Episode 384 – Board Game Holiday Gift List
Nov 12, 2024
0:0:00 Hello and welcome! This week we’ll be going over our holiday gift list of board games.
Fact for 384
384 is the sum of six consecutive primes (53 + 59 + 61 + 67 + 71 + 73)
Sponsor Message
If you need help figuring out how to get your engine started, First Move Financial might be able to help. Head over to FirstMoveFinancial.com/FamilyGamers to see how First Move Financial can kick start your financial engine today.
0:02:15 What We’ve Been Playing
Just two this week, that we’ll be reviewing soon.
Santa’s Workshop Super Snipers
0:13:00 SNAP Review – Nekojima
Why are we building such a shoddy electrical grid, and why are cats hanging all over it? We don’t know, but it makes for a fun game!
Reminder: We have five giveaways – enter the ones you’re interested in:
ArcheOLogic Patrician: Towers of Influence Mutton Bustin Avant Carde Holiday Hijinks! (Kickstarter is done)
New (Old) Backtalk Question
Inspired by an up and coming SPONSORED For Science, we’re going to restate last week’s backtalk question to encourage you to keep weighing in: What’s your favorite beverage to have with a board game? Or do you forbid drinks from being anywhere near your 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.
You can also now find us on YouTube Music! So pull it up and give us a listen while you’re toiling away at work :)
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.
Have you ever heard the term “it takes money to make money”?
Well, it’s not the only way to make money, but it is a true statement. Income, however it looks, is like an engine. It can start slow, but as you build your resource pool, it often becomes easier to make more.
If this sounds a little like the last time you played Wingspan or Terraforming Mars, it’s because there’s a lot of similarities between engine building in board gams and financial engine building in real life.
If you need help figuring out how to get that engine started, First Move Financial might be able to help. Head over to FirstMoveFinancial.com/FamilyGamers to see how First Move Financial can kick start your financial engine today.
04:00 What We’ve Been Playing
Bottle Imp (review coming soon) Donut Shop (review coming soon) Cabanga! – we will be teaching this at PAX Unplugged Dodo – a great kids’ memory game with a cool slow-rolling ball as the timer. (review coming soon) Runemasters (review coming soon) Turns out beautiful games Deblockle (our review) and Quarto (our review) are also great for calm times or “sick” days. Dirty Pig (our review – no longer in print) Campaign Trail (one of the very first games featured on TheFamilyGamers.com)
26:00 October Monthly Report!
Andrew: 26 plays of 17 games. Primarily at 3 players! H-index: 2. Most played: Hamster Roll, Football Feud
Anitra: 44 plays of 24 games. H-index: 3. Most played: Hamster Roll, Circus Flohcati, Football Feud, Dodo
28:20 Welcome Facebook Community Members
Welcome, newbies! We’re thankful you’re here! Feel free to share some numbers if you’re statistics nerds like us.
29:00 Backtalk
Listeners tell us about their spookiest games. See responses on Discord and Facebook.
34:00 SNAP Review – Railroad Ink: Archipelago
Anitra reviews this expansion board that works with any version of Railroad Ink.
If you’re unsatisfied with how short a normal game of Railroad Ink is – this is the expansion for you.
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.
You can also now find us on YouTube Music! So pull it up and give us a listen while you’re toiling away at work :)
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 382 – Top 5 Spooky Games for Halloween
Oct 21, 2024
0:00 It’s the end of October, which means it’s time for Halloween-themed games!
382 Fact
Patent class 382 is the generic class for the automated analysis of an image or recognition of a pattern.
(What is this? All that AI that Google brags about with identifying people, or things to then shop for, all of that falls under patent class 382).
Find out more: https://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/classification/uspc382/defs382.htm
Sponsor Message
If you want to talk to someone about your money history or personality then 15 minutes will just scratch the surface, but First Move can give you some resources to point you in the right direction. Set up a time to talk with them at firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers today.
5:08 What We’ve Been Playing
Football Feud (watch our SNAP review!) Harmonies Hamster Roll (review coming soon) Ghosts Love Candy Too (more in the second half) Circus Flohcati (review coming soon) Felix: The Cat in the Sack – picked this bidding game up on a whim and had a pleasant time! Tether
32:30 Our Top Spooky Games for Families at Halloween
We’re not big into horror or being scared. But we do love these gently spooky games for Halloween play.
1. Ghosts Love Candy Too – you’re ghosts scaring kids in costume to try to get them to drop their candy. Scare the kids TOO much, and you’ll have to take responsibility (usually negative points). Only nine rounds, with a ton of variability due to the kids who appear and what candy each player values most. Read or watch our review.
2. Ghost Fightin’ Treasure Hunters – we LOVED this game when our kids were younger. Cooperatively retrieve the treasures from a haunted house before too many ghosts and “hauntings” appear. It looks like the anniversary edition now includes rules for a player to control the ghosts, which means up to five people can play!
3. Studies in Sorcery – the darkest game on our list. Dig up graves for spell components to complete your degree in the dark arts in this card drafting / set building game. Read our review.
4. Zombie Dice – we’ve been playing this with our kids from very young ages. Pull three dice out, roll them. Brains are good, shotgun blasts are bad. Want to keep going? Gather any footsteps and add more dice to get back to three. Roll them and see if you are satisfied… or if you have three shotgun blasts, wiping out your brains this turn. (Find it on Amazon)
5. Horrified – There are four of these now! Classic, American Monsters, Greek Monsters, World of Monsters. Our favorite is Greek Monsters, but all are good. Cooperate to move “victims” away from the monsters and work towards defeating the monsters for good!
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.
You can also now find us on YouTube Music! So pull it up and give us a listen while you’re toiling away at work :)
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 381 – Top 5(ish) Beautiful Family Games
Oct 07, 2024
0:00 Hello and welcome! This week, we’re talking about beautiful games – ones you would leave out on a coffee table – that are great for families to play.
Fact for 381
We’re back to the Guinness Book of World Records, friends. The largest hand-held video game console party was on 12 October 2007, at the Parramatta mall in Sydney Australia, where 381 people gathered together, each one brandishing their own Nintendo DS.
Sponsor Message
Did you know that according to a recent poll sponsored by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling only 18% of Americans feel very confident about their retirement? So if you aren’t sure about retirement, you’re not alone. If you want to talk to a professional to see if you are on track to achieve your goals, go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/FamilyGamers to schedule a quick phone call and see if First Move is the right fit for you.
02:43 What We’ve Been Playing
Nekojima – review coming soon. We love that it can be cooperative or competitive. Mojo – review coming soon. Mundus Novus Captain Flip (our review) Sky Team – we talked about playing this on Board Game Arena, but now we’ve played it in person. Looking forward to playing a lot more. Dice Throne – as recommended in our Games for Teens. We don’t love king-of-the-hill with our boys. Agueda: City of Umbrellas – review coming soon Fire Tower Football Feud! – very simple. Review coming soon.
18:20 September Monthly Report!
Andrew: 20 plays of 15 games. H-index: 2. Most played: Chrono-Trek (3 times) & Mojo (3 times). Also Trio (2 times).
Anitra: 29 plays of 18 games. H-index: 2. Most played: Chrono-Trek (6 times) & Mojo (4 times).
Listeners tell us about games they wish they still had. See responses on Discord and Facebook.
26:25 SNAP Review – Super Kawaii Pets
This super-cute game is great for pet lovers. It’s really simple and light, best for kids or very light family play.
Watch the video to see our grumpy cat Romeo “help” with this one.
31:00 Top 5(ish) Beautiful Games
This is a very subjective topic. And we have a ton of games which we love for their art. But we’re thinking about coffee table games or “eye candy” games – not games with good art, but games that you could leave set up and would look good in and of themselves. Maybe one you could expect to see in the background in a design magazine. Usually this means abstract games made with natural materials.
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.
You can also now find us on YouTube Music! So pull it up and give us a listen while you’re toiling away at work :)
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.
Clash of Magic Schools (review coming soon) Trio (our review) Skull King (review from One Board Family) Little Alchemists Floating Floors (review coming soon)
Is there a game from your past that you wish you could bring back, because you’re in a different season of life and you think it would fit better now?
For Andrew, it’s the videogame Rock Band. We used to play it in college and as young professionals with our friends, but it went away as we had kids and our video game consoles got older. Now that our kids are old enough to play with us, he misses it, and wishes he could bring it back to play with them!
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.
You can also now find us on YouTube Music! So pull it up and give us a listen while you’re toiling away at work :)
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.
Star Trek: Chrono-Trek – Every time we set it up, we play it a bunch of times in a row. Super Kawaii Pets Mojo (try it on Board Game Arena) Cosmoctopus
All of the games above are ones we are preparing to review.
Give clues and guess each other’s identities in this feel-good guessing game. There’s only shared success, which makes it a great family game, with a little bit of silliness. Just watch out for very small text and symbols!
So this week we’re going to talk about Board Game Arena. It’s not the only way to play board games online, but for us, it’s probably the most valuable. Why?
Play with anyone (friends or strangers) all around the world.
Asynchronous play
We can play against each other without trying to leave a game set up (which our cats would destroy)
Take five minutes to “solve the puzzle” of a single turn, in the middle of your day.
Bookkeeping – allows play of fiddly or complex games that we might not otherwise play. (example: Seasons)
You can try a game (or expansion) for free before you buy it.
Tutorials – yet another way to learn a new game. Or you can try playing here before you play it with your family.
Hundreds of games available.
Our Five Favorite Games to Play on Board Game Arena
7 Wonders Duel – we like this in person, but having BGA handle the bookkeeping is amazing. 7 Wonders – Bookkeeping again, plus this game is a table hog in person. Happy City – we love this simple tableau-building game (our review) – but the cards can get a little fiddly. Roll to the Top – because each turn is so simple; a great way to take a minute to drop in and take a quick break from your day. Love this one in person, too (our review)! Space Base – huge numbers of cards. Gets really messy in person. And BGA lets you set up options to speed the game when it’s not your turn.
Some more games we play because they’re hard to get to the table at home:
For Sale – a double bidding game. Anitra prefers it in real-time. Tzolk’in – a complex game, that Andrew loves and Anitra does not want to play. 6 Nimmt! (AKA Take 5) – a quick numbers-on-cards games of predicting what others will play. Lucky Numbers – we enjoy this game (our review) but no longer have this game at home. Another one that’s great to drop in and make one simple decision.
Some games are NOT as good on Board Game Arena! For example, Turing Machine or any game that requires “judging” (like Similo).
Other Apps
Through the Ages and Railroad Ink are both available on BGA, but are much better in their custom mobile apps.
Codenames app is in beta – Andrew says it’s awesome.
New Backtalk Question
Do you play board games online? What’s your favorite on Board Game Arena – or anywhere else? Tell us about your online board gaming experience!
And you should join our Board Game Arena group – let’s see if we can get some more games going there.
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.
You can also now find us on YouTube Music! So pull it up and give us a listen while you’re toiling away at work :)
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’ve got questions about home ownership, investment, or any other financial question, go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/FamilyGamers. There, you can set up a quick (free) phone call to see if First Move is a good fit for you.
What We’ve Been Playing
Hero Kids (we interviewed the creator way back in episode 5!) Nekojima Dragonkeepers – review coming soon Unmatched Tír na nÓg – you should check out the Kickstarter for the reprint! Railroad Ink Challenge (with new Archipelago boards) Project L Streamer Standoff Chrono Trek – fun for Star Trek fans. Review coming soon.
So, Flip Circus is NOT a good date game. But what is?
We talked about this way back in episode 180. We go through the old list we made (four years ago!) and say whether we’d still pick these for a date.
What would we pick now? Listen to us narrow down a list in real time, until we can get to a top six.
Our Top 6 Games for a Date Night (in 2024)
Jekyll vs. Hyde (our review) – 2 player competitive trick-taking. Compile (our review) – card dueling. boop (our review) – be mean kittens and boop each other off the bed. Catch the Moon – a beautiful dexterity game, in a small space, and you can be as mean or as kind as you want to be. Tussie Mussie – I-split-you-choose for 2+ players. Secret messages in flower bouquets. Unmatched – Skirmishing game with lots of mix-and-match themes.
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.
You can also now find us on YouTube Music! So pull it up and give us a listen while you’re toiling away at work :)
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’ve got questions about home ownership, debt, or any other financial question, go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/FamilyGamers. There, you can set up a quick (free) phone call to see if First Move is a good fit for you.
Nick tells us about his adventures at Gen Con. Picking up cheap older games at the used game consignment market and the auction, demoing others, escape rooms, meeting designers, and of course, being our roving reporter!
Nick highly recommends Snatch It! from HeidelBAR Games.
SNAP Review – Paper App Dungeon
Looking for a portable game your kid can play all by themselves? Our boys highly recommend Paper App Dungeon.
30th anniversary of Take 5 / 6 nimmt! 20th anniversary of Saboteur 2?th anniversary of Bonanza (and check out Bonanza Dahlias !) 26th anniversary of No Thanks!
GrandpaBecksGames.com or check the bottom of any of their boxes and find Brent’s phone number For a discount, use GET15 on their website for 15% off.
Grand Gamers Guild with Marc
Tir na Nog (sold out! There’s now a reprint campaign on Kickstarter) Endeavor: Deep Sea (with Burnt Island Games) La Familia Hort (review coming soon) Words of a Feather (our preview) Holiday Hijinks games (we love these! and more are coming soon) Endangered – Red Wolves expansion, and Endangered: Australia (coming 2025 – with koalas, toads, Great Barrier Reef)
Find more at EnvyBornGames.com, or on social media. Mathue says “I spend a lot of time on TikTok”.
New Backtalk Question!
Anitra mentioned playing Sagrada after being at the Sagrada Familia. Have you ever played a game at a location it’s based on? Or has a trip ever motivated you to play a certain game?
We know that we have to go visit the Greek town of Santorini because of how much Asher likes the game.
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.
You can also now find us on YouTube Music! So pull it up and give us a listen while you’re toiling away at work :)
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 376 – 5 Ways to Help Your School’s Board Game Club
Jul 22, 2024
Wow. We’re… Back? It’s been a very busy two weeks, and we’re already halfway through the summer. Let’s look forward to the start of school and talk about board game clubs!
If you have (student) loans forgiven, the US counts that as taxable income.
This has been specifically changed to not include student loans that are forgiven until the end of 2025, but if a client is in a forgiveness program and won’t be meeting their number of payments requirement in that time then they’ll want to have money saved up to pay the taxes on the forgiveness. A good thing to remember that is easily missed!
If you’ve got questions about how to manage your student loans, or any other financial question, go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/FamilyGamers. There, you can set up a quick (free) phone call to see if First Move is a good fit for you.
What We’ve Been Playing
Clash of Magic Schools Merchants of Magick (our review) Paper App Dungeon (review coming soon) Charcuterie Canvas Critters (we think that’s the name? It’s in development) Autumn (bought from Gameria in Barcelona) Colt Express
1. Is there a board game club at all? Help start one!
Reach out to your children’s principal. Is there a board game club? Is there a similar club (like chess club) that could be expanded to include board games?
You can also reach out to the Parent-Teacher organization to suggest a board game club as a new after school activity.
2. Help with Programming
If there is a club, or if you’re helping to start it, help the club advisor with planning what to do each week! Be prepared to teach games, too.
Teachers have full time jobs and do this extra. But if you’re listening to this podcast, you might know more about hobby board games than they do.
3. Figure out how to purchase games FOR the club
You’ll be tempted to loan your own games, but you don’t want to do that. Kids will lose pieces and not treat the games with the same care you would. You’ll probably want multiple copies of some games too.
So, approach the PTO with financing the purchase of those games. Your word will carry more than a teacher’s in this case.
4. Suggest and help organize a PARENT NIGHT
The school can host an event where parents and kids play games together (hopefully with help from the PTO).
Gamewright used to have a fundraiser program called the Gamewright Game Night. We don’t know if they do that any more, but that was a great community event. You can combine it with a bake sale or another school community event – and then also show that there would be support for an after-school club.
5. BE ON TIME
The number one complaint from teachers who run clubs is that people don’t respect their time. They don’t show up on time to pick up their kids (or don’t show up on time as volunteers). Teachers are people too, often with their own kids they need to pick up from other places!
What if My Kid Doesn’t Go to a Traditional School?
Most of these tips still apply for a homeschool co-op, library, or community club. Ask what’s available, make suggestions of what YOU can do to help make this happen. Be willing to volunteer, and you don’t have to fund this all yourself!
New Backtalk Question!
We are talking about school board game groups. So tell us about yours!
Do you have a board game group at your school? A D&D group? What’s it like? Share your best story from your school game group!
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.
You can also now find us on YouTube Music! So pull it up and give us a listen while you’re toiling away at work :)
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.
In the Footsteps of Darwin – Spiel des Jahres nominee! Captain Flip – another nominee! Lords of Waterdeep – a classic worker placement game. Should we try Champions of Midgard? Sequoia – this doesn’t need to be as big on the table as the instructions say. Jinxx (and Hijinks) from Looney Labs Flip Circus
June Monthly Report
Anitra: 40 plays of 22 games (H-index:3, mostly Jinxx, Captain Flip and A Gentle Rain)
Stephanie: 31 plays of 18 games. Most played: Deduckto. (H-index: 3, with Deduckto, Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, Sequoia, and High Risk)
Andrew: 21 plays of 17 games. (H-index: 3 with Compile, Captain Flip, Kiri-ai The Duel, Ogre Under, and Unboxed.)
Origins Game Fair is a medium-sized convention (“the smallest of the big conventions” says Anitra). It’s great for both seeing new games and for playing games. Stephanie and her husband always set aside time to play games from the Origins library.
Exciting games from the convention:
Café Baras – a must-buy Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza Super Kawaii Pets (look for a review of this one in the future) boop. (Andrew & Anitra love this one!) Captain Flip Nimalia Skyteam (the other Spiel des Jahres nominee!) Romi Rami Santa’s Workshop
Columbus Ohio is a great, family-friendly city to visit – and accommodations/food are a lot easier than some of the bigger conventions.
The board gaming community is usually very welcoming, and Origins is a great example of that.
New Backtalk Question!
You may remember in the past Andrew talking about his hobby of bowling, and once he even mentioned a bowling board game that he played called Dragon Bowl. If you could pick a hobby YOU have that you would want a board game about, what would it be, and what would the game be called?
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.
You can also now find us on YouTube Music! So pull it up and give us a listen while you’re toiling away at work :)
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 374 – Top 5 Games to Beat the Summer Slide
Jun 24, 2024
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.
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
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.
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