It’s the most wonderful time of the year – PAX Unplugged is when we get to catch up with friends in the boardgame industry, see new games, and meet some of YOU!
00:00 Fact for 411
If you’re a Millenial, you know that 411 was (is) a phone number to call for general information. Did you know there are other X11 codes?
How do you know if you’re ready to retire? There’s the financial aspect, but don’t forget about the emotional and physical as well.
If you want help reviewing the financial part of preparing for retirement, set up a time to talk to First Move for free by going to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers today.
0:05:10 What We’ve Been Playing
INK – review out today of this race to place all your ink bottles. Odin – review coming next week. Best at 3-4 players. Chit Chat – had our best game ever at 9 points! Check out the review. Stroop – still breaks our brain, but fun. Bouba/Kiki – a cooperative party game about matching shapes with nonsense words. (We talk at length about Stroop and Bouba/Kiki in episode 370.) Tropichaos – a fruit-selling push-your-luck game from Oink Games. Person Do Thing – a simple word party game. Try it yourself at PersonDoThing.com Leaders – we will talk a lot about this later.
Puppies or Poop – build a doggie land-mine field under the leaves. Try to survive without poop on your shoes! A cute and more memorable re-implementation of Squirrel or Die.
Kaiser Cucumber – evil geniuses trying to out-steal each other. A sort of sequel to Mouse Cheese Cat Cucumber.
0:48:20 Kids Table Board Gaming / Burnt Island Games with Sean
River Market – now available! Sea Shells – set collection by Bruno Faiduitti, coming summer 2026 Pack & Paddle – Kickstarter in 2026 Treeline – recover the landscape. Also coming summer 2026.
Sanctuary – an Ark Nova game, a bit lighter than Ark Nova. Up or Down? Rowdy Partners – trick taking for 1-4 players. Wrestling theme with characters, each who has their own powers Wandering Towers – a TFG favorite. Forestry – harvest a forest while replanting to manage it. Heavier game. Galileo Galilei – heavier game Aquaria Stick ‘Em refresh Wandering Towers expansion coming soon!
Andrew: PAX Enforcers (volunteers) and employees do an awesome job. And it’s really cool to see the same folks year after year. Love the culture of PAX Unplugged and its family friendliness.
Anitra: We waited in line as a family to get in and see Jacques Ze Whipper. Waiting in line, even for over an hour, was incredibly pleasant: mostly because the people around us were patient and friendly.
We hope to see you at PAX Unplugged 2026, December 4-6!
1:30:30 New Backtalk Question
We’ve been listening to records. What is your favorite thing to do with your family that is NOT playing board games?
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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.
It’s that time again – we recommend games for everyone on your gift list.
00:00 Fact for 410
10-4 is one of many ten-codes, used for clarity and brevity in Morse code & voice communications. 10-4 means “received” or “acknowledged”.
Sponsor Message
We talk about the sunk cost fallacy. Just because you’ve already invested resources into something doesn’t tell us if it’s worth that next bit of resources to see it through.
If you need a sounding board for your life’s financial decisions, go to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers and set up a time today to talk to First Move Financial – for free!
0:04:00 What We’ve Been Playing
INK – review coming soon of this race to place all your ink bottles. Red Letter, Yellow Letter – our review Odin – review coming soon. Best at 3-4 players. Obelus – gorgeous. Our review. We are excited to see more from this publisher! Chit Chat – review coming soon for this trivia party game. Jekyll & Hyde vs. Scotland Yard – a really hard cooperative trick-taking game, but we’re getting better at it
0:18:15 The Family Gamers Community
Welcome to our newest community members! You can join the community on Facebook.
A friendly reminder to our listeners: many of the games on the list we received at no cost, and we do earn a (tiny) commission from the Amazon links. But every single game on that list, we have played, enjoyed, and would buy and give (or have already bought & given) to our friends and family.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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.
How do you maintain your budget during the holiday season, with gift giving, big family meals, decorations, increased travel, seasonal activities?
If you want to talk through other ideas to take some of the stress out of the holidays set up a time to talk to First Move by going to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers today.
0:04:30 What We’ve Been Playing
Finished My City – ultimate winner: Anitra, but it was really close at the end! HiFi – full review coming soon Odin – with 6 players, it was less fun. Too easy to get stuck unable to play cards. 5 Towers Jekyll & Hyde vs Scotland Yard
0:15:30 What We’ve Been Playing – October
Andrew: 14 unique games 25 times, H-index 2 (My City, Chit Chat, Ink, Duel for Cardia, Odin)
Anitra: 16 unique games 36 times, H-index 3 (My City, Duel for Cardia, Bomb Busters, Chit Chat)
Almost all of our games we played with each other, much more than usual.
0:18:30 The Family Gamers Community
Welcome to our newest community members! You can join the community on Facebook.
We asked about your seasonal gaming traditions. A few of you answered on the #backtalk channel on the Discord, and that’s about it!
0:23:00 Our Top 5 Card Games… For Now
Sometimes you want something small, and fast (and cheap!). What you want is a card game. Here are five of our favorites:
Trick taking: Skull King
If you like trick-taking games but wish they were wackier, or you want to include more than four players, Skull King has you covered. Up to eight players can join in – make a bid for how many tricks you’ll win, but beware of cards like the pirates, mermaids, the pirate king, and the white whale.
This is another game that supports a LOT of players (up to 18?!?) It feels a bit like Blackjack, but with a lot more flexibility. Try to get the most points you can each round, but if you ever flip a number you already have, you’ll get nothing.
Party game: Anomia
It’s sort of a trivia game, but it’s just about shouting out something in the given category. Everyone stays involved, because you always need to be looking for a symbol that matches your own. We’ve reviewed the Pop Culture set and Anomia Kids, but we love the original and its sibling Duple!
Start playing right away: Circus Flohcati (our review)
Flip cards out from the deck until you decide to stop and take one. You’ll spend more time explaining the scoring than how to play.
This game combines memory and deduction. While it’s very easy to learn, we find that people mess up the “only highest or lowest card” rule, which can be frustrating.
You could get all five of these games together for under $75 – another reason card games are great!
0:35:50 Runners-up: More Card Games We Love
Cabanga! – we absolutely love this tiny game, but it’s kind of hard to get, and going to get harder until Amigo can partner with a new US distributor. Similo – another great party game. Remember to have guessers talk out their reasoning! Combo – we love this semi-cooperative game, but it can be hard to teach. Abandon All Artichokes – a wonderful early deck-building game. Cute and charming. Tussie Mussie – a tiny split-and-choose game, at just 18 cards! Get the MacGuffin – a goofy game about being the last player standing. Sushi Go – an approachable set-collection “pick and pass” game. Even a very young kid could probably play this.
0:46:15 Follow Up
A few people asked for the Butter Chicken Mac & Cheese recipe. So, would you like to hear about more family recipes? Maybe in a little more detail?
We also asked last week about a BGG guild for The Family Gamers. If you’re avoiding social media, we’re happy to do a guild, but so far we’ve only heard from one person on this!
0:48:10 New Backtalk Question
What’s the perfect kind of game to receive as a holiday gift? Is it about the games you like to play, or the environment to play them in?
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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.
Weather’s getting colder, time for something cozy!
00:00 Fact for 408
The Haslam All-Sky Radio Continuum Survey used the 408 MHz radio spectrum to map the galactic sky around 1985. This map is still used today. It gets super technical, but if you’re interested in astronomy, check this out. Basically any time scientists want to measure anything outside the Milky Way, they use the Haslam survey to remove foreground distortion. https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2009/22/aa12161-09/aa12161-09.html
Sponsor Message
First Move reminds us that we can think about our money like little workers in the worker placement game of life. If you need help figuring out where to place your dollar workers, reach out to First Move Financial. You can find them at firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers to schedule a time to talk today.
0:06:00 What We’ve Been Playing
INK (review coming soon) – makes us think of Framework and Donut Shop with how well it’s put together. Here it is on BGA! Duel for Cardia (review next week) Bomb Busters Chit Chat (review coming soon) Zitternix – out of print. so happy to have a copy again! Unmatched(Houdini vs. Sherlock Holmes / Bruce Lee vs. The Genie) – inspired by this episode of the First Player Token podcast Odin 60 Second City Jekyll & Hyde vs Scotland Yard My City (our review) Creature Comforts
0:30:20 The Family Gamers Community
Welcome to our newest community members! You can join the community on Facebook.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 407 – Our Favorite 15-Minute Games
Oct 06, 2025
We’ve been looking forward to making this episode for a little while. Sometimes you don’t have a lot of time to play games – so let’s talk about our family favorites that play in 15 minutes or less.
00:00 Fact for 407
This one is for Zach. on 15 November 2012 a new world record was set. The most people flapping simultaneously is 407, achieved by Saint Joseph’s University (USA), in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Sponsor Message
A successful financial life isn’t complex, but it does require discipline. The basics: create a budget; build an emergency fund; pay off high-interest debt; invest wisely; and educate yourself.
Remember, small steps today lead to big financial gains tomorrow. If you want to talk about the finer points of any of these, or if you need help getting unstuck in your situation, go to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers to set up a time to talk today.
03:45 What We’ve Been Playing
My City (our review) Hamster Roll (our review) Drop It (our review) Trio (our review) Red Letter Yellow Letter (review next week!) Spaceteam Quacks of Quedlinburg INK (review coming soon) Duel for Cardia Bomb Busters Jekyll v. Hyde (our review) Ham Helsing
15:40 September Monthly Report
Andrew: 13 unique games, played 32 times. Most played: My City (9 times!) and H-index of 3. Didn’t record anything he played at CuseCon though.
Anitra: 21 unique games, played 43 times. H-index: 4 (My City, Mr. Postmouse’s Picnic, Duel for Cardia, Trio). Over half played at 2 players (unusually high for Anitra).
I’d love to learn a little more about our community. What is the heaviest game you own? If you went on Board Game Geek and looked at the game weight, what do you think your heaviest game is?
We found our heaviest is Keyflower, a 3.34 weight according to BGG.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 406 – Andrew’s Favorites in 2025!
Sep 22, 2025
Andrew just had a birthday! Let’s talk about his favorite games from this year.
0:00:00 Fact for 406
Ted Williams had the best season batting average of anyone in the MLB: .406 in the 1941 season. Listen for the story of how he got there.
Sponsor Message
If you want to see if working with a financial advisor can help your situation set up a time to talk to First Move by going to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers today.
0:05:00 What We’ve Been Playing
Mr. Postmouse’s Picnic (so much losing!) My City (our review) – and a lesson on studying your kids’ preferences. Tesla vs. Edison: Duel Duel for Cardia (review coming soon) – try it on BGA Run Run Run! (more losing!) HiFi – we are divided on this one.
Sounds like for most people and most games, theme is a general push towards or away from a game.
0:46:00 FOR SCIENCE! – Reese’s / Oreo collaboration
We tried both. The Reeses-flavored Oreos were fine, but nothing special. Get peanut butter Oreos instead.
Oreo-flavored Reeses cups, however… really good. Although we disagree about how much “Oreo” is present.
0:50:30 Andrew’s Favorites in 2025
This past week was Andrew’s birthday week. He did two crazy things for it. He drove to and from Syracuse for just ONE DAY of friends and gaming at CuseCon. And he also went to see Eric Clapton live in concert!
Let’s talk about what games Andrew liked the most this year from what he played.
Small/Medium Group Game: Trio (our review) Two Player Game: Floristry (our review) Party Game: Caution Signs (our review) Co-operative Game: Paint the Roses (we talked about this in episodes 402 & 403) Heavier Game: Tesla vs. Edison (see our old Valentine pun)
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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.
Is game theme important? Is theme more than just the art?
0:00:00 Fact for 405
I-405 in California, heavily traveled by both commuters and freight haulers along its entire length, is the busiest and most congested freeway in the United States.
Sponsor Message
We learn about “spear phishing”. If you’d like to talk to someone about how you can protect your financial assets, remember you can book a free meeting with First Move at firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers.
0:04:20 What We’ve Been Playing
Spots [Editor’s note: “The Hundred and One Dalmatians” book was published in 1956. Still within copyright.] Red Letter Yellow Letter Cabanga! (our review) Floristry (our review) Duel for Cardia Merchants of Magick (our review) – a lesson on what to do when pieces are missing. Get Bit! (our review) Oasis Circus Flohcati (our review) INK Trio (our review) Junk Drawer solo (our review) Mr Postmouse’s Picnic Endangered (our review)
Theme vs. Mechanics – why not both? Is theme important? Sometimes! For lovers of abstract games, theme can get in the way of a clean, enjoyable game.
Anitra has changed her opinion. Because a well-done theme can shape the mechanics of a game in a way that helps players join the “magic circle” and really get into the game.
This is especially true for “adult” games that can be approachable for kids. (Flashpoint, Mountains).
But not all themes are created equal!
We mentioned playing Endangered. It’s great to save endangered animals… but this game does it in the way people do it in the real world: a lot of interaction with government bureaucracy and fundraising! Not super interesting for our kids.
Know what themes your kids like! Talk to them and be aware that their tastes change.
We’ve mentioned HiFi, a game about mixing musical tracks and uses a record player as a way to choose actions. We have another kid who loves D&D and can’t wait to sink into Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons.
There’s a reason we have done episodes focusing on just a specific theme (food, dragons, etc.) and why our lists for older kids and teens are organized around theme.
The right theme is not a cure-all, but it has the power to make a game feel EASIER as well as more immersive. (Maybe *because* it’s more immersive, and the game progression feels like it makes sense.) Example: Lacrimosa really works for Anitra, even though it’s a harder game than she’d usually choose to play.
We mention Megaland (yes, it’s still in print) as a great way to pull in a videogame feel to a kid-appropriate board game, or more complex game themes, like Worms, Halo: Flashpoint, or Call of Duty: The Boardgame. And check out our review of Shovel Knight: Dungeon Duels!
1:02:00 New Backtalk Question
Where are you on the theme bandwagon? Do you care more about theme or mechanics? What is YOUR favorite theme?
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 404 – Connecting Through Gaming
Aug 25, 2025
We talk a lot about playing games with your kids. But boardgames aren’t the only way to connect – and they aren’t always the BEST way, either.
0:00:00 Fact for 404
404 BC: Sparta finally defeated Athens, ending the second Peloponnesian War. 404 AD: The last gladiatorial games are held in Rome.
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The most popular scam right now is any variation of the authority scam. No bank, police officer, or any other legitimate entity will ever ask for your private data when they call you on the phone.
If you’d like to talk to someone about how you can protect your financial assets, remember you can book a free meeting with First Move at firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers.
0:05:15 What We’ve Been Playing
A Gentle Rain (our review) HiFi Unmatched: Battle of Legends volume 3 (our review) Fruition Red Letter, Yellow Letter – we played it in the car! Backstories: Emerald Wedding Anniversary (review coming soon) Tesla vs. Edison: War of Currents Juicy Fruits Dinosaur Tea Party (our review) Prisma Arena (our review) Obelus (our review) Quarto (our review)
We’ve talked before about WHY to play games with your kids. But a reason that’s easy to skip over is connection: spending time working together on something – or lightly competing – can build memories and emphasize commonalities between people. And the important part is the CONNECTION, not the method you use.
Forcing your kids to the table does not really foster connection. (Bartering could work, though.)
Instead of always bringing them into the things you enjoy, bring yourself to something they enjoy.
Videogame recommendations:
Free-for-all fighting games like Super Smash Bros (any version) Ultimate Chicken Horse Gang Beasts
Objective-based games: Overcooked Moving Out Totally Reliable Delivery Service
Minecraft, of course. “Like playing with LEGO ‘together’.”
Two-player cooperative games that have a plot: It Takes Two (content warning: divorce, language – best for teens) Split Fiction (we haven’t played this yet) Unravel Two
Death Squared (abstract strategy puzzles for 2-4 players) Jackbox (get teens using their phones to play TOGETHER) Rock Band (or Guitar Hero, etc.) “It simulates the experience of making music together, while removing barriers”
Takeaway: Meet your kid on their terms to better connect with them!
1:05:45 New Backtalk Question
What video games are you playing with other people LOCALLY? We’re talking couch co-op and local multiplayer.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 403 – Taking the Pressure Off
Aug 12, 2025
We love the board game community, but it can lead to pressure to play MORE or HARDER games, to keep up with the newest games. What can we do to dial it back down and make games FUN again?
0:00:00 Fact for 403
403 is the code on the internet for NO. If you want to go to a website, but you don’t have access, 403. Technically the word is “FORBIDDEN”, but really it means no.
First Move would like to make us all more aware of some of the newer scams out there. Be very careful clicking links, even ones that look legitimate!
If you’d like to talk to someone about how you can protect your financial assets, remember you can book a free meeting with First Move at firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers.
0:04:45 What We’ve Been Playing
more Paint the Roses, with 4 players this time. Much harder! Charcuterie (our review) HUTAN (our review) Stew Horrified: World of Monsters / Greek Monsters mashup (review coming soon) Goblin Vaults (off the shelf of opportunity!) Sagrada The Magnificent
While camping: Flip 7 (our review) Cabanga! (our review) Trio (our review) Sushi Go Party! Order Overload: Cafe Sabobatage Altiplano – a big miss for us.
0:24:30 July Monthly Report
Anitra: 49 plays of 27 unique games. H-index 3, with a lot of plays of Trio & HUTAN, but also at least 3 times with: Paint the Roses, Fight for Olympus, Canvas Critters, Jekyll & Hyde vs Scotland Yard, Quarto.
Andrew: 29 plays of 17 unique games. H-index 3. Lots of The Crew: Mission Deep Sea, Paint the Roses, Trio, plus Jekyll & Hyde v. Scotland Yard, HUTAN.
This hobby of board gaming lends itself to always chasing the hot new thing or trying to do MORE. Probably true of a lot of hobbies, since it’s so easy to find a community online where people brag on the cool things they’re doing.
Do you feel pressure to go to every convention, or keep up with the latest hot new thing? Pressure to get your kids to play “real” games with you? Pressure to finish a game you don’t like, or pull games off your “shelf of shame”?
First: when you feel that pressure, realize that YOU are the one putting pressure on yourself; no one else can do that to you without your consent.
0:38:40 The Shelf of Shame
We prefer to call this the “shelf of opportunity”, but it still means games that are sitting unplayed. What are some strategies to deal with this without feeling guilty?
Set limits on bringing in new games – YOU set this limit, not someone else.
Set a deadline on PLAYING a specific game that’s been sitting on your shelf. If you can’t manage to play it, purge it without feeling guilty. (More on purging)
Recognize that you can move on from a game – that doesn’t mean it’s a “bad” game. Instead, it means someone else will get to try it and enjoy it!
Getting rid of a game doesn’t get rid of the good memories you have associated with it.
“Why do I want to keep this game so much?” If a game needs JUST the right set of circumstances to play it – be honest with yourself. Will that exact set of circumstances actually happen? And even if they do, is there another game that will be easier to get to the table?
0:48:00 Getting Your Kids to Play Games
If you’re listening to this podcast, you want your kids to play games with you. You may also be feeling pressure from your friends (or other parent gamers) if your kids don’t want to play games!
The point of games with our kids is to have fun – with your kids. If they’re not having fun, it’s not serving that purpose.
Forcing someone to do something they don’t want to do is likely to breed resentment instead of fun.
But it is okay to apply a little bit of pressure, without it being overwhelming. Examples:
“Please play one round, then you can walk away if you don’t like it.”
Gentle bribery with a special snack (“I’m trying to meet you halfway, and we’re doing this as a family”)
Recognize that kids often don’t have the words to explain WHY they don’t like a game or an experience. Have a conversation with them to try to understand!
Meet kids where they are: letting them walk away, or playing pretend instead of following the rules.
0:53:30 To Finish? Or Not to Finish?
Even when we aren’t enjoying a game we often feel like “we started it, we have to finish it!”
But we don’t need to finish. Yes, we want to teach our kids not to be quitters, but we also don’t want to frustrate them unnecessarily.
How do you know if everyone is frustrated, or if you should push through to the end? ASK QUESTIONS!
There is no merit badge for finishing a game that nobody liked.
– Andrew Smith
We tell our kids “it’s just a game” when we talk about being good winners and good losers. So we need to demonstrate that in our own playing, too! It’s just a game. Being willing to set the game aside shows your kids that they’re more important than the cardboard.
0:56:12 More on Forcing Kids to Play
Sometimes, it’s not that your kids don’t want to play games, it’s that they don’t want to play with you. This is especially common around ages 11-15, in our experience. This is a normal part of growing up and finding their independence!
Hopefully, you can still get kids to do some things with you, but they’ll be more interested in their friends. If you had a good relationship when they were younger, be patient! Keep offering games and fun activities, don’t be offended when they say “no”, and they’ll (probably) come back in a while.
If you can, try to set up space to make it easier for your kid to host their friends. (Be “the fun house”.) This makes it easier to stay involved and know what they’re doing, as well as making it easier to take a break with Mom or Dad when the friends go home again.
Big takeaway: games are supposed to be FUN. If they’re not fun anymore, examine why not, and try to take a break from that.
0:59:00 New Backtalk Question
Our kids say “low key” all the time. But let’s use it the way we used to. What’s your favorite low key game? When you just want to relax, what do you play?
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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.
So our fact this week is a direct callout to basically anybody in their mid to late thirties who grew up in the US or Canada. In the late 90’s and early aughts, there was a kids’ TV show that came out called “The Kids from Room 402”. Do you remember that Anitra? This was an animated show based on the book “Gracie Graves and the Kids from Room 402”. It was basically a sitcom with all sorts of goofy school-based adventures the kids were going through. Animation wise it reminds me of Doug, but less polished. Do you remember Doug? Anyway, you can find full episodes of The Kids from Room 402 on YouTube and remember what it was like being 14 years old and having plenty of time to waste watching TV. And that’s my fact!
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We talk about the “planning fallacy” and look at average in-state tuition for public college (we’ll be sending a kid to college soon). But wait! In-state tuition for schools in our own state of Massachusetts is a little different.
With a better estimate of the cost we can do a better job of making a realistic plan of how to get to that goal. If you’d like to talk to someone about your goals, remember you can book a free meeting with First Move at firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers.
04:00 What We’ve Been Playing
Paint the Roses – after 5+ years. First saw at PAX Unplugged 2019. Jekyll & Hyde vs. Scotland Yard – great, but we don’t like it as much as Jekyll vs. Hyde. Toriki – new review! HUTAN – review coming soon. Try it on BGA! Stew Skulls of Sedlec Cake Stack – a homemade game. Trio – our review.
What is deck building? We defined it this way all the way back in episode 64: “play cards, to accumulate currency, to buy better cards that will allow you to do more things.”
Room to Grow
Our goal with Room to Grow is to bring your kids – or your family – through a series of games that grow in complexity. Normally, we take a beginner game, an intermediate game, and an advanced game (and some honorable mentions). They offer a plan for growth for players to get comfortable with that mechanic, and all are family-friendly.
Deck building was a little challenging because even among “pure” deck-building games, some of their foundational mechanics are different – how you add new cards to your hand, how many cards you can add, how you get rid of cards you don’t want (if you can get rid of them at all!), and even what the PURPOSE of the deck building is.
Nevertheless, we came up with three we’d recommend to learn this style of game more thoroughly.
Compared to other deckbuilding games, you have a very small hand size (3 cards). There is very minimal reading, and only a few icons. Like many deckbuilding games, you gain coins to use to buy better cards – but in this game, you can SAVE some of your coins from turn to turn.
And the purpose of the game is easy for kids to understand: attack your opponent and protect your own health.
You can, of course, move on to Star Realms from here, but we’d recommend…
Intermediate: Dominion
This is the game that started it all – the very first deck building game, and sets a foundation to learn this mechanic.
Play card(s) from your hand, then use currency from what you played to buy ONE new card. Then everything goes into your discard pile and you draw a new hand.
As you build your deck, you get opportunities to buy more cards, set cards aside, or trash cards (aka “culling”). When enough piles run out, count victory points on the cards in your deck & in your hand.
Some of the features we don’t love in Dominon (card market is static, little player interaction) also make it easier to learn. And Dominion can have its own “room to grow” moment by adding expansions.
Advanced: Co-op deckbuilding games from The Op
A trio of games:
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle [we mistakenly called this “Hogwarts Legacy”]
Avatar The Last Airbender: Aang’s Destiny (our review)
What makes any of these games special:
The starting decks are not identical! You’re playing a specific character in the story
It’s a cooperative game. You’re all trying to help each other meet the group’s goals.
They’re hard to win/advance, but put you in the story you already know.
42:40 Other Recommended Deck Building Games
We recommend these games to explore other aspects of deck building:
Tea Dragon Society Card Game (our review) – simple and cute, but more reading than Star Realms Academy. Abandon All Artichokes (our review) (episode 345 interview with Emma Larkins) – deck “wrecking” Clank! – build a deck to get further into the dungeon and find more treasure Avant Carde (our review) – build your deck to play more cards on your turn. Quarriors or Marvel/DC Dice Masters – a “deck-builder” with dice instead of cards!
51:45 New Backtalk Question
What board game mechanic do you struggle with – or you really don’t like? Do you want to get better, or do you avoid those games?
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 401 – Ten Top Evergreen Family Games
Jul 14, 2025
Family evergreen games? Evergreen family games? Let’s discuss.
00:00 Fact for 401
The term “401(k)” comes from the section of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code that established this retirement savings plan.
Sponsor Message
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05:10 What We’ve Been Playing
Santa’s Workshop (our review) Trio (our review) Smug Owls (our review) Canvas Critters (check out the Kickstarter) Sabobatage The Crew: Mission Deep Sea Caution Signs (our review) Donald Duck in Happy Camper (next written review) Unmatched: Battle of Legends vol 3 (review coming soon) Marvel X-Men Dice Throne Fight for Olympus (old school! our review) Quarto (our review) – great when you’ve only got a few minutes Suspend – just fun. For Sale Doomlings (our review) Floristry (our review) Food Chain Island – great to play with just one hand
22:35 June Monthly Report!
We both have ALREADY (as of July 12) played more games in July than we did in June.
We asked for your feedback on the podcast in general. You answered, with a lot of encouraging comments on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, and in this Backtalk post in the Facebook community.
What’s an evergreen game? Just like an evergreen plant that doesn’t die, this is a game that stays popular in stores year after year. The games that get pulled out and played over and over again. (Games like Wingspan that have staying power.)
We thought it would be easy to find a list on BGG of “evergreen” games… but it’s a lot harder to determine than we thought! Much thanks to BGG user Daniel_M, who compiled a list using data analysis to find the top 100 games that have stayed popular over time, back in 2023.
Here are the top ten from his list:
10 Race for the Galaxy 09 Agricola 08 Power Grid 07 Puerto Rico 06 Ticket to Ride 05 Pandemic 04 Dominion 03 7 Wonders 02 CATAN 01 Carcassonne
Maybe three of these we’d consider “family” games: Carcassonne, Ticket to Ride, and Catan (although you could argue for others).
“Family Evergreen” Games?
A “family” evergreen game might be a little different – something that works at all – or most – stages for your family. By definition these are going to be simpler games, because
#1 – Not everyone in the family is a board game nerd! #2 – The game has to support multiple age ranges: not too many rules, not a lot of reading required.
So without further ado, here are our 10 games, in no particular order.
Ticket to Ride CATAN Carcassonne Can’t Stop Just One Kingdomino Drop It! Azul Strike (also available as Impact: Battle of Elements) Trio (also available outside the US as nana)`
50:30 New Backtalk Question
What’s the game that, these days, your family is going back to over and over again? This doesn’t have to be your favorite game – but what’s spending the most time on your table?
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 400 – It’s All About Families
Jun 30, 2025
Isn’t The Family Gamers Podcast always about families? Yes, but we’re doing a special focus on different ages this week, as a sort of retrospective over the last ten years.
First Move has been our sponsor since episode 175! We really appreciate their partnering with us.
If you need help finding some “bonus points” and seeing which areas of your personal finance you should be focusing on, visit firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers to schedule a time to talk to First Move – for free!
03:45 What We’ve Been Playing
Canvas Critters (coming to crowdfunding soon – from 3WS and Katia Howatson) Unmatched: Battle of Legends volume 3 (Blackbeard vs. Loki) Micro Macro Kids: Crazy City Park (review linked below) Royal Visit – making it work in a small space, as we imagined all the way back in episode 278. Toriki: The Castaway Island Floristry (our review) “the perfect date game” Hutan: Life in the Rainforest – played solo. But now also available on Board Game Arena!
24:00 SNAP Review – Micro Macro Kids: Crazy City Park
We review the newest entry in the Micro Macro series. This one is 100% appropriate for kids, and adds some tools that will help ANYONE who wants to play this seek-and-find game.
In August, The Family Gamers Podcast turns ten years old! Playing games with kids looks a lot different for us now than it did in 2015. Let’s talk about what family gaming looks like at different ages.
Babies & Toddlers
Do you have to just wait to play games? Kind of, but not exactly. Toddlers want to be a part of what you’re doing: so let them sit with you and play with some of the (larger/non-chewable) pieces. We also recommend playing with them with big chunky foam dice or “My Very First” games.
This is when kids begin to learn about taking turns or causality (“if I do this, then this happens”).
At this age, kids want play the same very short games over and over and over… as frustrating as this can be, it’s really important. Playing repetitively works on building rule-following, turn-taking, and pattern-matching. This is the right time to start teaching about being a graceful winner or loser and also to start building emotional intelligence. Yes, even with CandyLand.
Grade School
The most important thing at this age is to know your kids’ skill level. Too hard and they’ll be discouraged. That doesn’t mean letting them win! But you could set up a handicap so the adult is playing at a disadvantage. And you can talk through your strategy (and theirs) out loud to help them learn.
To avoid the stigma of playing a “baby” game or a “kids” game, be ready to pull out some VERY easy games that anyone can play like Roll for It or Zombie Dice.
If you’ve already built a culture of family gaming, it can continue even when kids leave home! At this point, it should be pretty much the same as playing games with your friends.
Don’t forget, you don’t always have to be in person to play games together. We hope to use Board Game Arena and other online gaming tools to keep the gaming going at a distance.
Tell us what you like about the show, what you don’t like about the show, what segments you’d like us to do more, or less. Should we free Anitra from Andrew’s weird food eating obsession? Should we do more Room to Grow? Board Game Terms? Lists? Guests?
We want to make sure the topics we cover and the goofy things we do are interesting to you.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 399 – Room to Grow: Modern Abstract Games
Jun 16, 2025
We talked about older games last week like checkers and chess. This week we’re moving on to modern abstract games (within the last 20 years). We recommend three that grow in complexity – and add a few of our other favorites.
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0:04:30 What We’ve Been Playing
The Castles of Burgundy Marvel Dice Throne: X-Men (Rogue and Gambit this time) Jekyll vs. Hyde – one of our favorites (our review) Compile – we also love this one (our review) Ultimatch – hardest at two players! (our review) Cabanga Belratti (review below) Grove (our preview/review from its Kickstarter) – we’re working on a review for Hutan which feels similar but more involved. Mojo (our review)
Last time, we asked about your favorite classic abstract games. People answered on Facebook and on Discord.
Giveaway
We’re almost at episode 400! Enter the giveaway for Avant Carde & Avatar The Last Airbender: Aang’s Destiny.
0:17:55 SNAP Review – Belratti
Can you pick cards that will fit one of two themes? Can you figure out the cards that your teammates picked, and avoid the “forgeries” (random cards) put in by Belratti?
We try both the Grape and Strawberry versions (pictured).
If you like fruity candy and also like Reeses, you might like this combination.
0:30:20 Room to Grow: Modern Abstract Games
Our goal with Room to Grow is to bring your kids – or your family – through a series of games that grow in complexity. Normally, we take a beginner game, an intermediate game, and an advanced game (and some honorable mentions). They offer a plan for growth for players to get comfortable with this style, and all are family-friendly.
We discuss again what makes an “abstract strategy game” and decide that some luck is fine but “player choices matter more than luck”.
Beginner: Drop It
This has been a favorite since we first saw it in 2018 (our review then).
There is definitely NO theme – just shapes and colors. It’s a sort of dexterity game, but not exactly.
We like this because the idea of how it works is really simple: you only get points if your shape, when it lands, is not touching the same shape and not touching the same color. Even if they struggle with adding the scores, most 4 & 5 year olds can understand the binary of “did I get points this turn, or not?”
There’s not a deep strategy here and no story or other baggage. Pick a shape from your pile, drop it, and hope it lands where you want it to. But that’s what makes it fun for anyone to play!
Intermediate: Azul
Is there a story here? Maybe. If you want one.
Azul is bright and colorful, based on the Portuguese tiling called “azulejo” (Andrew was right).
The strategy CAN get complex as players get used to the game.
Draft tiles from a central area, and put them on your board. Different parts of your board require different numbers of identical tiles to “fill them up” and move a single tile to your scoring area.
The choices are simple: pick your tile group, and decide where to put them on your board.
This game introduces several modern elements: set collection, open drafting, and sacrificing to become first player.
And the beauty of the game will draw more people to want to play it.
Azul
Advanced: Shobu
We think this game is gorgeous: four wooden boards and polished stones in two colors.
Every turn, you move a piece on one of your two “home” boards. And then you have to move one of your pieces the same way on an opposite-color board. Try to knock off all your opponent’s pieces from any one of the four boards.
This is a nakedly aggressive game and the large decision space (looking at up to 16 different pieces and setting up the second half of your move) leads to brain-burning tactics, like you sometimes see in Go or Chess. This game has no luck at all, and the only hidden information is what’s in your opponent’s head.
And as beautiful as this game is, the simplicity of presentation is like the classic abstract games we talked about – you could put this together yourself with any pieces you have on hand. (But we recommend buying this lovely game from Smirk & Dagger!)
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 398 – Room to Grow: Classic Abstract Games
Jun 02, 2025
I bet you played checkers or chess with your relatives when you were a kid. We talk about newer games all the time on this podcast, but we think old games are great and you should play those, too! We recommend three that facilitate learning strategies.
0:00:00 Fact for 398
In the Dewey Decimal filing system, 398 is the category for folklore (and 398.2 is fairy tales!)
If you want to talk about other ways to equip your children for their future, go to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers to schedule a time to talk to First Move today for free.
0:05:30 What We’ve Been Playing
Azul Trio (our review) Flip 7 (review out this week! Keep listening) Disney Lorcana (Gateway review this week) Food Chain Island Toriki (review coming soon) – great for playing with kids Gruzzle: The City – very hard! But take a look: gruzzle.com 5er Finden (our review) HUTAN: Life in the Rainforest (review coming soon). So many trees! Adventure Party (our review)
0:25:00 May Monthly Report!
Anitra: 26 unique games, 51 plays. H-index: 3 – most played: Combo (7 times), Lorcana Gateway (6 times), Flip 7 (4 times), plus Patchwork and Food Chain Island. 37% of plays for the month were during the two days at PAX East.
Andrew: 13 unique games, 26 plays. H-index: 3 – most played: Lorcana, Toriki, Flip 7. 42% at 4 players!
Last time, we asked about your favorite convention memory. We got a couple of answers on Discord.
0:29:55 SNAP Review – Flip 7
A tiny card game that works with up to 18 people and you can learn in under a minute? Flip 7 does exactly what it sets out to do: provide fast moving fun for families or groups of any size.
We enjoy abstract strategy games, but often find ourselves only talking about ones that are NEW (even if we compare them to older games). So this week is devoted to older, classic games. You probably know how to play these timeless games already, and have some of them relegated to the back corner of your shelves or your closet.
Our goal with Room to Grow is to bring your kids – or your family – through a series of games that grow in complexity. Normally, we take a beginner game, an intermediate game, and an advanced game (and some honorable mentions). They offer a plan for growth for players to get comfortable with that mechanic, and all are family-friendly.
What’s an abstract (or abstract strategy) game?
No theme, or a theme that only exists in the player’s heads. They don’t require any kind of fancy art to pull you in.
Perfect information – no hidden cards or secret advantages.
Little or no luck – you’re not going to depend on dice or shuffled cards. (Can’t Stop and Backgammon are fantastic games, but don’t quite fit here.)
Why play old games?
Lots of people know them. Rules tend to be simple, even if the strategy is not. Old abstract games can be played with the equipment you have at hand. You don’t need to go out and buy a fancy board or pieces (although those are nice!)
Beginner: Tic-Tac-Toe
Also known as “naughts and crosses”, this is a very basic abstract game with easy rules and a simple goal: get three of your pieces in a row.
Tic-Tac-Toe is basically a “solved” game, and with just 8-9 moves, most adults know whether they can win by their second turn. Because of this, parents get tired of it quickly. But it is an excellent introduction! Since it’s so simple and games are so short (usually over in just 8 moves), kids can really master it with just a little bit of practice.
(And move on to variations like Hollywood Squares, Ultimate Tic Tac Toe, 3D Tic Tac Toe, larger boards, or Connect 4)
Intermediate: Checkers
This one is also known as Draughts.
Checkers is still a simple ruleset, but games are longer and present more options.
Double-check that you know the true rules before you start! Handicapping and house rules are OK, but do them intentionally and clearly.
Since there are still relatively few options, Checkers encourages kids to start looking ahead to future moves, without presenting so many options that it’s overwhelming.
Getting bored of the regular rules? There are dozens of games you can play with a standard American checkerboard and some or all of the pieces.
Advanced: Chess
Chess requires a significant jump in skill. It’s a harder game to learn, because there are lots of kinds of pieces and they move in lots of ways. You end up with a lot to keep track of, especially when you’re learning.
But it’s been popular for over a thousand years – and for good reason! It’s rewarding to learn and to see the different ways you can outmaneuver your opponent.
Ways to dial back the difficulty, especially for learning:
No Stress Chess Chess.com has both lessons and puzzles Play with fewer pieces and fewer kinds of pieces!
Other Highly Recommended Classic Abstracts
Go (the quintessential “easy to learn, hard to master” game) Othello Backgammon isn’t quite an abstract strategy game, because there’s too much luck involved, and there are a lot of edge cases in the rules. Nine Men’s Morris is another one that’s very easy to learn, and you could probably play it on a checkerboard.
We just highly recommend the Klutz Book of Classic Board Games (edited by Sid Sackson) if you can find it. And maybe also the Games of Art book from Sid Sackson and Eagle-Gryphon Games (which is admittedly much more modern).
0:59:15 New Backtalk Question
What’s your favorite classic abstract game?
(Anitra’s favorite: Mancala, Andrew’s favorite: Chess or Chinese Checkers)
We almost forgot – we are giving away two games for our 400th episode: Avant Carde & Avatar The Last Airbender: Aang’s Destiny. Enter the giveaway here!
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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.
Welcome to The Family Gamers podcast! Last week, we attended PAX East 2025, a huge convention that’s practically in our backyard. What are the coolest things we saw there?
If you’d like to have a free conversation to help you understand how to do some due diligence on a charity before making a donation, go to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers and schedule a 15 minute phone call.
What We’ve Been Playing
Flip 7 (review coming soon) Smug Owls (our review) Caution Signs (review coming soon) Disney Lorcana Gateway (review coming soon) Another Man’s Treasure (review linked below) Combo (our review) Patchwork The Gang Jungo – coming later this year from Happy Camper Cantankerous Cats (review coming eventually) Ultimatch (our review) – still fun even when we lose.
0:14:25 SNAP Review – Another Man’s Treasure
Everyone’s had family members try to foist off their “treasures” on them. In this game, collect the junk and make it into specific rummy-like groups to get it OUT of your hand.
Anitra went for two days, Andrew and Asher went for one day. Although it’s very videogame-heavy, there’s plenty of boardgame/tabletop stuff as well.
Anitra recommends Ultimate Sheep Racoon (coming soon) if your kids like wacky video games.
Andrew is excited by Ludocene – “Tinder for videogames”, which is on Kickstarter now. It’s possible that they’ll make a boardgame version as well!
The coolest thing we both saw was Pencil! (aka Pencil XR)
The other coolest thing Anitra saw was mass-produced dice with Braille for the numbers.
Anitra highly recommends trying the boardgame tournaments, which are surprisingly low-impact and low-stress. She got her start with “Thursday Night Throwdown” and “Friday Night Frenzy!” – tournaments where no one knows what the games will be until the tournament starts.
At a tournament this year, she learned: Schrodingers Cats, Lumberjacks with Rocket Launchers, Frozen Shinies, Mountain Goats.
This year, she got the courage to play in a Patchwork tournament and a 7 Blunders tournament. (The newer version of 7 Wonders is much easier to play with!)
Asher ended up doing Trio demos for an hour for Happy Camper. We’re so proud of him.
Andrew describes Caution Signs.
And Anitra was excited to finally see Bioshop Infinite (a barbershop quartet) perform on stage.
PAX East Interviews
0:38:00 Choose Co
Choose Your Own Adventure books are BACK! The first book (The Cave of Time) is finally back after 25 years out of print, and the company has dozens of other books – some classics, some new.
TNT Laser Works makes beautiful wooden boards that are both an art piece and a functional board game, based on a game Ted played in his childhood. There’s also a more portable version that is a leather scroll.
An augmented reality VR app that gives drawing lessons, starting with tracing but moving on to 3D models, shading, and more. Both lessons and non-lesson tools to help you draw better with a real pencil and paper.
Available on the Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3S. May be available on more VR headsets in the future.
Our community shares their biggest board game surprises – on Facebook and Discord.
Most of the surprises were good ones, but we also learn a lesson about calling games “simple” that have a large decision space (e.g. Splendor).
If you go to conventions, what’s your favorite convention memory? Or what is your favorite convention? If you don’t go to conventions, why not? Is there something a convention could offer you that would make you interested in going to one?
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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.
We’ve been reviewing board games for almost ten years. And sometimes, we run across ones that REALLY surprise us. Let’s talk about a few this week.
0:00:00 Fact for 396
This week we’ve got an “at the same time” trend going.
The most people showering simultaneously is 396, achieved by Irish Springs (USA) in Dover, Delaware, USA, on 15 June 2018.
The most people making sand sculptures simultaneously is 396, and was achieved at an event organised by Sculpture Westende and Philippe Bourleau (both Belgium) in Middelkerke, Belgium, on 23 August 2019.
The largest simultaneous launch of canoes/kayaks is 396 and was achieved by the New Hampshire Lakes Association (USA) at Endicott Rock Park, Laconia, New Hampshire, USA, on 3 August 2014.
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0:05:20 What We’ve Been Playing
lots of games on vacation! Games of Art (a dry-erase book compiled/designed by Sid Sackson, each game is based on 20th century abstract artists) Flip 7 (review coming soon) – Here’s a video talking about why three different box sizes exist. Combo (our review) Trio (our review) Shovel Knight: Dungeon Duels (review coming soon) – now that we are playing correctly, the game is less frustratingly difficult. Micro Macro Kids: Crazy City Park (review coming soon – we highly recommend!) Adventure Party (review coming soon) Merchants of Magick (our review)
and also: Toriki: The Castaway Island (review coming soon) – like Chronicles of Crime or Kids Chronicles, but somewhere in between. Belratti (review coming soon) Word Fluxx (review below) So Clover (our review) Floristry (our review)
0:34:15 April Monthly Report!
Anitra: 36 plays of 23 unique games. H-index 2 (Lorcana Gateway, Games of Art, Flip 7, Word Fluxx, Floristry, Fruition, Trio) 42% of games played were on that 5-day vacation.
Andrew: 26 plays of 18 unique games. H-index: 2 (Lorcana Gateway, Obelus, Toriki, Word Fluxx, Floristry) 46% on the vacation trip!
0:35:55 SNAP Review – Word Fluxx
Yes, this is another Fluxx game, but it does a surprisingly good job ALSO feeling like a classic word game. Some goals are still “collect this set of letters” but most goals have you make a WORD that meets specific restrictions. We recommend using the “meta rule” that keeps the game going while players collect completed goals.
Last time, we asked about your favorite Disney movie(s). And you stepped up to let us know – on Facebook and on Discord.
0:53:00 Five Games that Really Surprised Us
On our SNAP reviews we use the GAMES acronym – and we end with surprise. But what games REALLY surprised us? It might be the kids’ reaction, it might be something we didn’t expect when we opened the box. But here are five games that did something we didn’t expect, or didn’t do something we DID expect.
Adventure Party (review coming soon) – It’s a deduction game!
Magic Mountain – Looks like a kids game but it’s not just a kids game! It grabs EVERYONE.
Back Stories – The mechanics are simple, but put together unlike anything we’ve seen before! The card-back actions and the way your options change are just so much better than what we’ve seen in most other “escape room” card games.
Kingdomino – This is a solid game, which is not a surprise. But everything fits together SO WELL that even a 4 or 5 year old can understand the basics of how to play. That’s why I recommend it at the bottom of our list of games for 4-year-olds.
Pan Am – Our number one surprising game. The way this game feels SO DIFFERENT at different player counts is wild.
1:04:30 New Backtalk Question
What’s the greatest surprise you ever had in gaming? Is there a game that shocked you? Or maybe a surprise that happened WHILE gaming. Or maybe a type of game you never thought you would enjoy?
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 395 – Euro, Ameritrash, and Other Boardgamer Jargon
Apr 14, 2025
Do you know what a “eurogame” is? Could you explain it to someone who hasn’t played a lot of boardgames? What are some other jargon terms we use that are unfriendly to new players?
0:00 Fact for 395
We talk about our local Interstate 395, and the much more beautiful Route 395 in California.
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04:00 What We’ve Been Playing
Order Overload: Cafe – I can’t believe we were ready to give this game away! Trio (our review) Circus Flohcati (our review) – I love how easy it is to get started playing this one: shuffle the deck and go! Anomia – always a fun party game. Green Team Wins (our review) Landmarks (our review) – the surprising stand-out hit of the business/fun trip weekend. Alpina (review linked below) Floristry (our review) Farkle In the Footsteps of Marie Curie (our review) Disney Lorcana: Gateway – Learn Lorcana in a structured way! Review coming soon Escape from the Starline Express (“Professor Puzzle Presents…”) – like the easier EXIT boxes, and more-or-less re-giftable.
18:30 March Monthly Report
Andrew: 23 plays of 17 unique games. H-index: 2. Trio (3 plays), then Anomia, Project L, Order Overload: Cafe, Obelus (2 plays) 39% at home, 39% on the work trip.
Anitra: 48 plays of 28 unique games. H-index: 4. Trio (6 plays), plus Mezen, Landmarks, and Circus Flohcati at 4 times each. 46% of plays were on the work trip (because Anitra doesn’t have to work on that trip!)
Marc Specter (of Grand Gamers Guild) sent us an Australian candy bar called Violet Crumble.
Is it true that “it’s the way it shatters that matters” ?
Anitra’s verdict: “sugar and air, wrapped in chocolate”.
25:15 SNAP Review – Alpina
Create a grid of alpine habitats and animals, while choosing which objectives you want to score. There are a lot of symbols to learn and a lot of options to juggle in Alpina.
Are there any obscure or brand-new terms we could cover? There are some portmanteau / combinations of terms that we didn’t see until recently, like “co-opetition”, “deck breeding”, or “deck wrecking” (Abandon All Artichokes).
What is a “euro game”?
Wikipedia says it’s also called a “German style board game”. Euro games are notable for what they lack: player elimination, direct conflict, and luck. (If there’s some luck or randomness, it’s something that is revealed and then all players have to deal with it.)
Most euro games have very little player interaction – mostly just competing for limited resources – and require more forethought and planning. Euro games usually emphasize elegant mechanics instead of theme. (Examples: Catan, Carcassonne, Puerto Rico, Power Grid)
We use the phrase “classic euro” because this definition has morphed over time. Modern euro games will tend to have better art and hew a little closer to their themes.
“No player elimination” is an important feature that has been incorporated into a lot of newer games that we wouldn’t call euro games.
How about Ameritrash?
Euro games are usually contrasted with “American style” games (or sometimes “Ameritrash”)
Ameritrash is a term that we heard a lot a decade ago and don’t hear very often any more, probably because it’s kind of derogatory.
“American style” games that are heavy on theme and luck and often encourage direct conflict between players. Usually the theme informs the mechanics (not the kind of game where you could easily cut and paste a new theme).
These are also the games most likely to have excessive amounts of minis.
American-style games are informed by a culture that REALLY LOVES video games. It’s going to be a game with direct conflict (often combat), probably bright, saturated colors, a really strong theme, and lots of luck.
These are still not your typical American “family” game like Scrabble, Monopoly, or checkers.
We think of games like Mythalix, Cosmic Encounter, Imperial Assault, Blood Rage, Rising Sun, the Shovel Knight: Dungeon Duels game we’ve been playing…
These are loose definitions, but the there’s a definite contrast between the two styles.
Both “euro” and “ameritrash” are problematic terms for people new to board gaming – because even with the definitions we just talked about, there’s a ton of disagreement over whether any particular game fits one of these definitions!
More Jargon – Straightforward, Overlapping Mechanics
JP suggests that “straightforward” has entered gamer jargon. But if we call a game “straightforward” and then someone else struggles with the game, it can make them feel “less than” or kind of dumb.
I think when we say straightforward what we really mean is “this game was easy for me to learn and makes sense to ME.”
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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.
0:00 We’re out of town this weekend. A perfect time to talk about our favorite party games.
394 fact
Tony Gwynn is recognized as having the highest single season batting average in the modern era – He hit .394 for the San Diego Padres in 1994.
If you’re not a sports person, here’s a dumb record for you.
The most spins of a Guinness World Records book on the finger in one minute is 394, and was achieved by Arun Kumar Mahanta (India) in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India, on 11 August 2022.
03:11 Sponsor message
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But mostly, intellegently navigating the money world. Donnie is a board gamer just like us, so he completely understands the shelf of shame. You can go to firstmovefinancial . com / familygamers to find out more.
04:15 What We’ve Been Playing
Little Alchemists (review coming soon!) Mezen (solo mode) Donald Duck in Happy Camper In the Footsteps of Marie Curie Medieval Academy (solo) Cabanga! Jekyll vs. Hyde
18:00 Backtalk
We’re waiting another week for more deep dives into board game terms. But we had to share this Nidavellir pronunciation guide from Stephan.
19:20 SNAP Review – Mezen
Mezen is a side-by-side puzzle game based on a traditional Russian/Nordic art form. How does it chalk up?
It has simple rules – easy to teach, easy to learn.
It’s something very casual and low-commitment. People can drop in or drop out (or a super fast playtime, which allows someone to join in next time).
Party games are usually silly and based around guessing or giving clues (but not always).
Most (but not all) party games are based on a deck or two of specialized cards.
And while there is nothing wrong with a more “adult” game, all of our favorites are ones that you can play with kids in the mix.
30:00 Our Seven Favorite Party Games
In alphabetical order:
Anomia – A favorite for over a decade. Also available in an adults-only version, called Anomia X. See our reviews for Anomia Pop Culture and Anomia Kids.
Green Team Wins – A game of friendly “religious arguments” for lots of players. See our review.
Secret Identity – A game of guessing other players’ secret identities. But surprisingly strategic (you have a limited number of clues to use in the entire game) and family friendly (the eight possible secret identities are all known). See our review of this hidden gem.
Similo – One clue giver, everyone else is trying to guess (an asymmetric cooperative game) the selected character by slowly whittling down the choices based on what the clue giver indicates. Incredibly easy to drop in, and even playable by just two people! There are a ton of different themed variations available. See our review of Similo.
Smug Owls – This game of programmed riddles ends up sometimes silly, sometimes deep. You can feel clever, and also reward or recognize that cleverness in other people. There are new expansions available: Smut Owls, Pompous Owls, and Poseur Owls. See our review of Smug Owls.
Trio – Neither a word game, nor a clueing game, but rather a game of memory and deduction. Our copy is almost worn out. Trio tops out at six players, but it’s very fast, so it’s easy to let a new player step in “next time”. Look for sets of three matching cards by asking for highest or lowest cards in players’ hands (or face-down on the table). See our review of Trio.
Wavelength – The only game on this list we’ve never reviewed. One clue giver and everyone else tries to figure out if they’re “on the same wavelength.” The clue giver has a location on the wheel and a spectrum (example: cat name vs dog name), and must give a clue to try to get everyone else to position the marker at the proper location. Wavelength can be played in two teams or as a fully cooperative game.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 393 – Board Game Terms: Asymmetric, Auction, Bidding
Mar 17, 2025
It’s been a long time since we defined some board game terms. Let’s do that again!
0:00 Fact for 393
The TV show Star Trek: Voyager uses the phrase “some kind of” 393 times over the seven seasons. There’s a fan-made video that documents them ALL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwZiezIxCVU
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04:00 What We’ve Been Playing
Medieval Academy (both the 2014 version and the 2023 version) Power Plants – inspired to play after last episode! Royal Visit Project L Mezen – review coming soon Anitra’s solo plays: Mezen, Strato, A Gentle Rain, A Nice Cuppa) more Floristry (our review) – Anitra predicts this will be TFG’s top game of 2025. Obelus (our review) – love the table presence on this tiny game. S’mores Galore – “exactly what I’ve been hoping for in a s’mores themed game”
What’s asymmetry? Well, it’s the lack of symmetry, which would be when two halves (or two items) are identical. You’re probably played both symmetric and asymmetric games, without realizing it.
Asymmetric games means that players DON’T have the same actions or the same goals. This goes beyond the luck of the draw or making different choices: in asymmetric games, players literally CANNOT do exactly the same things as other players.
What’s good about them?
They’re more interesting. It feels really powerful and special if you have a power that breaks the rules that everyone else has to follow.
Can have better replayability. Because of different powers, playing it again can feel both familiar and new – exploring new ways that characters interact.
And the bad?
Asymmetric games are harder to TEACH (especially to kids) because everyone can do slightly different things.
Can feel unfair (“why do you get to do that and I don’t?”)
Some asymmetric games feel very unbalanced or require a specific character to be played to work at all.
One-vs-many games: one person has a very different role (like villain or clue-giver) and everyone else is working together (kind of). Examples: Scotland Yard, Pyramid of Pengqueen, Visitor in Blackwood Grove (three roles, two of which cooperate). We argue that most clue-giving games fit into the one-vs-many asymmetric style. You can make them feel more symmetrical by taking turns being the clue-giver. Hidden identity / hidden traitor games (Spyfall) fit into this idea as well.
CCGs and constructed-deck games are obviously asymmetric – everyone has a different idea of what makes a “good” deck. Examples: Magic: The Gathering, Pokemon, Compile, Windup War)
Asymmetric games are as old as board games themselves. Anitra thinks of Fox and Hounds or Fox and Geese (find out more), an old checkers-like game.
Cosmic Encounter is often held up as one of the earliest many-player asymmetric games.
An auction is a system where one or more players may offer up something in exchange for something else (basically purchasing it)
Not the same as trading – you’re trying to outdo other players in this offer.
Auctions always have “winning” AND “losing” bidders; sometimes the losing bidders may receive some kind of compensation
Bidding does not necessarily mean an auction. (eg. in Wits & Wagers, you’re bidding, but not to win a specific thing in exchange)
Auctions USUALLY offer players a chance to go back and forth
There are so many different kinds of auction mechanics!
Usually we’re talking about Blind bidding or sealed bidding – everyone comes up with an amount secretly, then they are all revealed. But there’s also open information auctions – you know how much other people are willing to pay, and make a decision to outbid them or not.
In a closed economy auction, the money/resources spent in the auction are directly given to auction participants. In Ra, your resource is a disk with a number on it, and you trade it to the person you “won” the turn from. Big Top is a mostly-closed economy: the money goes to the “auctioneer” – unless THEY win the auction, in which case the money goes to the bank.
Auction games like Ra only go around once – you get one chance to make the high bid; other games (with open information) may go around many times until all but one bidder have given up.
One of our favorite types of bidding, that’s not exactly an auction, is bidding on turn order (Nidavellir, Gutenberg, ShipShape, and Filler)
The way that bidding works in ShipShape is specifically called sealed bid with cancellation. This is a type of blind auction that often has ties – highest non-duplicated bid wins.
Dutch auction is a waiting game, where the price of a resource goes down over time. Floristry does this through an app. But this is also related to a type of open drafting where items slide down a track & get cheaper (think Century: Spice Road). In the real world, Amazon uses a type of this to contract drivers for a specific route on a specific day.
47:20 Backtalk
Listeners share their favorite flowers. See responses on Discord and Facebook.
We like the name “Phlox Larkspur” for a D&D character – and those flowers smell lovely, too.
New Question
What are board game terms you’d like us to talk about? What terms should we explore next?
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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.
We’re currently having false spring here in New England. But after a cold dreary winter, we are ready for green, growing things. Let’s talk about games with flowers and plants – games that make us think spring.
0:00 Fact for 392
It’s been a while since we’ve done a car fact: The SRT 392 is a high-performance version of the Dodge Charger and Challenger models.
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04:00 What We’ve Been Playing
Horrified: World of Monsters – this time using Cthulu and the Krampus expansion monster. Nidavellir Shovel Knight: Dungeon Duels Little Alchemists (review coming soon) Strato (review coming Friday) Floristry (review coming soon – this game will be out later in March!)
13:25 Feb Monthly Report
Andrew: 14 plays, 10 unique games, H-index: 2 (Floristry, Little Alchemists) 86% at home, 56% at two players.
Ten games with flowers and plants and growing things. Not a top ten! Just ten spring-like games we recommend.
Floristry (review coming soon!) – A very fast, very compelling game for two players.
Flower Fields (our review) – Celebrates the whole ecosystem of growing flowers. A little more complicated than Patchwork or Kingdomino. Playable solo or two players, but best at three or four players.
Gift of Tulips (our review) – A game that rewards you for giving flowers away. Best for 3-6 players.
Bonsai (our review) – Create bonsai trees bit by bit, using hex tiles to create surprisingly organic looking plants/trees.
Tea Dragon Society Card Game (our review) – A super cute kids game, “my first deckbuilder” with no conflict.
Power Plants – Area-majority tile game. Grow crazy magical plants. Not a friendly game, but rarely intentionally mean.
Grove (our review) – Create a grove of citrus trees. Stack cards to get better fruit (tracked with dice). Quick and compact solo game that you can bring almost anywhere.
Gnome Hollow (review coming soon) – Friendly gnomes make rings of mushrooms, collecting mushrooms and flowers for points.
A Gentle Rain (our review) – Another solo game. This one should be completely stress-free: match tile edges and place flowers. Enjoy the art and the calming illustrations.
Tussie Mussie – A fantastic split-and-choose game that is best at two players. Easy to learn, lots of layers of strategy, with bluffing and several kinds of set collection.
49:30 New Backtalk Question
Do you have a favorite flower?
Andrew’s favorite are dahlias, and Anitra’s are pansies.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 this primer on investments already has you overwhelmed, you may want to get help with managing your investments. First Move is here to help. Go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/familygamers to set up a time FOR FREE to see if they can help you make your First Move with investing.
0:05:15 What We’ve Been Playing
trio of Chip Theory Kids games: Bear in Mind, Octo Grabbo, Woodland Rush
Flamecraft (our review) Hamster Roll (our review) Hundred Acre Wood Fluxx (review coming soon) Cabanga! (our review) Runemasters (review coming soon) Project L Let’s Go! To Japan Floristry (review coming soon) Splendor Duel
Listeners tell us about their favorite cooperative games. See responses on Discord and Facebook.
0:43:40 SNAP Review – Landmarks
Take a look at this unusual word game of clues and guesses, and navigate a path across the island!
Read the transcript or watch the video of our review of Landmarks.
0:50:50 Room to Grow: Cooperative Games
Our goal with Room to Grow is to bring your kids – or your family – through a series of games that grow in complexity. Normally, we take a beginner game, an intermediate game, and an advanced game (and some honorable mentions). They offer a plan for growth for players to get comfortable with that mechanic, and all are family-friendly (no Dead of Winter or Frosthaven, sorry).
Why play cooperative games?
We talked a lot about this last time in episode 390.
Cooperative games encourage players to work together. And when you’re playing with very young children, there will often be an element of cooperation even if that is not how the game is intended to work.
Cooperative games are also a great way to get everyone on the same team, winning or losing TOGETHER. Even then, kids will have to wait their turn, and have opportunities to help each other!
Beginner: My First Castle Panic
This is a tower-defense game designed for 3-5 year old children. On your turn, you choose from one of two cards to try to match a monster spot on the path up to the castle.
But you’re also allowed to ask other players for help! You have a chance to be the supporting character and help the hero.
My First Castle Panic is the most popular game to be bought through our Amazon affiliate links – by FAR.
We talked about this when we talked about room to grow legacy games. Zombie Kidz Evolution forces players to think a few steps ahead. Try to help each other defeat the zombies and cooperate to lock the school gates.
No matter how well you do, you always get at least one sticker to place in the rulebook (but if you win, you get more).
While these legacy aspects keep kids interested, they also slowly ramp up the complexity. Unlock special powers – both for the player characters and for the zombies! Additional challenges will force kids to continue to improve their cooperation.
Advanced: Disney Animated
This game leans very hard into its theme: classic Disney animated movies.
Each player has their own movie they’re working on, but there’s a group goal, which requires every player to meet their individual goal as well: finish all the movies and defeat all the villains. This means that sometimes you will use your whole turn to support other players in meeting their goals.
From “big brother” Castle Panic to Pandemic, from Horrified to Unmatched Adventures, Marvel United, and Marvel Champions. Even The Loop and Endangered are wonderful cooperative games for your family to play.
1:07:00 New Backtalk Question
We have asked a lot about cooperative games already. So it’s time to learn about you, our listener! What’s your favorite candy or snack?
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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.
This week, we’re talking about cooperative games – what they are, what makes them a good fit for families, and we explore the breadth of games that can be considered “cooperative”.
0:00:00 Fact for 390
While the exact number fluctuates, there are around 390 known species of sharks in the world, from tiny lantern sharks to massive whale sharks.
The average weight of a full-grown jaguar can reach up to 390 pounds, making it the largest cat in the Americas.
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0:04:15 What We’ve Been Playing
Combo (review linked below) Flower Fields (review coming soon) Holiday Hijinks: The Marriage Mix-up – two thumbs up! In Vino Morte (our review)
Where are good places and times to play cooperative games?
Coop games can be a great way to bring younger kids into gaming. Any perfect information game can work for this, but in a cooperative game, your littlest can easily be part of the team.
Also good for preventing sore losers – or sore winners!
Categories of Cooperative Games
Anitra decides there are three basic categories: you either work together to solve a puzzle, work together to tell a story, or one person is giving clues to everyone else to guess.
A lot of the puzzle-type cooperative games have players take turns and then “bad stuff happens”.
But not all! Ultimatch charges players to solve a problem without a separate “bad stuff” turn. The Crew has a little more story and does something similar.
The Adventures of Robin Hood is a “story” game. The best of these have multiple ways to “solve” the puzzles involved. Some escape room games do this really well; some just present puzzles you have to solve a specific way.
Most clue-giving games are word-guessing games, but not all. Similo is a great example of one that is NOT a word game.
All Kinds of Mechanics
It seems like every game mechanic has had some kind of take on how to do it cooperatively:
And don’t forget about the whole genre of timed cooperative games! This can be pure puzzle solving like Kites or Skyrockets, or a memory game like Panic Island.
TFG Favorite Cooperative Games
Similo Shadows over Camelot Illiterati The Grizzled SkyTeam
1:00:00 New Backtalk Question
Question: What is your favorite cooperative game? Why is it your favorite?
Would you like us to break this out more and dive into specific genres of cooperative games?
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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.
Sometimes intentionally, sometimes by accident, we find games that disconnect us from the stresses and worries of every day life. Andrew and Anitra discover that they have different ideas of what helps them step away from the real world – but there’s some overlap, too.
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Andrew and Anitra deal with stress differently. Andrew needs to “disconnect” and do different things when he has too much on his plate. Anitra needs an escape that has simple rules and not too many choices.
We agree that word games are bad for this (although for different reasons).
Andrew doesn’t mind a lot of rules, but needs it to be a familiar game because learning a new game is too connected to the real world. Really deeply thematic or narrative games are great for him. But strong competition is not.
Anitra prefers gently competitive games (or solo) – the kind that leave her feeling accomplished, no matter how well she did compared to others.
Andrew says deduction (figuring out what other players have) is also bad for this. No games with limited communication or any game that increases FRICTION.
Little Alchemists (review coming soon) would be a great choice! It’s sort of co-operative, sort of competitive. Nothing grounded in “real life”, a limited set of decisions each turn, and you can’t plan very far ahead.
Roll Player – Andrew (primarily as solo) A Gentle Rain – Anitra (our review) Escape room games that have continuity between puzzles (Holiday Hijinks, maybe some Unlocks, the easier EXITs) Abstract games with a limited decision space – like Quarto, Quoridor, Cinco Linko. We discuss whether Shobu or Tether work in this category. Tasso Banana (our review) – and other games where you simply react to what is on the table. Button Shy solo games – obviously A Nice Cuppa, but Anitra also loves ROVE and Sprawlopolis. Other themes might work better for other people.
44:40 New Backtalk Question
What game do you play to disconnect and de-stress?
What’s the “number one game in your tool-belt to step away from the stresses and busy-ness of the world”?
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 :)
Send us more weird food FOR SCIENCE! : The Family Gamers 60 Auburn St. #528 Auburn, MA 01501
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.
It’s the first podcast of 2025, so we’re going to go back over our favorite games from 2024.
0:00:00 Fact for 388
The National Guard observed its 388th birthday on December 13th, continuing a tradition that began long before the nation’s founding in 1776.
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0:05:06 What We’ve Been Playing
Combo (review coming soon) Video Game Champion Landmarks Mezen River Valley Glassworks Run Run Run! A Nice Cuppa (review coming soon) Calico
0:25:00 Monthly Report and Year in Review
December:
Andrew: 18 unique games, 29 total plays. H-index: 3. Most played: Obelus, Combo, Landmarks
Anitra: 62 plays of 29 unique games. A ton during PAX and on NYE, not much otherwise H-index: 5. Most played: Combo, Landmarks, A Nice Cuppa, Obelus, Ultimatch.
2024: Anitra: 529 plays of 178 unique games. Not as good as last year. But a better H-index: 10! Number one game: Trio. Andrew: 130 unique games, 302 plays. 87 “new” games. H-index: 6. Number one game: Trio.
Listeners tell us about their favorite gifts. See responses on Discord and Facebook.
0:37:30 SNAP Review – Tasso Banana
See how this banana-stacking game surprised us. Watch the video or read the transcript of our Tasso Banana review.
0:41:45 Top Ten Games of 2024
We used the same system as last year: we each had 10 points to spend on as many (or as few) games as we wanted. And somehow we still ended up with a combined top ten!
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 :)
Send us more weird food FOR SCIENCE! : The Family Gamers 60 Auburn St. #528 Auburn, MA 01501
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.
Butterfly Garden – Capstone Tightrope & Ziggurat – Mindware Chip Theory games for kids! card game coming from Thunderworks Games A Place for All My Books – Smirk & Dagger The Gang and more – KOSMOS Played games with the Slaiby family! (Downforce mostly) Backstories: Alone Under the Ice
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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.
This week we’re going to spend the second half of the show with some wonderful people running a wonderfully magical place over in North Carolina. It is, of course, The Tabletop Inn, run by Grace Kendall and Mike Belsole.
Fact for 386
Moana 2 pulled in 386 million dollars on its opening weekend – the new record for the top opening weekend for an animated film. (It beats out Super Mario Brothers at $377m and Frozen II at $358m.)
Sponsor Message
If you need to talk about other ideas to get started budgeting, set up a call with First Move by going to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers today.
0:03:15 What We’ve Been Playing
Little Alchemists Santa’s Workshop (simple side and complicated side are BOTH great) Circus Flohcati Green Team Wins: Holiday Party Flower Fields Bottle Imp (review soon!)
0:20:00 November Monthly Report!
Andrew: 23 plays of 15 unique games. Interesting: 52% were with 4 players! H-index: 3. Most played: Little Alchemists, Cabanga!, Circus Flohcati
Anitra: 35 plays of 22 games. Far more with Andrew than anyone else. H-index: 3. Most played: boop the Halls, Tasso Banana, Little Alchemists, Cabanga!, Circus Flohcati
We talk a bit more about Tasso Banana and how it surprised us.
0:26:40 Welcome Facebook Community Members
Welcome, newbies! We’re glad you’re here! Feel free to share some numbers if you’re statistics nerds like us.
0:27:40 Backtalk
Listeners tell us about their favorite video games. See responses on Discord and Facebook.
0:36:00 SNAP Review – boop the Halls
Mischievous kittens are dressed for the holiday, and now they’re not only booping each other, but knocking ornaments off the tree, too!
The Tabletop Inn is a full bed and breakfast with a board game theme and an awesome view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
What is a traditional bed and breakfast? (It’s not the same as AirBNB.) Mike & Grace have opened their home to offer travelers a warm bed and a hot breakfast; it’s a place you spend some time, not just in-and-out.
“There are pockets of fun hidden throughout the B&B that we hope guests can find and be delighted by.”
“Every room has games in it”… even the hall bathroom.
But if Mike and Grace sound familiar, it’s because they are also the creators of Smug Owls, a party card game we love.
They tell us about the four different themed rooms, each of which has a recommended game pairing.
Board games as wallpaperYes, real game boards on the wall.Board games in the dining roomTic Tac Toe in the bathroomThe Creativity Closet – for all guestsFull of crafting suppliesGame roomGame roomNeed help finding the right game?A gorgeous view
“The ideal guest is someone who appreciates the mountain-escape aspect of the place as much as the games…” without being terribly far from civilization. It’s just a mile from downtown Marion, NC – a cute little city.
Andrew: when we took a 48 hour tiny-house getaway to just be alone together and play board games in 2021. Anitra: learning Tzolk’in on a company trip with Andrew and his coworkers.
1:01:30 Holiday Contest Winners!
ArcheOLogic – Annette Patrician: Towers of Influence – Nick Avant Carde – Mikhail
There are two more winners (Mutton Bustin, Holiday Hijinks bundle) we haven’t been able to confirm as of recording time – check your email!
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 385 – Video Game Holiday Gift List
Nov 25, 2024
0:0:00 Hello and welcome! This week we’ve invited video game hype man Stephen Duetzmann (from Engaged Family Gaming) to go over his video game holiday gift guide.
Fact for 385
The largest gathering of people dressed as elephants is 385, achieved by 2 Wish Upon A Star (UK), in Cardiff, UK, on 13 August 2016.
Sponsor Message
If you want to talk through financial ideas to take some of the stress out of the holidays, set up a time to talk to First Move by going to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers today.
0:04:30 What We’ve Been Playing
Stephen – Empire of the Ants (PS5) and Mario and Luigi: Brothership (Nintendo Switch)
Anitra – boop the Halls (review coming soon), and Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (Nintendo Switch)
Andrew – Paris, City of Lights and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (on Steam/Xbox/PS)
0:17:45 Backtalk
OK, so what’s your favorite beverage for board game night? See responses on Discord and Facebook.
Stephen says mostly water, maybe a diet energy drink.
Anitra’s is hot coffee in the morning, or herbal tea in the evening.
0:25:20 SNAP Review – Hamster Roll
Elliot helps us explain this rolling dexterity game.
We highly recommend Hamster Roll and have put it on our Hall of Fame.
“Should we buy a Switch this year?” Still yes. Even if a new Nintendo console comes out, Switch games are not going away any time soon, and the new console will be backwards-compatible.
What kind of Switch to buy? Depends on how it’s going to be used. If you only want a handheld, not to use the TV (like an old-style Gameboy), get the cheaper Switch Lite.
Andrew asks about controllers.
Playstation or Xbox? It doesn’t matter – for KIDS – unless you need Spiderman (only available PS5)
0:39:10 Playstation Recommendations
Astro Bot – “must play, for just about everybody” EA Sports College Football ’25 (available on Xbox too) Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (rated T) Spider-man 2 (rated T) – very very good! Cat Quest III (available on Switch and Xbox too)
0:43:40 Xbox Recommendations
Metaphor: Refantazio (rated T – available on Windows and PS5 too) Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (rated T – also on PS5 and Switch) Balatro (on literally everything, including Apple Arcade) Star Wars: Outlaws (rated T – also on PS5)
0:50:00 Nintendo Switch Recommendations
Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Mario and Luigi: Brothership Super Mario Party Jamboree “the GOAT” – including a mode that eliminates some of the randomness that most Mario Party games have had! Princess Peach Showtime – Anitra agrees. “Very definitively NOT a Mario game.” Perfect if your kids loved the Mario movie. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door (remake of Gamecube game) – “the funniest game I’ve ever played” Nintendo World Championship: NES Edition – show your kids your OG Nintendo skills.
1:02:00 Miscellaneous
Andrew complains there’s no Spyro on Xbox Gamepass… but there is! Look for the Spyro Reignited Trilogy.
More kid-friendly stuff should be coming next year.
Don’t forget, the subscription services also make a great gift (Xbox Game Pass, Playstation Plus) especially if they’re going to be playing games against others online.
If you’re buying a console for a holiday present, do not leave it in the box!
Don’t forget to set it up before Christmas! (Plug in, connect to the internet, download updates, install a game or two. You might need to update the firmware on the controller.) It’s a much more effective surprise if it’s ready to play on Christmas morning.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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 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?
Have you heard of the fun ratio? This idea comes from The Opposite of Spoiled by Ron Lieber, if you want to talk about other ways to equip your children for their future, go to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers to schedule a time to talk to First Move today.
What We’ve Been Playing
Calypso – because it’s so fast, Andrew accuses Anitra of using it to boost her game playing stats. Villainous – Anitra compares this to Disney: Animated because of the way it siloes each movie universe. Royal Visit Dice Cards Maul Peak Suspend – a dexterity game we recommend. (Get the Jr version for kids under 10.) 10 Days in the USA Monopoly Deal
FOR SCIENCE!
Is this cheating? There’s no possibility that this is gross: our options are “delicious” or “really delicious”.
Send us more weird food FOR SCIENCE! : The Family Gamers 60 Auburn St. #528 Auburn, MA 01501
SNAP Review – Smug Owls
Stretch your brain by answering riddles. The catch? These riddles are generated by decks of cards.
We were really excited for a lot of games at the beginning of 2023, and we talked about them in episode 327.
Flashback: Zombie Kidz – Mildly disappointing. Pretty good, but not quite what we were hoping for. Our review. (Turbo Kidz was a surprise in the other direction – so much better than we expected!)
Fit to Print – Still haven’t played. Anitra has warmed to it, hopefully we’ll play it sometime this year.
Thunder Road: Vendetta – We haven’t played it, but Nick (who put it on the list) has been very happy with it. “The game is exactly what it said it was going to be.”
Qawale – Gorgeous abstract game from Gigamic. We reviewed this one too. Anitra: likes it a lot, but not as much as she thought she would.
Steam Up – Haven’t played it in 2023, but we’re excited to see it on store shelves.
Sauscharf – In the US, it was renamed Pick-a-Pepper. We got a chance to play this in February and really liked it. We will look for it again!
Stampfarm – Exactly what it wants to be. A roll-and-write for very young children that uses stamps instead of writing. See more in our review.
Marvel Unmatched sets – We played (and reviewed) Unmatched: Teen Spirit, and loved it. We did not get to try Unmatched: For King and Country.
Bonsai – This game was in high demand, and we totally understand why. Anitra was surprised by this one, and how it kept a strategic tension (there are more things you want to do) while staying pretty calm. See more in our review.
What surprised us in 2023?
Junk Drawer! “Blindsided me in the best possible way.” Anitra was not interested in this game and found out she loves it! See our review.
Seikatsu: A Pet’s Life – exciting to FIND this re-theme of Seikatsu that has been out of print for a few years. (We are also excited for the re-print / new version that will be coming from Grand Gamers Guild.)
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 363 – Happy Camper Games with Jason Schneider
Jan 15, 2024
Episode 363 Happy Camper Games with Jason Schneider
This week, we are joined by the “Head Camper” at Happy Camper Games – Jason Schneider!
363 Fact
Do you like Wingspan? The largest wingspan for a bird species is 3.63 meters, measured on a Wandering Albatross.
Sponsor message
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If you want help reviewing the financial part of preparing for retirement set up a time to talk to First Move by going to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers today.
Jason has been working in the board game industry for a long time. Trio is the debut game for his new company, Happy Camper.
Trio’s US debut was at PAX Unplugged, and Jason almost ran out of the game!
Why “Happy Camper”?
Summer camp played a critical role in Jason’s life, and the idea kept coming back over and over.
Jason wants to publish games FOR FAMILIES, should make you think back to summer camp experiences. Trio exemplifies this – it’s easy to learn and plays fast. “Let’s play again!” and reminds us of the kinds of traditional card games we played as kids.
Jason feels strongly about the role camp can have in a kid’s life: some of the proceeds from Happy Camper games will go to fund summer camp scholarships.
We reminisce about summer camp and camping in general. “All you need to do is put up a hammock…” “… and you’ve got to have s’mores.” So what IS doing the real work in a s’more? Andrew and Jason agree it’s the marshmallow. No gatekeeping on what makes a s’more though!
Back to Happy Camper – Jason decided to stick with the name, but keep the branding very simple, no campfire or tent or specific camping item. “Camping is a very personal thing.”
We are thrilled with Happy Camper’s success so far with Trio and hope they’ll keep doing just as well. They’ll be at PAX East, so you will be able to check them out there!
What’s the next game from Happy Camper? “Like Trio, it will have a certain familiarity to it… and it’s a great group game.” And it has a “frenemy” nature to it. That’s all he can tell us, except it will be out before the end of 2024.
Triois back in stock as of this episode’s date.
Find Happy Camper Games Online:
HappyCamper.games – also a great place to find a local retailer where you could buy Trio!
In person, find them at PAX Unplugged, PAX East, and Gen Con.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 362 – Our Top Ten Games of 2023
Jan 02, 2024
362 Fact
According to WikiFanona, there are currently 362 episodes of the incredibly popular television show NCIS. (But it’s still in production, so there will be more.)
Sponsor Message
Learn about the sunk cost fallacy with our sponsor, First Move Financial. If you need a sounding board for your life’s financial decisions, go to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers and set up a time to talk to First Move Financial.
What We’ve Been Playing
Seven Bridges – a roll-and-write that feels different from any other. Tesseract (our review) Smug Owls (review coming soon) Unmatched: Sun’s Origin (Tomoe Gozen & Oda Nobunaga) Oh What Fun! (last year’s review) Motley (review coming) Trio (review coming – we recommend!)
Monthly Report and Year in Review!
Anitra’s December: 45 plays of 27 unique games. Learned Camel Up on New Year’s Eve! H-index 3: Trio, Skyrockets, Tesseract, Smug Owls.
Andrew’s 2023: 288 plays of 148 unique games. H-index: 4. Most played: “Unpublished Prototype”, Unmatched, Jekyll vs. Hyde, FORK. 64% of plays at home.
Anitra’s 2023: 564 plays of 210 unique games. H-index: 9 – Calypso, Unmatched, Numbsters, GROVE, Roll to the Top, River Wild, Forage, Wildtails, Turbo Kidz. 2 players is most often: 37% of the time. Next most common is 3 players and solo, which each get 18%. 67% of plays were at home.
Andrew came up with a way to rank our top games and allow for overlap: we each distributed 10 points among our top 6 games. It worked! We have a top ten.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 361 – PAX Unplugged 2023 – Days Two & Three
Dec 18, 2023
We’re back, with a bonus episode, featuring the rest of our PAX interviews.
361 Fact
Chinese submarine 361, nicknamed “The Great Wall”, is infamous for killing all members on board in 2003.
Sponsor Message
How do you help your kids understand that Christmas isn’t just a “get me more stuff” holiday? Listen to our sponsor message – and make sure you are modeling the behavior you want to be teaching your children. If you’d like to talk about other ideas to help pass on your values to your children schedule a time to talk to First Move by going to firstmovefinancial .com/familygamers today.
What We’ve Been Playing
Santa’s Workshop Skyrockets Tesseract Space Explorers: Age of Ambition (our review) Ecosystem: Savanna National Geographic: Secret Clue – Animals
This wasn’t quite the “chill, enjoy the journey” sequel to Tokaido that we expected. But it’s a great game for two players that avoids being confrontational and directly competitive.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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.
How do you dig out of debt? Well the honest answer is slowly and painfully. There is no quick magic solution, and anyone who says otherwise is selling something.
First Move Financial is not a credit counseling company, but they’d be happy to spend a few minutes talking to you to help you find a reputable credit counselor. Go to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers to set up a quick chat and start taking steps to dig out of debt.
Monthly Report: November
Andrew: 23 plays of 13 unique games. H-index: 2 – most played: Purrfect Match, Star Wars: Unlock. Also “Maple” Andrew’s prototype game!, and Tokaido Duo, Turbo Kidz, The Hunt, The A.R.T. Project.
Anitra: 34 plays of 16 unique games. H-index: 3 – most played: Tokaido Duo, Star Wars: Unlock, Turbo Kidz, For Northwood!
What We’ve Been Playing
For Northwood! – a solo trick-taking game Space Explorers: Age of Ambition expansion (see our review of the base game) Turbo Kidz The A.R.T. Project
SNAP Review – Turbo Kidz
This silly, blindfolded racing game taught us a lot about better communication, which we did not expect!
Age of Wonders: Planetfall (up to 6 players, 45 minutes!) GAP Critters at War (Air, Land, and Sea with a new theme) Critters at War: Flies, Lies, and Supplies (expand the original or play on its own)
Alpujarras Fisheries of Gloucester Scribble Me This – with Pipnetic (“Pictionary with Riddles”) – coming to Kickstarter in February The Feds – coming to Kickstarter in December
“Bring Your Own Pencil” games. Print the game sheet, grab a pencil, and go.
Older games that we love: Biblios, Cosmic Run Regeneration, Cosmic Run: Rapid Fire.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 359 – 2023 Video Game Gift Guide with Stephen Duetzman
Nov 20, 2023
It’s gift giving season! Every year, we have Stephen Duetzmann from Engaged Family Gaming to tell us about their video game gift guide. What video games are the best picks for your family this year?
and “The Battle of Wolf 359” from Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space 9.
Sponsor Message
If you need help figuring out where to place your little “dollar workers” in the worker placement game of life, reach out to First Move Financial. You can find them at firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers to schedule a call today.
What We’ve Been Playing
Monopoly Chance – and Stephen proposes putting “Monopoly” onto other great board games. Escape Academy (on XBox Game Pass) Tokaido Duo Purrfect Match Celeste – and we learn about the accessibility options. (Our kids have since watched some speedruns. They’re crazy.) Super Mario Bros Wonder
Disney Speedstorm – a free-to-play racing game (just download it!) CORRECTION: Bonnie Hunt is not Helen Hunt’s sister. Everything else Stephen says about CARS is true.
Hi-Fi Rush – a rhythm fighting game! (on everything: Find out more)
Star Wars: Jedi Survivor – (on everything) this has been out long enough that you can look for discounts!
Street Fighter 6 (XBox, PS 4/5, PC)
Party Animals (also on Game Pass)
Starfield (also on Game Pass) “Fallout in space”
For Sony Playstation:
Sonic Superstars – with multiplayer! (on everything, not just PS)
What’s Stephen looking forward to the most right now?
“Playing the Avatar Pandora game with my mom.”
In 2024: Probably a new Nintendo Switch, probably a new Grand Theft Auto game. Princess Peach game (we’re excited for this one, too!)
If you’re buying a console for the holiday, don’t forget:
Don’t forget to set it up before Christmas! (Plug in, connect to the internet, download updates, install a game or two.) It’s a much more effective surprise if it’s ready to play on Christmas morning.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 need help seeing which areas of your personal finance you should be focusing on visit firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers to schedule a time to talk to First Move Financial.
What We’ve Been Playing
CDSK (review below) Disney Animated (our review) Space Explorers (our review)
The Monthly Report: October
Anitra: 26 plays of 17 games. H-index 3, with FORK, Mind Space, and Turbo Kidz played at least three times.
Andrew: 21 plays of 15 games. H-index: 2, with Horrified: Greek Monsters, FORK, Turbo Kidz, and prototype played at least twice.
For Science
Sweet Chaos Drizzled Popcorn – Candy Corn flavor
Anitra picked this up at Dollar Tree.
Probably the most enjoyable “For Science” we’ve ever tried!
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 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!
357 Fact – we learn about the 357 Magnum.
Sponsor Message – Budgeting can help you avoid holiday stress. If you want to talk through other ideas to take some of the stress out of the holidays set up a time to talk to First Move by going to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers today.
Nobody can play ALL the games that come out. But because there are so many, some really great games get lost in the shuffle. Here’s a few of our favorites:
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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.
Remember, small steps today lead to big financial gains tomorrow. If you want to talk to someone about the finer points of these small steps, or need help getting unstuck in your situation, go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/familygamers to set up a time to talk.
First in Flight – from Artana. A deck-building game where players race to attempt the longest powered flight.
Horrified: Greek Monsters – new thematic powers, and most monsters have a “lair” you must find.
Space Base – Anitra finally learned this game. A big improvement over Machi Koro.
Deep Dive – coming from AEG. Surprisingly simple press-your-luck game where your penguins “dive” into progressively deeper levels to find more and more valuable tiles – but try to avoid predators!
Anitra previews Forage, the sequel to Grove. Layer cards to “upgrade” counters from low values to high values, with an autumnal harvesting theme. It’s currently on Kickstarter.
Kids this age are really drawn by theme. So that’s how we structured this list!
Zombies: Zombie Kidz Evolution.
Superheroes: 5 Minute Marvel or Marvel United.
Cute Food: Sushi Go!, although Anitra prefers Abandon All Artichokes for beginners, or Go Nuts for Donuts. Sushi Go! Spin Some for Dim Sum sounds good, but we haven’t tried it. (They’re all cheap! Get more than one!)
Dragons & Fantasy: Tsuro, Dragonwood, or Tea Dragon Society Card Game.
Giant Monsters: King of Tokyo.
Car Racing: Downforce,
City Building: Happy City (Kingdomino is also great, of course).
Movement: IceCOOL 2.
Disney: Codenames Disney, Disney Sorcerer’s Arena Epic Alliances. Shoutout to Disney Lorcana.
Everything else: Similo, in whatever theme appeals.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 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!
While First Move believes with enough time and the right knowledge everyone can manage their own finances, there are benefits to working with a professional. If you want to see if working with a financial advisor can help your situation, set up a time to talk to First Move by going to firstmovefinancial.com/FamilyGamers today.
What We’ve Been Playing
Lots of prototypes, but also… Mancala Parks Potion Explosion (our review – but we recommend the newer version with the plastic dispenser) Horrified Skulls of Sedlec Stew Barenpark with both modules from Bad News Bears Ra (review coming soon)
SNAP Review – Qawale
Enjoy this new abstract game from Gigamic. It requires more planning on each turn than we were used to!
Castle Panic / Fireside with Justin and Anne-Marie
What is the story of Castle Panic?
Justin had been making games since he was a kid, and started thinking about how to fight off something together.
Anne-Marie came up with the triangles for monsters to rotate to indicate hitpoints. Friends started to like it & ask for it!
Then Justin lost his job and it was the right time to try to move this game into something real!
“Realized we had a company… and a brand!” Saved up a bunch of money, then printed the game. It sold out in ten weeks!
How are the other [Whatever] Panic games different?
Dead Panic – zombies. But not just a reskin! They turned the core mechanics inside out – You each control a character, trying to collect radio pieces & weapons, get all characters to escape while zombies approach. (If you die, you come back as a zombie!)
Star Trek Panic was made in partnership with USAopoly (now The Op) for 50th anniversary of original Star Trek. You’re defending the Enterprise, with shields instead of walls. As you take damage, you remove parts of the Enterprise model. You also can rotate the ship to change how you can hit. There are also missions and characters… but it’s out of print now.
What made you decide to do the second edition of Castle Panic?
Distributors asking for a refresh on the game, and fans asking for something deluxe. Led to first-ever Kickstarter.
What about Castle Panic Deluxe Edition?
People wanted minis. “Deluxe” was planned for 10th anniversary, with a total art refresh (carried through to 2nd ed), but everything that was cardboard becomes a mini, even plastic walls and rubbery tar token. Monsters have a spinning bottom that tracks their health so they can stay facing the castle!
But it turned out people wanted this treatment for all the expansions, too! So it wasn’t ready for the 10th anniversary.
And then there is ALSO a mostly-wood version, instead of plastic minis.
Let’s talk about other games Fireside has made.
Here Kitty Kitty – lure cats to your yard! Cute tiny plastic cats
Dastardly Dirigibles – Build an airship of seven pieces. When you play a part out, everyone else has to play that part too (if they can).
Stringamajig – A party game, where you form a loop of string into a “picture” for everyone else to guess. Charade style, movement is important!
Grackles – abstract game with 4 colors of birds.
Bears! – real time dice game. Make pairs of your dice with the common “camp” dice.
My First Castle Panic (more below)
Hotshots – fight a wildfire together. Press your luck with dice. Most requested for a reprint.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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.
Anitra: 31 unique games, 62 total plays. H-index: 3. Most played is Calypso (14 times!). Less than 50% of games were at home (the 14 plays of ultra-portable Calypso doesn’t hurt here!)
Andrew: 19 unique games 24 times, H-index of 2. Qawale played 4 times, Junk Drawer 3 times.
Bid on attractions to build your circus. Your bids will also help you “complete” attractions you already own, in an interesting twist on auction games.
It’s only playable at three or four players, but it’s great at both of those counts.
We’ve previously talked about US history (episode 132) and gameschooling (episode 249). But let’s talk about games that are newer, and games that are less US-centric.
A lot of these games let you pluck out relevant details and may spark interest for you and your kids to learn more!
Timeline – not recommended. This is a very punishing game unless you already know a lot about world history.
Order of Invention – it’s been years since we talked about it, but this was heavily featured as a sponsored ad on the podcast on episodes 132-154.
We’ve also been enjoying CDSK. While it’s a trivia game rather than focusing on history, we love how (like Order of Invention) it lets you evaluate your own level of knowledge before committing to win/lose points.
Leave us a review on Apple Podcast or wherever you subscribe, then email us and tell us about it. You could win a complete set of Holiday Hijinks micro escape room games, sponsored by Grand Gamers Guild.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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.
Dune Imperium Robot Quest Arena Pan Am (our review) Ticket to Ride: UK Blob Party (our review) Mission to Planet Hexx Cape May
SNAP Review – Nerd Words: Science
This is pretty much the total opposite of Blob Party!
Nerd Words: Science is a challenging clue giving game that’s best for larger teams of adults and teenage science students.
Watch the video to see how to give clues, bid points, and guess answers.
All about Danielle
Danielle’s new job is as a Project Manager at Wise Wizard Games, where she does game development, working with manufacturers, art direction, and more.
UnPub, for game designers
She’s also on the board for UnPub, game convention/events for Unpublished Game Network. Primarily graphic design, but she also volunteers her time at various conventions. She highly recommends the speed-pitch events.
What would you say to someone who is going to their first UnPub event with a game they designed?
Danielle describes the process of signing up and setting up your table.
Further advice? Have a sell sheet, be friendly, and have a quick pitch to invite people to play. Be OK giving up a seat and just observing others play your game. Handwriting your notes makes it clear that you’re not goofing off on your phone! Not taking notes at all is also bad.
“You don’t need to change your game to someone’s opinion. But if you hear the same thing a few times, you might need to consider some changes.”
Danielle describes her biggest mistake as a new designer – walking up to publishers at GenCon and trying to pitch her game(s) without an appointment. (The people in the booth are frazzled and not ready to step away for that!)
Danielle’s Games
Danielle loves to design games! We’ve talked a lot about HerStory already, but she also has:
No Filter Verses WatchMojo Top 10 Party Game eBay Buy it Now Cluckle
and more games coming out soon… something with animals, family friendly!
“I’m really good at making party games.” But she’s thrilled with the impact HerStory has had.
Groups for Gamers
Director of Tabletop Gaymers – Danielle does graphic design, including cute pins! The mission of the group is to make a safe space for LGBTQ gamers at conventions and help them find each other.
She’s also an admin of a Facebook group for women and femme-presenting individuals: Board Game Besties on Facebook.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 :)
We are still running a contest!
Leave us a review on Apple Podcast or wherever you subscribe, then email us and tell us about it. You could win a complete set of Holiday Hijinks micro escape room games, sponsored by Grand Gamers Guild.
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.
“Citizen scientists” discovered two planets around a star that is 352 light-years away from earth.
Sponsor Message
If you want to talk through your specific situation and how to achieve your goals, set up a time to talk at firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers today.
What We’ve Been Playing
Bonsai (our review) Fika Nerd Words: Science Star Trek Cryptic – we asked YOU which game from a Funko shipment we should try first. Trekkies unite! Big Top Century Golem – it’s great to see how our kids create different strategies and how they react when their plans are disrupted. Something Wild (also from the Funko shipment)
Monthly Report – July
Anitra: 24 unique games, 43 total plays. H-index 3. Most played: River Wild (12 times!), Miller Zoo, Fika.
Andrew 13 unique games for 20 plays. H-index 2. Most played (besides Andrew’s game prototype): Fika, Mandala, Skulls of Sedlec.
SNAP Review – River Wild
Build the best protected lands for mythical creatures in this solo card game by Steve Aramini.
Why this type of game? Because you don’t have to wait for your turn. These games are great for larger numbers of players, and some are also a good fit for younger kids, whose attention spans are still short.
There are a lot of different kinds of games where everyone plays simultaneously.
Categories
Games with a timer or “real-time” games. These can be cooperative (Miller Zoo) or competitive (5er Finden). We also like Fuse, Flatline, 5 Minute Dungeon, and Magic Maze.
Closed drafting games (aka “pick and pass”) like Sushi Go.
Closed bidding or “voting” games like Go Nuts for Donuts (oops! Anitra mentions For Sale, but that is turn-based bidding. A better choice is 6 Nimmt/Take 5).
Matching games like Spot It, Happy Salmon, Funky Chicken, and Throw Throw Burrito.
Most word-guessing games are mostly simultaneous, although many have a “clue-ing” turn and a “guessing” turn. (Just One, Nerd Words, Similo, So Clover, Apples to Apples, Blob Party, Haiclue) Everyone is reacting to a common catalyst and doing their own thinking independently without having to wait for other people.
Fleet: the Dice Game – technically not quite as simultaneous as Merchants of Magick, but we love the simultaneous planning, combos, etc.
Quacks of Quedlinburg – this is a favorite with our family, in part because five people can play all at the same time (with the Herb Witches expansion).
Draftosaurus – this is our favorite drafting game, with cute dino meeples, almost no reading, and scoring that isn’t hard to figure out. In this game, the restrictions make decisions easier, which is great for playing with kids.
Space Team – a real-time cooperative game. Pass “tool” cards around the table to fix problems in front of each player – usually with a lot of frantic yelling.
Very silly and lends itself to sensory overload.
Illiterati – another real-time cooperative game, Illiterati has everyone work to build words and fulfill goals. But because it’s cooperative, everyone can help each other figure out what to make with the letters they have.
We were concerned at first that this made our top five because we played it so recently, but it really is very good.
GIVEAWAY!
Leave us a review on the Apple podcast directory, Google Play (maybe?), or anywhere else you’re able to listen and leave a review, then email us and let us know.
In September, we will pick a winner at random to get a complete set of Holiday Hijinks from Grand Gamers Guild!
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 this or any of the other questions we’ve talked about sound familiar, head over to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers to set up a time to chat and ask your questions directly.
What We’ve Been Playing
Space Base Frosthaven Running Out of Time River Wild Unmatched: Teen Spirit Scott describes playing board games on a cruise – and seeing other people bringing their own games! Splito
SNAP Review – Key to the Kingdom
This “restored” adventure game is great for kids and families. Roll your die, move that number of spaces, and do what it says where you land. Use items and abilities to change your die rolls while you complete adventures and collect key pieces.
Watch the video for Key to the Kingdom or read the transcript of our review.
Scott & Nicole Brady
Nicole and Scott have been doing family-friendly review content since 2008 with their site, SAHMReviews.com. But they started with a wide variety of family-oriented products (when word-of-mouth marketing through mommy blogs was rapidly growing), and very few board games. They cover everything from electronics, to toys, to food.
The reason they started writing about games was similar to what we do at The Family Gamers – they were finding that games were a great way to spend time together as a family, and started writing about games they were picking up at thrift stores.
Their approach was different from what anyone else in the hobby board game industry was doing (and a different audience), so publishers started asking them more and more about reviewing their games.
GAMA
But that’s not all! Nicole is on the board of directors for GAMA, one of the two members from “Media and Events”. This trade organization is for all aspects of the board gaming industry.
Board Game Design
And that’s not all! Scott is a game designer. We love his game boop.
The goal was to take an abstract strategy game, something that many people find intimidating, and put a theme on it that makes it more approachable while also making sense.
Our cats would 100% jump onto the bed and push each other off. Here’s our weirdo cat Felix looking out the window:
It looks like he should fall over, but I can assure you he was well-balanced.
But boop wasn’t Scott’s first published game. He also designed Hues & Cues, which is a party game unfortunately released in 2020. But the publisher (The Op) found a way to market it as playable online.
What’s coming next?
BOOoop – a new version of boop with a Halloween theme and some slight rule changes. Available summer/fall 2023.
beep-boop – another follow up to boop. This time with robots on a hexagonal board – coming in 2024.
If/Then (working name) – a card game from Arcane Wonders. Like UNO but players are trying to figure out what the rules are to shed cards from their hands. One player knows the secret rules and arbitrates whether a card play is valid or not.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 350 – Right-Sizing Your Game Collection
Jul 10, 2023
It’s a milestone episode! This time we’re talking about getting your game collection to the right size. How much is too much? Do you have too many games, too few, or just right?
350 Fact
The real d’Artagnan (later immortalized in The Three Musketeers) died 350 years ago.
Mandala Avant Carde – review out today. Avant Carde is coming to Kickstarter NEXT WEEK! Pandemic Legacy Season 0 Miller Zoo
Monthly Report: June 2023
Andrew: 19 plays of 11 games, H-index: 2 (Avant Carde, Andrew’s prototype game, Dice Hunters of Therion, Jekyll vs. Hyde, Miller Zoo)
Anitra: 40 plays of 24 games, H-index: 3 (Dice Hunters of Therion, Avant Carde, Miller Zoo, Stampfarm, GROVE)
Announcement
TFG podcast is moving to a semi-weekly schedule (every other week). We are still having guests on odd-numbered shows, the format itself is not changing. We just need to step back and do slightly less work every week.
“How many games is too many games? There’s no such number!” … as catchy as that song is, it’s not true.
What does right-sizing your collection mean in terms of size and maintenance? How do you determine what is best for you?
Think about the restrictions of your environment – some people are more restricted by space, some are more restricted by desires and needs of the rest of their family.
What constitutes your collection?
Anitra talks about the way our family’s collection is organized.
Andrew asks about how we make the decisions to refine our collection.
“Am I going to want to [play] this again?” is the very first step. Then we ask ourselves about whether we have other games that do similar things, how much room this particular game needs, etc.
harmwiggins on Threads has very limited room and so “We do all the tricks – expansions in base box, small box versions of games like Azul and Hive, smaller box and similar games preferred over larger – to make it work.”
Recognize what actually makes it to the table in your house – and also what other access you have to games! Does your library lend out games? Do you have good gamer friends who you play with often? Do you attend conventions where you can play other people’s games?
Moving on from a good game does not make it less of a good game!
And take hypotheticals out (“this game would be perfect for this situation that might not ever happen”).
As our kids grow, our collections will change – and that’s OK!
Crowdfunding! When you pledge a crowd-funded project, you are making the decision of “should I add this to my collection” now, but leaving the consequences for future you. Will you have enough space and time when the game finally arrives?
The reason this is hard is because our expectations don’t match reality.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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.
Diatoms (coming soon to Kickstarter) Dice Hunters of Therion Andrew’s prototype Avant Carde (coming soon to Kickstarter!) Shipwreck Arcana Big Top Beer & Bread
SNAP Review – Dice Hunters of Therion
Enter a world of fantasy animal heroes and villains. As a bounty hunter, you want to earn the most money, through warrants and rolling coins on your dice. This dice-rolling game is good for families, up to four players.
Clarence has designed one of our family’s favorite games (Merchants of Magick) and Andrew first met him at PAX Unplugged 2021.
Other published games that Clarence had a hand in designing:
The Wolves (Pandasaurus) Chomp (Allplay)
Let’s talk about design and prototyping!
“Just get it to the table,” is good advice for new designers. But at some point, it’s better to work through decisions before making a prototype (or changing one).
It’s important to present players with interesting decisions. If there’s always an obvious right choice, the decisions might not be interesting.
How did you get into making games?
“Seeds planted as a kid” – crafting a solo D&D dungeon for/with his dad… and also ridiculous fantasy dungeon crawl games.
Clarence forgot about that aspect and focused more on video games for a long time. In fact, his “day job” is in video game development! But a work friend introduced him to Carcassonne and a local board game shop.
Around 2009 he became aware of The Game Crafter. His first game design was an abstract using chess pieces and timers; he just played with co-workers.
Found out that game designers are independent of publishers! Submitted his design to Z-man, who rejected it.
Clarence gave up on board game design for 10 years.
At a small 2019 convention – met up with a game design group (Game Designers of NC) This encouraged him to dive back in.
How did that lead to Merchants of Magick?
Clarence entered the 2019 Gen Can’t game design contest, calling it “Ye Old Magick Shoppe”. He liked the design and started pitching it to publishers.
During the pandemic, Heather O’Neill started running speed-pitch events. 5-7 minutes to pitch game to 10+ publishers – and none of them liked it.
However! Mike from Rock Manor Games looked through all the sell sheets afterwards. He liked the idea and it felt like it fit perfectly into the Set a Watch universe -especially since they were introducing a merchant character.
What about The Wolves?
This is a totally different game. “I like doing different stuff too much.”
Clarence got connected with Ashwin Kamath through a Tabletop Mentorship program.
They decided they wanted to design a game together, and settled on wolves as a theme because of sports mascots – the Minnesota Timberwolves and the NC State “wolfpack”.
There weren’t any other games where wolves were the protagonist.
Tell us about the Merchants of Magick expansion.
Merchants of Magick: Dangerous Business will be coming to Kickstarter late in 2023. It will contain several different modules that you can swap in as you like.
“bundled orders” – 1 enchantment and 2 items, which will be available in a central market (you have to “advertise” to lure them into your store).
“recipes” that will make the potion colors meaningful and give ways around some restrictions.
Eight new adventurers, each of which allows you to do a lot more “requested” items… each one helps your adventurer, because they’re going to fight monsters! This gives a goal for your assigned adventurer to work towards!
Enhanced solo mode with an AI player to feel more like a two-player game.
What’s next?
An expansion will be coming for The Wolves. (Sometime in 2024.)
A Message from the Stars – logic word game coming from Allplay. Scientists are communicating with an alien with single words. Alien is trying to guess the scientists’ secret word, and the scientists are trying to figure out the alien’s secret letter valuations.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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.
Roll the dice and fill your farm with animals! Take a look at this simple roll-and-stamp game from dV Games.
Read the transcript or watch the video of our review.
Magical Games
What are some games we really like with a magical theme?
Elliot likes Magic: The Gathering “it has magic in the name!” He likes being able to play in a way that doesn’t require a lot of strategy (even though he’ll rarely win).
Asher really likes Magic: The Gathering also. “My favorite kind of games are the super-long ones where it feels like you get to do a bunch in them.” There are five colors you can focus on; his favorite combination is blue & red.
Claire loves Merchants of Magick, which is one of Andrew’s favorites too. “it feels different than any other roll and write I’ve played.”
Anitra’s favorite game with magic is Atheneum: Mystic Library (our review). It combines magic with books and how to organize them! It’s about a library, but obviously a magical library, with books moving around and different powers. The books also have hilarious titles.
Love reading those titles!
Andrew almost picks Roll Player, “but that’s a lame answer”. He also thinks about Ethnos and Potion Explosion. In the end he lands on Magic Maze, a cooperative game where you’re not allowed to talk. Every player can move every character, but only in specific directions. Magic Maze really introduced some unique new elements to gaming.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 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 to work with First Move Financial, go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/FamilyGamers and scroll down a bit. There’s a fee calculator on that page, as well as a way to set up a free quick phone call to see if they’re a good fit for you.
Games We’ve Been Playing
Favor: Gods of Oethera (prototype from Lichenwood Games) Miller Zoo (Randolph / Hachette) Avant Carde (prototype from Resonym – coming to Kickstarter in July) Block and Key (Inside Up Games) Stampfarm (dV Games) Power Failure (Artana / Genius Games) Flamecraft (our review) – even better with Levity Games stickers!
SNAP Review – Blob Party
A simple and silly game where you try to match word guesses with as many other players as possible. Squishy dough characters mark each team – squish them together into a MEGA BLOB when you match!
Heather is best known for playing board games on Twitch.
How did you get started in board gaming?
Heather has been playing board games since she was a kid. She loves how board games can bring us together and foster community!
After she was married, a friend of her husband’s introduced her to Castles of Mad King Ludwig. She kept trying more and more games, and started posting pictures of the games to her personal Instagram account.
Where did Board Gaming Mama come from?
Then she created an Instagram account specifically for boardgames, four years ago.
“I started with just the intention of posting pictures and… introducing games to people.”
About a year in, Outset Media sent her a big box of games to play and show off on her channel. This led into reviews, previews, and unboxings.
Why not try streaming, too? It’s a great way to do both board games & video games (starting in January 2021).
In December 2021, her TikTok blew up with an escape room advent calendar.
You mentioned your job. Does that have to do with board games, too?
Whatz Games reached out to Heather in October. She now works in sales for that company, a board game manufacturer.
What’s new with Board Gaming Mama?
Heather intends to start making short set-up / tear-down / turn-order videos to help people enjoy their games. We discuss some of our tips for easier set-up and clean up, like making starter packs.
New Podcast!
Andrew and Heather are both participating in the new podcast The Corner Game Table (formerly Dice Dads). Episode 1 (actually episode 9?) is now available!
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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.
First Move Financial is a financial services firm started by Donnie Carpenter, and his focus is to help normal families work with their finances. This isn’t just investing, it can include investing, but also spending every dollar wisely, knowing when to transition from debt payments to making other important purchases. But mostly, it’s about intelligently navigating the money world. Donnie is a board gamer just like us, so he completely understands the shelf of shame (shelf of opportunity!) You can go to firstmovefinancial.com/FamilyGamers to find out more.
What We’ve Been Playing
Hickory Dickory (from Plaid Hat Games – our review) Dice Hunters of Therion (from Amigo – review coming soon) Jekyll vs Hyde (our review) Blob Party (from WizKids – review coming soon) Power Failure (from Artana/Genius Games) Avant Carde (prototype from Resonym) The Root Beer Float Challenge (from Gray Matter Games – our review)
Monthly Report: May
Andrew: 25 plays of 19 games. H-index 2: Pollen, Busy Beaks, Illiterati, Unmatched, Catch the Moon, and Yokai Sketch.
Word games can be a ton of fun, stretching your brain for ways to make letters fit together, and exercising your vocabulary.
But they can also be really hard. Kids have a smaller vocabulary and aren’t used to re-mixing letter combinations, so they are almost always at a disadvantage when compared to their parents.
“If you want to play word games with your kids, you’re going to have to wait a LONG time before they are ready to play adult-y word games.”
Our goal with Room to Grow is to bring your kids through a series of games that grow in complexity. Normally, we take a beginner game, an intermediate game, and an advanced game. They offer a plan for growth for players to get comfortable with that mechanic.
But this time, we have two games in each category, serving different purposes and playing to different strengths.
For Beginners: What Starts with That Letter? Anomia Kids and Tapple
Anomia Kids is a word game that has NO letters at all. But that’s actually part of the point! Come up with words that start with the same sound as the pictures. It’s a perfect word game to play with beginning readers, identifying sounds. Spelling is not important, and the pictures allow for a lot of flexibility. Read our review of Anomia Kids for more.
Dip a toe into spelling with Tapple. You only need to know what letter a word starts with. You need to come up with words that fit a category, and you can’t use words (or starting letters) that other players have already used. Although players can be knocked out, kids will tend to watch and listen when it’s not their turn, learning more vocabulary and strategy. Like Anomia Kids, this is a “shouting” game, so there’s not much fine motor skill needed. Watch or read our review of Tapple for more.
A Little More: Make Whole Words with Bananagrams and Illiterati
Both of these games involve moving letter tiles around to create whole words.
Bananagrams comes up a lot on the podcast because it’s so open-ended. Kids learn that you can make lots of different words with the same letters, and you don’t have to stay fully committed. Figure out a better use of your letters? Take words apart and re-form them! There’s also a spatial reasoning puzzle involved, combining letters in multiple directions.
Unfortunately, players with larger vocabularies will have a distinct advantage in Bananagrams, and it’s hard to handicap it to level the playing field.
How about a cooperative game instead? In Illiterati, you want to use all your letters. But you can share them with the rest of the players, and even help each other make words. Every player will also need to fulfill words that meet an individual goal.
There’s a little bit of theme added to Illiterati – you’re trying to create books and defeat the evil “illiterati”; we love how this theme ties to the word game without getting in the way or slowing it down. We wouldn’t play this with a beginning reader, but any kid who can handle chapter books should be able to play and contribute meaningful choices in this cooperative game.
Advanced Word Games for Serious Competitors: I Can Make Better Words Than You, with Wordsy and Paperback
Wordsy is a word game by Gil Hova that’s stripped down to essentials – make big words that use the available letters and try to get the most points. Do it quickly, because the first player to finish their word gets a bonus! Unfortunately, Wordsy is currently out of print. You can probably find a used copy if you’re interested.
Want even more “game” in your word game? Paperback is a word game that’s also a deck-building game! Draw a hand of cards from your deck; make a word with some or all of those letters, worth some amount of money, which you immediately use to buy more letter cards (with powers to use in future rounds). You also have the option to buy wild cards, which do not help you get money, but are the primary source of end-game victory points. Paperback is also available as as a mobile app, and a new 10th anniversary edition coming soon.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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’d like to have a free conversation to help you understand how to do some due diligence on a charity before making a donation go to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers and schedule a 15 minute phone call.
Can speed arithmetic be fun? It can when you’re cooperating to complete a larger goal! That’s the idea in Math Rush. We review Volume 1: Addition and Subtraction.
We first became aware of Emma after playing Abandon All Artichokes. This is the easiest deck-building game to explain to a new player.
Abandon All Artichokes was “name-first design”. Emma was trying to do more game design around 2016 and came up with a list of alliterative names. “I would buy that game!” Seemed obvious that it needed to involve the trashing part of deck-building.
In Starry Night Sky, players “discover” new constellations as they move across the board. It reminds us a bit of Ticket to Ride, but no one “owns” anything on the board. Instead, you’re rewarded for making specific discoveries, but everything you add to the board helps the other players.
Not many competitive games reward cooperation – we like to see it!
Some people will try to go off on their own, and in this game, that will not be as successful as players who stay near each other. It also makes us think of Deep Sea Adventure in that way.
Emma’s philosophy of game design is to keep trying new things rather than stay in one niche. She looks for “feelings of delight” and “aha moments”. But accessibility and approachability are important – anyone should be able to learn and play.
Where did your desire to design board games come from?
When she started dating her boyfriend (now husband), he was desigining a board game, and introduced her to local meetups and resources.
In 2015, she designed Heartcatchers as a Valentine’s Day present for him. “It was literally construction-paper-cutout hearts, and the cards were construction paper…” and it was fun, and good! (It has recently been re-vamped and re-released as Squabblin Goblins.)
Emma had played video games for years and a had an education in product design. After some refining & testing, a publisher who happened to be in the playtesting groups approached Emma because they were looking for a small-box game.
The Kickstarter was successful. “I’m a game designer now!” But it was harder to come up with another design. Her second game was a storytelling game that was not as successful. After having bounced around to different career options, she decided that board games were going to be her thing, and she would work at it.
What advice do you have for an aspiring board game designer?
In the past, Emma would have suggested finding a design/playtest community. While it’s good to learn from other people, it can be limiting. People who have a lot of experience in this field can try to force others into their perspective.
Instead, play with people who like playing games and want to have fun! (Friends, family, etc.)
It’s okay to make a game that’s really just for your friend group.
“Make the game, and play the game with people.”
Games are mostly about making rules for people to follow.
Emma loves blacksmithing! First tried in high school and recently discovered classes for adults in Seattle.
Plants! Now that she has a house with a yard, there are decorative plants, garden plants, a raised bed, etc. “I can get obsessive and kind of research-based on all these things…”
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 344 – Top Games for Six Years Old
May 29, 2023
Episode 344
Top Games for 6 Years Old
344 fact
344 people worked together to lift and move a barn 115 feet in Bruno Nebraska, 1988.
Sponsor message
If you want to talk to someone about your natural money instinct – and what that means for your investments – reach out to First Move Financial by going to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers and schedule a time to talk.
What We’ve Been Playing
Math Rush (Genius Games) Illiterati (Gap Closer Games) Metro X (Gamewright) – our review Save Patient Zero (Helvetiq) – our review. We like it, but it’s a fight to enjoy the game. Yokai Sketch (Devir) – audio review below. Dead of Winter – Warring Colonies variant Nerd Words: Science! (Genius Games)
Andrew and Anitra are hunting for Japanese forest spirits – but only so they can make the best drawings of them. This two player game lets both players scheme and strategize to claim the best Yokai cards.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 343 – Talking Games with Jeremy Howard
May 22, 2023
343 is practically synonymous with Halo. But where did 343 come from? 343 Guilty Spark was the Monitor that you meet in Halo 1. 343 Industries, Microsoft Game Studios‘ internal-build team tasked with managing the Halo franchise, is named in reference to 343 Guilty Spark. Also, 343 is equal to 73
Sponsored by First Move Financial: If you want help looking at your 401(k)s to make sure you’re not overpaying go to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers to set up a time to chat.
What We’ve Been Playing
Isofarian Guard (Sky Kingdom Games – solo game or 2 player co-op) Hickory Dickory (Plaid Hat Games) – “My first Tzolk’in” Unmatched: Teen Spirit & Unmatched: King and Country (Restoration Games) Federation (coming from Eagle-Gryphon) Busy Beaks (JOEY Games) – and a side conversation about less plastic in games. Jeremy works for a manufacturer (Rawstone) and they’re seeing a push for more eco-friendly options, especially in the packaging. Roller Coaster Rush (Pandasaurus) – review coming next month
SNAP Review – Pollen
Pollen is a re-theme of a Reiner Knizia game, now with beautiful flowers, bug tokens, and bug “scoring meeples”. Plant flowers in the right spot to attract the pollinators to YOUR cards instead of your opponents’.
Jeremy always has insight on the hotness, but today, we’ll focus on games that are currently (or about to be) available in retail.
Dice Manor (Arcane Wonders) – bid for blueprints with dice, expand your manor, and give tours. Qawale (Gigamic) – a fabulous 2 player abstract game. Earth (Inside Up Games) – doing a lot of things that other games do, but put together beautifully. And you will score LOTS of points.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 want to talk to an expert about prioritizing your goals and saving for the future go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/FamilyGamers to set up a meeting.
What We’ve Been Playing
Galaxy Trucker (working on review for the expansion) Starry Night Sky Roll to the Top Numbsters & GROVE Roll through the Ages: The Bronze Age Pollen (incomplete – learning game)
Monthly Report: April
Anitra: 47 plays of 21 unique games. H-index a surprising FOUR (Roll to the Top, Numbsters, Anomia, Home Sweet Home or not) – RttT & Numbsters each EIGHT times. A bunch of Green Team Wins hosted.
Andrew: 21 plays of 13 games. H-Index is 3 (Anomia, Unmatched, Roll to the Top). Also hosted a bunch of Green Team Wins not counted. (We can’t wait for Green Team Wins to come to Target!)
Anitra is trying a new challenge in May – to play a unique game for every day of the month (31 total).
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 341 – GAMA and Skybound Update with Matt Faulisi
May 01, 2023
Thanks so much to Matt Faulisi for coming on the podcast! We talk about what we’ve been playing and upcoming games from Skybound.
341 Fact
Edmund Halley is best known for charting a comet, but he also discovered 341 stars only visible in southern hemisphere!
Sponsor Message
First Move Financial offers financial planning for all stages of life, and they ask, “What’s Your First Move?”. You can go to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers and set up a free 15 minute call, today.
Travel
First, GAMA – which is a retailer & distributor conference. Then Matt traveled to the Skybound office in LA. Next, Toronto!
Andrew & Anitra were in Breckenridge, Colorado, and then Andrew traveled to North Carolina.
Games We’ve Been Playing
Revive (Aporta / Devir) Green Team Wins – a favorite at Andrew’s company gathering. Currently out of stock but should be coming to Target soon! Numbsters (linked below) Anomia (see our reviews for Anomia Pop Culture and Anomia Kids) Wild Tiled West (from Dire Wolf) – coming later this year Freshwater Tank Birds of a Feather: Western North America Earth
SNAP Review – Numbsters
Did you know that 7 “ate” 9? Try to keep eating every number in the deck in this fast-moving and compact solo game from Button Shy.
Skybound is no longer partnered with Druid City Games. They had partnered to make games like Tidal Blades, Sorcerer City, and Wonderland’s War. (See James Hudson & Druid City Games for updates on those.) So now Skybound is back to small, party-like games: Superfight, Trial by Trolley, etc.
New games coming this year!
Whine Night (available now) Boo-ty Call – “Mysterium meets Skyfall” best for 17+ (available now) No Context (from Mr. Lovenstein) – feels a little like Similo and a little like Joking Hazard – coming in May (pre-order here) Trial by Trolley expansion “Travel by Trolley” – coming in June Kiss the Goblin – indicate your (randomly selected) alignment by answering a prompt – coming in July Pirate Tails – squirrels hiding nuts with set-based scoring
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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.
Castle Panic (Big Box) Home Sweet Home (or not) – review linked below Roll to the Top: Journeys (review coming soon) Fire Tower – enjoy the “shadow of the wood” that makes it possible for knocked-out players to win Suspects (final case) Mouse Cheese Cat Cucumber (review out now) Fruition Numbsters Roller Coaster Rush Galaxy Trucker (our review)
For Science!
Hot Tamales Fierce Cinnamon Peeps
Surprisingly good! If you want to try them yourself, look at your local grocery store’s Easter clearance, or find them on Amazon.
SNAP Review – Home Sweet Home (or not)
The concept behind this game system is cute and welcoming, but the typos and component issues left us out in the cold. Why didn’t Home Sweet Home (or not) live up to its potential?
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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.
Welcome our favorite guest “on the 39s”, James Hudson! We talk with James about what makes a great game and what else is coming for Druid City Games.
339 Fact – in the most recent summer Olympics (Tokyo 2021), there were 339 medal events across 33 sports.
Sponsor Message – First Move Financial helps us understand how you can test your budget to determine if you can afford to buy a house. If you want to talk through your specific situation and how to achieve your goals, set up a time to talk at FirstMoveFinancial.com/FamilyGamers today.
What We’ve Been Playing
Patchwork Star Wars: Destinies Flamecraft Marvel Zombies: A Zombicide Game Strike Dice Manor Santorini Home Sweet Home (or Not) – review coming soon Oh My Brain – review linked below Rolled West Night of the Ninja
We talk about learning game rules and playing “familiar” games where we don’t have to think so hard about learning. It’s a good idea to come back to old favorites with your family and not constantly make them learn new games.
Lots of games are good, but let’s push for great games – including great, intuitive rules. Because only the truly great games will stick around.
And we remind each other that even good games are a pretty good value for your money.
SNAP Review – Oh My Brain
Escape the zombie animals by playing cards from your hand and your “cemetery” so that you don’t lose your brains!
Tidal Blades 2 – is a campaign dungeon crawl based on a card grid w/deck building between sessions. Late pledging is still open for this one, too. Hopefully delivering by the fall of this year.
Bloodstone will come to crowd funding once those two are “on a boat”.
A Wonderland’s War expansion is in development, and there’s more content in the works for Tidal Blades 2, if it’s popular enough to make that worth it.
Unfortunately, from a publisher perspective, expansions aren’t always worth it! (Sorcerer City could have an expansion, but not enough people would buy it.)
Supply chain talk… we don’t expect to see “normal” for another year.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 338 – Top 10 Games for 3 Year Olds
Apr 10, 2023
Our first installment of a new series – top ten lists grouped by age. This week: our top picks for 3 year olds!
(Don’t care about the podcast? Here’s the Top Ten list with pictures and links.)
338 Fact
Acadia National Park is a premier bird watching location with 338 recorded species of birds.
Let’s turn off more lights at night (especially along the coastline) to be kind to the birds.
Sponsor Message
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The short answer is “it depends”. Owning a home isn’t for everyone, but if you want help talking through whether it makes sense for you, set up a free phone call by going to FirstMoveFinancial.com/FamilyGamers today.
What We’ve Been Playing
KaPOW! (Wise Wizard Games) Pirate Blast! (review included below) Unmatched: Houdini vs. The Genie (our review) Oh My Brain (25th Century Games)
(What to look for. What can a 3-year-old reasonably be expected to handle in a game?) (Do we talk about this now or afterwards?) – Pattern matching, simple dexterity, NO READING but you would be surprised what children can remember!
Top Ten “Little Kid” Games We Recommend for 3 Year Olds:
1. Roll & Play (several variations, but our favorite is from Thinkfun) 2. My Very First Games: Rhino Hero Junior (our review) 3. My Very First Games: Animal Upon Animal Junior (our review) 4. Spot It 5. Memory matching games. Our kid tester loved Smoosh and Seek Treehouse. 6. Don’t Break the Ice (or knockoffs like Protect the Penguin) – we think it’s worth it to put up with the noise of hammer-on-plastic and needing an adult to set up. Andrew loves how games like Hammer Time build on this concept. 7. Suspend Jr. – we’ve been playing this since our youngest child was 3 years old, and he took to it right away. 8. Dragomino – match up the tiles, get dragon eggs. Similar to Kingdomino, but with a lot of luck added to level the playing field. 9. Dragon’s Breath – ultimately this is a dexterity game, and the rules specify how to make it more luck-based with younger children. (When we first tried it, Elliot was 5, and it gets better as kids get older.) 10. Turtle Splash – this combination of memory and dexterity is another game that encourages adjusting the difficulty across ages, and gets even better as kids get older.
Honorable mentions:
Go Away Monster (no longer in print) Hisss (no longer in print) Zitternix (no longer in print)
Family Games You Might Not Expect a 3-Year-Old to Play:
Zombie Dice – it’s a very simple press your luck game. Our kids all played this at ages 2-3.
Strike – again, simple dice-rolling and press your luck.
Kingdomino – we handicap this when playing with very young children; they don’t have to follow the 5×5 restriction.
Go Nuts for Donuts – Elliot, our youngest, learned to play this at age 3½. The excellent graphic design made it so that a non-reading kid could still play in an enjoyable way.
Don’t forget: Playing games with kids is about having fun!
From the community:
We keep hearing great things about these games, but we have never played them:
Richard Scarry’s Busytown Eye Found It (semi-cooperative seek-and-find game) Hoot Owl Hoot My First Orchard
Of the 26 games that ended up in the poll, the biggest winners were My First Animal Upon Animal, Go Away Monster, Don’t Break the Ice, My First Orchard, Sneaky Snacky Squirrel, Dragon’s Breath, and Hoot Owl Hoot.
Alex wrote in to suggest 3 games that ALL of his grandchildren like to play, even playing it together at ages 3, 5, and 9: Roll & Play, Cranium Cariboo, and Loopin’ Louie.
Laura told us about rule-shifting to make Go Away Monster more interesting as an adult.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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.
This week, we’ve got interviews from PAX East 2023, “For Science” and our March monthly report.
337 Facts
337CE is the year that Constantine died. His sons split up the Roman empire into three parts later that year.
Ten artists and three Imagineers worked full-time for 18 months to create the 337 animal carvings on The Tree of Life. Sculptors had between five to eight hours to create each finished animal image before the plaster hardened.
Sponsor Message
First Move doesn’t sell insurance, but they can help point you in the right direction and help you interpret the policies you currently have. To schedule a call with First Move go to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers.
What We’ve Been Playing
Avant Carde (deck-building game from Resoynm, hopefully out within a year) Starry Night Sky (by Emma Larkins – review coming this spring) Next Station London Imagine (out of print) – somewhat like Cloud Control, but the categories are harder and the cards are cooler. Strike – just plain fun. KaPow (Wise Wizard – review coming this spring) Azul HerStory (our review) boop (review included in this episode)
The Monthly Report – March
Anitra: 58 plays of 38 games. H-index 3 (Dice Cards, Across America Fluxx, Ecosystem Coral Reef, Strike, Heist)
Andrew: 28 plays of 24 games. H-index 2 (Across America Fluxx, boop, Ecosystem Coral Reef)
For Science!
We try the “Reese’s Big Cup with Reese’s Puffs”.
We have mixed feelings: it’s better than some of the other options (the potato chip Reeses was weird), but we’d prefer most other kinds instead.
… and a discussion of eating Kit Kats like a rebel.
SNAP Review – boop
Kittens are adorable jerks – channel your inner kitten in this cute game by Scott Brady and published by Smirk & Laughter. Bounce each other off the bed while trying to line up your own kittens and cats.
Glitch Squad – a party game where you’re trying to guess words but “Glitch” gets to change one of the clues before you see them! Based on forensic science.
Pollinators such as butterflys, bees, dragonflies, etc. and unusually shaped tiles. Match colored flower petals and spend them to enclose the pollinators.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 336 – Most Played Board Games
Mar 27, 2023
Episode 336 Most Played Board Games
In our Family Gamers Community chat, we’ve been asked to make some lists for the podcast. So this week will be the board games that we play the most.
336 Fact
Alexander the Great became the leader of Macedonia in 336 BCE.
Sponsor Message
First Move Financial answers a listener question about insuring board games. If you want to ask First Move your questions, schedule a free meeting with them by going to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers.
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.
Most Played Games with Kids
Our top most-played games that we usually play with one or more kids.
Anitra’s Drop It, Similo, Panic Island, and Kingdomino. Santorini should probably be on there too, replacing Panic Island, which Anitra hasn’t actually played since 2020 (but she used to play it a LOT).
Andrew’s: Drop It, Similo, and Quacks of Quedlinburg.
These are games that kids can easily join, either because they allow drop-in or because they’re very fast.
Games our community plays a lot with kids: My First Castle Panic King of the Dice Sushi Go Spot It Guess Who (we recommendDinosaur Tea Party instead) Sleeping Queens Zombie Kidz Evolution Ghost Fightin’ Treasure Hunters Disney Princess Cupcake Game Doggy Go Azul Harry Potter Codenames UNO
Most Played without Kids
Real-life, in person games most often played without any children.
Anitra’s: Tussie Mussie and then solo games like Grove, Sprawlopolis, and A Gentle Rain.
From our community: Marvel Champions Gloomhaven and all its spin-offs My Hero Academia Fantasy Realms Claim Arboretum Wingspan Pandemic (and Pandemic Legacy) – or maybe Pan Am? That’s Pretty Clever Sleeping Gods The Mind Deep Sea Adventure
What about on Board Game Arena?
Anitra’s most played on BGA: surprisingly, NOT 6 Nimmt! (AKA “Take 5” in the US). But it’s actually Abandon All Artichokes. Although both are over 100 plays.
Andrew’s most played on BGA: 7 Wonders Duel, Happy City, and Barenpark.
Who Beats Who?
Andrew always beats Anitra at Unmatched. (We can’t wait to see Unmatched: Tales to Amaze – cooperative against a villain!)
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 need help figuring out how to get that engine started, First Move Financial might be able to help. Head over to FirstMoveFinancial.com/familygamers and see how First Move Financial can kick start your financial engine today.
What We’ve Been Playing
Stationfall (by ION Games – listen to our interview with Jon Manker) Finger Guns at High Noon HerStory (Underdog Games – review coming very soon) Save Patient Zero (Helvetiq) Challengers (Z-Man) homemade games! Bohnanza our kids are moving on from Ghost Fightin’ Treasure Hunters & HEIST Bonsai (dV Games – coming this summer)
SNAP Review – Ecosystem: Coral Reef
We always love finding games that are both educational AND genuinely fun. Ecosystem is a card-drafting game in which every player is trying to build the most valuable “food web” with the animals that live in and around a coral reef.
So, how do you cook broccoli? Roast in the oven, grill it, steam it?
Steaming broccoli is something for which everyone has slightly different methods and standards. Janelle watches it as it cooks, looking for the right color. Mark uses a specific process and a timer.
But sometimes following directions exactly as written doesn’t get you the results you want…
We’re not actually here to talk about cooking, though. How does this turn into board game publishing?
Mark was trying to come up with a name for the publisher. Not an adjective-animal combo. Maybe a verb phrase! They settled on “How to Steam Broccoli” to indicate “just enough, and not too much” content development.
Tether
This is a card game that uses a mirror-deck. Every card has two two-digit numbers – which are “mirrors” of each other (eg. 09 and 90).
Connect the astronauts numerically in groups – one player (or team) is connecting vertically and one is connecting horizontally. Sometimes you can even connect groups!
The art is pretty cool, too: five different “types” of characters, but with variations.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 334 – Noisy Games: Extra Fun or Parents’ Nightmare?
Mar 13, 2023
Episode 334 – Noisy Games: Extra Fun or Parents’ Nightmare?
This week’s topic is polarizing! 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? Maybe you just barely tolerate them…
334 Facts! On February 16, 2023, Family Gamers Community member Stephanie had to tell her 7 year old to put her dirty socks in the hamper 334 times before that task actually happened.
But seriously, there are 334 million people in the United States, according to https://www.census.gov/popclock/
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What We’ve Been Playing
We played a ton at Tantrum Con, and some more last week:
Key to the Kingdom (Restoration Games) Coconuts (Underdog Games) Similo (Horrible Guild) Blueprints of Mad King Ludwig (Bezier Games) Berried Treasure (Restoration Games) Asking for Trobils (see, Mike?) Velonimo (25th Century Games – review coming soon!) Gasha (25th Century Games) Control (Keymaster Games) Splendor Duel – inspired by last week’s episode! GROVE – on an airplane tray table Unmatched Wildtails MicroMacro: Crime City Lacrimosa, played solo – read the review Gift of Tulips (Weird Giraffe Games) Anomia Tongue Twisters deck (a free print-and-play!) Maul Peak (Pencil First Games) – we’ve been looking forward to this ever since our preview. Naked Court Starship Captains (CGE) – a lot of setup and it feels just a little too short. Dice Cards (CardLords) – coming to Kickstarter soon
February Monthly Report
Andrew & Anitra both have H-index of 3.
Most played: Similo, KuZOOka, Wildtails, Wonder Woods, Unmatched
Almost half of our plays for the month happened at TantrumCon!
SNAP Review – Wildtails: A Pirate Legacy
We love how clever this game is; creating replayability through multi-use cards and scenarios, and upgradability through stickers and special abilities.
This week’s topic was suggested by Claire, our daughter. Mall Madness: Littlest Pet Shop Edition (featured during the intro) used to be her favorite game when she was young.
We all have some kind of noisy games in our house that drive us nuts. But they’re not all bad.
Cons of Noisy Games:
They can drive us nuts. Especially if you’re not playing the game – you may feel like listening to it is inflicted upon you.
You can’t play noisy games in an environment that needs quiet. (Like after your kids go to bed – whoops!)
From our community:
Courtney White “sounds like games to avoid”
Stephanie Nye hates Bugs in the Kitchen. The little nano Hexbug makes a surprising amount of noise when it’s in the game box. It’s really grating. (Other community members agree.)
Really chaotic games (Hungry Hungry Hippos…) are just so loud.
Pros of Noisy Games:
They can be more engaging, because the noise MAKES you pay attention to the game. It can add to the fun with aural feedback for doing the right or wrong things.
This is also true with app-assisted games like Beasts of Balance. Although at least with an app, you can adjust the volume.
Many people enjoy Perfection for this reason – Anitra is not a fan.
Operation is an even older “electronic” game that gives immediate sound feedback.
What about games that are loud even without electronics? We think of Jenga, Click Clack Lumberjack, and Hungry Hungry Hippos.
Many community members mentioned liking the Taboo buzzer – and we’ve seen the same thing when our kids play Poetry for Neanderthals. It’s fun to be the person who gets to give that immediate negative feedback.
What about large amounts of dice (Boggle) or the Pop-o-matic bubble from Trouble? (Note: other games have used the Pop-o-Matic, but all are out of print except Trouble.)
We have really enjoyed Tapple, which is loud in multiple ways: a ticking timer, clicky levers, and shouting out words!
There are different kinds of noisy games!
Sometimes noise is made by physical components, sometimes by electronics, and some games encourage shouting.
There’s been a huge renaissance in sound-effect and voice-acted games. We’re thinking about Stop Thief, Familiar Tales (fully narrated!), or Return to Dark Tower. These become more of a media experience or interactive audiobook.
The Hearmees is almost the opposite. It’s a game about LISTENING, so everyone needs to be very quiet while the “supervisor” draws on a scratchy board.
And the idea of putting sounds in games is still evolving!
Games with Shouting:
Poetry for Neanderthals Spaceteam Pit (the shoutiest game!)
Is There a Place for Noisy Games?
We think so.
We quickly mention HEIST, an electronic-talking game that our family really enjoys. (And you have to stay quiet to listen to the voice!)
Lest you think all noisy games are for kids, don’t forget about Atmosfear, a video/app driven board game with a horror theme.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 :)
Send weird foods “For Science”! to: The Family Gamers 60 Auburn St. # 528 Auburn, MA 01501
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 333 – Board Game Cruises, Cons, and More, with Monica Rasso
Mar 06, 2023
Board Game Cruises, Cons, and More with Monica Rasso
333 Fact – We talk about the 3-3-3 rule for adopting a rescue dog.
Sponsor Message – If you need to talk about other ideas to get started budgeting, set up a call with First Move by going to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers today.
What We’ve Been Playing
Furnace Splendor Duel… and a quick digression in to reading rulebooks (or novels) vs watching videos (or listening to audiobooks) Fruition HEAT: Pedal to the Metal Sauscharf – as anticipated in episode 327! HerStory – Underdog Games has a crazy sale on it this month – $19.19! Agueda – 3 days left on Kickstarter!
SNAP Review – KuZOOka
Cooperate to get the animals out of the zoo in this unique game. Like Liars’ Dice, you need to make a guess that is plausible across everyone’s hands. Like a rogue-like videogame, you’ll need to get better over multiple rounds to beat the game.
Monica runs a ton of board game events (and some non-board game ones, too). Like what?
Tantrum Con
Monica met Will, Ryan, and Kevin at a smaller con (Mega Moose Con in SC). They had been running a free game day with 200+ people and were starting to think about running a “real” convention.
Monica had already volunteered at other game conventions and even been the general manager for one.
So she sat down and met with the whole Tantrum House team and they decided to plan out a board game convention that used everyone’s strengths.
This year: ended up at 750 attendees, sold out and had to turn people away! This means they’ll be moving to a larger facility next year.
Cruise: Meeples at Sea
Met ladies at Dice Tower Con when she was volunteering there. “We do a board game cruise!” Monica went on it, it was about 100 people and a lot of work.
So much work that the two women running CruisieCon asked Monica to become their cruise director!
Monica wanted to do more, so she started Meeples at Sea to run a board game cruise at a different time of year… and then post-COVID it merged with CruisieCon.
What is it? A game convention – on the water. Food, activities, travel is all included. And of course, lots of games. A full week at the best price they can get!
Proto ATL
ProtoATL is a convention dedicated to playing prototype games!
Andrew Smith (Andy) from Gold Seal Games was running a mass-prototyping event out of a breakroom at PSi (a distribution & fulfillment company). Designers would have to leave and go to a hotel overnight and come back in the morning.
“What if we could do it all in one location?” This would allow food, staying late night to keep gaming, etc.
Now ProtoATL is in the Westin Buckhead in downtown Atlanta.
What is it? “The business side of gaming.”
Publishers come, designers (and some playtesters) buy badges. All about getting feedback on game prototypes! There are also seminars, networking, and other kinds of help for upcoming game designers.
Naturally, one of the sponsors is The Game Crafter, making lots of pieces available for prototyping.
One Last Thing…
Table-flipping is an awesome feature of Tantrum Con.
Monica manages one other convention: Game & Party Con in Jacksonville, FL.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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.
The Tuskeegee Airmen were a group of primarily African American military pilots and airmen who fought in World War II. The name refers to the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group, as well as all the support personnel associated with both groups.
Sponsor Message
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What We’ve Been Playing
We played more games in the last 3 days than we had played for over a week before that!
Unmatched: Houdini vs. The Genie – we really need to try these characters against some of our other Unmatched sets. Wildtails: A Pirate Legacy Matching puzzle game and Pictionary – we crushed it! KuZOOka Wonder Woods – mushrooms! Scribbly Gum
SNAP Review – Scribbly Gum
We love this all-ages flip-and-write game from Phil Walker-Harding. It’s currently only available in Australia, but we hope it will go around the world soon!
Normally, we ask you for Backtalk (although we won’t take it from our kids…) This week, we wanted to answer listener questions, and you gave us plenty!
Family Gift with Widely Different Interests
Adam asks about what would make a good gift for a family with preteens. The girl likes Tiny Towns and Dream House and the boy likes D&D-styled games (Small World, Castle Panic)?
Anitra recommends: Merchants of Magick has a theme that bridges the gap! You’re creating magical items that adventurers would use in a fantasy adventure setting and the variety of dice also lean into the theme.
Andrew also recommends Adventure Mart and Flamecraft, which are both very cute. Adventure Mart has you run a cute (and complex!) shop. Flamecraft has you collecting all kinds of resources… with dragons!
Anitra also recommends Quacks of Quedlinburg which has a fantasy theme but is entirely different style. Simply building your own bag and potion(s).
Games with Longevity
Shaun asks for games that you can play with little kids and still continue to enjoy as they grow up.
Our community immediately recommended Drop It and Karuba.
These have to be games that have simple mechanics and little or no reading, but won’t get stale. “Single flip” games (like Karuba) let parents model what to do with little kids.
Anitra recommends some games that the family has been playing since the kids were little: Kingdomino, Onitama, and Lanterns: The Harvest Festival. All of these are a stretch for a younger kid, but which they’ll grow into more over time. All three of these have expansions you can add if they start to feel stale later.
Dexterity games are also great for this, but what kind of dexterity is good depends on your family. We love Drop It and stacking games (in particular, Beasts of Balance), but flicking games have not lasted for us.
Smart Kid, Short Attention Span
Stephanie asks about games that have more involved mechanics but minimal set up and quick game play.
Andrew recommends Scout – it flows quickly and feels similar to UNO with more challenge.
Anitra recommends games that go quickly and can build strategy or add new ideas game after game: Kingdomino Origins, Zombie Kidz Evolution.
Andrew also recommends abstract games like Quarto that stay short.
What about Draftosaurus (plays fast, low setup) or Panic Island (literally 60-second play time!)?
Game for a Deserted Island
JP of the Whose Turn is it Anyway Podcast asks for a recommendation for “4 people stranded on a deserted island with no power and limited chance of rescue to try and stave of the thought of eating each other over time?”
Andrew says Cinco Linko – it won’t get damaged by sun, sand, or water… and the pieces kind of look like candy. So you’ll be tempted to eat the pieces before you eat your friends. ;)
Anitra recommends: NO food-themed games! How about 7 Wonders, which you can play over and over again and try different things every time?
Side note: we like the idea that all the Matt Leacock cooperative games are linked: Mole rats escape the sinking island (Forbidden Island), crash the helicopter into the desert (Forbidden Desert), dig up the rocket, then fly from the sky islands (Forbidden Sky) to the snake-infested space station (Space Escape, AKA Mole Rats in Space).
Story or Campaign in a Light Fantasy World
Mark tells us that his girls love Flamecraft but want to try something with more of a story, but staying away from anything too dark. He asks about Hogwarts Battle, CoraQuest, and My City specifically.
Andrew recommends kid-focused RPGs such as No Thank You Evil, Magical Kitties Save the Day. Robit Riddle is another great storytelling game that doesn’t need a dungeon master. If you want a more strongly guided adventure, you might like Stuffed Fables (although our family struggled to get into it.)
We enjoy My City, but there’s no story there, so it’s probably not the right choice for this situation.
Hogwarts Battle or Toy Story: Obstacles and Adventures carry you through a familiar story. But it can get frustrating with how much gets “reset” after each play.
Stephanie asks about mystery and puzzle games for a 7 year old who is a strong reader and has already enjoyed Unlock Kids, Micro Macro Crime City, Junior Detective, etc.
Andrew recommends: Zombie Kidz Flashback (the newest in the Zombie Kidz series) has a lot of mystery solving. Spy Club has a kid-friendly mystery theme, but is probably more than a 7-year-old can handle.
Andrew also recommends The Key series (we reviewed Theft at Cliffrock Villa and Sabotage at Lucky Llama Land), which are logical deduction with a crime-solving theme. Each game has 9 puzzles, but you can definitely replay all of them.
Anitra also recommends The Grimm Masquerade and Dinosaur Tea Party, which ask you to solve a mystery based on information that the other players reveal (like Guess Who?)
More Questions?
Keep reaching out! We love helping families find games that work for them and sharing our recommendations.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 :)
Send weird foods “For Science”! to: The Family Gamers 60 Auburn St. # 528 Auburn, MA 01501
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.
Mike runs the CuseCon convention in Syracuse, is one of the co-hosts of The Full 42, and much more!
331 Fact – Speed of sound at 0*C or 32*F (in dry air) is about 331 m/s.
Sponsor message – If you want to talk about how to set up a budget set up a time to talk to First Move Financial by going to Firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers today.
What We’ve Been Playing
Blue Banana (sort of) which makes us think of Stroop Ecosystem: Coral Reef Lords of Waterdeep – Mike recommends Asking for Trobils Treelings Roll Player
SNAP Review – Featherlight
Do you like collecting feathers? Now you can do it without having to sanitize them first.
Ignore the silly bird on the cover, this game is GORGEOUS! Watch the video or read the transcript of our Featherlight review.
We Like Mike!
We talk about languages for a while…
We met Michael because he runs the CuseCon convention. But that is far from all he does!
Mike was regularly running a board game meetup in Syracuse and expanded it into a full convention in fall 2019.
Also in 2019, Mike reconnected with a local teacher and together they created a game design curriculum for local highschoolers.
After March 2020, “Every Tuesday, we had a livestream” (to continue the work they were doing with board game meetups and the curriculum).
We absolutely love how welcoming CuseCon is, to all ages and all abilities. And they also pull in the highschoolers from the game design course to meet professional game designers! We love that in 2019 a kid asked Alan Moon about staying grounded with the great success of Ticket to Ride…
There’s also a CuseCon Game Designers’ Guild now, in addition to the weekly meetups and yearly convention.
3WS Th3rd World Studios
Best known for their graphic novels (The Stuff of Legend) but Mike fell in love with the board game spin-off, prior to COVID.
Mike says, “I just made a COMMENT” on the Kickstarter about how much he enjoyed the game, and then Mike DeVito reached out to him and asked if he would help out. “You know how you find your tribe?” They’ve now brought Mike into the team as the manager of game development.
The Full 42
This came out of CuseCon meetups (Tuesdays, game design group, etc) being canceled. So Mike started inviting people within the game industry to come and talk to him on a livestream. Chris Strain (Asking for Trobils) came on the show and they had such a great time in their interview and just hit it off. “I can talk about that stuff all day… I could too. Why don’t we?”
They started the show in January 2021. Shortly after they both became friends with Katia Howatson, they both realized that the show was better when she was part of it. Now the three of them regularly co-host the show.
“The Batman Game”
Mike co-designed Batman: The Animated Series – Gotham City Under Siege. It started as an Avengers-themed game for his tutoring students to practice mental math. Mike runs into Richard Launius (designer of Arkham Horror) at some conventions, makes a friendship, and asks him to look at his early prototype… “would you make this game with me?”
They pitched it around and IDW loved it… but couldn’t get Avengers licensing. But would they be interested in retheming it with Batman: The Animated Series? YES!
And being able to design this game led to everything else – CuseCon, game design highschool curriculum, The Full 42, and tons of friendships.
Find Mike Online:
The best place is Discord, either for CuseCon or for 3WS. Look for “GoogsOnTap”.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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.
Sponsored by First Move Financial. 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
Unmatched: Houdini vs. The Genie Featherlight KuZOOka – it feels like Liar’s Dice, but cooperative. Wildtails Turing Machine
The Monthly Report – January 2023
Andrew: 27 games, H-index: 2. Most played: Star Trek Super Skill Pinball (reviewed this week!) Also Chronicles of Avel, Flamecraft, Jekyll vs. Hyde, Featherlight, Fantasy Realms, Turing Machine, Scribbly Gum.
Anitra: 43 games, H-index 3. Most played: Grove. Also Featherlight, and Turing Machine.
Can we split up the family for family game night? This topic was suggested by a listener, interested in the unique benefits and challenges of running two games at once.
Obviously, not every family is going to even think about this question! It assumes at least two adults and multiple kids.
Why, in this case, would you want to split into groups? Because including multiple children means you’re dealing with different ages, interests, and skill levels. “The differences between a 9-year-old and a 6-year-old are pretty substantial.”
We want “family game night” to include interaction across the whole family. Which means it is NOT adults at one table and kids at another. But it doesn’t have to be the game itself that brings the family together! It’s the experience that should bring people together – have the tables next to each other, share snacks, take breaks together.
It’s like running a game night with any other relatively small group (under ten people). You don’t want to frustrate people by forcing them to only play games they don’t like, or with wildly different skill levels. This ties into a question we often get, “How do I get my kid to like games?” Answer: you can’t MAKE them like something. You find something they enjoy and you try to keep it enjoyable.
Explicitly change up partners partway through your family game night. Like square dancing!
Stick with games that are easy to pick up and/or drop out (especially with younger kids). Ideally half an hour or less per game. Party-ish games like Root Beer Float Challenge, Tapple, or Similowork really well for this.
Two or more options will make it easier to find agreement… but you might still find an odd person out. All of the same issues will exist, but multiple games can just make it easier to deal with.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 :)
Send weird foods “For Science”! to: The Family Gamers 60 Auburn St. # 528 Auburn, MA 01501
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.
Sponsor – We learn about Sequence of Return risk, and how it can affect your retirement savings.
Regardless of whether you’re trying to figure out how to start saving for your future, or trying to decide if you can still afford to retire, First Move can help you. To set up either a 15 minute phone call or a 90 minute meeting go to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers today.
What We’ve Been Playing
Crokinole Star Trek: Super Skill Pinball (note: it’s actually species 8472 that can beat the Borg…) Scribbly Gum (surprisingly engaging, from Joey Games!) Hamsterrolle Wildtails: A Pirate Legacy Fantasy Realms MonsDRAWsity Tattoo Stories Flamecraft – feels mostly the same at solo
SNAP Review – Kabuto Sumo
Sumo wrestling beetles? We’re in! Try to push your opponent off the board – and don’t run out of pieces – in this unique dexterity game.
Chad was working at a mobile game company (who made the Robots Love Ice Cream mobile game) around 2016, and he came up with a card game concept based on the mobile game. But then he needed a company name!
Where did 25th Century come from?
Chad has always been a sci-fi & space fan. “25th century” comes up a lot (Buck Rogers, Star Trek, Looney Tunes, etc). The name just feels futuristic.
Is 25th Century Games your full-time job?
Nope! He has a day job too. How does he possibly do it all? He has a lot of help: “It’s not just me, I’m like a mission control.”
What’s coming this year from 25th Century?
Gasha – new to the USA. Based on Japanese toy dispenser machines.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 328 – Room to Grow: Dungeon Crawl Games
Jan 30, 2023
So you love dungeon crawl games like Gloomhaven, but aren’t sure where to start in introducing the genre? We’ve got three (or four) dungeon crawl games that are great for kids. Each one introduces a bit more complexity than the one before.
Turing Machine Lacrimosa (review coming soon) Featherlight (review coming soon) Detecteam Family: One Egg Too Many – a mystery that’s completely family friendly! Reminds us of the Decktective series. Unmatched: Houdini vs. The Genie – can’t wait to review this one! Flamecraft (review soon) Chronicles of Avel (more below)
SNAP Review – Mada
Mada from Helvetiq is a pretty simple press-your-luck game. Look around the table as you ladder up to high-scoring cards – but don’t press your luck too much or you’ll end up busting, and everyone else gets points instead.
In the Room to Grow series, our goal is to help you bring your kids through a series of games with the same main mechanic, starting at a very basic level, then increasing in complexity and building on each other. All of these games are suitable for a family context (so… no Gloomhaven, sorry!)
What is a dungeon crawl game?
Players explore a space (a “dungeon”) that is mostly hidden and gets revealed as they explore. Within that space you find treasure to keep and monsters to fight. The concept came from tabletop roleplaying games (like Dungeons & Dragons), which usually include both plot elements as well as a place to go that involved beating enemies, solving puzzles, and getting treasures. Video games and board games quickly arose that stripped out a lot of the plot and put a big boss somewhere in the “dungeon” that players would need to beat.
Dungeon crawls may have a central plot… or not.
There are also fast-moving games inspired by dungeon crawls: Dungeon Academy, Deadly Doodles.
Dungeon Crawl for Beginners: Quest Kids
Players use the same board layout every time. Instead of “finding a path” through the dungeon, you’re either looking for specific items (in the campaign) or clearing out all the monsters. On your turn, move to a space, and flip over the card in that space.
There’s almost no reading required (except in the campaign, which can be read by a single person in the group), and limited numeracy.
There’s no die rolling or other randomness in whether or not you beat a monster – instead, you examine whether or not you have enough resources, and you can ask for help from the other players! Quest Kids is rated for ages 5+ and we think that’s exactly right. It’s best for pre-reading kids. It can be played completely cooperatively, or as “co-op-etition”: working together to beat monsters, but tracking who scored better at the end of the game.
Unlike Quest Kids, Karak is a tile-placement game. Players dynamically generate the dungeon as they explore.
You must fight monsters to get/upgrade equipment; the game ends when someone defeats the dragon, which requires at least some equipment (and a lot of luck) to beat.
There is a lot of luck in Karak – you roll dice for combat, but also pull new monster tiles randomly from a bag. You never know what you’re going to get. Unfortunately, that means it can also drag (if you start the game pulling hard-to-beat monsters, or roll poorly several times in a row).
Like Quest Kids, there’s very little reading required, and we’ve played it successfully with pre-reading kids.
Karak introduces asymmetric player powers and inventory management. There’s more numeracy required – reading numbers, comparing dice, adding numbers together, and an introduction to probability.
Art-wise, the enemies are still cartoony, but scarier than in Quest Kids.
Thinking about Karak as a good fit for simple dungeon crawls? Read our review.
More Enemies, More Dungeon: Chronicles of Avel
Chronicles of Avel has a rich world, drawing players into the game. It feels like there’s a real reason why you’re fighting the big boss.
Chronicles of Avel introduces enemy spawn points (new monsters will keep showing up on the board), along with traps & blockers. There’s also inventory management (including the ability to swap out weapons/helms/shields as needed).
Fights are still decided by die rolls, but there are many different ways to get/upgrade equipment, leading to more choices. (Use coins to buy a weapon/armor, or gamble, or buy a trap…)
There’s a ticking timer (the round counter) that adds tension – and keeps the game from going too long. The spawn/rest round cycle also encourages players to discuss timing and sequencing.
Unlike the other dungeon crawls, fighting monsters is not really your goal (until the end of the game). Instead, it’s a tool you can use to gain more equipment and abilities to be ready for the end of the game.
CoraQuest is more plot-driven than Karak or Chronicles of Avel but also gives a lot of freedom in how to explore (like Karak). This might be a better choice if having a story keeps your kids more engaged in playing a game. We like it best as a simpler replacement for story-driven games like Mice & Mystics.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 :)
Send weird foods “For Science”! to: The Family Gamers 60 Auburn St. # 528 Auburn, MA 01501
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.
It’s almost Tax Season! Did you know most people pay down debt, pay for mid-sized goals, or save their tax refunds? If you want to talk to First Move abou 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
Horrified and Horrified: American Monsters Jekyll vs. Hyde Three Sisters Turing Machine Imhotep Zombie Kidz Evolution Chronicles of Avel Star Trek: Super-Skill Pinball – Trouble with Tribbles has more player interaction Mada – review coming this week. Gizmos – great but too many icons
SNAP Review – Head Spin
Head Spin is a fast-moving puzzle game for two players. There are ten different kinds of puzzles to solve – can you do them faster than your opponent?
Andrew picked three categories of games: ones we know are coming and are excited for, games we’ve been anticipating for a while, and games that we “want to want” but might not work for us.
Flashback: Zombie Kidz (Scorpion Masque / Hachette) – our kids are going to love it. Entirely different than the other Zombie Kidz games, but set in the same universe with the same characters. Available NOW!
Fit to Print (Peter McPherson & Flatout Games) – use tiles to layout a newspaper front page.
Thunder Road: Vendetta (Restoration Games) – Mad Max road carnage. Nick is looking forward to his Kickstarter arriving.
Steam Up: A Feast of Dim Sum (Hot Banana Games) – we first saw a prototype in 2020. The final version looks fantastic!
Sauscharf (Wolfgang Kramer & AMIGO) – make sets and trade them in to make hot sauce!
Miller Zoo (Randolph / Hachette) – based on a real zoo in Quebec. Cooperatively take care of the animals in the zoo! Appropriate for ages 8+ but with some depth – only 30 minutes and up to 6 players.
Stampfarm (DV Games) – a roll-and-write for little kids! Instead of “writing”, you’ll use stamps based on what you rolled.
Unmatched: Teen Spirit and Unmatched: King and Country (Restoration Games) – Andrew and Anitra want this BAD. We think the various Marvel-themed sets would be a good place to start playing Unmatched with a kid.
Bonsai (DV Games) – build out a bonsai tree with hex tiles.
We “want to want” these two games:
My Island – another legacy game, sucessor to My City.
My City: Roll and Build – another successor, sounds like not a legacy game.
And don’t forget to subscribe to the show and leave us a review! It helps a lot.
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 326 – Anitra Birthday Edition
Jan 16, 2023
We’re celebrating Anitra’s birthday this week! What games does she really want to play?
326 Fact
The fastest speed in a wingsuit (male, FAI-approved) is 326.8 km/h (203 mph), achieved by Chris Geiler (USA, b. Australia) at the 2021 USPA National Championships of Wingsuit Flying in Eloy, Arizona, USA, on 26 October 2021.
Sponsor
Sponsor message – How do you teach your kids about finances? It’s always good to have open honest discussions with your kids, especially if there are lessons you want them to learn. But in addition to that, your kids need the opportunity to practice your lessons while it’s still safe to fail…
If you want to talk about more 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
Fluff (an implementation of Liar’s Dice that we reviewed) Santorini Flashback: Zombie Kidz (A short demo – you can try it too) MicroMacro Crime City Hedgehog Hop (by Seppy Yoon / Fight in a Box) Star Trek Super Skill Pinball (Lower Decks board might be kind of broken.) Fyfe
Giveaway Winners!
The winners of our December giveaways have all received their games – some are even posting on the Facebook community about them!
SNAP Review – Anomia Pop Culture
We really enjoyed this sequel to one of our favorite party games. What’s “anomia”? Well its, uh… I knew it… it was right on the tip of my tongue!
And if you live anywhere near North Carolina, you could come see us at Tantrum Con next month!
Five Games Anitra Wants to Play Right Now
Imhotep – Anitra loves the tactile experience of physically building with blocks. Every player is working towards building Egyptian monuments – but you want to do the best. There’s a little bit of meanness in moving “boats” to bring your opponents’ blocks to places that are not what they planned. We reviewed Imhotep: The Duel, which is a great game, but Anitra still prefers the full game.
Jekyll vs. Hyde (our review) – Two player, adversarial trick-taking, and fast!
Three Sisters – It’s very odd that Andrew likes Fleet: The Dice Game better and Anitra prefers this one. Anitra says “I want to explore it more.”
Turing Machine – “I can’t get enough.” We’ve talked about it a lot in recent episodes.
Endangered (our review) – It’s been a minute since our review. This is the only cooperative game on Anitra’s list, with an interesting dice-worker-placement mechanic, while balancing habitat loss, animal breeding, influencing ambassadors, and making improvements. This isn’t a “hero” game, instead it’s definitely a teamwork game modeled after what people really do. We have all the expansions which leaves us with so much to try!
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 :)
Send weird foods “For Science”! to: The Family Gamers 60 Auburn St. # 528 Auburn, MA 01501
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? First Move is a fee-only firm, which means that until you sign on as a client you’re not paying to talk to them.
If you’re curious what it would cost to get help from First Move you can 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.
Games We’ve Been Playing
Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion Twilight Imperium Warhammer 40K Cartouche Point Salad The Great Split Flamecraft Tigris & Euphrates Quarto Deities … some game about stars (sorry!)… Labyrinth RPG boop Abandon All Artichokes Epic Resort Head Spin
SNAP Review – Quarto
Quarto is an abstract game that’s been winning awards for over 30 years. Why? Because while it is simple to understand, it has several twists that make it challenging to win.
This is a topic that has been top of mind for us lately because our boys were actually interviewed by a writer for the New York Times and they were in the paper on Christmas day, which is pretty amazing.
So Ross, we talked earlier about how you’ve been all over the gaming industry, so we’ll start with that. What’s new with you?
Ross just started working for Cephalofair Games (best known for Gloomhaven) as their marketing and crowdfunding manager.
What are some board game trends you’re currently into?
“Butts in seats” – more people are getting into board games than ever before.
Marketing that is geared towards a wider audience. Example: the new Clue. Asmodee is including an insert in the box of many of their games with a “if you like this, try this” for new gamers.
Licensed games that are targeted and really intentional designs. (eg. A Goofy Movie game, Quests of Yore, Sorcerer’s Arena) Also lots of nostalgia (Clue, HeroQuest, Magic The Gathering /Warhammer crossover etc.) and in reverse – more gamer culture is getting made into movies!
“I want to see a lot of old games reprinted.”
We’d like to see more games that support more than four players! Especially in short games (under an hour) that aren’t party games. Ross mentions Snow Tails.
What is one trend you would like to see die?
Gatekeeping. Stop saying “you don’t belong here, this game isn’t for you.”
Elliot said “board game covers with art that don’t represent the game inside.” Good job, Elliot!
Wife jokes (about hiding your purchases). This exists in a lot of “collecting” cultures (both male & female dominated).
Freaking out about games being in perfect condition. You can be a board game collector, but that’s different than being someone who PLAYS board games. “When you see a board game [on a person’s shelf] that is beat to crap, what’s the adjective that comes to mind? It’s a well-loved game.”
What’s a game you’re excited for in 2023?
Gloomhaven RPG that will be on BackerKit in April.
Relicblade (a miniatures skirmish game) is adding a solo dungeon-crawl mode.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 :)
Send weird foods “For Science”! to: The Family Gamers 60 Auburn St. # 528 Auburn, MA 01501
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.
This week, we’ll talk about our top games of 2022. 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.
The best time to start planning for your holiday spending is right now! 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
Framework (our review – thanks Dave!) Skull Canyon Ski Fest – we have opinions on this one. Mada – very casual and best at 4-5 players. Review coming soon. Anomia: Pop Culture – hilarious with our mix of teens & adults. Flamecraft – super cute, but there’s a lot of game there. Fyfe Starship Captains Quacks of Quedlinburg Drop It – a perennial favorite (our review) Once Upon a Line – better than our previous play. Coming to Kickstarter soon! Beer & Bread – a great 2 player game with multi-use cards and lots of different mechanics that all fit together well. Turing Machine Garden Nation – review coming soon. On Tour: Paris and New York (our review) Quarto Monopoly Deal
The Monthly Report – December
Anitra: 42 unique games, 71 plays. H-index 4. Most played: Quarto, Turing Machine, Star Trek: Super-Skill Pinball, Splitter.
Andrew: 38 total plays. H-index 2. Most played: Anomia: Pop Culture and Turing Machine, along with Garden Nation, Drop It, Unmatched, Mada, Quarto.
The Yearly Report – 2022!
We did NOT complete our family 10×10 challenge. Only four of the games got played 10 times, but every game got played at least 4 times. Next year, we’ll either do a 10×5 or possibly a 20×5. It was really hard to pick games that were easy to get to the table! But we did discover that having a goal like that motivates our kids (Zombie Kidz Evolution and Zombie Teenz Evolution both got a LOT of play for that reason.)
We highly recommend watching our video about this silly family party game.
Play fast challenges using physical components of “the root beer float” to collect ingredients. We guarantee it will get you up and moving!
The Family Gamers’ Top Games in 2022
Each kid picked one.
Elliot: Castle Panic Big Box (review coming in 2023) – because of new art and including all the expansions.
Asher: Santorini (to no one’s surprise) – “a lot of replayability with all the different god powers…”
Claire: Flamecraft (review coming soon) – because of cute dragons and also that they are “working dragons”. Everyone has jobs! Of all the dragon-themed games we’ve played, this gives us the most stuff to do. Also she loves her stuffed dragon “Steak Tips” who is a meat dragon from the game.
Anitra’s top three:
A Gentle Rain – published in 2021, but I first played in February. Magic Mountain – we immediately loved this after first seeing it in March. Jekyll vs. Hyde – SO surprised at this game. I love the way it all ties together with theme and the trick-taking mechanics.
5. Juicy Fruits – the sliding mechanic and “modules” make this really cool. 4. First Rat – incredibly intuitive and simple for what it is: a Euro game that’s approachable for kids! 3. Gutenberg – so smooth! 2. Suspects: Claire Harper Takes the Stage – although the mysteries were very hard to solve, it’s surprisingly great for a family! 1. Turing Machine – as computer scientists, we love this game and are really impressed by how it’s put together.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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.
323 – Play the Game with Daniel and Allison Burrell
Dec 26, 2022
323 Fact! There are 323 international land boundaries in the world (in 2022).
Sponsored by First Move Financial. 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.
What We’ve Been Playing
Splendor Duel Lacrimosa Block and Key Once Upon a Line (prototype) Furnace Gift of Tulips HEAT: Pedal to the Metal Turing Machine
SNAP Review – Winter
Winter (the season) is here in the northern hemisphere. Recreate the freeze-thaw-refreeze cycle with Winter (the game) from Devir.
We talked about Kidsplaining, back in episode 203. But Allison and Daniel have moved to doing a lot more of the videos themselves, and also changed the name of the channel to Play the Game HQ.
The goal of everything they do is to help families play more games without feeling intimidated.
Series on the channel:
Play The Game: “Tabletop without the famous people” – entertaining playthroughs.
Kidsplaining / How to Play videos
1/3/5 reviews: thoughts after 1, 3, and 5 plays.
Unboxings
Holiday season Play Alongs! – Like having a friend teach you & your family how to play, while you play.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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.
322 Fact! What to Skull and Bones, ancient German secret societies, and the Georgia Guidestones have in common? March 22.
Sponsor: Start making plans now to keep your holiday budget under control for next year. Maybe you can do a Secret Santa gift exchange or only give gifts to the children in the family… If you want to talk through other ideas to take some of the stress out of the holidays, set up a time to talk to First Move Financial by going to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers today.
What We’ve Been Playing
Quarto Star Trek: Super-Skill Pinball Splitter Root Beer Float Challenge boop Featherlight (yes, the Potoo bird really does look that weird.)
Games that fit in a pocket (well, sort of) make it easy to play games anywhere. They’re also generally cheap, and so that makes them great to give as small gifts.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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.
Anitra went to PAX Unplugged in Philadelphia last week. What’s the latest and greatest we can expect to see in the coming year?
Fact: 321 makes us think of the old educational TV show 3-2-1 Contact!
Sponsor: If you want to talk through other ideas to take some of the stress out of the holidays set up a time to talk to First Move by going to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers today.
What We’ve Been Playing
Sprawlopolis Green Team Wins (our review) – fun even when we “broke” the game with more players Joan of Arc: Orleans Draw and Write – fun but hard on the eyes Ready Set Bet! Kabuto Sumo – expansion changes it but doesn’t speed it up much Winter Mada – a little better with 3 players. Oh What Fun – review linked below. Head Spin Star Trek: Super-Skill Pinball Castle Panic (new Big Box) Garden Nation Turing Machine
Giveaways!
We have four giveaways starting today and running through Dec 24.
Enter to win any of: The Quest Kids (w/expansion) Aldabas Fyfe Turtle Splash
SNAP Review – Oh What Fun!
Do you like Christmas? Do you like trivia and puzzles? Then you’ll have fun with Oh What Fun! A Christmas-themed party game from Project Genius.
Phantom Ink – seance-themed party game. Can your team guess the secret object with clues from the spirits? Available now.
Retrograde – “Yahtzee dice chaos” with a Space-Invaders theme. Roll doubles to blast invaders and also get special target cards to expand your abilities. Fulfilling to Kickstarter backers now, available in stores soon.
The Finest Fish – tile placement on a goldfish! Make patterns and clusters of scales on your personal goldfish – available soon.
Life of a Chameleon – move a chameleon around the board to eat bugs that match your color, in a certain order to complete objective cards. Of course, you’ll need to change your color to eat the right bugs! Available now.
Key to the Kingdom – the original game came out in 1990. Roll dice, move around the board… But the board opens up with big flaps to give you new areas to explore!
Nations & Cannons is a campaign setting for D&D. This lets you play a completely historic setting using the D&D framework – or combine it with traditional D&D elements for a supernatural campaign. Nations & Cannons walks through the early Revolutionary War in the colonies, with roles such as Officer, Renegade, Pioneer, etc. and pulling in real characters from American history.
Even the items, armor, spells (ie “gambits”), and enemies have been re-imagined to work in a 18th century historical setting.
Keep an eye out for their coming Kickstarter in February for a campaign module covering the first half of the Revolution (seige of Boston through Valley Forge).
Weird Giraffe Games is coming out with “macro games” (27 cards), most of which are tie-ins with their existing games. Explosion in the Laboratory is the first one. It just finished its Kickstarter and should be available late next year.
Word Wipe Out from Gray Matters Games – a letter-elimination game that reminds us a little of Tapple.
KOSMOS is now the publisher for Karak (our review) and Catch the Moon. And The Crew: Deep Sea has difficulty levels. Switch & Signal is a cooperative game that feels a bit like Ticket to Ride and a bit like Pandemic – a cooperative pick-up-and-deliver game.
Plaid Hat Games is coming out with Hickory Dickory, an adorable (and somewhat complex) pick-up-and-deliver game.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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.
Mada (review coming soon) Fox in the Forest Duet Framework (Dave’s review) Winter (review soon) Kabuto Sumo (review soon) Sobek: 2 Players (review soon) On Tour Colorful Oh My Brain (review soon) Suspects: Claire Harper Takes the Stage (review soon) Santorini Kingdomino & Unmatched (working on that family 10×10!)
SNAP Review – Disney Mickey’s Christmas Carol Game
This puzzle-assembling game is sturdy and perfect for young kids to play with an adult, or older kids to play on their own. It’s simple but feels classic. Elliot helps us talk about how to play.
Our goal with Room to Grow is to bring your kids through a series of games that grow in complexity. We do our best to start with a game that shows a mechanic or play style very simply, and then move up to a game that is a little more complex, and then one even more complex.
What is a legacy game?
A legacy board game is one in which players make permanent changes to the game itself over the course of several play sessions. Pieces may be marked up or covered with stickers and then used again, components may be permanently trashed and new pieces added (or all of the above).
(Listeners – If you’ve played a legacy game, what do you do with the components you’re told to “trash”?)
Many legacy games bring the players through some sort of story (often called a “campaign”) over a set number of plays.
A campaign brings you through some kind of a story. Not every legacy game is a campaign game, and vice-versa.
For beginners: Zombie Kidz Evolution
We’ve often called this “My First Legacy Game”. Zombie Kidz Evolution is a simple tower-defense style game. Every time you finish a game you make progress towards opening another envelope with new things to add to the game. You progress faster if you wing games, but you still get some reward just for playing, which makes it feel very forgiving.
In addition to new pieces and new rules, you also put stickers in the rulebook and on some of the bad-guy zombies.
There’s not really a story line here, but that’s OK. Our kids have loved this game and its sequel, Zombie Teenz Evolution.
You can always dial back the difficulty and play an “earlier” (easier) style. Plus there is an achievement system that keeps the game feeling fresh, even if you’ve “finished” the game.
A bit more: My City
Unusual in legacy games, My City is not cooperative. Instead, up to four players will each keep a personal board and personal pieces. These will be changed both by the decisions you make, and by how well you do in each game (1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th place).
My City is a simultaneous tile-laying, puzzley kind of game. Players who do well will be given additional challenges to make future plays harder, and players who finish poorly will be given advantages in future plays. Our biggest complaint is that the difficulty doesn’t adjust quickly enough for a family with wildly different levels of skill (like ours).
We would call this a “serious” legacy game. It’s not the first one, but it is the one that took off in popularity.
If you know how to play Pandemic, you will be able to jump into Pandemic Legacy very easily. However, it’s a much harder game than the others we talked about here – and harder than the original Pandemic as well.
As with My City, the difficulty level adjusts between plays. You have two chances to successfully complete each “month”; every time you lose, you get bonuses that will help you on the next play. But when you win, these bonuses are taken away.
You must truly form a cooperative team, planning in sync, to do well in Pandemic Legacy.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 :)
Send weird foods “For Science”! to: The Family Gamers 60 Auburn St. # 528 Auburn, MA 01501
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.
Sponsor message: For expert help applying some of the same principles that help you take down your friends in Agricola, head over to FirstMoveFinancial.com/FamilyGamers and schedule a call, today!
Games We’ve Been Playing
Green Team Wins (our review) Draftosaurus (our review) Super Mega Lucky Box (our review) – it was a little harder for Bingo-loving grandma than we expected. On Tour: Paris Kingdomino (our review)
Community Review – Tantrix
Tantrix is an abstract tile laying game for one to four players. The game is played with hexagonal tiles that have three lines drawn on them (each line connects two sides of the hexagon) in three of four possible colors (red, yellow, blue, green). In the multiplayer game, each turn players draw one tile from a bag and try to make the longest line of their color. There are a few placement restrictions, like the line colors have to match. Loops don’t count as infinite points! Once the tiles run out, the game is over and longest line wins.
In the solitaire version of the game, the player takes a set of tiles and makes a loop of a specific color. The tiles are numbered on the back and the number is the color for that solution (for example, on tile 3, the 3 is yellow so the player has to make a yellow loop). The first few puzzles are easy but with more tiles comes more difficulty. The game comes with about fifty tiles. I’ve only made it to the mid-twenties in the solitaire puzzles.
The game is fun as multiplayer or single player. I prefer the single player. Young kids will have a challenge with planning ahead to make longer lines; also, if one player is prone to Analysis Paralysis, the game can drag. The tiles are sturdy bakelite and hold up well to many uses. They also look very good. My favorite way to play is the solitaire mode and I still have plenty of play left in my set. (more info at Tantrix.com)
SNAP Review – Turtle Splash
This dexterity and memory game from Lucky Duck Kids is adorable. It’s intended for young kids, but older kids and adults will enjoy it occasionally, too.
Diandra is a bowler who has won many international medals and was on Team USA for fifteen years, is the official youth bowling spokesperson for the United States Bowling Congress (USBC), among many other accomplishments.
She’s also a mom and a wife, and has her own brand: Beyond the Lanes – and is still winning tournaments now: this year with EJ Tackett.
“I’m grateful to Grandma Betty for putting a bowling ball in my hand when I was five years old.”
At a young age, Diandra decided she wanted to be the best in the world – starting with catching up to her big sister. It was hard work, with practicing every night. Sometimes very late at night, which meant that Diandra needed to take naps when getting home from school.
Do your kids bowl too?
“I have a boy that’s 12 and a girl that’s 8 – of course they bowl!” Diandra doesn’t push her kids to bowl, but they’ve always been around it.
We love that bowling is a sport where everyone can play together, no matter their skill level.
What are your favorite moments competing professionally?
USBC Queens win (2012) – Diandra was figuring out how to be a mom and also still be a pro bowler. Winning was validation that she could pull back and be present for her children, but it didn’t mean she couldn’t still be a champion bowler.
Advice for kids & teens who bowl?
Bowling should always be fun. Make sure it’s fun, and enjoy it.
Seek out people who know more than you, or find a coach. That’s how you get better!
But if you’re not having fun, what’s the point?
Just remember, “if this was easy, everyone would be great at it.”
What is Beyond the Lanes?
A way for Diandra to pass on lessons that she has learned through bowling. A curriculum centered around personal development.
There is a free newsletter and blog, in addition to several structured courses at BeyondTheLanes.com
And Board Games, of course!
We talk about Pan Am (Andrew’s favorite) and Balderdash (Diandra’s favorite)
… And then we try to find the perfect game for Diandra’s husband!
We suggest the EXIT series and Unlock series of escape-room boxes.
Anitra recommends Bananagrams Andrew recommends Just One and Green Team Wins
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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.
From our Sponsor: How do you help your kids understand that Christmas isn’t just a “get me more stuff” holiday?
Reduce material gifts and replace them with experiences.
Pick a charity
Volunteer
Donate old toys
Visit a nursing home
Model the behavior you want to see
If you’d like to talk about other ideas to help pass on your values to your children, schedule a time to talk to First Move by going to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers.
What We’ve Been Playing
CoraQuest Codex Naturalis Oh My Brain Kabuto Sumo Winter Squire for Hire Disney Mickey’s Christmas Carol
Collect pages full of illustrations of nature to make an illuminated manuscript. Is this game great for kids, or better for adults? Read the transcript or watch the video for Codex Naturalis.
Drafting is choosing cards or resources from a pool that other players will also choose from. There are two basic types of drafts: open and closed.
Most of the time when we say “drafting” we mean a closed draft, something like picking a card secretly and passing the rest face down to the next player so they can choose one. (examples: Sushi Go, Draftosaurus)
There’s also a Winston draft! This combines elements of both open and closed drafting. Multiple piles on the table, you look at a pile and decide whether or not to take it. If you don’t take it, another card is added. Well suited for 2-3 people. (examples: Studies in Sorcery, Canopy)
Open drafting is picking from a pool that everyone can see at the same time – and everyone can see what you pick! (examples: Azul, Century: Golem/Century: Spice Road, Bugs on Rugs)
Dexterity describes a large family of games. What they all have in common is that they require manual coordination. You need to DO something specific with the game pieces, usually with some finesse: stacking, flicking, balancing, throwing. Or even twisting your own body into specific positions, such as in Yogi or Twister.
Many of these games are kind of silly and super casual, but some aren’t. Some very classic “pub games” are dexterity games: Crokinole, darts, and cornhole.
Is Funky Chicken / Happy Salmon a dexterity game? Probably not. It’s more of a party game that gets you moving.
And dexterity games can be incredibly thematic! Flick ’em Up, Flip Ships, and IceCOOL are flicking games that feel like a new thing. And so is Catacombs.
A roll-and-write is a game where you roll dice and then mark down results; either on paper player sheets or reusable whiteboards. A player’s choices in what they mark down limit/affect their choices in future rounds. The original roll-and-write is of course Yahtzee.
Is Roll For It! a roll-and-write or flip-and-write? No! There’s no writing!
A flip-and-write is the same basic idea – marking down results and limiting future choices – but with cards instead of with dice. Flip and writes usually make everyone use the same card result, unlike roll-and-writes which often have multiple dice to choose from. (Not always, though! Welcome To… is a flip-and-write with multiple card choices, and Qwingo is a roll-and-write with a single die everyone must use.)
Flip-and-writes also let you make some predictions for what’s coming in the cards.
Examples: Yahtzee Fleet: The Dice Game Three Sisters Super Mega Lucky Box (our recommendation to introduce flip-and-writes to friends!) Cartographers Get On Board combines flip-and-write with a central board that all players share! Color It! is the easiest option to show little kids. Roll Through the Ages: The Iron Age has resource management/set collection tracked on player boards, separate from the player sheets.
For experts only: Hadrian’s Wall and Twilight Inscription.
What are your favorite games in these genres?
Tell us!
Or send us a micro-review; we’ll read on the podcast.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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.
Sponsor message: If you have student loans (and live in the USA), you should go to StudentAid.gov and fill out the application for student loan forgiveness (if possible). You might not qualify, but the application only takes a minute. If you would like to talk to someone about your personal finances, schedule a time by going to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers.
What We’ve Been Playing
Obsession (try it on Board Game Arena) Suspects: Claire Harper Takes the Stage (review coming soon) Draftosaurus as part of the family 10×10 (our review)
A discussion of H-index and tracking Board Game Arena plays… what do you think?
Bloc by Bloc Zombie Life Insurance Three Sisters Deep Sea Adventure – a Family Gamers favorite. (Listen to Derek’s podcast episode) Insert Coin to Play (review linked below) Super Mega Lucky Box Samurai Spirit
SNAP Review – Insert Coin to Play
Find out more about this arcade-inspired game. Fill in your chosen “levels” and get the new high score!
The audience for the First Player Token podcast is people who don’t know much about modern board games and are looking for games to play with their kids or their spouses. Short (10-20 minutes) and without using too much board game jargon.
Each podcast episode always includes an interview with either a kid or Derek’s wife about the game.
It’s great to avoid board game jargon… but it can also be helpful. Comparing games (“if you like this, you might also like this”) is the goal behind our series “Room to Grow”.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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.
Sponsor: First Move Financial wants everyone to know you can apply for Student Loan Debt Relief at: https://studentaid.gov/debt-relief/application. If you made less than $125,000 ($250,000 for Married Filing Jointly) in 2020 OR in 2021, you can apply for $10,000 of student loan forgiveness.
What We’ve Been Playing
Green Team Wins (our review) Turtle Splash! Papageno Sprawlopolis
October Monthly Report
Andrew: HIT GOAL OF MORE THAN 31! 35 plays in October. H-index: 3. Most played: Laniakea, Green Team Wins, Scout
Anitra: 36 plays of 18 games. H-index: 3. Most played: Papageno, Boss Monster, Laniakea
Fan-submitted review from Debbie Bregman-Buis for 12 Rivers:
Hike with your crew up the mountain and pick up the best pearls to gain favors with the villagers.
12 Rivers is a light set collection strategy game. Do you go for the best pearls, which cost a lot of camp cards. Or do you go for the lake and concentrate on villagers.
This is a great game. Awesome to play with kids, but also a great game for adults. The components of the game are great and of an amazing quality. The board is amazing and one of a kind with a real table presence.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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.
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 from Engaged Family Gaming, to learn about recommendations for (mostly) family-friendly video games this holiday season.
315 fact(s)
Andrew shares facts with the co-hosts this week:
Anitra: The record for the most instruments (unique) used in a piece of music is… 315 unique instruments. See a video of clips of the music!
Stephen: SNL has been nominated for 315 prime time Emmy awards!
Andrew: A man named Muhammad Rashid crushed 315 walnuts in a minute – with his elbow!
Flamecraft Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands (Borderlands game that is set in a tabletop RPG setting. T-rated shooter video game.) Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope Halo 2 (co-op w/8year old) Horizon Forbidden West Spiderman: Miles Morales Return to Monkey Island UNO Ultimate (Marvel themed) The Great Split Letters from Whitechapel Turtle Splash!
Games that we played but didn’t make it to the podcast this week:
Splatoon 3 (possible Game of the Year) – now with queuing! You can group up with your friends and let the system fill the rest of your team.
Pokemon Scarlet / Pokemon Violet – open world Pokemon game
Nintendo Switch Sports
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (another possible Game of the Year)
Pokemon Legends: Arceus
For Playstation:
If you want a Playstation 5, check the Sony website. Even if a plain console is not available, you should be able to buy a console bundled with a game.
Number one recommendation: buy a few months of Game Pass!
LEGO Star Wars: A Skywalker Saga
Marvel’s Midnight Suns
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection – ELEVEN older TMNT games
Sonic Frontiers
For Adults:God of War: Ragnarok, Elden Ring
If you’re buying a console for the holiday:
Don’t forget to set it up before Christmas! (Plug in, connect to the internet, download updates, install a game.) It’s a much more effective surprise if it’s ready to play on Christmas morning.
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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.
314 – Games under $20 – The Family Gamers Podcast
Oct 24, 2022
Episode 314 Top (Dozen or so) Games under $20
This week, we talk about some of our favorite “cheap” games… that is, games you can find under $20 just about everywhere.
314 fact
314 is like 3.14… or the mathematical concept of π.
The symbol for Pi was introduced by William Jones in 1706 and made popular by the mathematician Leonhard Euler.
The record for reciting the most number of decimal places of Pi was achieved by Rajveer Meena at VIT University, Vellore, India on 21 March 2015. He was able to recite 70,000 decimal places.
And π has a connection to Egyptian mythology! The vertical height of the pyramids of Giza have the same relationship with the perimeter of their base as the relationship between a circle’s radius and its circumference.
Point Salad (our review) Love Letter / Infinity Gauntlet version Deep Sea Adventure Kingdomino 7 Wonders Duel Floriferous Herbaceous Welcome To… (our review) Campfire Smokeout (contact Jeff Johnston, Pair of Jacks Games) Zombie Dice (a long time favorite of ours) Abandon All Artichokes Hanabi Friday That’s Pretty Clever! Berried Treasure Best Treehouse Ever (our review of the stand-alone expansion/sequel) Sunny Day Sardines (our review) Mint Works Bohnanza
Do you have comments or a favorite “cheap” game we didn’t include? Let us know!
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 :)
Send weird foods “For Science”! to: The Family Gamers 60 Auburn St. # 528 Auburn, MA 01501
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.
It’s an odd numbered show and Andrew is our guest (hah!) We’re going to talk about his very first Essen Spiel experience.
313 fact – Eris is one of the largest dwarf planets in the solar system, slightly larger than Pluto, but farther away. It was originally designated 2003 UB313.
The Monthly Report: September
Andrew: 26 plays of 19 unique games, H-index 2, with Jekyll vs. Hyde, Delicious, Disney Sorcerer’s Arena Epic Alliances, Get on Board, Onitama, Royal Visit all played at least twice.
Anitra: 33 plays of 18 distinct games, H-index 4: Get on Board, Delicious, Jekyll vs. Hyde, Onitama
What We’ve Been Playing
The Dragon Prince: Battlecharged Tempus Imperium Boss Monster Block and Key Dead & Breakfast (our review) A Game of Cat & Mouth Wreck Raiders Jekyll vs. Hyde (our review) Ghost Fightin’ Treasure Hunters Clank! Ghosts Love Candy Too (review soon) Green Team Wins (review soon) Studies in Sorcery (review soon)
SNAP Review – Delicious
Plant the most efficient garden in this roll-and-write (ok, flip-and-draw) game. You can even play over video chat!
Watch the video (where we introduce our veggie-loving cat), or read the transcript, on the SNAP review page.
Essen
Andrew describes traveling in Germany, jet-lag, and the sheer SIZE of the Essen Spiel.
Throwing axes? wow!
The presence of certain publishers is very different in Germany than in the US (Amigo, HABA, etc.)
Food: spiral potato (“like a giant curly fry”), currywurst
Buying games: far more cash-driven than expected.
The Great Split Similo (boardgame edition) Papageno Zombie Life Insurance Order Overload Space Craft Laniakea Tir na Nog Insert coin to play Scout (CORRECTION: SdJ nominee, not winner.)
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 :)
Send weird foods “For Science”! to: The Family Gamers 60 Auburn St. # 528 Auburn, MA 01501
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.
312 fact – Incredible Hulk #312 changed the origin story for the Hulk! The monster already exists inside Bruce Banner because of his father’s abuse and was simply unleashed by gamma radiation.
Sponsored by First Move Financial. Visit https://firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers to set up a free call and find out how First Move can help you with your financial goals.
Verdict: not bad! We’d definitely buy this for the vegetarians in our life.
What We’ve Been Playing
Get on Board (our review) Fire Tower – with the Firehawk expansion. Especially useful for a way that gives eliminated players a way to influence the rest of the game. Onitama (our 2017 review) Delicious (review coming soon!) Sobek (new 2-player version) Dead & Breakfast
Welcome new members
We welcome the newest members to our Facebook community. Stop in and say hi!
Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.
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 :)
Send weird foods “For Science”! to: The Family Gamers 60 Auburn St. # 528 Auburn, MA 01501
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.
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