: Forbidden Knowledge (Pegasus Spiele – review coming soon)Space Station Phoenix (Rio Grande)Rear Window (Funko Games)Batman: Everybody
295 – with Little Big Thumbs, JP Decosse – The Family Gamers Podcast
May 30, 2022
This week we welcome JP Decosse, also known as “Big Papa Thumbs” from Little Big Thumbs. Fact(s) – We have 3 ridiculous Guinness World records this week: The longest jump on a unicycle (295 cm), the most handheld lasers lit simultaneously (295 lasers), and the most people filling in their eyebrows simultaneously (295 people, organized in the shape of two
291 – Beyond Board Games – Strong Songs – The Family Gamers Podcast
May 02, 2022
Our special guest this week is Kirk Hamilton, host of the podcast Strong Songs. What makes a song great? Is it the "thump, pop, and sizzle" of the drum groove, power chords, lush 7ths and 9ths? Kirk uses music theory, history, and isolates patterns to break down songs you've heard before and help you understand WHY they're great.
290 – PAX East 2022 – The Family Gamers Podcast
Apr 25, 2022
week we kick back and talk about what we saw at PAX East 2022! It's the first time the gaming convention is back in Boston after the pandemic cancelled the last two events and it was a ton of fun!
289 – Snowbright Studio with T – The Family Gamers Podcast
Apr 18, 2022
This week we are joined by T. Caires, who is now working with Snowbright Studio, on games like Teatime Adventures and Birds of a Feather: Western North America.
288 – Teaching Board Games – The Family Gamers Podcast
Apr 11, 2022
We get asked, "How do you get your kids to play games with you?" First you have to get them interested, but then you have to teach them the rules and how to play!
287 – Deon Mixon, Design Eye – The Family Gamers Podcast
Apr 04, 2022
This week, we welcome Deon Mixon, creator of a game called Design Eye, a graphic design education board game that is all about creativity - "for people with great ideas".
286 – Play This, Not That, Dexterity Games! – The Family Gamers Podcast
Mar 28, 2022
We answer a listener question about how we got started with reviewing family board games. Then we suggest a few dexterity games to spice up your building and flicking.
284 – Five Fantastic Family Filler Favorites – The Family Gamers Podcast
Mar 14, 2022
We talk about five of our favorite filler games for families - games that will make you think and help your kids learn, but play under 30 minutes and are fairly portable.
279 – Beyond Board Games: The Wood Whisperer – The Family Gamers Podcast
Feb 07, 2022
This week on the show we have Marc Spagnuolo, the Wood Whisperer - he is definitely a nerd as well as being a wood worker. We talk about what we've been playing and how to get kids involved in your hobbies.