The Family Gamers Podcast

What is gamification? Does it have any relationship to board gaming? We examine the concept this week. 0:00:00 Fact for 420 Where did the reference “420” come from to refer to smoking marijuana? 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. 0:05:10 What We’ve Been Playing Dragonarium * Iliad (our review) A Place for All My Books * Tidal Blades 2: Rise of the Unfolders S’mores Galore: Roast and Write (review soon) Spring Wombat Poo * * = First time on the podcast 0:30:00 The Family Gamers Community Welcome to our newest members in the Facebook community! #Backtalk You shared your strategies for teaching board game manners on the #backtalk channel of the Discord. 0:35:45 Gamification: The Good and The Not-So-Good According to Merriam-Webster: “the process of adding games or gamelike elements to something (such as a task) so as to encourage participation.” So, this is things that are not games with game-like elements added to them for motivation: like learning math, or working on fitness goals, or meeting work quotas. Types of gamification (from GoCadmium “Gamification in Learning 2026”): Gamification examples we thought about: Hotel/airline gold/platinum status Merit badges (but not military honors) Book-It is obviously rewards-based gamification! Store loyalty programs. Everything from simple “collect 10 stamps, get a free coffee” to the more sophisticated programs with big national chains that give incentives or unlock special offers by getting to a different “level”. These can push you to buy just a little bit more or more often than you would otherwise. (Supermarkets, Kohl’s Cash, CVS Extrabucks, etc.) Fitness apps often use multiple kinds of achievement-based gamification, to hook different kinds of people. Leaderboards, badges, and “personal best” tracking. They may include rewards or social collaboration as well. (We discuss Apple Fitness, Peloton. Company fitness challenges often are rewards-based.) Duolingo also uses achievements (streak-tracking!), while having obvious progress-based elements as well. Lose It! rewards you for “streaks” as well – including simply tracking your calories every day, even if you don’t meet your other goals! We think good gamification gives you a framework to work on your goals as well as the incentives to improve. What does this mean for our families & our kids? We think of two meta-examples. The 5×5 challenge (picking 5 games to play at least 5 times). Also the balancing B-mods and “leveling up” from Board Games For All Ages. Can we bring elements we like in board gaming to other behaviors we want to encourage? Gamification can be GOOD when it helps shore up existing motivation. But it’s not good when it is (a) the only motivation or (b) encouraging unintended behavior. Be wary of using gamification to substitute for real motivation! We describe using “chore cards” as a type of gamification. Kids removed the cards when done, kind of like an achievement system in reverse (having an empty line was the goal) – and it “unlocked” their screen time for the day. I feel like learning to read should naturally feel progress-based. As you improve, you get more opportunities to read what you want! Some schools make it too achievement-ish if they focus on “reading levels” rather than the fun of reading. Don’t be tempted to gamify everything and turn it into too much pressure on your kids! We’ve seen this in sports, academic achievement (GPA/grades), and other competitions. It’s okay not to be the best at everything! We share our experience with Marvel Puzzle...

How do you teach kids to play games “nicely”? To respect the rules of the game? 0:00:00 Fact for 419 419 scams (AKA Nigerian prince scams) 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. 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. 0:04:10 What We’ve Been Playing Scurry Up! * Verdant Arizona (our review) Lands of Amazement (our review) Aspens S’mores Galore Roast and Write Cabanga! (our review) Trio (our review) Flip 7 (our review) Person Do Thing (our review) Adventurous * Unmatched: Stars and Stripes * Jekyll vs. Hyde (our review) Got Five! * * = First time on the podcast 0:26:20 March Monthly Report Andrew: 10 plays of 8 games. H-index: 2 (Flip 7, Aspens) Anitra: 31 plays of 12 games. H-index: 3 (almost every game was played at least 3 times…) Most played: Aspens, Lands of Amazement Did you check out our March Madness extra reviews? 0:29:00 The Family Gamers Community We’re so glad you’re here! 0:29:50 #Backtalk You shared your escape room experiences on Facebook and the #backtalk channel of the Discord. FOR SCIENCE! “Tacos in Pasta Shells” recipe, contributed by Discord member Sms137355. 0:44:30 Board Game Manners How do you teach manners to kids as they’re playing board games? How do you teach them to properly “play games” at all? Young kids HAVE to be taught to take turns (which extends to a lot more than just board games!) All the games in our list for three year olds are great for teaching this skill. Young kids also have to be taught the general idea of “following the rules”. One we forget is a skill: recognizing pieces/cards as markers for information, AKA “proxy permanence”. This is the distinction between “playing pretend” or following rules. You need to leave pieces in place to show your progress or status! You can help by providing a different piece to fidget with. That leads into a concept of shared ownership. Everyone is responsible for the pieces on the board. And that leads to respecting the components of the game. “Respecting components” means teaching a certain amount of gentleness: Keeping cards (and other information) secret is a skill that is needed, but can be introduced more slowly. This is both a mental and physical skill. If they need help with the physical skill, that’s what card-holders are for! Being a gracious winner and loser is the most important skill when playing with your peers. Unfortunately, this might be the hardest to teach. But it also helps in other areas of life! Remember, gaming should be fun. If no one is having fun, you don’t have to keep going. Stop and try again another day! This respects your time (and other people’s time) more than the game itself. You know your kids and friends. How you handle this is different if it’s one-on-one with a parent and kid or if it’s a whole group of kids. (If it’s a group of kids, lower your expectations!) The bigger the group of kids, and the younger the group of kids, the shorter the game needs to be, if anyone is struggling with good board game manners. Under 10 minutes for very young kids. Rules-lawyering is NOT good board game manners. Remember, games are supposed to be fun. Slight changes to the rules are okay, as long as people can agree! Young children tend to be very black-and-white: either sticklers for the rules, or struggling to understand why rules exist at all. If you have multiple kids and they have different attitudes to the rules, you’ll need to break it up and...

Escape rooms let your family cooperate in new and interesting ways. But do you prefer a physical, in-person escape room, a video game, or a board game experience? 0:00:00 Fact for 418 HTTP code 418: “I’m a teapot” Sponsor Message If you want help planning for your kid’s college education, set up a time for a free 15-minute call by going to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers. 0:05:00 What We’ve Been Playing Embers (our review) Lands of Amazement Aspens Verdant Arizona 0:12:50 The Family Gamers Community We’re so happy to welcome new members! You can join the community on Facebook too. 0:13:30 #Backtalk You shared your purging regrets on Facebook and the #backtalk channel of the Discord. 0:19:25 Escape Rooms Physical escape rooms – we’ve done a few. Very cool but can feel high pressure. They’re great to do in a group, letting everybody work on different things. Doing it as a family is expensive! Video games are a much cheaper way to capture this style really well: Portal, The Room (Steam, Google Play, Apple), Escape Academy Board Game “Escape Rooms” These range in size and playtime. Some are more puzzley, some are more narrative-driven. But any of them can be a great family experience. And we have reviewed a bunch of them – we’ll talk about six series here: EXIT series – Fairly immersive, with a plot and setting that hangs together. Everything you need is in the box. Wide variety of puzzles to write on, manipulate, cut, etc. But comes with a downside – that wide variety means you almost always run into a puzzle in the game that is not figure-out-able (for us). They come in a huge range of difficulty, including several that are appropriate to do with younger kids who are just barely reading. Unlike the other games in this list, we think they’re best with more than 2 players. There are also EXIT Kids games now! (Check out the EXIT games we’ve reviewed.) Unlock series – These require an app. Other than the app, completely card-based and re-settable to pass on to a friend to try. These also have a juvenile line now – Unlock Kids. Our experience has been really uneven. Some really great (Wizard of Oz, Star Wars). Others are just really weird, with puzzles don’t make sense. We generally recommend these, but use caution. Holiday Hijinks – probably our favorite compact escape-room type game. Packs a ton of puzzles into 18 cards and a web app. Full of puns, trivia, and holiday cultural references. Still best for very small groups, since there’s such a small space to work in. Family friendly, although younger kids will probably be frustrated that they don’t have the trivia knowledge to contribute unless they’re very knowledgeable about the holiday. (Check out our reviews and interviews about Holiday Hijinks.) Deckscape – feels like a “choose your own adventure” narrative. Mostly a deck of cards, but with a few accessories that made it more immersive. Puzzles could not be attempted more than once, which made the choices feel high-stakes. Best with 2-3 players, because you’re only looking at a few cards at a time – unless you’re willing to take your time and pass them around the table. (We reviewed Deckscape: The Mystery of El Dorado.) Backstories – not really an escape room, more of a narrative adventure. Work through decisions one at a time as a group. But not only re-settable, it’s replayable, with branching paths and different endings depending on the decisions made! Not exactly family-friendly. Lots of violence and some death. (Check out our Backstories reviews.) Star Trek: Cryptic – as Trek fans we really loved this one. Work through three different “chapters” in a Starfleet officer’s life, with very thematic puzzles. Pretty much re-settable, but you’ll get great value out of this one even if you only play it once – it takes 3-4 hours to do the whole thing, split into several sessions. Coded Chronicles (we reviewed Scooby Doo & The Goonies games) – also very narrative driven. But spreads out the...

How do you know when you’re done with a game? Your kids have aged out of it – are you sure? 0:00:00 Fact for 417 Solfeggio frequency 417 hz. Sponsor Message 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. 0:05:00 What We’ve Been Playing Flip 7 (our review) Cabanga! (our review) Circus Flohcati (our review) Trio (our review) Floristry (our review) Slay the Spire (over 3 separate days) Draftosaurus (our review back in 2019) Embers solo game (review coming soon) Unmatched Adventures: TMNT Iliad (review coming soon) 0:21:55 Monthly Report Andrew: 14 (15?) plays of 10 unique games. H-index: 2 (Trio, Iliad) Anitra: 22 plays of 12 unique games. H-index: 3 (Trio, Slay the Spire, Embers) 0:24:00 The Family Gamers Community Hello to all our new members! You can join the community on Facebook too. 0:24:45 #Backtalk You shared your super powers, your special abilities! With a slight digression to Winter Olympics sports. Andrew wonders what the difference is between different ice-skating jumps. You responded on Facebook and the #backtalk channel of the Discord. 0:34:55 How Do You Know When You’re Done? There’s no easy formula here, sorry! It depends what’s going on with your own life, and also your family and friends. It’s easy to “move on” from kids games when you have other kids in your life, younger than your own kids. Harder if your own kids are really nostalgic. You may regret moving on from some games! That’s normal and okay. Board games are a consumer product, and you can probably replace it if you look hard enough (eBay is amazing). Your family situation will change over time: whether that’s “aging out” of a game, or a change in interests & priorities. We grieve a little bit over losing who our children *used to be* while still enjoying the people they are *right now*. Nostalgia ALONE is not a reason to keep a game! You may be able to find it in another place, or just keep your fond memories. But if nostalgia regularly drives you back to *wanting* to play the game, maybe it makes sense to keep. Andrew suggests “dimensionally constraining” nostalgic / kids items (a box, shelf, or other limited space) to help you focus your collection. Kingdomino 0:56:00 New Backtalk Question Have you purged a game that you later regretted? Or one that you knew was the right choice, but you still feel sad about it? Tell us on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, or in our Facebook community. Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/community Twitter (X): @familygamersaa Instagram: @familygamersaa TikTok: @familygamersaa Bluesky: @familygamersaa Threads: @familygamersaa Youtube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com. PLEASE don’t forget to subscribe to the show, tell your friends about the show, and leave us a review at Apple Podcast or whatever your podcast subscription source is. We’re also on Amazon Music, TuneIn, and Spotify. You can also now find us on YouTube Music! So pull it up and give us a listen while you’re toiling away at work :) 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 417 – The Purge: How Do You Know You’re Done? appeared first on The Family Gamers.

We’re going to talk about what it’s like to grow up in a gaming family! 0:00:00 Fact for 416 The largest chocolate bar by area measured 416.34 square meters, achieved on 2 December 2024. Sponsor Message What do you do with your tax refund? Do you get a refund at all? If you want to talk to First Move about habits you can build to take the next step toward your goals, go to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers to schedule a call. 0:04:05 What We’ve Been Playing Floristry (our review) – looking forward to trying the update! Flip 7 (our review) Trio (our review) Iliad Fight 5 Animal Rescue Team Dice Throne: Marvel X-men – review coming soon 0:25:00 The Family Gamers Community Welcome to our newest members! You can join the community on Facebook. 0:25:30 #Backtalk We asked about more topics… and your silliest #boardgamevalentine (see our TFG valentines). You responded on the #backtalk channel of the Discord. 0:29:00 Growing as a Family with Board Games We started The Family Gamers Podcast when we had three kids, age 7 and under. Back then, we were really just playing with the oldest and trying to find ways to include the preschooler. We started playing very simple games with our oldest when she was probably 3 years old. We did play some CandyLand, but we mostly played simple “family” games rather than kids’ games. We were often trying to rule-shift or play games that were very simple (like Zombie Dice, which we mention back in episode 1!), in part because our oldest started reading at a very young age. So we didn’t need games that avoided reading. She also really enjoyed the adult attention she got from doing “adult” things. And then our middle child got old enough to want to join in the games. Unfortunately, we discovered many “family games” don’t work well with multiple children when at least one can’t read yet. That is when we first realized that when gaming with very young children, games need to be short, with very simple decisions, no reading, and limited symbols & counting. We were barely aware of HABA games and other games geared towards very young children, but we learned! (Episode 36) Teaming Up: Playing with Multiple Children We also would “team up” a parent with a kid. The job of the parent was to present and explain the available decisions, without forcing the kid into any specific option. We recommend using house rules or variants, as long as everyone agrees how to play! It’s OK if small children just want to use the game pieces to play “let’s pretend”. If that bothers other children playing (or you as the parent), you need to clarify this with the kid – it’s not right or wrong, just have a plan for how to handle it. Maybe it means finishing this game and coming back later to play with the kid-generated rules. “You want to say ‘yes’ as much as possible.” – Andrew As the kids got a little older, we noticed that our younger children were trying to emulate their older sibling(s). (This is still an issue with teenagers, by the way.) This made it even more important to emphasize being a gracious winner and avoid being a sore loser. But it also means that you have to find ways to include the younger sibling(s) even as the older children want to graduate away from “kids games”. We looked for ways to handicap games, but also looked for games that would play to our younger children’s strengths, so they would not ALWAYS lose. It’s Different Now In 2026, we would recommend BoardGamesForAllAges.com. Tom has created “B-mods” which are handicapping rules to allow players of different levels to really be able to play TOGETHER. The structure encourages kids to keep leveling up, with fewer and fewer handicaps. We are also now in a phase of life where board gaming as a family looks very different: our kids are all in middle & high school now. And their interactions with games are different. It’s no longer about leveling the playing field, it’s about honoring the ways that each of them want to interact...

Looking for some card games for your family to grow into? We’ve got you covered. 0:00:00 Fact for 415 The racing tall ship Amerigo Vespucci holds the record for the largest maximum crew complement: 415 sailors. Sponsor Message If you’d like to talk about other ideas to help pass on your financial values to your children, schedule a time to talk to First Move by going to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers today. 0:04:25 What We’ve Been Playing Compile: Main 2 (very much like Compile: Main 1) Logic & Lore – review coming soon. Check out the Kickstarter! Ichor Iliad Carnuta Dice Throne: Marvel X-men Tidal Blades 2: Rise of the Unfolders Verdant Arizona Dice Clash Embers Tag Team 0:29:00 January Monthly Report Anitra: 42 plays, 23 unique games. H-index: 3. Most played: Trio Andrew: 23 plays of 14 unique games. H-index: 2. Most played: Trio & Verdant Arizona 0:31:00 The Family Gamers Community Welcome to our newest members! You can join the community on Facebook. We also cover some “for science” emails from listener Mallory. Would you be interested in hearing us try recipes “for science”? 0:35:15 #Backtalk We asked about your New Year resolutions: any that have to do with board games? You responded on the Facebook group and on the #backtalk channel of the Discord. 0:41:30 Room to Grow: Card Games Our goal with Room to Grow is to bring your kids – or your family – through a series of games that grow in complexity. Normally, we take a beginner game, an intermediate game, and an advanced game (and some honorable mentions). They offer a plan for growth for players to get comfortable with that mechanic, and all are family-friendly. What is a card game? For the purposes of this podcast, we’re defining it as: Beginner: Flip 7 There are several games we could pick as a really easy starting point. But this one is the most like conventional card games, so we think it feels the most approachable. Young kids can play this and enjoy it as long as they have basic numeracy. They might not get the statistics, but they can understand that there’s only one 1 and a lot of 12s, and they don’t want repeats. See our review of Flip 7. Intermediate: Fantasy Realms or Marvel Remix This is pretty much the same game with two themes: Fantasy Realms is medieval-ish fantasy, and Marvel Remix is obviously Marvel super-heroes and villains. Turns out, there’s a third one called Star Trek: Missions! Build a hand of cards that combo well together to get the most points. Each turn, you will add a card to your hand and discard a card from your hand, trying to get a little better each time. All cards get discarded to a central area, which also becomes the pool to draw cards from (in addition to the deck). The rules do get a little more complicated with two players, but it’s still do-able. Advanced: Res Arcana or Race for the Galaxy or San Juan Another set of three games with very similar mechanics – probably because the same guy (Tom Lehmann) designed two and had a heavy hand in the development of the third. Res Arcana is fantasy themed, Race for the Galaxy is sci-fi, and San Juan is loosely themed around colonizing the Americas. In San Juan, you build buildings from the cards in your hands, paying other cards from your hand as the cost. Each turn, the current player chooses a “role” – everyone gets to do an action based on that role, while the chooser gets a bonus. Race for the Galaxy is somewhat more complicated. Everyone secretly selects an action, then simultaneously reveals. All of the actions that were picked will be performed in a round. You’re still paying out cards to play other cards, which interact in all kinds of ways in the different phases. This one has victory point & power chips to help you track values as the game goes along. Res Arcana is along the same lines: collect “essences” to be able to claim abilities & cards. Work towards ten victory points to win the game. This was a Kennerspiel Recommended game...

This week, we examine our Amazon Affiliate statistics. What games are the most popular buys among our listeners? Then, we compare our own lists of favorite games of the year. 0:00:00 Fact for 414 The 414s – a group of teenage computer hackers from Milwaukee (the 414 area code) in the early 1980s. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_414s 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 a free initial 15 minute call. 0:05:30 What We’ve Been Playing Animal Rescue Team 3 Chapters Shadow Ninjas (w/4 players) Cabanga! (our review – still great) Guildlands That’s Not a Hat Metro X (our review – still great) Cozy Stickerville demo Paleo Verdant Arizona Logic & Lore 0:32:00 Monthly and Yearly Reports In December, Andrew played 15 unique games 23 times. H-index: 2. Most played: Leaders, Jungo. In December, Anitra played 18 unique games 46 times. H-index: 4. Most played: Leaders, Tag Team, Lands of Amazement, Jungo. Nearly all of our games were played at home, and at just two players. In 2025, Andrew played 111 unique games, 299 times. H-index: 8. 16 games played 5+ times, 4 games played 10+ times. Trio is his most played, followed by My City, Floristry, and Lorcana. In 2025, Anitra played 162 unique games, 507 times. H-index: 10. More and more of her games are played with Andrew – this year, she played with Andrew far more than with any other person. 0:38:00 The Family Gamers Community Welcome to our newest members! You can join the community on Facebook. #Backtalk We asked about what game was the highlight of your holidays. You responded on the Facebook group and on the #backtalk channel of the Discord. 0:46:30 Our Top Ten Amazon Links These games were ordered the most through our affiliate links this year. Links are to reviews/recommendations we wrote for each game. My First Castle PanicOutfoxedMonzaDragon’s BreathDoomlingsGreen Team WinsDragominoZombie Kidz EvolutionHappy SalmonSushi Go 1:01:00 Our Top Five? Ten? Thirteen? of 2025 We each picked the seven games we enjoyed the most this year. We thought we would overlap to about ten games total. We were wrong. Floristry FloristryLeadersCreature ComfortsChit ChatDuel for CardiaOdinInkPerson Do ThingLogic & LoreObelusFlower FieldsLorcana GatewayPaint the Roses 1:20:20 New Backtalk Question Do you have a New Year’s Resolution that is board game related? Tell us on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, or in our Facebook community. Find Us Online: Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/community Twitter (X): @familygamersaa Instagram: @familygamersaa TikTok: @familygamersaa Bluesky: @familygamersaa Threads: @familygamersaa Youtube: TheFamilyGamers or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com. PLEASE don’t forget to subscribe to the show, tell your friends about the show, and leave us a review at Apple Podcast or whatever your podcast subscription source is. We’re also on Amazon Music, TuneIn, and Spotify. You can also now find us on YouTube Music! So pull it up and give us a listen while you’re toiling away at work :) The Family Gamers is sponsored by First Move Financial. Go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/familygamers to learn how the team at First Move Financial can help you pile up the victory points. The post Episode 414 – Top Games of 2025 appeared first on The Family Gamers.

We’re going to talk about games that are just plain fun, no matter the group. 0:00:00 Fact for 413 La Roue – a silent movie, with a full run time of 413 minutes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Roue 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. 0:04:45 What We’ve Been Playing Update – from the really cool Asmodee demo room at PAX Unplugged this year: First Giants – looks heavier than it is. Great for families! (coming in May) Carnuta – coming February dnup – like Scout or Jungo, with card-flipping as you pick up cards you beat. coming May/June Splendor Kids – uses a board instead of cards to buy. Already out! Spring – similar to Winter Tag Team – deck-programming duel with the SmashUp approach to the source deck Shadow Ninjas Leaders – there are a few errata to deal with. But this is a fun duel full of asymmetric powers. Enthrone – more on this one soon. Floristry Unmatched – we used Moon Knight & Shakespeare Dice Throne: X-Men – we used Cyclops & Rogue Lands of Amazement 0:38:30 The Family Gamers Community Welcome to our newest community members! You can join the community on Facebook. #Backtalk We asked about your favorite kind(s) of video games. You responded on the Facebook group and on the #backtalk channel of the Discord. 0:45:45 Just Plain Fun In no particular order, we picked five different kinds of games that always bring the fun. Trio (from Happy Camper) You never thought a memory-and-deduction game could be so much fun! This hits the table super quickly, as long as you have at least three players. The set-collection element is part of what keeps everyone engaged, along with the revealing of information to deduce where certain sets of cards are. It’s our family’s favorite game. Check out our review of Trio. Cabanga! (from Amigo / Hasbro) Now available as Snailed It! from Hasbro, this game always gets our table yelling as we cause players to take penalty cards. Play a card into a color area, and try to minimize the gap between that number and the other number in that color… or other players could throw out cards that fit in that gap and cause you to take penalties! Read our review of Cabanga! Super Mega Lucky Box (from Gamewright) This is the “most complicated” game on the list… but it’s basically bingo plus bonus combos that add some strategy. Fits well in either high-energy or low-energy situations. But always fun, and works at any player count, including solo. Check out our review of Super Mega Lucky Box. Green Team Wins (25th Century Games) Even people who don’t normally play games will (usually) enjoy this game. Ask a question; everyone tries to pick an answer to match with the most people around the table. Green Team Wins is unusual among party games. It works great among friends & family, but just as well with strangers as an icebreaker – or even combined groups where some people know each other well and others do not. It is our favorite party game. Watch our review of Green Team Wins – and the Green Team Wins: Holiday Party expansion. Spaceteam (from Stellar Factory) A high-energy “yell-y” game. We don’t play often, but it’s great if you’re ready for stress, a timer, and yelling. Cooperate to “fix your spaceship” by passing tool cards around the table to each player that needs them for specific tasks. As you fulfill tasks, discard them and find the spaceship parts. There are more cards in the mix that break expectations. And it feels so great when you can win! Find out more at PlaySpaceteam.com. Bonus: Red Letter, Yellow Letter (also from 25th Century Games) Another great party game, but a little lower energy than Green Team Wins. And since this is a game of “be the first to shout out an answer”, you can join mid-game. We find that it starts slowly, but then slowly warms up as people get used to the slowly-changing...

Our yearly show with Engaged Family Gaming, where we talk about what video games might be on your kids’ wishlists. 00:00 Fact for 412 412 is the area code for Pittsburgh (and they seem really proud of it). The most people washing dishes simultaneously is 412 and was achieved by Henkel (Algeria) and Pril-Isis, in Algiers, Algeria, on 16 June 2017. https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/112306-most-people-washing-dishes-simultaneously Sponsor Message 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. 0:04:30 What We’ve Been Playing – with November Monthly Report! Anitra: 54 plays of 28 unique games. H-index: 4 (Chit Chat, Trio, INK, Leaders, Odin) – and Andrew is the most played-with person by a huge margin! Andrew: 40 plays of 18 unique games. H-index 4 (Chit Chat, Leaders, Odin, Trio). 35 games together with Anitra! Pretty much everything was 2 players or 5 players. Check out our recent reviews for INK and Odin. Leaders Jungo (check out our review!) Logic & Lore S’mores Galore Roast & Write For Sale 0:10:40 The Family Gamers Community Welcome to our newest community members on Facebook! In these darkest days of the year, let’s share some light with each other. Stop in and say hello. #Backtalk We asked what you like to do with your family that ISN’T boardgames. A few of you answered on the #backtalk channel on the Discord and in our Facebook community. 0:19:00 Video Games with Engaged Family Gaming Stephen Duetzmann helps us with the best video games to give this year, via the Engaged Family Gaming holiday list. But first we talk about videogames we’ve been playing: Dogpile (on Steam) Metroid Prime 4 Dredge (more info) Hollow Knight: Silksong (which Andrew just finished – more info) 0:36:00 Consoles PS5 or Xbox Series X – They are very expensive and not focused on family-friendly titles. Not recommended unless you really want it for games you can’t get elsewhere. 0:37:15 Multi-platform Games Civilization VII – the rough edges have been sanded off. Pick a leader, but jump to different civilizations in each age. Plays pretty well on any console and on PC, but if you have a Switch 2, buy it for that system, so you can use the mouse controller. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown – turn based tactical game that still forces you to move forward like a typical side-scrolling brawler. Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar – cozy “farm and town” game with engine-building. Has a week cycle as well as a day cycle. Sonic Racing: Crossworlds – good if you don’t have Mario Kart. Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted 0:45:00 Playstation Exclusives “Playstation didn’t put out anything that didn’t involve mass-murder.” Ghost of Yotei – only for grownups, but gorgeous. nothing else really new, but Astro Bot, Final Fantasy VII, and Spider-man 2 are still great choices. 0:46:50 Xbox Exclusives Also not much new that isn’t “headshot-central”. But Star Wars Outlaws is updated and even better than it was last year. 0:47:45 Nintendo Switch / Switch 2 Both consoles are good choices: Switch 2 is very cool. Original Switch is the value choice, and those games will still work if you decide to upgrade later to the Switch 2. Mario Kart World Donkey Kong Bananza Also recommended: Metroid Prime 4 – if you liked Metroid Prime and Kirby Air Riders “If you get a Switch 2, don’t limit yourself to just Switch 2 games” – get older original Switch games, too. A lot of them have been updated for the better graphics of the Switch 2, and they’ll be great! 0:53:00 Online Play and Online Sales You need to do the math and decide if these are worth it for your family. Good alternative to buying a single game if you don’t know what game your recipient would want. Nintendo Switch Online – $80 for up to 8 users (don’t all have to be in the...

It’s the most wonderful time of the year – PAX Unplugged is when we get to catch up with friends in the boardgame industry, see new games, and meet some of YOU! 00:00 Fact for 411 If you’re a Millenial, you know that 411 was (is) a phone number to call for general information. Did you know there are other X11 codes? https://www.networkworld.com/article/956606/beyond-911-other-n-1-1-codes-you-should-know.html Sponsor Message How do you know if you’re ready to retire? There’s the financial aspect, but don’t forget about the emotional and physical as well. If you want help reviewing the financial part of preparing for retirement, set up a time to talk to First Move for free by going to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers today. 0:05:10 What We’ve Been Playing INK – review out today of this race to place all your ink bottles. Odin – review coming next week. Best at 3-4 players. Chit Chat – had our best game ever at 9 points! Check out the review. Stroop – still breaks our brain, but fun. Bouba/Kiki – a cooperative party game about matching shapes with nonsense words. (We talk at length about Stroop and Bouba/Kiki in episode 370.) Tropichaos – a fruit-selling push-your-luck game from Oink Games. Person Do Thing – a simple word party game. Try it yourself at PersonDoThing.com Leaders – we will talk a lot about this later. 0:18:00 The Family Gamers Community Welcome to our newest community members on Facebook! Stop in and say hello. #Backtalk We asked what your favorite thing to do at a convention – if you’ve ever been to one. A few of you answered on the #backtalk channel on the Discord and in our Facebook community. PAX Unplugged 2025 Interviews 0:25:35 SnapShips Tactics with Micah “X-wing crossed with Galaxy Trucker, and you’re trying to kill each other.” Make your ship look like you want, and make it play like you want. Starter set for two players is about $65. www.snapshipstactics.com 0:29:00 Kess with Court A game based on OnePiece! www.kessentertainment.co 0:32:30 Outset Media with David Guildlands – “if Carcassonne met Root“ Karak – a favorite for kids, with lots of upgrades over the version we reviewed years ago. And Karak II for a more challenging game! Shadow Ninjas – cats sneaking into the dojo to eat the koi, and one dog trying to eliminate them all. outsetmedia.com 0:36:10 Fight in a Box with Seppy Yoon Puppies or Poop – build a doggie land-mine field under the leaves. Try to survive without poop on your shoes! A cute and more memorable re-implementation of Squirrel or Die. Kaiser Cucumber – evil geniuses trying to out-steal each other. A sort of sequel to Mouse Cheese Cat Cucumber. www.fightinabox.com 0:40:15 SRG Universe with Steve Supershow – a wrestling card game – and Super Lucha which is a crossover with luchadors. Rummy Gummies – a set-playing card game. “Rummy with Uno-like effects” supershowthegame.com 0:45:00 Envy Born Games with Matthew Sirens – 1-2 player tiny game. Draft cards to make a song and lure sailors. Hercules and the 12 Labors – solo game. Battle your way through Hercules’s famous 12 labors and choose rewards to help you with future labors. envyborngames.com 0:48:20 Kids Table Board Gaming / Burnt Island Games with Sean River Market – now available! Sea Shells – set collection by Bruno Faiduitti, coming summer 2026 Pack & Paddle – Kickstarter in 2026 Treeline – recover the landscape. Also coming summer 2026. Fans of Diced Veggies and Endeavor: Deep Sea. www.kidstablebg.com and www.burntislandgames.com 0:52:50 Jason Anarchy Games Trombone Champ – yes, like the video game. Full of hotdogs, baboons, and silly fake trombone facts. 0:55:00 Wonderful World Board Games with Ariel Dragonarium – go check out the Kickstarter before December 11! Last Lantern – coop polyomino game. Silently build a path across the board. www.wonderfulworldbg.com 1:00:25 Bezier Games with Jay Zombie Princess – a sequel to Rebel Princess. “Save” the zombies by...

It's that time of year again - we suggest games for everyone on your gift list. The post Episode 410 – Holiday Gift Guide appeared first on The Family Gamers.

Let's talk about card games! The post Episode 409 – Five Favorite Card Games appeared first on The Family Gamers.

Weather's getting colder, time for cozy board games - and a hint about some cozy food. The post Episode 408 – Top 10 Cozy Games appeared first on The Family Gamers.

We’ve been looking forward to making this episode for a little while. Sometimes you don’t have a lot of time to play games – so let’s talk about our family favorites that play in 15 minutes or less. 00:00 Fact for 407 This one is for Zach. on 15 November 2012 a new world record was set. The most people The post Episode 407 – Our Favorite 15-Minute Games appeared first on The Family Gamers.

Andrew names his 5 favorites out of everything he has played in 2025. The post Episode 406 – Andrew’s Favorites in 2025! appeared first on The Family Gamers.

Does theme even matter in games? Is theme more than just the art in a game? The post Episode 405 – Theme appeared first on The Family Gamers.

Boardgames aren't the only way to connect with your kids - and they aren't always the BEST way, either. We discuss other ways to connect, and recommend some videogames. The post Episode 404 – Connecting Through Gaming appeared first on The Family Gamers.

We love the board game community, but it can lead to pressure to play MORE or HARDER games, to keep up with the newest games. What can we do to dial it back down and make games FUN again? The post Episode 403 – Taking the Pressure Off appeared first on The Family Gamers.

Deck building was a little challenging because even among "pure" deck-building games, some of their foundational mechanics are different. Nevertheless, we came up with three we'd recommend to learn this style of game. The post Episode 402 – Room to Grow: Deck Building appeared first on The Family Gamers.

Just like an evergreen plant that doesn't die, these are games that stay popular year after year. The post Episode 401 – Ten Top Evergreen Family Games appeared first on The Family Gamers.