The Family Gamers Podcast

We chose five games from 2023 (and the first half of 2024) that come in small boxes but pack a big punch! 372 Fact https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/372/schotten-totten Sponsor Message 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 OnitamaUnmatched: Slings & ArrowsMyceliaTangram CityKing of Monster IslandThurn and Taxis Welcome FB Community members Stop in and say hi! Backtalk Last time: If you could play ANY game, what game would you play with your family and why? This time: What is a thing you do (or an item you USE) to simplify or streamline your game time? SNAP Review – Time’s Up! Family Edition This party game is perfect for families of any size, as long as everyone can read. Check out our video review, or read the transcript. 5 Games in a Small Box that Pack a Lot of Fun 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. Check out our review for Trio. Smug Owls 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. Check out our review for Smug Owls. More Small Box Games? Look for these Publishers Oink Games, which publishes Deep Sea Adventure, Scout, and plenty of others. They fit a ton of gameplay into tiny boxes. Button Shy only 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. Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? The Family Gamers is sponsored by First Move Financial. Go t

It’s been six years since we devoted a podcast to this topic. So let’s revisit: Why should you play games with your kids? Why do we (still) play games with our kids? 371 fact Frank Rubio – 371 consecutive days in space! Sponsor Message 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.UltimatchJinxxAmun-RePaper App DungeonRoll 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. Facebook Community Welcome new members to the community! Stop in and say hi. Why Do We Play Games? 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. We’ve got a kid who loves Greek mythology, so we play a lot of Santorini, Fight for Olympus, and Horrified: Greek Monsters. Another kid loves Star Wars? Yeah, we’ll play Star Wars games if that will get them to the table. We’ve already talked about how our daughter loves anything with dragons. 7. Board games are educational. Even games that aren’t “educational”. We recommend The Game Schooler Podcast to learn more about the kinds of skills that games can teach and reinforce. 8. Combat social anxiety! Encourage kids to interact with adults in a safe, non-threatening way! One of our favorite things about going to small conventions is seeing our kids interact with other adults and play games together. Backtalk! If you could sit down and play anything, what game would YOUR family play? Answer in the Face

We’re excited to welcome back our friend Marc Specter! We’ll talk about his current Kickstarter and lots of other games coming soon. 370 fact – Abell 370 See images here: https://hubblesite.org/contents/media/images/2017/20/4024-Image.html Sponsor message 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 CarcassWhat the Heck? (our review)Roll for It! (our review)Drop It (our review)Compile (coming this summer)Genotype (review coming soon)GorintoStroop SNAP Review – Doomlings Doomlings is super cute, and easy to get started. It’s good for light family play without boring heavier gamers. Watch the video or read the transcript of our Doomlings review. Grand Gamers Guild with Marc Specter 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! Back the Kickstarter! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/grandgamersguild/bouba-kiki-stroop-reprint What else is coming from Grand Gamers Guild? more 18-card escape rooms: The Marriage Mix-up and Endangered Rescue: Galapagos Penguins La Familia Hort (Nick will be reviewing this) Words of a Feather (our preview) The Fog: Escape from Paradise Deck-building game – Pasaraya: Supermarket Manager Holiday Hijinks set with 3 more games (10, 11, 12) around the end of the year more Endangered! A full box set with an Australia theme. Find Marc online: GrandGamersGuild.com Facebook: @GrandGamersGuildEmail: [email protected] Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? 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 post Episode 370 – Bouba/Kiki with Marc Specter appeared first on The Family Gamers.

This week, we’re talking “slider games”. These are bite-sized, ultra-fast games that you can play in 10 minutes or less! 369 Fact Nikolai Tesla’s obsession with the numbers 3,6,9! 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 DuelSherlock SolitaireTime’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! Anitra: 29 plays, 16 unique games H-index: 2. Most played: Skyrockets, Explosion in the Laboratory Welcome New Members Stop in and say hi! SNAP Review – Rush Hour Elliot and Andrew review this classic puzzle game. We think it’s a great activity for traveling! Watch the video or read the transcript. Sliders – Ultra-Fast Games 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. Get the MacGuffin – up to 12 players! Silly and still very fast. Pocket Paragons – super fast dueling game with lots of options. Kiri-ai: The Duel – another super fast dueling game. Trio – we’ve been playing a lot of this. Even with teaching it, it’s under 10 minutes. Tin Spin – surprisingly fun, incredibly simple. Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? 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 post Episode 369 – Slider Games – Bite-Sized Fun in 10 Minutes or Less! appeared first on The Family Gamers.

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. Mind Map Tin Spin Monthly Report – February 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. Andrew: 14 unique games 20 times. ArcheOlogic 4 times! Unmatched 3 times, Picky Pixie twice. H-index 2 Welcome New Members Stop in and say hi! SNAP Review – Get Bit! 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. Watch the video or read the transcript for Get Bit! Ken Franklin Ken is back in clinical practice as a medical doctor three days a week, which makes him pretty busy. He’s looking forward to facilitating giant Mansky Caper again at GrandCon. But that’s not the main reason we asked him on the podcast… Flash Point: Legacy of Flame Ken designed this legacy game with Chris Leder and Kevin Rodgers. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ibcgames/flash-point-legacy-of-flame 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! Check out the Kickstarter campaign! Find Ken online: Instagram: @kenplays2grinX: @kenplays2grinFacebook: drkenfp and Franklin Farms Game Nights Email him at drkenfp @ mac.com Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersa

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! 367 Fact We learn about the Model 367 Bipod hybrid flying car. https://newatlas.com/bipod-hybrid-flying-car/19258/ Sponsor Message 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 Nidavellir – we found out it’s on Board Game Arena (for paid users)! SNAP Review – Picky Pixie 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. Watch the video or read the transcript on our website. For Science! – On the Road – Claudia Sanders Dinner House “A whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.” “The epitome of KFC-southern cooking.” There was more food than they could eat, but everything was delicious! GAMA Interviews 0:26:00 Friendly Skeleton with Azkedelia Trash Talk – a party game about the language barrier between raccoons and possums, using trash items to communicate! Coming April 5, distributed by Asmodee. 0:30:30 Hawberry Games with Julie Cake Auf! – make international recipes in a race before your opponents! Emotional Intelligence – answer this-or-that questions based on an assigned (secret) personality type. Check them out at the Hawberry Games website. 0:37:30 Pandasaurus with Raina 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. Find out more at PinkHawkGames.com March Madness! We are putting out extra reviews all month long! But also check out our Best Family Game brackets. We just finished the round of 32. Go vote in the Sweet Sixteen! Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and anitra@thefami

Lunar New Year was not to long ago, and now we are in the year of the dragon! Sounds like a perfect excuse to give you our top 5 dragon-themed games. 366 Fact There were 366 Episodes of the anime BLEACH (not counting the “Thousand-Year Blood War” arc which came after the main series). 366 is also the world record for most lemmings saved in a single playthrough of the arcade game Lemmings. 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 today to schedule a call. What We’ve Been Playing Dragon Bowl – more info at Scarb EnterprisesAvant Carde (our preview)Deblockle (our review)For Northwood!ArcheOlogic (review coming soon) – the app is nice, but not as much as Andrew was wishing for.SantoriniKabuto Sumo (our review) – best when you take risks and don’t take it too seriously.Picky Pixie (review coming soon)Pocket Paragons (our review) Welcome New Community Members Come on in and say hi on our Facebook group! GIVEAWAY WINNER! We picked the winner for a copy of National Geographic Secret Clue: Animals. SNAP Review – Unmatched: Sun’s Origin 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 Gamers60 Auburn St. #528Auburn, 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. We reviewed Dragon’s Breath in 2019. Tsuro 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. We also enjoy the sequel, Dragonrealm but it tends a little older. (10+) Flamecraft 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. And since we mentioned it… enjoy this video of Mandy Patinkin and his family learning Wingspan. Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? 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 post Episode 366 – Year of the Dragon! Top 5 Dragon Games appeared first on The Family Gamers.

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 ShuffleGet Bit! – The new bath-toy theme is cute. Andrew suggests we play this using gingerbread men for the swimmers.ArcheOlogicEcosystem: Savanna (our review)First in FlightMycelia (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. See the video or read the transcript for our Pocket Paragons review. Jeremy Pike and Tantrum Con 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. Find Jeremy Online: thefamilygamers.com/tag/jeremyInstagram @jeremypikebackyardbbq Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? The Family Gamers is sponsored by First Move Financial. Go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/familygamers to learn how the team at First Move Financial

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? 364 fact Guinness World Record: 364 people simultaneously playing Rock-Paper-Scissors online. Sponsor message 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 VisitDice CardsMaul PeakSuspend – a dexterity game we recommend. (Get the Jr version for kids under 10.)10 Days in the USAMonopoly 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 Gamers60 Auburn St. #528Auburn, MA 01501 SNAP Review – Smug Owls Stretch your brain by answering riddles. The catch? These riddles are generated by decks of cards. Read the transcript or watch the video. Facebook Community Welcome We have a lot of new members! Stop on in and say hi. Revisiting the 2023 Hotness 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! Miller Zoo – A very nice cooperative game. Not a hit with our kids, because it had less depth than we expected. But it’s a great entry-level cooperative game, without much tension and nothing scary. 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.) Giveaway Anitra created a how-to-play video for Underdog Games’ National Geographic Secret Clue: Animals and we have an extra copy to share with one of you. Enter the giveaway! Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? 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 post Episode 364 – Look Back: How Did 2023 Predictions Fare? appeared first on The Family Gamers.

Episode 363Happy Camper Gameswith 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 How do you know if you’re ready to retire? 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. What We’ve Been Playing Green Team Wins (a Family Gamers favorite)Mah-jongTrioPocket ParagonsCamel UpSkyrocketsSmug Owls (our review) SNAP Review – Sherlock 13 Can you ask clever questions and deduce the identity of the hidden Criminal? Sherlock 13 is a deduction game with just 13 cards and paper sheets to record information. Watch the video of our review or read the transcript. Jason Schneider, Happy Camper Games 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. Trio is 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. Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? 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 post Episode 363 – Happy Camper Games with Jason Schneider appeared first on The Family Gamers.

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 December: 28 of 17 unique games. H-index 3: Tesseract, Trio, 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. Want to tell us about your monthly or yearly stats? Join the Facebook community or the Family Tabletop Community discord. SNAP Review – Ecosystem: Savanna This sequel in the Ecosystem series is more family-friendly and fun! This card-drafting, tableau-building game is a great way to learn or review facts about animals that live in the African savanna. Watch the video or read the transcript. Top Ten Games of 2023 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. At one point each, our bottom five: Unmatched (see our previous reviews)Her Story (our review)TesseractSmug OwlsDisney Animated (our review) At two points each: Junk Drawer (our review)Roll to the Top: Journeys (our review)Turbo Kidz (our review) Our #2 game, with three points: Illiterati (our review) Our top game, at a combined FIVE points: boop. (our review) Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? 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 post Episode 362 – Our Top Ten Games of 2023 appeared first on The Family Gamers.

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 WorkshopSkyrocketsTesseractSpace Explorers: Age of Ambition (our review)Ecosystem: SavannaNational Geographic: Secret Clue – Animals New Community Members – Welcome! Stop in to the Facebook community and say hi! SNAP Review – Tokaido Duo 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. Watch the video or read the transcript of this review. PAX Unplugged Interviews Want to skip to a particular company? Check out the timestamps. 27:00 Gamey with John The Tree Trimming Game Find out more at Gamey 31:20 Catmint Studio with Brian Sequitur – a word game using balls that slide into a holder Find out more at Catmint Games 33:00 WizKids with Mitch JokkmokkMarvel RemixUnboxed Find out more at WizKids 38:55 Blue Rondo with Rick Crabs in a Bucket Find out more at Blue Rondo Games 46:30 Wise Wizard Games with Danielle Wise Wizard has a new imprint, Wacky Wizard Games, with games intended for kids & families. Coming in 2024: Star Realms AcademyCaution SignsPack the Essentials Find out more at Wise Wizard Games Maize Craze 49:40 One Day West with Ryan Maize Craze Find out more at One Day West Games 52:00 Ravensburger with Lysa Mycelia Find out more at Ravensburger Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? 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 post Episode 361 – PAX Unplugged 2023 – Days Two & Three appeared first on The Family Gamers.

This is part one of a two-podcast series covering just a fraction of what the Family Gamers team saw at this year’s PAX Unplugged. 360 fact The American woodcock can see 360° around itself (horizontally) – https://birdprotectionquebec.org/coolest-bird-of-the-week10-facts-about-the-american-woodcock/ Sponsor message 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 gameSpace Explorers: Age of Ambition expansion (see our review of the base game)Turbo KidzThe 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! The cooperative mode shares some features with Zombie Kidz Evolution, one of our family favorites. Read the transcript or watch the video. PAX Unplugged Interviews – Day One Want to skip to a particular company? Check out the timestamps. 0:30:15 Capstone Games with Clay Wandering TowersSavannah ParkBeer & BreadNew York Zoo For the adults: Ark Nova: Marine WorldsBoonlake: Artifacts expansionRats of WistarPirates of Maracaibo Find out more at Capstone Games. 0:34:58 Arcane Wonders with Bree Age of Wonders: Planetfall (up to 6 players, 45 minutes!)GAPCritters 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) Find out more at Arcane Wonders. 0:43:00 Dr. Finn’s Games with Steve Finn AlpujarrasFisheries of GloucesterScribble Me This – with Pipnetic (“Pictionary with Riddles”) – coming to Kickstarter in FebruaryThe 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. Find out more at Doctor Finn’s Games. 0:46:35 Flat River Group with Danni Tanuki (from Synapses Games)Get Bit (from Greater Than Games) – with a new bathtub toy theme. 0:48:05 First Fish Games with Stephanie MistwindDucks in Tow – and expansions!Town Builder: Coevorden Find out more at FirstFishGames.com 0:51:30 Vesuvius Media with Konstantinos Catapult Feud Find out more at Vesuvius Media. 0:52:30 Origami Whale with Tyler Dicey Devices – coming to KickstarterDanger: The Game – (which we’ve reviewed!) a simple introduction to roleplaying. Find out more at Origami Whale Games and Meeple Coffee. 0:55:10 Winsmith Games with David Winsmith designed Junk Drawer, one of our favorite games of 2023! 10 Gallon Tank Check out Winsmith Games. 0:56:35 Red Raven Games with Ryan Sleeping Gods: Distant SkiesMegaland (our review)Knight Fallcoming: Isle of Night Find out more at Red Raven Games. 1:00:10 Czech Games Edition with Paja Time DivisionSpicy – a bluffing game, and Sweet & Spicy, which is a little bit more forgiving.Fish & Katz – a speed game with knit cat paws Find out more at Czech Games. 1:06:30 Smirk & Dagger with Curt Tesseract – a very active cooperative abstract game.The Spillboop. (and “spooky boop” AKA booOOp.) Curt is always looking for games “that cause a real reaction at the table”. We agree! Find out more at Smirk & Dagger. Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? The Family Gamers is sponsored by First Move Financial. Go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/familygamers t

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? 359 Facts: “Island 359” – a VR game available on Steam 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 DuoPurrfect MatchCeleste – and we learn about the accessibility options. (Our kids have since watched some speedruns. They’re crazy.)Super Mario Bros Wonder SNAP REVIEW – Gamestormers Check out this tableau-building storytelling game and watch or read our review. The Video Game Gift Guide Stephen runs Engaged Family Gaming and has been covering video games for about a decade now. Let’s discuss their holiday video game gift guide! For XBox: Game Pass will never go wrong – it can tack on to an existing subscription. Read the EFG Parent’s Guide to Game Pass. Minecraft Legends (XBox – included on Game Pass, but also PS 4/5, Nintendo Switch, PC) Bluey: The Videogame (on everything) 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) Octopath Traveler 2 (PS 4/5, PC, Nintendo Switch – rated T) Baldur’s Gate 3 (currently only PC, but PS5 soon. rated M – GROWNUPS ONLY) Final Fantasy 16 (PS5, rated M – GROWNUPS ONLY) Nintendo Switch: Bluey, of course Metroid Prime Remastered (rated T, but mostly because “it’s intense”) Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe WarioWare: Move It! – dumb but fun. Check out this video from EFG. Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Super Mario Bros Wonder Disney Illusion Island 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. And don’t forget about The Family Gamers holiday gift guide, too! Find Stephen Online: EngagedFamilyGaming.comYoutube: @EngagedFamilyGaming1TikTok: @EngagedFamilyGamingFacebook: @EngagedFamilyGamingor the Engaged Family Gaming Community (You can find Stephen in The Family Gamers community as well.) Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? 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 post Episode 359 – 2023 Video Game Gift Guide with Stephen Duetzman appeared first on The Family Gamers.

Welcome to the month of November! That means it’s time for our holiday board game gift guide. 358 Fact 3-5-8, also known as Sergeant Major, is a trick-taking card game for 3 players, using a standard 52 card deck. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergeant_Major_(card_game) Sponsor Message 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! Welcome New Community Members Stop in to the Facebook community and say hi! Not a Facebook fan? Try the Family Tabletop Community Discord channel. SNAP Review – CDSK Are you Curious, Delightful, Seasoned, or Knowledgeable? Test your trivia skills in this low-key trivia game with lots of difficulty levels. Watch our video or read the transcript for this review. The Board Game Gift Guide Yeah, we’ve been doing this for a while. This year’s gift guide is still mostly new games, but there are a few surprising classics that show up as well. Read the whole 2023 guide on our website. Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? 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 post Episode 358 – Our 2023 Board Game Gift Guide appeared first on The Family Gamers.

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. What We’ve Been Playing Ghost Fightin’ Treasure Hunters (a TFG favorite) Ra (which we reviewed 2 weeks ago) Escape room/mystery games! Holiday Hijinks Birthday Burglary The Sherlock Files demo deck Escape Academy (video game – we got it through XBOX Gamepass) Savernake Forest (pronounced “Sav – er – nack”!) Turbo Kidz (ridiculous fun; watch out for a review coming soon) Horrified: Greek Monsters (our review) Final Girl (not for families! Solo or co-op horror game) Sherlock 13 Mind Space (review linked below) Facebook Community Welcome to 19 new community members! Stop in and say hi! SNAP Revew – Mind Space Roll dice and draw shapes on your “brain board”, fitting a little bit of everything into your life. This odd theme works surprisingly well. Mind Space allows up to five players, with limited player interaction. Check out the transcript or watch the video. Welcome Stephanie Nye! Stephanie started on Instagram, with a focus on cozy living, special daily moments, and family time. A lot of reading, some board games. As board games “took over”, she created a second account dedicated to that hobby. Now, she also has a weekly newsletter “Feel Good Friday”, embracing all the small joys in life. We think games help us slow down and focus on spending time together as a family. Spooky Games obviously Ghost Fightin’ Treasure Hunters and Final Girl Oh My Brain! (our review) Ghosts Love Candy Too (our review)and Ghosts Love Candy Too Roll and Fright (find at 25th Century Games or PNP Arcade) Jekyll vs. Hyde (any time really, but even better this time of year – our review) Zombie Dice (a long time TFG favorite!) Studies in Sorcery (our review) Hidden Gems 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: Ancestree (our review) Gem Rush Framework (our review) Pioneer Days & Old West Impresario Anomia (more about Anomia and all its offshoots) Miyabi (our review) Ship Shape (our review) Find Stephanie Online: Instagrams: @cozylittlebrownhouse, @brownhouseboardgames CozyLittleBrownHouse.com Feel Good Friday newsletter and [email protected]. Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? 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 post Episode 357 – Spooky Games and Hidden Gems with Stephanie Nye appeared first on The Family Gamers.

Episode 356 Top 10 Games for Kids 7-10 We took a break for a while from our age-segregated lists. But now we’re back at it! (Don’t care about the podcast? Skip straight to the list.) Fact The Porsche 356 was retired in 1965. It was replaced by the much better-known Porsche 911. But also! Montana State Code (Title 61, Chapter 8, Part 356) is also about cars – and how any car left for 48 hours on public property can be considered “abandoned”. Sponsor Message 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. What We’ve Been Playing We had a great time at CuseCon last week! Monthly Report September Andrew: 17 (or 18) games played. H-index: 2 (prototypes & Mind Space) Anitra: H-index: 3, with 36 unique games played 64 times. Most played: Naturopolis, Mind Space, Junk Drawer, and Forage (go check out the video!) More About Games Mind Space – a new game from AllPlay which re-implements Yojohan Pepa Saikei, a Japanese game Anitra loved at PAX East 2022. 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! Welcome New Members! Stop in on Facebook and say hi! Announcement: You can now find us on Discord as part of Family Tabletop Community SNAP Preview – Forage 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. Watch the video or read the transcript. Top Ten (ish) Games for Ages 7-10 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. See the expanded form of the list on our website, and check out the poll on our Facebook group. Contest Winner Chosen by random number: Judah W. will be winning a complete set of the Holiday Hijinks escape room games. Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? 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 post Episode 356 – Top 10 Games for Kids 7-10 appeared first on The Family Gamers.

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! 355 Fact Hellenic Air Force Squadron 355, which fights wildfires and makes us think of Justin’s game Hotshots! Sponsored by First Move Financial 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…MancalaParksPotion Explosion (our review – but we recommend the newer version with the plastic dispenser)HorrifiedSkulls of SedlecStewBarenpark with both modules from Bad News BearsRa (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! Watch the video or read the transcript for our Qawale review. 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. What about My First Castle Panic? My First Castle Panic is such a good fit for little kids! Where did it come from? Justin and Anne-Marie did LOTS of research playing preschool level games. Then sent prototypes to daycares/etc. to test out. “Couldn’t ever put it away” And the kids started teaching each other, almost right away! Reminder: “Asking for help” is a social-emotional development skill as well! What’s next? Ham Helsing (vampire hunting pig, based on graphic novel) KS early 2024 “Fun little card game” coming in the next year or so. Find Fireside Games Online: FiresideGames.com Facebook: @FiresideGamesInstagram: @fireside_gamesThreads: @fireside_gamesTiktok: @FiresideGamesTwitter (X): @FiresideGames Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. PLEASE

Let’s make history! Or maybe just talk about some of our favorite history-inspired board games. 354 fact The oldest Babylonian calendar had 354 days. Sponsor message One of the benefits a client gets out of working with a professional advisor is in using that person as a financial coach. For financial accountability or financial advice, set up a free call with First Move Financial at https://FirstMoveFinancial.com/FamilyGamers. What We’ve Been Playing August Monthly Report 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. Game Highlights Junk Drawer (review coming soon) Star Trek: Cryptic (our review) Lovelace & Babbage The Rival Networks Qawale (review coming soon) Unmatched: Teen Spirit (our SNAP review) Welcome new members! Stop in and say hi in our Facebook community. SNAP Review – Big Top 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. Watch our review of Big Top or read the transcript. For Science! Kit Kat Limited Edition Churro flavor. Not bad, just bland. Topic: History Board Games 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! The Whole Sweep of History Trekking through History (our review) HerStory (our review) 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. European History Gutenberg (our review) Santorini (kinda) Lacrimosa (our review) Sola Fide Modern History (within the last 100 years) Watergate (our review) The Grizzled Pan Am (our review) 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. Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? 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 post Episode 354 – History Games appeared first on The Family Gamers.

Welcome Danielle! Danielle Reynolds is a project manager, game designer, podcast host, and general tabletop games volunteer. 353 Fact The country code to call Ireland! Sponsor Message Go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/FamilyGamers and set up a free call to see how First Move Financial can help you with your finances. What We’ve Been Playing Dune ImperiumRobot Quest ArenaPan Am (our review)Ticket to Ride: UKBlob Party (our review)Mission to Planet HexxCape 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 FilterVersesWatchMojo Top 10 Party GameeBay Buy it NowCluckle 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. And don’t forget about the Young Inventor Challenge – great for kids who are designing games! Podcast Danielle hosts Game Design Unboxed – sponsored by AllPlay and hosted by Know Direction. Last but not least, you should also check out the Tabletop Mentorship Program… as soon as they open up again. Find Danielle online: Twitter (X): @tokengaymerBluesky: @tokengaymerInstagram: @tokengaymer dmrcreativegroup.com Podcast Game Design Unboxed Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? 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. The post Episode 353 – Danielle Reynolds Does It All! appeared first on The Family Gamers.

We are NOT at GenCon this week. Instead, let’s talk about simultaneous play. What are our favorite games where everyone plays at the same time? Skip straight to the topic. 352 fact “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)FikaNerd Words: ScienceStar Trek Cryptic – we asked YOU which game from a Funko shipment we should try first. Trekkies unite!Big TopCentury 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. Watch the video or read the transcript of Anitra’s review. Welcome new community members! Stop in and say hi! Top 5 Games for Simultaneous Play (no turns!) (Timestamp 33:05) What is a simultaneous play game? It’s a game where everyone plays at the same time! 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). Many roll-and-write games, such as Merchants of Magick, Welcome To.., and Color It!. Even games with a fast open draft like Three Sisters and StampFarm are mostly simultaneous. 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. Some tile-laying games have everyone play the same tile at the same time, such as My City, Scarabya, Karuba, and Tiny Towns. The Family Gamers Top 5 Simultaneous Play Games: 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! Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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.

Episode 351 – SAHM ReviewsScott & Nicole Brady Today we are joined by Scott and Nicole Brady of SAHM Reviews. 351 Facts! Andrew’s and Anitra’s home state (ahem, “commonwealth”) of Massachusetts has 351 cities and towns. 351 species of turtle (across 14 families): https://thehamny.com/types-of-turtles/ Sponsor Message 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 BaseFrosthavenRunning Out of TimeRiver WildUnmatched: Teen SpiritScott 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. Find SAHM Reviews online: SAHMReviews.com Facebook: @SAHMReviewsTwitter: @SAHMReviews and @SAHM_Reviews (Scott)Instagram: @nicolebradyTikTok: @SAHMReviews and for Scott’s game design updates: Facebook: @wscottbradyTwitter: @wscottbradyInstagram: @wscottbrady Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? 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 post Episode 351 – SAHM Reviews with the Bradys appeared first on The Family Gamers.

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. Sponsor Message If you’ve got a financial question, schedule a free call by going to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers. What We’ve Been Playing MandalaAvant Carde – review out today. Avant Carde is coming to Kickstarter NEXT WEEK!Pandemic Legacy Season 0Miller 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. Welcome TFG Community Members! Stop in and say hi! SNAP Review – Power Failure Build power plants and generate power – but you’ll have to carefully stack “carbon blocks”, adding another challenge to this power-generating game! Watch the video (“I have the power!”) or read the transcript of our review. Topic – Right-Sizing the Game Collection “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. Andrew Continue the discussion in our Facebook community! Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? 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 post Episode 350 – Right-Sizing Your Game Collection appeared first on The Family Gamers.

This week we’re talking to Clarence Simpson, designer of one of our family’s favorite games! 349 Fact Pepsi Number Fever… also known as “the 349 Incident”. Story Time! Sponor: First Move Financial If you’d like some advice about your student loans, go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/FamilyGamers and set up a free call. Games We’ve Been Playing Diatoms (coming soon to Kickstarter)Dice Hunters of TherionAndrew’s prototypeAvant Carde (coming soon to Kickstarter!)Shipwreck ArcanaBig TopBeer & 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. Read the transcript or watch the video of our review. Chatting with Clarence Simpson 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. Find Clarence online: Twitter: @StoicHamster Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] an

Let’s talk about our favorite games with a magical theme! 348 Fact The largest exposed sandstone monolith (exposed rock mountain) is Uluru (Ayer’s Rock), rising 348m above its surrounding plain. https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/66599-largest-sandstone-monolith Sponsor Message Set up a free phone call with First Move Financial at FirstMoveFinancial.com/FamilyGamers. What We’ve Been Playing Avant CardeMiller ZooQwingoMerchants of Magick (our review)TrokeAndrew’s prototype game!Dice Hunters of Therion Welcome New Members Stop in and say hi! SNAP Review – Stampfarm 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. What games do you think are magical? Share with us! Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? 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 post Episode 348 – Our 5 Favorite Magical Games! appeared first on The Family Gamers.

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! There’s nothing particularly inventive here, but it was a lot of fun. Watch our video or read the transcript of the review. Board Gaming Mama 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! Find Board Gaming Mama Online: Facebook: @boardgamingmamaInstagram: @boardgamingmamaTwitter: @boardgamingmamaTwitch: @boardgamingmamaYoutube: @boardgamingmamaTikTok: @boardgamingmama She usually streams Wed & Sat around 8pm ET… and plenty of other times too. Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? 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 post Episode 347 – Board Games with BoardGamingMama! appeared first on The Family Gamers.

Word games are great! But not everyone can play Scrabble. We tackle a few word games that can grow with your family. 346 Fact A sad one about the 737 Max plane crashes. Sponsor Message 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. Anitra: 33 unique games to complete May unique game challenge! H-index 3: Busy Beaks, Pollen, Illiterati, Yokai Sketch, Math Rush, A Gentle Rain. Welcome new members Stop in to our Facebook community and say hi! SNAP Review – Busy Beaks Grab sets of matching Australian birds in this flexible card game by Phil Walker-Harding. Watch the video or read the transcript of our review. Room to Grow: Word Games 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’

This week we talk to Emma Larkins, designer of Abandon All Artichokes, Starry Night Sky, and more. 345 fact We learn about two stars: Wolf 345 and Kepler 345. Sponsor message 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 Tranquility (our review / play on Board Game Arena)Starry Night Sky (our review)Space Craft6 nimmt! (maybe also “Take 5”? – play it on Board Game Arena)Mission to Planet HexxCatch the Moon SNAP Review – Math Rush 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. Watch the video or read the transcript. Interview with Emma Larkins 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. Shout out to Jenn Sandercock, a game developer who made a whole cookbook full of food-based games. Tell us about some fun facts about yourself. 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…” Find Emma online: EmmaLarkins.com. Sign up for her email newsletter there.Twitter: @emmalarkinsInstagram: @emmalarkinsTikTok: @emmalarkinsgames Starry Night Sky IS AVAILABLE! Amazon / Eureka Puzzles, more retail soon Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. PLEASE don’t forget to subscribe to the show, tell your friends about the show, and leave us a review at Appl

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 reviewSave 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 variantNerd Words: Science! (Genius Games) Welcome new members Stop in and say hi on Facebook! SNAP Review – Yokai Sketch 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. Read or watch our review of Yokai Sketch. Top Ten Games for Six Year Olds Lists! Lists! We give our top recommendations for six year old children. This is the beginning of the “big kid” years, with a lot more variety of really great games available. Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? 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 post Episode 344 – Top Games for Six Years Old appeared first on The Family Gamers.

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’. Watch the video or read the transcript for our Pollen review. Back to Games with Jeremy 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. Find Jeremy online: part of Man vs. Meeple on Youtube Jambalaya Plays Games community on Facebook Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? 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 post Episode 343 – Talking Games with Jeremy Howard appeared first on The Family Gamers.

We’ve done three year olds and four year olds, let’s recommend some games for the five year olds in your life! 342 Facts Happy Birthday, Pennsylvania! Charlie Chaplin’s 342 takes. Sponsor Message 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 SkyRoll to the TopNumbsters & GROVERoll through the Ages: The Bronze AgePollen (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). Welcome new members Stop in and say hi! SNAP Review – Roll to the Top: Journeys A racing roll-and-write game in a new version from Allplay, Roll to the Top Journeys was a surprising hit for our family. Read the transcript or watch the video of our review of Roll to the Top: Journeys. Topic: Games for Five Year olds Time for more lists! This week, it’s our top 10 games for 5 year olds. We really did stick to ten games this time. But we’d also recommend: Spot ItSequence KidsSleeping QueensZombie DiceLanterns Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? 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 post Episode 342 – Games for Five Year Olds appeared first on The Family Gamers.

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 yearFreshwater TankBirds of a Feather: Western North AmericaEarth 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. Anitra reviews Numbsters – watch the whole video or read the transcript. Matt Faulisi, GAMA and Skybound 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 JuneKiss the Goblin – indicate your (randomly selected) alignment by answering a prompt – coming in JulyPirate Tails – squirrels hiding nuts with set-based scoring Find Matt online: Twitter: @mattfaulisiTikTok: @mattfaulisi Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? 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 post Episode 341 – GAMA and Skybound Update with Matt Faulisi appeared first on The Family Gamers.

Continuing our lists for specific ages with games for four year olds! 340 Fact There are only 340 right whales left in the world (estimated). Sponsor Message Check the FTC’s website for information about credit counseling and debt management plans. Remember, you can always schedule a short phone call by going to FirstMoveFinancial.com/FamilyGamers – even if they aren’t the right fit to help you, they can point you in the right direction. What We’ve Been Playing Castle Panic (Big Box)Home Sweet Home (or not) – review linked belowRoll to the Top: Journeys (review coming soon)Fire Tower – enjoy the “shadow of the wood” that makes it possible for knocked-out players to winSuspects (final case)Mouse Cheese Cat Cucumber (review out now)FruitionNumbstersRoller Coaster RushGalaxy 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? Read the transcript or watch the video of our review. Welcome members to the community Stop in and say hi! Top Ten Games for Four Year Olds See the full list on our website. What games do your four year olds love? Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? 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 post Episode 340 – Top Games for Four Year Olds appeared first on The Family Gamers.

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 PatchworkStar Wars: DestiniesFlamecraftMarvel Zombies: A Zombicide GameStrikeDice ManorSantoriniHome Sweet Home (or Not) – review coming soonOh My Brain – review linked belowRolled WestNight 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! Read the transcript or watch the video of this review. Druid City and more with James Hudson Wonderland’s War expansion & Tidal Blades 2 are both in manufacturing. Druid City is just James right now, so things sometimes move slowly. Wonderland’s War – late pledging still available until April 28. After that, you can look for it in the Druid City Games webstore. 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. Find James and all his games online: DruidCityGames.com – find all in-stock games there Sign up for newsletter on the site (4-6 emails a year) Druid City Discord And all the social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram And of course email: [email protected] Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? 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 post Episode 339 – with James Hudson appeared first on The Family Gamers.

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 Another listener question this week, is it always better to buy a house than rent? 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) Welcome new members We have five new members to welcome this week. Stop in and say hi! We also share Stefán’s personal “For Science” from the community chat – a durian fruit drink. SNAP Review – Pirate Blast! Battle for Monkey Island We review a silly card game for families. We think this is best for ages 6-10, but anyone can enjoy the luck and silliness. You really want to watch the video for this one! Top Games for 3 Year Olds What, you mean our yearly gift guide wasn’t enough? ;) For this youngest age group, Anitra has talked about this before, in Why I Hate Candy Land (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 It5. 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 HootMy First Orchard We also took a poll in our Facebook community. 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. Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. PLEASE don’t forget to subscribe to the show, tell your friends about the show, and leave us a revi

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 LondonImagine (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)AzulHerStory (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. Curious for more? Watch the video or read the transcript. PAX East Interviews Amigo with Alex Re-release of Take 5 & No Thanks in one (smaller) package. Linko! (AKA “Abluxxen”) Holli Golli Circus ? part of a new “My First Amigo” line of card games for young children. Unsolved – solve a mystery from just pictures Pick-a-Pepper (AKA Sauscharf) – collect hot pepper cards and make sauce! Bohnanaza Dahlias – illustrated by Beth Sobel Dice Hunters of Therion (we will be reviewing this one) Gem Blenders with Steve A trading-card game where you power-up your hero characters with gem cards. Check out the Kickstarter. GemBlenders.com Pocket Paragons with Krose A 5-minute dueling card game. A rock-paper-scissors mechanic plus character-specific powerups. PocketParagons.com Resonym with Max 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. Resonym.com Phase Shift Games with Jason Flutter – campaign on Kickstarter, not Gamefound. Pollinators such as butterflys, bees, dragonflies, etc. and unusually shaped tiles. Match colored flower petals and spend them to enclose the pollinators. PhaseShiftGames.com Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? 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 post Episode 337 – PAX East Interviews appeared first on The Family Gamers.

Episode 336Most 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. What We’ve Been Playing Diced Veggies (coming soon from KTBG – we’re so excited!)Motor CityAnomia Tongue Twisters (free print-and-play)Across America FluxxDice Cards – check out the Kickstarter!Tussie MussieJekyll vs. Hyde (our review) SNAP Review – Across America Fluxx This family-friendly Fluxx version is all about American landmarks and travel. You might even learn something! Watch the video or read the transcript of this short review. Welcome to the community Stop in and say hi! Most Played Board Games! 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 PanicKing of the DiceSushi GoSpot ItGuess Who (we recommend Dinosaur Tea Party instead)Sleeping QueensZombie Kidz EvolutionGhost Fightin’ Treasure HuntersDisney Princess Cupcake GameDoggy GoAzulHarry Potter CodenamesUNO 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. Andrew’s: Draftosaurus, Fleet: the Dice Game, So Clover! From our community:Marvel ChampionsGloomhaven and all its spin-offsMy Hero AcademiaFantasy RealmsClaimArboretumWingspanPandemic (and Pandemic Legacy) – or maybe Pan Am?That’s Pretty CleverSleeping GodsThe MindDeep 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!) Anitra usually beats Andrew at Jekyll vs. Hyde and Deblockle. Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? 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 post Episode 336 – Most Played Board Games appeared first on The Family Gamers.

Mark and Janelle McGee have a cool card game on Kickstarter now (Tether) and it’s almost as cool as their company name: How to Steam Broccoli. 335 Fact The STS-335 was the last stand-by mission for the Space Shuttle. Sponsor Message 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 NoonHerStory (Underdog Games – review coming very soon)Save Patient Zero (Helvetiq)Challengers (Z-Man)homemade games!Bohnanzaour kids are moving on from Ghost Fightin’ Treasure Hunters & HEISTBonsai (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. Watch the video or read the transcript. How To Steam Broccoli 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. Kickstarter until March 21 but late pledges will be available. Anitra gushes briefly over Kintsugi, designed by Mark McGee and Daniel Solis. Find How To Steam Broccoli Online: HowToSteamBroccoli.com Twitter: @HowToBroccoliFacebook group: facebook.com/groups/howtosteambroccoli Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? 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 post Episode 335 – How To Steam Broccoli appeared first on The Family Gamers.

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/ Sponsor message: If that 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 to see if they can help you make your First Move with investing. 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 tableUnmatchedWildtailsMicroMacro: Crime CityLacrimosa, played solo – read the reviewGift 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 CourtStarship 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. If you like solo or 2-player coop, check out our review of Wildtails: A Pirate Legacy. Welcome New Community Members! Stop in and say hi – we’re feeling FABULOUS this week. Noisy Games 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 ev

Board Game Cruises, Cons, and Morewith 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 FurnaceSplendor Duel… and a quick digression in to reading rulebooks (or novels) vs watching videos (or listening to audiobooks)FruitionHEAT: Pedal to the MetalSauscharf – 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. Watch the video or read the full review. Monica Rasso, Event Manager 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. Find Monica Online: www.GameConHQ.com Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? 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 post Episode 333 – Board Game Cruises, Cons, and More, with Monica Rasso appeared first on The Family Gamers.

This week, we tackle YOUR questions! 332 Fact 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 If you want to talk to someone about your money personality, 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. 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 LegacyMatching puzzle game and Pictionary – we crushed it!KuZOOkaWonder 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! We highly recommend you watch the video for this cute game. Welcome new members Stop in to our Facebook community and say hi! And now, on to your questions! Backtalk… Extended! We Answer Your Questions 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

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 StroopEcosystem: Coral ReefLords of Waterdeep – Mike recommends Asking for TrobilsTreelingsRoll 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”. Cusecon: CuseCon.com, Facebook @CuseCon The Full 42 on Youtube Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? 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 post Episode 331 – Michael Guigliano appeared first on The Family Gamers.

Does it make sense to split up the family into groups on game night? It can solve arguments, but it also creates some unique challenges. 330 Fact (provided by a show listener): Rickenbacker 330 electric guitar. 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 GenieFeatherlight KuZOOka – it feels like Liar’s Dice, but cooperative.WildtailsTuring 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. Welcome new members Stop in and say hi in our Facebook community! SNAP Review – Star Trek Super Skill Pinball Star Trek, pinball, roll-and-write? Sounds good to us! Although Super Skill Pinball can run a little long, Trekkies will enjoy this game. Read the transcript or watch the video for this review. Splitting Up Family Game Night 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 Similo work 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. Want more about family gaming? Check out these episodes:292 – Making Time for Board Games284 – Five Fantastic Family Filler Favorites90 – Top 8 Games for Multi-Generational Play Or chat with us in the Facebook community! Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? Send weird foods “For Science”! to:The Family Gamers60 Auburn St. # 528Auburn, 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. The post Episode 330 – The Family Split – Multiple Games on Family Game Night appeared first on The Family Gamers.

329 Fact! Another double whammy, this time it’s naked heads and naked feet. 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 CrokinoleStar Trek: Super Skill Pinball (note: it’s actually species 8472 that can beat the Borg…)Scribbly Gum (surprisingly engaging, from Joey Games!)HamsterrolleWildtails: A Pirate LegacyFantasy RealmsMonsDRAWsityTattoo StoriesFlamecraft – 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. Watch the video or read the transcript for Kabuto Sumo. Chad Elkins tells us about 25th Century Games 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. Ghosts Love Candy Too (our review) – cute and approachable Halloween game. Velonimo – ladder climbing game themed on a crazy animal bicycle race. Blazon – coming to retail this month. Medieval heraldry is a very unusual theme – fill out a large shield board! Motor City – the newest roll and write from Ben Pinchback and Matt Riddle (French Quarter will be coming to Kickstarter this year) 3 new tile-laying games will be coming to Kickstarter this year: Agueda (Portugal), Color Field, and Donut Shop. And then even more: Ra, Resist, Fika, expansions to Space Explorers and Prehistories Find 25th Century Games Online: 25thcenturygames.comPlus an email newsletter and all the social media. Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? 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 post Episode 329 – 25th Century Games with Chad Elkins appeared first on The Family Gamers.

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. 328 Fact! According to SeaWorld, there are 328 different species of parrots. Sponsored by First Move Financial, who reminds you that you should regularly check your credit at AnnualCreditReport.com. Find more tips from First Move about how to read your credit report. And you can set up a free 15-minute phone call at FirstMoveFinancial.com/familygamers today! What We’ve Been Playing Turing MachineLacrimosa (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. Watch the video or read the transcript for Mada. Welcome New Members Welcome to the Family Gamers Facebook community! Stop in and say hi. Room to Grow: Dungeon Crawls 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. Thinking about Quest Kids for your family? Read our review. More Freedom, More Luck: Karak 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

We’ve been looking back at 2022, but this week we look ahead to 2023, with Family Gamer extraordinaire, Nick Martinelli! 327 fact Supernatural TV Show – 327 episodes Loopin Louie – is game 327 on Board Game Geek Sponsor message 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 MonstersJekyll vs. HydeThree SistersTuring MachineImhotepZombie Kidz EvolutionChronicles of AvelStar Trek: Super-Skill Pinball – Trouble with Tribbles has more player interactionMada – 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? Watch the video or read the transcript of our Head Spin review. Games Coming in 2023 What are we really hyped for this year? 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. Qawale (Gigamic / Hachette) – Another gorgeous Gigamic abstract; Mancala meets Tic-Tac-Toe. 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. Honorable mention: Camel Up card game What games are you looking forward to in 2023? Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, email us! [email protected], [email protected], and [email protected]. Check our our T-shirts, hoodies, and mugs at thefamilygamers.com/merch 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. The post Episode 327 – Top Anticipated Games for 2023 appeared first on The Family Gamers.

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)SantoriniFlashback: Zombie Kidz (A short demo – you can try it too)MicroMacro Crime CityHedgehog 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! Watch the video or read the transcript for this review. Welcome new members Stop in and say hi! 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! Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? Send weird foods “For Science”! to:The Family Gamers60 Auburn St. # 528Auburn, 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. The post Episode 326 – Anitra Birthday Edition appeared first on The Family Gamers.

Our topic this week is board game trends – for good and bad. We’ll talk about why during the second half of the show. So who better for this kind of conversation than Ross Thompson, who has held positions all across the board game industry. Ross is an incredible ambassador for gaming and we’re delighted to have him on the show. 325 Fact The Fury 325 is a very tall steel roller coaster with a 6,602 foot long track. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fury_325 Sponsor Message 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 LionTwilight ImperiumWarhammer 40KCartouchePoint SaladThe Great SplitFlamecraftTigris & EuphratesQuartoDeities… some game about stars (sorry!)…Labyrinth RPGboopAbandon All ArtichokesEpic ResortHead 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. Watch the video or read the transcript of our review. Board Game Trends 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. Find Ross Online: Tabletop Games Jobs group (Facebook) @almostkirk on Twitter, Hive, and Instagram, Also on Facebook, LinkedIn. Find Cephalofair games: On Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? Send weird foods “For Science”! to:The Family Gamers60 Auburn St. # 528Auburn, MA 01501 The Family Gamers is sponsored by First Move Financial. Go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/familygamers to learn how the team

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. 324 Fact The highest earning Super Smash Brothers competitor in the world has earned about 324 thousand dollars playing that game. Don’t tell our kids! Sponsored by First Move Financial 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.FyfeStarship CaptainsQuacks of QuedlinburgDrop 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 MachineGarden Nation – review coming soon.On Tour: Paris and New York (our review)QuartoMonopoly 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.) Anitra: 196 unique games, 544 plays. H-index 8. Most played: Santorini at 20 plays (surprising absolutely no one). Then, Unmatched, A Gentle Rain, Royal Visit, The Key: Theft at Cliffrock Villa, Under Falling Skies, Maul Peak, Railroad Ink Challenge Andrew: 182 unique games, 337 plays. H-index 6. Most played: Royal Visit at 12 plays. Then, Jekyll vs. Hyde, So Clover, Green Team Wins, Laniakea, Drop It, Unmatched, Quacks of Quedlinburg, Barenpark. New Community Members Stop into the community and say hi! Did you play any games to ring in the New Year? SNAP Review – The Root Beer Float Challenge 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. runners up: Three SistersPapagenoAldabas Andrew’s top three five: 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. Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. PLEASE don’t forget to subscribe to the

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 DuelLacrimosaBlock and KeyOnce Upon a Line (prototype)FurnaceGift of TulipsHEAT: Pedal to the MetalTuring 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. Read a transcript or watch the whole video of our review of Winter. Play the Game – the child of Kidsplaining 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. Wednesday 12/21 – Rail Road Ink (Blue)Friday 12/23 – CartographersMonday 12/26 – Deadly DoodlesWednesday 12/28 – On TourFriday 12/30 – Rail Road Ink Challenge (Green) Find the Burrells and Play The Game HQ Online: Youtube: @PlayTheGameHQ Instagram: @PlayTheGameHQTikTok: @PlayTheGameHQTwitter: @PlayTheGameHQFacebook: @PlayTheGameHQand Facebook Community Play the Game Community Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/communityTwitter (X): @familygamersaaInstagram: @familygamersaaTikTok: @familygamersaaBluesky: @familygamersaaThreads: @familygamersaaYoutube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected]. 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 :) Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors? 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 post 323 – Play the Game with Daniel and Allison Burrell appeared first on The Family Gamers.