The Family Gamers Podcast

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 Februarydnup – like Scout or Jungo, with card-flipping as you pick up cards you beat. coming May/JuneSplendor Kids – uses a board instead of cards to buy. Already out! Spring – similar to WinterTag Team – deck-programming duel with the SmashUp approach to the source deckShadow NinjasLeaders – there are a few errata to deal with. But this is a fun duel full of asymmetric powers.Enthrone – more on this one soon.FloristryUnmatched – we used Moon Knight & ShakespeareDice Throne: X-Men – we used Cyclops & RogueLands 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 letters and “things”. And it always leaves us appreciating other players’ cool answers. Read our review of Red Letter, Yellow Letter. 0:58:30 New Backtalk Question We had a lot of games we played in the holiday week: what was YOUR board game of the week? This could be a gift you received for Chanukah or Christmas or whatever you celebrate, or it could have been something you got off the shelf of opportunity because you had some downtime. When I ask what your board game of the week is, what is it and why? Our son’s highlights are Hercules and The 12 Labors, and Slay the Spire (the boardgame). Anitra hopes that Paleo can finally get off the shelf of opportunity. Tell us on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, or 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! 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 413 – Five(ish) Games That Are Just Plain Fun appeared first on The Family Gamers.

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.LeadersJungo (check out our review!)Logic & LoreS’mores Galore Roast & WriteFor 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 4Dredge (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 Primeand 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 same location), even cheaper if you only need one user. This is absolutely necessary to play online AND gives you access to a bunch of older games. XBox Game Pass – probably not worth it JUST for kids. Worth it for Andrew & Anitra, where we have many people all taking advantage. PS Plus – again, needed for online play. Minimum $80/year for the Essentials plan. As always: If you’re buying a console for a holiday present, do NOT leave it in the box! Don’t forget to set it up before Christmas! (Plug in, connect to the internet, download updates, install a game or two. You might need to update the firmware on the controller.) It’s a much more effective surprise if it’s ready to play on Christmas morning. And don’t forget about free to play games like Fortnite or Disney Speed Storm! Those are good to add ahead of time so they can play right away. And don’t forget about The Family Gamers holiday gift guide, too! Find EFG Online: Facebook: @EngagedFamilyGamingTikTok: @EngagedFamilyGamingTwitch: @EngagedFamilyGamingThey also have a Facebook community: facebook.com/groups/EngagedFamilyGamingCommunityAnd you can find Stephen on Facebook too: @sduetzmann 1:10:00 New Backtalk Question What kind of video game do you like best? Do you like multiplayer games because you’re a board gamer, and so you want to play with other people (locally or online)? Or do you have video games as your solo play and board games as your social play? Do you prefer puzzles, or action? If you want to name a particular game that is your favorite, feel free! Tell us on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, or 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! 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 412 – Video Game Gift Guide appeared first on The Family Gamers.

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.comLeaders – 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 2026Pack & Paddle – Kickstarter in 2026Treeline – 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 chopping off their heads. Trick-taking game that’s best with partners. Haunted Mouse – a ladder-climbing/shedding card game that lets you use your opponents’ cards. Game Makers – heavier game with a rondel. You step into the role of a game publisher – very meta. Recommendations for this holiday: Seers Catalog and Xylotar (we reviewed the expansion) beziergames.com Bonus: Jay is also @CardboardEast – he reviews games from Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, etc. Check out his Youtube channel! 1:04:50 Play to Z Games with Zev Animal Rescue Team – with Matt Leacock Twisted Trumpets – route-building, sort of. You’re building out very weird, twisty trumpet pipes. Soothsayers – engine-building card game using traditional tarot. www.playtozgames.com 1:09:55 Doomlings with Eric Mokoko Village expansion Nightflower Island Gold pack, and a 15-pack Gold Box (by popular demand!) “We wanted to trick our moms into playing Magic: The Gathering with us” TFG has really enjoyed Doomlings – easy to learn, with a lot of luck, but also some depth. Our review. www.doomlings.com 1:14:45 Capstone Games with Chris Sanctuary – an Ark Nova game, a bit lighter than Ark Nova.Up or Down?Rowdy Partners – trick taking for 1-4 players. Wrestling theme with characters, each who has their own powersWandering Towers – a TFG favorite.Forestry – harvest a forest while replanting to manage it. Heavier game.Galileo Galilei – heavier gameAquariaStick ‘Em refreshWandering Towers expansion coming soon! capstone-games.com 1:19:00 Moon Crab Games with Justin Leviathan Wilds – cooperative boss-battling game that uses a spiral-bound book for the gameboard. “Climb together. Save Leviathans.” leviathanwilds.com 1:24:30 PAX Unplugged takeaways Andrew: PAX Enforcers (volunteers) and employees do an awesome job. And it’s really cool to see the same folks year after year. Love the culture of PAX Unplugged and its family friendliness. Anitra: We waited in line as a family to get in and see Jacques Ze Whipper. Waiting in line, even for over an hour, was incredibly pleasant: mostly because the people around us were patient and friendly. We hope to see you at PAX Unplugged 2026, December 4-6! 1:30:30 New Backtalk Question We’ve been listening to records. What is your favorite thing to do with your family that is NOT playing board games? Tell us on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, or 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! 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 411 – PAX Unplugged 2025 appeared first on The Family Gamers.

It’s that time again – we recommend games for everyone on your gift list. 00:00 Fact for 410 10-4 is one of many ten-codes, used for clarity and brevity in Morse code & voice communications. 10-4 means “received” or “acknowledged”. Sponsor Message We talk about the sunk cost fallacy. Just because you’ve already invested resources into something doesn’t tell us if it’s worth that next bit of resources to see it through. If you need a sounding board for your life’s financial decisions, go to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers and set up a time today to talk to First Move Financial – for free! 0:04:00 What We’ve Been Playing INK – review coming soon of this race to place all your ink bottles.Red Letter, Yellow Letter – our reviewOdin – review coming soon. Best at 3-4 players.Obelus – gorgeous. Our review. We are excited to see more from this publisher!Chit Chat – review coming soon for this trivia party game.Jekyll & Hyde vs. Scotland Yard – a really hard cooperative trick-taking game, but we’re getting better at it 0:18:15 The Family Gamers Community Welcome to our newest community members! You can join the community on Facebook. Stop by and say hello! #Backtalk We asked what YOU think makes a good gift when you’re given a board game. A few of you answered on the #backtalk channel on the Discord and in our Facebook community. … and yes, we did review Box of Rocks, a silly game. Anyone interested in sharing some recipes for us to try out? 0:18:15 The Family Gamers Holiday Gift Guide We race through all the games on our 2025 gift guide. A friendly reminder to our listeners: many of the games on the list we received at no cost, and we do earn a (tiny) commission from the Amazon links. But every single game on that list, we have played, enjoyed, and would buy and give (or have already bought & given) to our friends and family. 1:18:20 New Backtalk Question We’re heading to PAX Unplugged this week. We’ll be teaching Castle Panic on Sunday morning (11/23)! What is your favorite thing to do at conventions? Tell us on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, or 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! 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 410 – Holiday Gift Guide appeared first on The Family Gamers.

Let’s talk about card games! 00:00 Fact for 409 A little about Formula 409®. Sponsor Message How do you maintain your budget during the holiday season, with gift giving, big family meals, decorations, increased travel, seasonal activities? If you want to talk through other ideas to take some of the stress out of the holidays set up a time to talk to First Move by going to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers today. 0:04:30 What We’ve Been Playing Finished My City – ultimate winner: Anitra, but it was really close at the end!HiFi – full review coming soonOdin – with 6 players, it was less fun. Too easy to get stuck unable to play cards.5 TowersJekyll & Hyde vs Scotland Yard 0:15:30 What We’ve Been Playing – October Andrew: 14 unique games 25 times, H-index 2 (My City, Chit Chat, Ink, Duel for Cardia, Odin) Anitra: 16 unique games 36 times, H-index 3 (My City, Duel for Cardia, Bomb Busters, Chit Chat) Almost all of our games we played with each other, much more than usual. 0:18:30 The Family Gamers Community Welcome to our newest community members! You can join the community on Facebook. Welcome Post! #Backtalk We asked about your seasonal gaming traditions. A few of you answered on the #backtalk channel on the Discord, and that’s about it! 0:23:00 Our Top 5 Card Games… For Now Sometimes you want something small, and fast (and cheap!). What you want is a card game. Here are five of our favorites: Trick taking: Skull King If you like trick-taking games but wish they were wackier, or you want to include more than four players, Skull King has you covered. Up to eight players can join in – make a bid for how many tricks you’ll win, but beware of cards like the pirates, mermaids, the pirate king, and the white whale. Traditional (ish) card game: Flip 7 (our review) This is another game that supports a LOT of players (up to 18?!?) It feels a bit like Blackjack, but with a lot more flexibility. Try to get the most points you can each round, but if you ever flip a number you already have, you’ll get nothing. Party game: Anomia It’s sort of a trivia game, but it’s just about shouting out something in the given category. Everyone stays involved, because you always need to be looking for a symbol that matches your own. We’ve reviewed the Pop Culture set and Anomia Kids, but we love the original and its sibling Duple! Start playing right away: Circus Flohcati (our review) Flip cards out from the deck until you decide to stop and take one. You’ll spend more time explaining the scoring than how to play. Just plain good: Trio (our review) This game combines memory and deduction. While it’s very easy to learn, we find that people mess up the “only highest or lowest card” rule, which can be frustrating. You could get all five of these games together for under $75 – another reason card games are great! 0:35:50 Runners-up: More Card Games We Love Cabanga! – we absolutely love this tiny game, but it’s kind of hard to get, and going to get harder until Amigo can partner with a new US distributor.Similo – another great party game. Remember to have guessers talk out their reasoning!Combo – we love this semi-cooperative game, but it can be hard to teach.Abandon All Artichokes – a wonderful early deck-building game. Cute and charming.Tussie Mussie – a tiny split-and-choose game, at just 18 cards!Get the MacGuffin – a goofy game about being the last player standing.Sushi Go – an approachable set-collection “pick and pass” game. Even a very young kid could probably play this. 0:46:15 Follow Up A few people asked for the Butter Chicken Mac & Cheese recipe. So, would you like to hear about more family recipes? Maybe in a little more detail? We also asked last week about a BGG guild for The Family Gamers. If you’re avoiding social media, we’re happy to do a guild, but so far we’ve only heard from one person on this! 0:48:10 New Backtalk Question What’s the perfect kind of game to receive as a holiday gift? Is it about the games you like to play, or the environment to play them in? Tell us on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, or 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! 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 409 – Five Favorite Card Games appeared first on The Family Gamers.

Weather’s getting colder, time for something cozy! 00:00 Fact for 408 The Haslam All-Sky Radio Continuum Survey used the 408 MHz radio spectrum to map the galactic sky around 1985. This map is still used today. It gets super technical, but if you’re interested in astronomy, check this out. Basically any time scientists want to measure anything outside the Milky Way, they use the Haslam survey to remove foreground distortion. https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2009/22/aa12161-09/aa12161-09.html Sponsor Message First Move reminds us that we can think about our money like little workers in the worker placement game of life. If you need help figuring out where to place your dollar workers, reach out to First Move Financial. You can find them at firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers to schedule a time to talk today. 0:06:00 What We’ve Been Playing INK (review coming soon) – makes us think of Framework and Donut Shop with how well it’s put together. Here it is on BGA!Duel for Cardia (review next week)Bomb BustersChit Chat (review coming soon)Zitternix – out of print. so happy to have a copy again!Unmatched (Houdini vs. Sherlock Holmes / Bruce Lee vs. The Genie) – inspired by this episode of the First Player Token podcastOdin60 Second CityJekyll & Hyde vs Scotland YardMy City (our review)Creature Comforts 0:30:20 The Family Gamers Community Welcome to our newest community members! You can join the community on Facebook. Welcome Post! #Backtalk We asked about your heaviest games. A few of you answered on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, and in this post in the Facebook community. What do YOU think about having a Family Gamers guild on BoardGameGeek? 0:44:30 Ten Favorite Cozy Games The weather gets cooler, and it’s the perfect time to snuggle up with a hot beverage and a cozy game. Calico (Flatout Games / AEG) – cozy, but challenging.boop. (Smirk & Dagger) – mean but still cozy. Check our review – or boop the Halls !Creature Comforts (Kids Table Board Gaming)Arch Ravels (XYZ Game Labs)Chai (Steeped Games) – our reviewFlamecraft (Cardboard Alchemy / Lucky Duck Games) – our reviewMy Shelfie: The Dice Game (Cranio Creations / Lucky Duck Games) – our reviewLeaf (Weird City Games) – our reviewS’mores Galore (Mighty Acorn Games) – “exactly what I wanted in a smores-themed game”Smug Owls (Runaway Parade) – a quiet and thoughtful party game. – our review 1:08:00 Cozy Food – Not Quite “For Science” Butter chicken mac and cheese! We make this in the crockpot and pack it up for lunches. Would you make this? Tell us what you think – and for the recipe, check out the Discord server. 1:10:00 New Backtalk Question We started talking about cozy games because it’s getting to be that time of the year in New England that we traditionally play cozy games. Do you have a board game tradition related to a certain time of the year? Tell us on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, or 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! 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 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 flapping simultaneously is 407, achieved by Saint Joseph’s University (USA), in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Sponsor Message A successful financial life isn’t complex, but it does require discipline. The basics: create a budget; build an emergency fund; pay off high-interest debt; invest wisely; and educate yourself. Remember, small steps today lead to big financial gains tomorrow. If you want to talk about the finer points of any of these, or if you need help getting unstuck in your situation, go to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers to set up a time to talk today. 03:45 What We’ve Been Playing My City (our review)Hamster Roll (our review)Drop It (our review)Trio (our review)Red Letter Yellow Letter (review next week!)SpaceteamQuacks of QuedlinburgINK (review coming soon)Duel for CardiaBomb BustersJekyll v. Hyde (our review)Ham Helsing 15:40 September Monthly Report Andrew: 13 unique games, played 32 times. Most played: My City (9 times!) and H-index of 3. Didn’t record anything he played at CuseCon though. Anitra: 21 unique games, played 43 times. H-index: 4 (My City, Mr. Postmouse’s Picnic, Duel for Cardia, Trio). Over half played at 2 players (unusually high for Anitra). 18:30 The Family Gamers Community Welcome to our newest community members! You can join the community too, on Facebook.https://www.facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa/posts/4172992196323572/ #Backtalk We asked about your favorite game(s) in 2025. You answered on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, and in this post in the Facebook community. And check out Nick’s review of My Shelfie: The Dice Game! 26:15 Our Top Ten(ish) 15 Minute Games Sometimes you just don’t have a lot of time to play. But if you have a little bit of time, you can still play! Our top choices to end a game night or get the kids together quickly to play. Great with 3-5 players, or even more: TrioCircus FlohcatiGet the MacGuffinStrike (recommended in our “Top 10 Games for Teens”)Similo – literally anyone can play.Just One (if you play just a few rounds) Only for 2 players: Duel for Cardia (review coming soon – in the meantime, try it on BGA)Jekyll vs. HydeFloristryQuarto Solo: A Gentle Rain 39:00 New Backtalk Question I’d love to learn a little more about our community. What is the heaviest game you own? If you went on Board Game Geek and looked at the game weight, what do you think your heaviest game is? We found our heaviest is Keyflower, a 3.34 weight according to BGG. Tell us on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, or 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! 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 407 – Our Favorite 15-Minute Games appeared first on The Family Gamers.

Andrew just had a birthday! Let’s talk about his favorite games from this year. 0:00:00 Fact for 406 Ted Williams had the best season batting average of anyone in the MLB: .406 in the 1941 season. Listen for the story of how he got there. Sponsor Message If you want to see if working with a financial advisor can help your situation set up a time to talk to First Move by going to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers today. 0:05:00 What We’ve Been Playing Mr. Postmouse’s Picnic (so much losing!)My City (our review) – and a lesson on studying your kids’ preferences.Tesla vs. Edison: DuelDuel for Cardia (review coming soon) – try it on BGARun Run Run! (more losing!)HiFi – we are divided on this one. 0:37:45 The Family Gamers Community Welcome to our newest community members! You can join the community too, on Facebook. #Backtalk We asked about themes that resonate with your family. You answered on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, and in this post in the Facebook community. Sounds like for most people and most games, theme is a general push towards or away from a game. 0:46:00 FOR SCIENCE! – Reese’s / Oreo collaboration We tried both. The Reeses-flavored Oreos were fine, but nothing special. Get peanut butter Oreos instead. Oreo-flavored Reeses cups, however… really good. Although we disagree about how much “Oreo” is present. 0:50:30 Andrew’s Favorites in 2025 This past week was Andrew’s birthday week. He did two crazy things for it. He drove to and from Syracuse for just ONE DAY of friends and gaming at CuseCon. And he also went to see Eric Clapton live in concert! Let’s talk about what games Andrew liked the most this year from what he played. Small/Medium Group Game: Trio (our review)Two Player Game: Floristry (our review)Party Game: Caution Signs (our review)Co-operative Game: Paint the Roses (we talked about this in episodes 402 & 403)Heavier Game: Tesla vs. Edison (see our old Valentine pun) Most Looking Forward to: Compile: Main 2 (check out our review of Compile: Main 1) 1:08:55 New Backtalk Question What’s your favorite game that you played this year? The cream of the cardboard crop, whether it’s new or not? Tell us on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, or 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! 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 406 – Andrew’s Favorites in 2025! appeared first on The Family Gamers.

Is game theme important? Is theme more than just the art? 0:00:00 Fact for 405 I-405 in California, heavily traveled by both commuters and freight haulers along its entire length, is the busiest and most congested freeway in the United States. Sponsor Message We learn about “spear phishing”. If you’d like to talk to someone about how you can protect your financial assets, remember you can book a free meeting with First Move at firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers. 0:04:20 What We’ve Been Playing Spots [Editor’s note: “The Hundred and One Dalmatians” book was published in 1956. Still within copyright.]Red Letter Yellow LetterCabanga! (our review)Floristry (our review)Duel for CardiaMerchants of Magick (our review) – a lesson on what to do when pieces are missing.Get Bit! (our review)OasisCircus Flohcati (our review)INKTrio (our review)Junk Drawer solo (our review)Mr Postmouse’s PicnicEndangered (our review) Check out the Kickstarter for Endangered: Australia! 0:33:30 August Monthly Report Anitra: 52 plays of 31 unique games. H-index 3: Trio, Unmatched, Cabanga! (plus Backstories, Flip 7, Duel for Cardia, A Gentle Rain) Andrew: 31 plays of 18 unique games. H-index 3: also Trio, Unmatched, Cabanga! 0:35:10 The Family Gamers Community Welcome to our newest community members! You can join the community too, on Facebook. #Backtalk We asked about video games you like to play together. You answered on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, and in this post in the Facebook community. 0:45:45 Is Theme Important? Theme vs. Mechanics – why not both? Is theme important? Sometimes! For lovers of abstract games, theme can get in the way of a clean, enjoyable game. Anitra has changed her opinion. Because a well-done theme can shape the mechanics of a game in a way that helps players join the “magic circle” and really get into the game. This is especially true for “adult” games that can be approachable for kids. (Flashpoint, Mountains). But not all themes are created equal! We mentioned playing Endangered. It’s great to save endangered animals… but this game does it in the way people do it in the real world: a lot of interaction with government bureaucracy and fundraising! Not super interesting for our kids. Know what themes your kids like! Talk to them and be aware that their tastes change. We’ve mentioned HiFi, a game about mixing musical tracks and uses a record player as a way to choose actions. We have another kid who loves D&D and can’t wait to sink into Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons. There’s a reason we have done episodes focusing on just a specific theme (food, dragons, etc.) and why our lists for older kids and teens are organized around theme. The right theme is not a cure-all, but it has the power to make a game feel EASIER as well as more immersive. (Maybe *because* it’s more immersive, and the game progression feels like it makes sense.) Example: Lacrimosa really works for Anitra, even though it’s a harder game than she’d usually choose to play. We mention Megaland (yes, it’s still in print) as a great way to pull in a videogame feel to a kid-appropriate board game, or more complex game themes, like Worms, Halo: Flashpoint, or Call of Duty: The Boardgame. And check out our review of Shovel Knight: Dungeon Duels! 1:02:00 New Backtalk Question Where are you on the theme bandwagon? Do you care more about theme or mechanics? What is YOUR favorite theme? Tell us on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, or 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! 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 405 – Theme appeared first on The Family Gamers.

We talk a lot about playing games with your kids. But boardgames aren’t the only way to connect – and they aren’t always the BEST way, either. 0:00:00 Fact for 404 404 BC: Sparta finally defeated Athens, ending the second Peloponnesian War.404 AD: The last gladiatorial games are held in Rome. Sponsor Message The most popular scam right now is any variation of the authority scam. No bank, police officer, or any other legitimate entity will ever ask for your private data when they call you on the phone. If you’d like to talk to someone about how you can protect your financial assets, remember you can book a free meeting with First Move at firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers. 0:05:15 What We’ve Been Playing A Gentle Rain (our review)HiFiUnmatched: Battle of Legends volume 3 (our review)FruitionRed Letter, Yellow Letter – we played it in the car!Backstories: Emerald Wedding Anniversary (review coming soon)Tesla vs. Edison: War of CurrentsJuicy FruitsDinosaur Tea Party (our review)Prisma Arena (our review)Obelus (our review)Quarto (our review) 0:32:00 The Family Gamers Community Welcome to our newest community members! You can join the community too, on Facebook. #Backtalk We asked about “low-key” games. You answered on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, and in this post in the Facebook community. Shout out to The Joyful Jedi for his humorous answer for Loki games instead. 0:37:45 Connecting through Gaming Inspired by Kendra’s comments on Facebook. We’ve talked before about WHY to play games with your kids. But a reason that’s easy to skip over is connection: spending time working together on something – or lightly competing – can build memories and emphasize commonalities between people. And the important part is the CONNECTION, not the method you use. Forcing your kids to the table does not really foster connection. (Bartering could work, though.) Instead of always bringing them into the things you enjoy, bring yourself to something they enjoy. Videogame recommendations: Free-for-all fighting games likeSuper Smash Bros (any version)Ultimate Chicken HorseGang Beasts Objective-based games:OvercookedMoving OutTotally Reliable Delivery Service Minecraft, of course. “Like playing with LEGO ‘together’.” Two-player cooperative games that have a plot:It Takes Two (content warning: divorce, language – best for teens)Split Fiction (we haven’t played this yet)Unravel Two Death Squared (abstract strategy puzzles for 2-4 players)Jackbox (get teens using their phones to play TOGETHER)Rock Band (or Guitar Hero, etc.) “It simulates the experience of making music together, while removing barriers” Takeaway: Meet your kid on their terms to better connect with them! 1:05:45 New Backtalk Question What video games are you playing with other people LOCALLY? We’re talking couch co-op and local multiplayer. Tell us on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, or 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! 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 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? 0:00:00 Fact for 403 403 is the code on the internet for NO. If you want to go to a website, but you don’t have access, 403. Technically the word is “FORBIDDEN”, but really it means no. Here’s actual standards document. But it’s really, really boring. https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc7235 Sponsor Message First Move would like to make us all more aware of some of the newer scams out there. Be very careful clicking links, even ones that look legitimate! If you’d like to talk to someone about how you can protect your financial assets, remember you can book a free meeting with First Move at firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers. 0:04:45 What We’ve Been Playing more Paint the Roses, with 4 players this time. Much harder!Charcuterie (our review)HUTAN (our review)StewHorrified: World of Monsters / Greek Monsters mashup (review coming soon)Goblin Vaults (off the shelf of opportunity!)SagradaThe Magnificent While camping:Flip 7 (our review)Cabanga! (our review)Trio (our review)Sushi Go Party!Order Overload: CafeSabobatageAltiplano – a big miss for us. 0:24:30 July Monthly Report Anitra: 49 plays of 27 unique games. H-index 3, with a lot of plays of Trio & HUTAN, but also at least 3 times with: Paint the Roses, Fight for Olympus, Canvas Critters, Jekyll & Hyde vs Scotland Yard, Quarto. Andrew: 29 plays of 17 unique games. H-index 3. Lots of The Crew: Mission Deep Sea, Paint the Roses, Trio, plus Jekyll & Hyde v. Scotland Yard, HUTAN. 0:26:35 The Family Gamers Community Welcome to our newest community members! #Backtalk We asked about board game mechanics you dislike, and what you do about them. You answered on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, and in this Backtalk post in the Facebook community. 0:36:00 Too Much Pressure? This hobby of board gaming lends itself to always chasing the hot new thing or trying to do MORE. Probably true of a lot of hobbies, since it’s so easy to find a community online where people brag on the cool things they’re doing. Do you feel pressure to go to every convention, or keep up with the latest hot new thing? Pressure to get your kids to play “real” games with you? Pressure to finish a game you don’t like, or pull games off your “shelf of shame”? First: when you feel that pressure, realize that YOU are the one putting pressure on yourself; no one else can do that to you without your consent. 0:38:40 The Shelf of Shame We prefer to call this the “shelf of opportunity”, but it still means games that are sitting unplayed. What are some strategies to deal with this without feeling guilty? Set limits on bringing in new games – YOU set this limit, not someone else. Set a deadline on PLAYING a specific game that’s been sitting on your shelf. If you can’t manage to play it, purge it without feeling guilty. (More on purging) Recognize that you can move on from a game – that doesn’t mean it’s a “bad” game. Instead, it means someone else will get to try it and enjoy it! Getting rid of a game doesn’t get rid of the good memories you have associated with it. “Why do I want to keep this game so much?” If a game needs JUST the right set of circumstances to play it – be honest with yourself. Will that exact set of circumstances actually happen? And even if they do, is there another game that will be easier to get to the table? 0:48:00 Getting Your Kids to Play Games If you’re listening to this podcast, you want your kids to play games with you. You may also be feeling pressure from your friends (or other parent gamers) if your kids don’t want to play games! The point of games with our kids is to have fun – with your kids. If they’re not having fun, it’s not serving that purpose. Forcing someone to do something they don’t want to do is likely to breed resentment instead of fun. But it is okay to apply a little bit of pressure, without it being overwhelming. Examples: “Please play one round, then you can walk away if you don’t like it.” Gentle bribery with a special snack (“I’m trying to meet you halfway, and we’re doing this as a family”) Recognize that kids often don’t have the words to explain WHY they don’t like a game or an experience. Have a conversation with them to try to understand! Meet kids where they are: letting them walk away, or playing pretend instead of following the rules. 0:53:30 To Finish? Or Not to Finish? Even when we aren’t enjoying a game we often feel like “we started it, we have to finish it!” But we don’t need to finish. Yes, we want to teach our kids not to be quitters, but we also don’t want to frustrate them unnecessarily. How do you know if everyone is frustrated, or if you should push through to the end? ASK QUESTIONS! There is no merit badge for finishing a game that nobody liked.– Andrew Smith We tell our kids “it’s just a game” when we talk about being good winners and good losers. So we need to demonstrate that in our own playing, too! It’s just a game. Being willing to set the game aside shows your kids that they’re more important than the cardboard. 0:56:12 More on Forcing Kids to Play Sometimes, it’s not that your kids don’t want to play games, it’s that they don’t want to play with you. This is especially common around ages 11-15, in our experience. This is a normal part of growing up and finding their independence! Hopefully, you can still get kids to do some things with you, but they’ll be more interested in their friends. If you had a good relationship when they were younger, be patient! Keep offering games and fun activities, don’t be offended when they say “no”, and they’ll (probably) come back in a while. If you can, try to set up space to make it easier for your kid to host their friends. (Be “the fun house”.) This makes it easier to stay involved and know what they’re doing, as well as making it easier to take a break with Mom or Dad when the friends go home again. Big takeaway: games are supposed to be FUN. If they’re not fun anymore, examine why not, and try to take a break from that. 0:59:00 New Backtalk Question Our kids say “low key” all the time. But let’s use it the way we used to. What’s your favorite low key game? When you just want to relax, what do you play? Tell us on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, or in this Backtalk post 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! 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 403 – Taking the Pressure Off appeared first on The Family Gamers.

00:00 Fact for 402 “The Kids from Room 402” – a kids’ TV show from 1999-2001. So our fact this week is a direct callout to basically anybody in their mid to late thirties who grew up in the US or Canada. In the late 90’s and early aughts, there was a kids’ TV show that came out called “The Kids from Room 402”. Do you remember that Anitra?This was an animated show based on the book “Gracie Graves and the Kids from Room 402”. It was basically a sitcom with all sorts of goofy school-based adventures the kids were going through. Animation wise it reminds me of Doug, but less polished. Do you remember Doug?Anyway, you can find full episodes of The Kids from Room 402 on YouTube and remember what it was like being 14 years old and having plenty of time to waste watching TV. And that’s my fact! Sponsor Message We talk about the “planning fallacy” and look at average in-state tuition for public college (we’ll be sending a kid to college soon). But wait! In-state tuition for schools in our own state of Massachusetts is a little different. With a better estimate of the cost we can do a better job of making a realistic plan of how to get to that goal. If you’d like to talk to someone about your goals, remember you can book a free meeting with First Move at firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers. 04:00 What We’ve Been Playing Paint the Roses – after 5+ years. First saw at PAX Unplugged 2019.Jekyll & Hyde vs. Scotland Yard – great, but we don’t like it as much as Jekyll vs. Hyde.Toriki – new review!HUTAN – review coming soon. Try it on BGA!StewSkulls of SedlecCake Stack – a homemade game.Trio – our review. 22:00 The Family Gamers Community Welcome to our newest community members! https://www.facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa/posts/4104499843172808 #Backtalk We asked for your family’s evergreen game(s). You answered on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, and in this Backtalk post in the Facebook community. 27:10 Grow into Deck Building Games What is deck building? We defined it this way all the way back in episode 64: “play cards, to accumulate currency, to buy better cards that will allow you to do more things.” Room to Grow Our goal with Room to Grow is to bring your kids – or your family – through a series of games that grow in complexity. Normally, we take a beginner game, an intermediate game, and an advanced game (and some honorable mentions). They offer a plan for growth for players to get comfortable with that mechanic, and all are family-friendly. Deck building was a little challenging because even among “pure” deck-building games, some of their foundational mechanics are different – how you add new cards to your hand, how many cards you can add, how you get rid of cards you don’t want (if you can get rid of them at all!), and even what the PURPOSE of the deck building is. Nevertheless, we came up with three we’d recommend to learn this style of game more thoroughly. Beginner: Star Realms Academy The subtitle to Star Realms Academy (our review) is “my first deck building game” and that seems about right! Compared to other deckbuilding games, you have a very small hand size (3 cards).There is very minimal reading, and only a few icons.Like many deckbuilding games, you gain coins to use to buy better cards – but in this game, you can SAVE some of your coins from turn to turn. And the purpose of the game is easy for kids to understand: attack your opponent and protect your own health. You can, of course, move on to Star Realms from here, but we’d recommend… Intermediate: Dominion This is the game that started it all – the very first deck building game, and sets a foundation to learn this mechanic. Play card(s) from your hand, then use currency from what you played to buy ONE new card. Then everything goes into your discard pile and you draw a new hand. As you build your deck, you get opportunities to buy more cards, set cards aside, or trash cards (aka “culling”). When enough piles run out, count victory points on the cards in your deck & in your hand. Some of the features we don’t love in Dominon (card market is static, little player interaction) also make it easier to learn. And Dominion can have its own “room to grow” moment by adding expansions. Advanced: Co-op deckbuilding games from The Op A trio of games: Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle [we mistakenly called this “Hogwarts Legacy”] Toy Story: Obstacles & Adventures (our review) Avatar The Last Airbender: Aang’s Destiny (our review) What makes any of these games special: The starting decks are not identical! You’re playing a specific character in the story It’s a cooperative game. You’re all trying to help each other meet the group’s goals. They’re hard to win/advance, but put you in the story you already know. 42:40 Other Recommended Deck Building Games We recommend these games to explore other aspects of deck building: Tea Dragon Society Card Game (our review) – simple and cute, but more reading than Star Realms Academy.Abandon All Artichokes (our review) (episode 345 interview with Emma Larkins) – deck “wrecking”Clank! – build a deck to get further into the dungeon and find more treasureAvant Carde (our review) – build your deck to play more cards on your turn.Quarriors or Marvel/DC Dice Masters – a “deck-builder” with dice instead of cards! 51:45 New Backtalk Question What board game mechanic do you struggle with – or you really don’t like?Do you want to get better, or do you avoid those games? Tell us on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, or in this Backtalk post 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! 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 402 – Room to Grow: Deck Building appeared first on The Family Gamers.

Family evergreen games? Evergreen family games? Let’s discuss. 00:00 Fact for 401 The term “401(k)” comes from the section of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code that established this retirement savings plan. Sponsor Message Did you know, that if your child is working they can be saving money into a Roth IRA? If you need help finding some unique ways to look at income and saving, visit firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers to schedule a time to talk to First Move – for free! 05:10 What We’ve Been Playing Santa’s Workshop (our review)Trio (our review)Smug Owls (our review)Canvas Critters (check out the Kickstarter)SabobatageThe Crew: Mission Deep SeaCaution Signs (our review)Donald Duck in Happy Camper (next written review)Unmatched: Battle of Legends vol 3 (review coming soon)Marvel X-Men Dice ThroneFight for Olympus (old school! our review)Quarto (our review) – great when you’ve only got a few minutesSuspend – just fun.For SaleDoomlings (our review)Floristry (our review)Food Chain Island – great to play with just one hand 22:35 June Monthly Report! We both have ALREADY (as of July 12) played more games in July than we did in June. Andrew: 11 plays, 10 unique games, H-index: 1. Most played: Ultimatch (2x) Anitra: 20 plays, 16 unique games. H-index: 2 (Dice Throne, Micro Macro Kids, Ultimatch, Grove) 24:24 The Family Gamers Community https://www.facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa/posts/4090537511235708 #Backtalk We asked for your feedback on the podcast in general. You answered, with a lot of encouraging comments on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, and in this Backtalk post in the Facebook community. We discuss Happy Camper’s next release: Jungo (here’s the trailer video) 29:35 Evergreen Games… for Families What’s an evergreen game? Just like an evergreen plant that doesn’t die, this is a game that stays popular in stores year after year. The games that get pulled out and played over and over again. (Games like Wingspan that have staying power.) We thought it would be easy to find a list on BGG of “evergreen” games… but it’s a lot harder to determine than we thought! Much thanks to BGG user Daniel_M, who compiled a list using data analysis to find the top 100 games that have stayed popular over time, back in 2023. Here are the top ten from his list: 10 Race for the Galaxy09 Agricola08 Power Grid07 Puerto Rico06 Ticket to Ride05 Pandemic04 Dominion03 7 Wonders02 CATAN01 Carcassonne Maybe three of these we’d consider “family” games: Carcassonne, Ticket to Ride, and Catan (although you could argue for others). “Family Evergreen” Games? A “family” evergreen game might be a little different – something that works at all – or most – stages for your family. By definition these are going to be simpler games, because #1 – Not everyone in the family is a board game nerd!#2 – The game has to support multiple age ranges: not too many rules, not a lot of reading required. So without further ado, here are our 10 games, in no particular order. Ticket to RideCATANCarcassonneCan’t StopJust OneKingdominoDrop It!AzulStrike (also available as Impact: Battle of Elements)Trio (also available outside the US as nana)` 50:30 New Backtalk Question What’s the game that, these days, your family is going back to over and over again? This doesn’t have to be your favorite game – but what’s spending the most time on your table? Tell us on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, or in this Backtalk post 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! 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 401 – Ten Top Evergreen Family Games appeared first on The Family Gamers.

Isn’t The Family Gamers Podcast always about families? Yes, but we’re doing a special focus on different ages this week, as a sort of retrospective over the last ten years. 00:00 Fact for 400 Factopia! Follow the Trail of 400 Factshttps://shop.merriam-webster.com/products/factopia Sponsor Message First Move has been our sponsor since episode 175! We really appreciate their partnering with us. If you need help finding some “bonus points” and seeing which areas of your personal finance you should be focusing on, visit firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers to schedule a time to talk to First Move – for free! 03:45 What We’ve Been Playing Canvas Critters (coming to crowdfunding soon – from 3WS and Katia Howatson)Unmatched: Battle of Legends volume 3 (Blackbeard vs. Loki)Micro Macro Kids: Crazy City Park (review linked below)Royal Visit – making it work in a small space, as we imagined all the way back in episode 278.Toriki: The Castaway IslandFloristry (our review) “the perfect date game”Hutan: Life in the Rainforest – played solo. But now also available on Board Game Arena! 18:10 The Family Gamers Community We just passed 1000 members in the community. Thanks for sticking with us! Giveaway Winners: Seth (Avant Carde) and Candice (Avatar the Last Airbender: Aang’s Destiny) Backtalk: Room to Grow We asked what you’d like to see in a future Room to Grow series. Thanks for the responses on Discord! 24:00 SNAP Review – Micro Macro Kids: Crazy City Park We review the newest entry in the Micro Macro series. This one is 100% appropriate for kids, and adds some tools that will help ANYONE who wants to play this seek-and-find game. Watch the video or read the transcript of our review. 30:20 FOR SCIENCE We drink a pickle juice electrolyte drink: JUCE from TruPickles. Why? Because they’re also a partner with friend-of-the-show Andy Geremia for a pickleball dice game. 34:00 The Family Gamers and Families In August, The Family Gamers Podcast turns ten years old! Playing games with kids looks a lot different for us now than it did in 2015. Let’s talk about what family gaming looks like at different ages. Babies & Toddlers Do you have to just wait to play games? Kind of, but not exactly. Toddlers want to be a part of what you’re doing: so let them sit with you and play with some of the (larger/non-chewable) pieces. We also recommend playing with them with big chunky foam dice or “My Very First” games. This is when kids begin to learn about taking turns or causality (“if I do this, then this happens”). More: Ep 236 – Babies & Boardgames (bringing kids in at any age) Preschoolers At this age, kids want play the same very short games over and over and over… as frustrating as this can be, it’s really important. Playing repetitively works on building rule-following, turn-taking, and pattern-matching. This is the right time to start teaching about being a graceful winner or loser and also to start building emotional intelligence. Yes, even with CandyLand. Grade School The most important thing at this age is to know your kids’ skill level. Too hard and they’ll be discouraged. That doesn’t mean letting them win! But you could set up a handicap so the adult is playing at a disadvantage. And you can talk through your strategy (and theirs) out loud to help them learn. To avoid the stigma of playing a “baby” game or a “kids” game, be ready to pull out some VERY easy games that anyone can play like Roll for It or Zombie Dice. At this age, use games to build skills gradually for reading (including skills that don’t look like reading!), math, science, and more. Middle & High School Shift your focus from skills to your kids’ interests and preferences. Play the games they want to play! This is also when you, as the parent, decide if you want games to be a priority for your family. That means setting aside time for family games (also episode 292 of the podcast). Adults If you’ve already built a culture of family gaming, it can continue even when kids leave home! At this point, it should be pretty much the same as playing games with your friends. Don’t forget, you don’t always have to be in person to play games together. We hope to use Board Game Arena and other online gaming tools to keep the gaming going at a distance. More Resources Why Play Games with Your Kids (Chrissy W.)The Power of Learning – through Play (Chrissy W.)Why I Hate CandyLand (and What to Play Instead) (Anitra)Talk, Read, Sing, Write, Play (about ELL learning at any age, from Annabelle B.) 48:20 New Backtalk Question Tell us what you like about the show, what you don’t like about the show, what segments you’d like us to do more, or less. Should we free Anitra from Andrew’s weird food eating obsession? Should we do more Room to Grow? Board Game Terms? Lists? Guests? We want to make sure the topics we cover and the goofy things we do are interesting to you. Tell us on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, or in this Backtalk post 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! 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 400 – It’s All About Families appeared first on The Family Gamers.

We talked about older games last week like checkers and chess. This week we’re moving on to modern abstract games (within the last 20 years). We recommend three that grow in complexity – and add a few of our other favorites. 0:00:00 Fact for 399 www.399film.com Sponsor Message 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. 0:04:30 What We’ve Been Playing The Castles of BurgundyMarvel Dice Throne: X-Men (Rogue and Gambit this time)Jekyll vs. Hyde – one of our favorites (our review)Compile – we also love this one (our review)Ultimatch – hardest at two players! (our review)CabangaBelratti (review below)Grove (our preview/review from its Kickstarter) – we’re working on a review for Hutan which feels similar but more involved.Mojo (our review) 0:13:45 Community Welcome to our newest Facebook community members! #Backtalk Last time, we asked about your favorite classic abstract games. People answered on Facebook and on Discord. Giveaway We’re almost at episode 400! Enter the giveaway for Avant Carde & Avatar The Last Airbender: Aang’s Destiny. 0:17:55 SNAP Review – Belratti Can you pick cards that will fit one of two themes? Can you figure out the cards that your teammates picked, and avoid the “forgeries” (random cards) put in by Belratti? Watch the video or read the transcript of our Belratti review. 0:25:30 FOR SCIENCE! Reese’s PB&J Big Cup We try both the Grape and Strawberry versions (pictured). If you like fruity candy and also like Reeses, you might like this combination. 0:30:20 Room to Grow: Modern Abstract Games Our goal with Room to Grow is to bring your kids – or your family – through a series of games that grow in complexity. Normally, we take a beginner game, an intermediate game, and an advanced game (and some honorable mentions). They offer a plan for growth for players to get comfortable with this style, and all are family-friendly. This is part two – in part one we talked about classic abstract strategy games (Tic Tac Toe, Checkers, and Chess). This time, we’re recommending modern games, which are less well-known. We discuss again what makes an “abstract strategy game” and decide that some luck is fine but “player choices matter more than luck”. Beginner: Drop It This has been a favorite since we first saw it in 2018 (our review then). There is definitely NO theme – just shapes and colors. It’s a sort of dexterity game, but not exactly. We like this because the idea of how it works is really simple: you only get points if your shape, when it lands, is not touching the same shape and not touching the same color. Even if they struggle with adding the scores, most 4 & 5 year olds can understand the binary of “did I get points this turn, or not?” There’s not a deep strategy here and no story or other baggage. Pick a shape from your pile, drop it, and hope it lands where you want it to. But that’s what makes it fun for anyone to play! Intermediate: Azul Is there a story here? Maybe. If you want one. Azul is bright and colorful, based on the Portuguese tiling called “azulejo” (Andrew was right). The strategy CAN get complex as players get used to the game. Draft tiles from a central area, and put them on your board. Different parts of your board require different numbers of identical tiles to “fill them up” and move a single tile to your scoring area. The choices are simple: pick your tile group, and decide where to put them on your board. This game introduces several modern elements: set collection, open drafting, and sacrificing to become first player. And the beauty of the game will draw more people to want to play it. Azul Advanced: Shobu We think this game is gorgeous: four wooden boards and polished stones in two colors. Every turn, you move a piece on one of your two “home” boards. And then you have to move one of your pieces the same way on an opposite-color board. Try to knock off all your opponent’s pieces from any one of the four boards. This is a nakedly aggressive game and the large decision space (looking at up to 16 different pieces and setting up the second half of your move) leads to brain-burning tactics, like you sometimes see in Go or Chess. This game has no luck at all, and the only hidden information is what’s in your opponent’s head. And as beautiful as this game is, the simplicity of presentation is like the classic abstract games we talked about – you could put this together yourself with any pieces you have on hand. (But we recommend buying this lovely game from Smirk & Dagger!) We gave Shobu a nearly-perfect score when we reviewed it. 0:46:30 Other Highly Recommended Abstracts Cinco Linko (which we reviewed as OK Play)boopOnitamaDeblockleQuoridor (now in a Pac-Man theme) 0:51:45 New Backtalk Question Is there a Room to Grow series you’d like us to tackle? What kinds of games are you looking to grow through? And… anything special about episode 400? Tell us on Facebook or on Discord! 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! 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 399 – Room to Grow: Modern Abstract Games appeared first on The Family Gamers.

I bet you played checkers or chess with your relatives when you were a kid. We talk about newer games all the time on this podcast, but we think old games are great and you should play those, too! We recommend three that facilitate learning strategies. 0:00:00 Fact for 398 In the Dewey Decimal filing system, 398 is the category for folklore (and 398.2 is fairy tales!) 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 for free. 0:05:30 What We’ve Been Playing AzulTrio (our review)Flip 7 (review out this week! Keep listening)Disney Lorcana (Gateway review this week)Food Chain IslandToriki (review coming soon) – great for playing with kidsGruzzle: The City – very hard! But take a look: gruzzle.com5er Finden (our review)HUTAN: Life in the Rainforest (review coming soon). So many trees!Adventure Party (our review) 0:25:00 May Monthly Report! Anitra: 26 unique games, 51 plays. H-index: 3 – most played: Combo (7 times), Lorcana Gateway (6 times), Flip 7 (4 times), plus Patchwork and Food Chain Island.37% of plays for the month were during the two days at PAX East. Andrew: 13 unique games, 26 plays. H-index: 3 – most played: Lorcana, Toriki, Flip 7.42% at 4 players! 0:27:00 Community Welcome to our newest Facebook community members! #Backtalk Last time, we asked about your favorite convention memory. We got a couple of answers on Discord. 0:29:55 SNAP Review – Flip 7 A tiny card game that works with up to 18 people and you can learn in under a minute? Flip 7 does exactly what it sets out to do: provide fast moving fun for families or groups of any size. Watch the video or read the transcript of our review. 0:37:15 Room to Grow: Classic Abstract Games We enjoy abstract strategy games, but often find ourselves only talking about ones that are NEW (even if we compare them to older games). So this week is devoted to older, classic games. You probably know how to play these timeless games already, and have some of them relegated to the back corner of your shelves or your closet. Our goal with Room to Grow is to bring your kids – or your family – through a series of games that grow in complexity. Normally, we take a beginner game, an intermediate game, and an advanced game (and some honorable mentions). They offer a plan for growth for players to get comfortable with that mechanic, and all are family-friendly. What’s an abstract (or abstract strategy) game? No theme, or a theme that only exists in the player’s heads. They don’t require any kind of fancy art to pull you in. Perfect information – no hidden cards or secret advantages. Little or no luck – you’re not going to depend on dice or shuffled cards. (Can’t Stop and Backgammon are fantastic games, but don’t quite fit here.) Why play old games? Lots of people know them.Rules tend to be simple, even if the strategy is not.Old abstract games can be played with the equipment you have at hand. You don’t need to go out and buy a fancy board or pieces (although those are nice!) Beginner: Tic-Tac-Toe Also known as “naughts and crosses”, this is a very basic abstract game with easy rules and a simple goal: get three of your pieces in a row. Tic-Tac-Toe is basically a “solved” game, and with just 8-9 moves, most adults know whether they can win by their second turn. Because of this, parents get tired of it quickly. But it is an excellent introduction! Since it’s so simple and games are so short (usually over in just 8 moves), kids can really master it with just a little bit of practice. (And move on to variations like Hollywood Squares, Ultimate Tic Tac Toe, 3D Tic Tac Toe, larger boards, or Connect 4) Intermediate: Checkers This one is also known as Draughts. Checkers is still a simple ruleset, but games are longer and present more options. Double-check that you know the true rules before you start! Handicapping and house rules are OK, but do them intentionally and clearly. Since there are still relatively few options, Checkers encourages kids to start looking ahead to future moves, without presenting so many options that it’s overwhelming. Getting bored of the regular rules? There are dozens of games you can play with a standard American checkerboard and some or all of the pieces. Advanced: Chess Chess requires a significant jump in skill. It’s a harder game to learn, because there are lots of kinds of pieces and they move in lots of ways. You end up with a lot to keep track of, especially when you’re learning. But it’s been popular for over a thousand years – and for good reason! It’s rewarding to learn and to see the different ways you can outmaneuver your opponent. Ways to dial back the difficulty, especially for learning: No Stress ChessChess.com has both lessons and puzzlesPlay with fewer pieces and fewer kinds of pieces! Other Highly Recommended Classic Abstracts Go (the quintessential “easy to learn, hard to master” game)OthelloBackgammon isn’t quite an abstract strategy game, because there’s too much luck involved, and there are a lot of edge cases in the rules.Nine Men’s Morris is another one that’s very easy to learn, and you could probably play it on a checkerboard. We just highly recommend the Klutz Book of Classic Board Games (edited by Sid Sackson) if you can find it. And maybe also the Games of Art book from Sid Sackson and Eagle-Gryphon Games (which is admittedly much more modern). 0:59:15 New Backtalk Question What’s your favorite classic abstract game? (Anitra’s favorite: Mancala, Andrew’s favorite: Chess or Chinese Checkers) Tell us on Facebook or on Discord! 1:02:30 Giveaways We almost forgot – we are giving away two games for our 400th episode: Avant Carde & Avatar The Last Airbender: Aang’s Destiny. Enter the giveaway here! 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! 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 398 – Room to Grow: Classic Abstract Games appeared first on The Family Gamers.

Welcome to The Family Gamers podcast! Last week, we attended PAX East 2025, a huge convention that’s practically in our backyard. What are the coolest things we saw there? 0:00:00 Fact for 397 https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2022/11/theres-not-many-downsides-man-with-the-worlds-longest-tongue-727048 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 Flip 7 (review coming soon)Smug Owls (our review)Caution Signs (review coming soon)Disney Lorcana Gateway (review coming soon)Another Man’s Treasure (review linked below)Combo (our review)PatchworkThe GangJungo – coming later this year from Happy CamperCantankerous Cats (review coming eventually)Ultimatch (our review) – still fun even when we lose. 0:14:25 SNAP Review – Another Man’s Treasure Everyone’s had family members try to foist off their “treasures” on them. In this game, collect the junk and make it into specific rummy-like groups to get it OUT of your hand. Watch the video or read the transcript of our review. 0:20:45 PAX East 2025 Recap Anitra went for two days, Andrew and Asher went for one day. Although it’s very videogame-heavy, there’s plenty of boardgame/tabletop stuff as well. Anitra recommends Ultimate Sheep Racoon (coming soon) if your kids like wacky video games. Andrew is excited by Ludocene – “Tinder for videogames”, which is on Kickstarter now. It’s possible that they’ll make a boardgame version as well! The coolest thing we both saw was Pencil! (aka Pencil XR) The other coolest thing Anitra saw was mass-produced dice with Braille for the numbers. Anitra highly recommends trying the boardgame tournaments, which are surprisingly low-impact and low-stress. She got her start with “Thursday Night Throwdown” and “Friday Night Frenzy!” – tournaments where no one knows what the games will be until the tournament starts. At a tournament this year, she learned: Schrodingers Cats, Lumberjacks with Rocket Launchers, Frozen Shinies, Mountain Goats. This year, she got the courage to play in a Patchwork tournament and a 7 Blunders tournament. (The newer version of 7 Wonders is much easier to play with!) Asher ended up doing Trio demos for an hour for Happy Camper. We’re so proud of him. Andrew describes Caution Signs. And Anitra was excited to finally see Bioshop Infinite (a barbershop quartet) perform on stage. PAX East Interviews 0:38:00 Choose Co Choose Your Own Adventure books are BACK! The first book (The Cave of Time) is finally back after 25 years out of print, and the company has dozens of other books – some classics, some new. Find out more at cyoa.com. 0:39:55 Sage Stones TNT Laser Works makes beautiful wooden boards that are both an art piece and a functional board game, based on a game Ted played in his childhood. There’s also a more portable version that is a leather scroll. (Check out our Youtube channel for a quick how-to-play video.) See all the available boards at TNTLaserWorks.com and look for them at Origins, National Gaming Expo, GenCon, PAX Unplugged, and NOVA Open. 0:44:00 DOTS RPG Project Braille dice – mass produced or print-your-own with a 3D printer! See them at dotsRPG.org 0:45:20 Modern Meeple We love the Gamey Susan, Player One board, dice vaults, and the rest of the modular Modern Meeple products. See more and sign up for their email list at ModernMeeple.com. 0:47:15 Pencil! An augmented reality VR app that gives drawing lessons, starting with tracing but moving on to 3D models, shading, and more. Both lessons and non-lesson tools to help you draw better with a real pencil and paper. Available on the Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3S. May be available on more VR headsets in the future. Find out more at Pencil-XR.com. 0:55:00 Family Gamers Community Welcome new members – we’re glad you’re here! Backtalk Our community shares their biggest board game surprises – on Facebook and Discord. Most of the surprises were good ones, but we also learn a lesson about calling games “simple” that have a large decision space (e.g. Splendor). If you go to conventions, what’s your favorite convention memory? Or what is your favorite convention? If you don’t go to conventions, why not? Is there something a convention could offer you that would make you interested in going to one? 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! 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 397 – PAX East Recap appeared first on The Family Gamers.

We’ve been reviewing board games for almost ten years. And sometimes, we run across ones that REALLY surprise us. Let’s talk about a few this week. 0:00:00 Fact for 396 This week we’ve got an “at the same time” trend going. The most people showering simultaneously is 396, achieved by Irish Springs (USA) in Dover, Delaware, USA, on 15 June 2018. The most people making sand sculptures simultaneously is 396, and was achieved at an event organised by Sculpture Westende and Philippe Bourleau (both Belgium) in Middelkerke, Belgium, on 23 August 2019. The largest simultaneous launch of canoes/kayaks is 396 and was achieved by the New Hampshire Lakes Association (USA) at Endicott Rock Park, Laconia, New Hampshire, USA, on 3 August 2014. Sponsor Message Did you know that risk when it comes to investing is anything happening other than what is expected? (So, any kind of surprise, good or bad!) Most people are loss averse, not risk averse. The amount of loss aversion you have should influence how you invest, how much insurance you own, and how much you have in your emergency fund. Knowing more about ourselves and how we instinctively react will help us make better financial decisions in the future. If you want to talk to someone about your natural money instinct reach out to First Move Financial by going to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers to schedule a time to talk for free! 0:05:20 What We’ve Been Playing lots of games on vacation!Games of Art (a dry-erase book compiled/designed by Sid Sackson, each game is based on 20th century abstract artists)Flip 7 (review coming soon) – Here’s a video talking about why three different box sizes exist.Combo (our review)Trio (our review)Shovel Knight: Dungeon Duels (review coming soon) – now that we are playing correctly, the game is less frustratingly difficult.Micro Macro Kids: Crazy City Park (review coming soon – we highly recommend!)Adventure Party (review coming soon)Merchants of Magick (our review) and also:Toriki: The Castaway Island (review coming soon) – like Chronicles of Crime or Kids Chronicles, but somewhere in between.Belratti (review coming soon)Word Fluxx (review below)So Clover (our review)Floristry (our review) 0:34:15 April Monthly Report! Anitra: 36 plays of 23 unique games. H-index 2 (Lorcana Gateway, Games of Art, Flip 7, Word Fluxx, Floristry, Fruition, Trio)42% of games played were on that 5-day vacation. Andrew: 26 plays of 18 unique games. H-index: 2 (Lorcana Gateway, Obelus, Toriki, Word Fluxx, Floristry)46% on the vacation trip! 0:35:55 SNAP Review – Word Fluxx Yes, this is another Fluxx game, but it does a surprisingly good job ALSO feeling like a classic word game. Some goals are still “collect this set of letters” but most goals have you make a WORD that meets specific restrictions. We recommend using the “meta rule” that keeps the game going while players collect completed goals. Watch the video or read the transcript of our review. 0:42:25 The Family Gamers Facebook Community Welcome new members! Mickey says hello. #Backtalk Last time, we asked about your favorite Disney movie(s). And you stepped up to let us know – on Facebook and on Discord. 0:53:00 Five Games that Really Surprised Us On our SNAP reviews we use the GAMES acronym – and we end with surprise. But what games REALLY surprised us? It might be the kids’ reaction, it might be something we didn’t expect when we opened the box. But here are five games that did something we didn’t expect, or didn’t do something we DID expect. Adventure Party (review coming soon) – It’s a deduction game! Magic Mountain – Looks like a kids game but it’s not just a kids game! It grabs EVERYONE. Back Stories – The mechanics are simple, but put together unlike anything we’ve seen before! The card-back actions and the way your options change are just so much better than what we’ve seen in most other “escape room” card games. Kingdomino – This is a solid game, which is not a surprise. But everything fits together SO WELL that even a 4 or 5 year old can understand the basics of how to play. That’s why I recommend it at the bottom of our list of games for 4-year-olds. Pan Am – Our number one surprising game. The way this game feels SO DIFFERENT at different player counts is wild. 1:04:30 New Backtalk Question What’s the greatest surprise you ever had in gaming? Is there a game that shocked you? Or maybe a surprise that happened WHILE gaming. Or maybe a type of game you never thought you would enjoy? Tell us on Facebook or on Discord! And check out our review of kids’ game Octo Grabbo – which surprised us how much all kids <12 liked it! 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! 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 396 – 5 Games that Surprise! appeared first on The Family Gamers.

Do you know what a “eurogame” is? Could you explain it to someone who hasn’t played a lot of boardgames? What are some other jargon terms we use that are unfriendly to new players? 0:00 Fact for 395 We talk about our local Interstate 395, and the much more beautiful Route 395 in California. https://roadtrippers.com/magazine/cant-miss-stops-along-californias-highway-395/ Sponsor Message 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, for free! 04:00 What We’ve Been Playing Order Overload: Cafe – I can’t believe we were ready to give this game away!Trio (our review)Circus Flohcati (our review) – I love how easy it is to get started playing this one: shuffle the deck and go!Anomia – always a fun party game.Green Team Wins (our review)Landmarks (our review) – the surprising stand-out hit of the business/fun trip weekend.Alpina (review linked below)Floristry (our review)FarkleIn the Footsteps of Marie Curie (our review)Disney Lorcana: Gateway – Learn Lorcana in a structured way! Review coming soonEscape from the Starline Express (“Professor Puzzle Presents…”) – like the easier EXIT boxes, and more-or-less re-giftable. 18:30 March Monthly Report Andrew: 23 plays of 17 unique games. H-index: 2. Trio (3 plays), then Anomia, Project L, Order Overload: Cafe, Obelus (2 plays) 39% at home, 39% on the work trip. Anitra: 48 plays of 28 unique games. H-index: 4. Trio (6 plays), plus Mezen, Landmarks, and Circus Flohcati at 4 times each.46% of plays were on the work trip (because Anitra doesn’t have to work on that trip!) 21:00 The Family Gamers Facebook Community Welcome new members! This cute goat says hi, and so do we! 22:10 FOR SCIENCE! Marc Specter (of Grand Gamers Guild) sent us an Australian candy bar called Violet Crumble. Is it true that “it’s the way it shatters that matters” ? Anitra’s verdict: “sugar and air, wrapped in chocolate”. 25:15 SNAP Review – Alpina Create a grid of alpine habitats and animals, while choosing which objectives you want to score. There are a lot of symbols to learn and a lot of options to juggle in Alpina. Watch the video of our Alpina review or read the transcript. 32:30 Eurogames, Ameritrash, and other Jargon The responses to our Backtalk question last month kicked off a lively discussion of boardgamer jargon on Discord. Are there any obscure or brand-new terms we could cover? There are some portmanteau / combinations of terms that we didn’t see until recently, like “co-opetition”, “deck breeding”, or “deck wrecking” (Abandon All Artichokes). What is a “euro game”? Wikipedia says it’s also called a “German style board game”. Euro games are notable for what they lack: player elimination, direct conflict, and luck. (If there’s some luck or randomness, it’s something that is revealed and then all players have to deal with it.) Most euro games have very little player interaction – mostly just competing for limited resources – and require more forethought and planning. Euro games usually emphasize elegant mechanics instead of theme. (Examples: Catan, Carcassonne, Puerto Rico, Power Grid) We use the phrase “classic euro” because this definition has morphed over time. Modern euro games will tend to have better art and hew a little closer to their themes. “No player elimination” is an important feature that has been incorporated into a lot of newer games that we wouldn’t call euro games. How about Ameritrash? Euro games are usually contrasted with “American style” games (or sometimes “Ameritrash”) Ameritrash is a term that we heard a lot a decade ago and don’t hear very often any more, probably because it’s kind of derogatory. “American style” games that are heavy on theme and luck and often encourage direct conflict between players. Usually the theme informs the mechanics (not the kind of game where you could easily cut and paste a new theme). These are also the games most likely to have excessive amounts of minis. American-style games are informed by a culture that REALLY LOVES video games. It’s going to be a game with direct conflict (often combat), probably bright, saturated colors, a really strong theme, and lots of luck. These are still not your typical American “family” game like Scrabble, Monopoly, or checkers. We think of games like Mythalix, Cosmic Encounter, Imperial Assault, Blood Rage, Rising Sun, the Shovel Knight: Dungeon Duels game we’ve been playing… What about Dice Throne and Unmatched? We guess they fit, too. These are loose definitions, but the there’s a definite contrast between the two styles. Both “euro” and “ameritrash” are problematic terms for people new to board gaming – because even with the definitions we just talked about, there’s a ton of disagreement over whether any particular game fits one of these definitions! More Jargon – Straightforward, Overlapping Mechanics JP suggests that “straightforward” has entered gamer jargon. But if we call a game “straightforward” and then someone else struggles with the game, it can make them feel “less than” or kind of dumb. I think when we say straightforward what we really mean is “this game was easy for me to learn and makes sense to ME.” What about when we use multiple overlapping terms to talk about a game, like worker placement, action selection, and resource management? Or hand management, drafting, and push your luck? And lastly – the different names we have for things we move around on a board! From least complex to most complex: cube (or token), pawn, meeple, standee, and mini. 56:00 New Backtalk Question What’s your favorite Disney movie? Andrew’s is Sword in the Stone (and Lion King for best music), Anitra’s is Tangled. 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! 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 395 – Euro, Ameritrash, and Other Boardgamer Jargon appeared first on The Family Gamers.

0:00 We’re out of town this weekend. A perfect time to talk about our favorite party games. 394 fact Tony Gwynn is recognized as having the highest single season batting average in the modern era – He hit .394 for the San Diego Padres in 1994. If you’re not a sports person, here’s a dumb record for you. The most spins of a Guinness World Records book on the finger in one minute is 394, and was achieved by Arun Kumar Mahanta (India) in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India, on 11 August 2022. 03:11 Sponsor message Who is First Move Financial? Well, 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, intellegently navigating the money world. Donnie is a board gamer just like us, so he completely understands the shelf of shame. You can go to firstmovefinancial . com / familygamers to find out more. 04:15 What We’ve Been Playing Little Alchemists (review coming soon!)Mezen (solo mode)Donald Duck in Happy CamperIn the Footsteps of Marie CurieMedieval Academy (solo)Cabanga!Jekyll vs. Hyde 18:00 Backtalk We’re waiting another week for more deep dives into board game terms. But we had to share this Nidavellir pronunciation guide from Stephan. 19:20 SNAP Review – Mezen Mezen is a side-by-side puzzle game based on a traditional Russian/Nordic art form. How does it chalk up? Read the transcript or watch our Mezen review. 26:00 Top Party Games What do we mean by a party game? A party game works well at four or more players. It has simple rules – easy to teach, easy to learn. It’s something very casual and low-commitment. People can drop in or drop out (or a super fast playtime, which allows someone to join in next time). Party games are usually silly and based around guessing or giving clues (but not always). Most (but not all) party games are based on a deck or two of specialized cards. And while there is nothing wrong with a more “adult” game, all of our favorites are ones that you can play with kids in the mix. 30:00 Our Seven Favorite Party Games In alphabetical order: Anomia – A favorite for over a decade. Also available in an adults-only version, called Anomia X. See our reviews for Anomia Pop Culture and Anomia Kids. Green Team Wins – A game of friendly “religious arguments” for lots of players. See our review. Secret Identity – A game of guessing other players’ secret identities. But surprisingly strategic (you have a limited number of clues to use in the entire game) and family friendly (the eight possible secret identities are all known). See our review of this hidden gem. Similo – One clue giver, everyone else is trying to guess (an asymmetric cooperative game) the selected character by slowly whittling down the choices based on what the clue giver indicates. Incredibly easy to drop in, and even playable by just two people! There are a ton of different themed variations available. See our review of Similo. Smug Owls – This game of programmed riddles ends up sometimes silly, sometimes deep. You can feel clever, and also reward or recognize that cleverness in other people. There are new expansions available: Smut Owls, Pompous Owls, and Poseur Owls. See our review of Smug Owls. Trio – Neither a word game, nor a clueing game, but rather a game of memory and deduction. Our copy is almost worn out. Trio tops out at six players, but it’s very fast, so it’s easy to let a new player step in “next time”. Look for sets of three matching cards by asking for highest or lowest cards in players’ hands (or face-down on the table). See our review of Trio. Wavelength – The only game on this list we’ve never reviewed. One clue giver and everyone else tries to figure out if they’re “on the same wavelength.” The clue giver has a location on the wheel and a spectrum (example: cat name vs dog name), and must give a clue to try to get everyone else to position the marker at the proper location. Wavelength can be played in two teams or as a fully cooperative game. 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! 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 394 – 7 Party Game Favorites appeared first on The Family Gamers.