Name: KuZOOka - A cooperative zoo escape! @FamilyGamersAA
Uploaded: 2026-09-19T08:17:00-05:00
Duration: 8 min 17 s
Description: KuZOOka - A cooperative zoo escape!

KuZOOka - A cooperative zoo escape!

The Family Gamers 2026-09-19 | KuZOOka - A cooperative zoo escape!

Episode 407 – Our Favorite 15-Minute Games

The Family Gamers 2025-10-06 | 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 (firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers) to set up a time to talk today.

03:45 What We’ve Been Playing

My City (our review (thefamilygamers.com/my-city) )
Hamster Roll (our review (thefamilygamers.com/hamster-roll) )
Drop It (our review (thefamilygamers.com/drop-it-review) )
Trio (our review (thefamilygamers.com/trio) )
Red Letter Yellow Letter (review next week!)
Spaceteam
Quacks of Quedlinburg
INK (review coming soon)
Duel for Cardia
Bomb Busters
Jekyll v. Hyde (our review (thefamilygamers.com/jekyll-vs-hyde) )
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.
facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa/posts/4172992196323572

#Backtalk

We asked about your favorite game(s) in 2025. You answered on the #backtalk channel (discord.com/channels/1157003438425653379/1239323617368604672) on our Discord, and in this post in the Facebook community (facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa/posts/4160244357598356) .

And check out Nick’s review of My Shelfie: The Dice Game (thefamilygamers.com/my-shelfie-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:

Trio (thefamilygamers.com/trio)
Circus Flohcati (thefamilygamers.com/circus-flohcati)
Get the MacGuffin (thefamilygamers.com/get-the-macguffin)
Strike (recommended in our “Top 10 Games for Teens” (thefamilygamers.com/top-10-games-teens) )
Similo (thefamilygamers.com/similo-card-game) – 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 (boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=cardia) )
Jekyll vs. Hyde (thefamilygamers.com/jekyll-vs-hyde)
Floristry (thefamilygamers.com/floristry)
Quarto (thefamilygamers.com/quarto)

Solo: A Gentle Rain (thefamilygamers.com/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 (boardgamegeek.com) 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 (discord.com/channels/1157003438425653379/1239323617368604672) on our Discord, or in our Facebook community (facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa) .

Find Us Online:

Facebook: @familygamersaa (facebook.com/familygamersaa) and thefamilygamers.com/community (facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa)
Twitter (X): @familygamersaa (twitter.com/familygamersAA)
Instagram: @familygamersaa (instagram.com/familygamersaa)
TikTok: @familygamersaa (tiktok.com/@familygamersaa)
Bluesky: @familygamersaa (https://bsky.app/profile/familygamersaa.bsky.social)
Threads: @familygamersaa (threads.com/@familygamersaa)
Youtube: TheFamilyGamers (youtube.com/TheFamilyGamers)

or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord (thefamilygamers.com/discord)

Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.

PLEASE don’t f...

Back Stories: The Emerald Wedding Anniversary - A 5 Minute Review for Parents #boardgamereview

The Family Gamers 2025-09-29 | Back Stories: The Emerald Wedding Anniversary is a spy story where YOU decide what to do next. Use tool cards to reveal a story directly impacted by your choices! We really liked the first Back Stories and hoped we'd like this one, too.

WARNING: This game contains depictions of violence. We've included some pictures from the game to help you decide if this is appropriate for your family.

We review Back Stories: The Emerald Wedding Anniversary in our GAMES format:
0:00 Intro

0:18 Game
0:35 Art
0:54 Mechanics - How to Play
2:16 Expectations
2:55 Surprises

5:43 Recommended
5:00 Outtake

Transcript at thefamilygamers.com/backstories-emerald-anniversary
Our review of Back Stories: Alone Under the Ice thefamilygamers.com/back-stories-alone-under-the-ice
Find 600 MORE board game reviews over at our website: thefamilygamers.com

Follow us on social media: @FamilyGamersAA
or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord: thefamilygamers.com/discord

The Family Gamers received a copy of Back Stories: The Emerald Wedding Anniversary for this review from Lucky Duck Games.]

Get it directly from Lucky Duck Games, or ask for it at your local game store. It should be available on Amazon soon.
luckyduckgames.com/usa/game/1048-2117-backstories-the-emerald-wedding-anniversary

🎵 Music is "Avalanche" used by permission from You Bred Raptors? http://youbredraptors.com

#boardgamereview #familygamers #familygames #tabletop #tabletopgames
#backstories #chooseyourownadventure #storygame #pointandclick #adventuregame

Horrified: World of Monsters - review in a SNAP!

The Family Gamers 2025-09-22 | A cooperative game of saving the world - this time with a selection of mythological monsters drawn from all over the world!

We review Horrified: World of Monsters (and the Krampus expansion) in our GAMES format:
0:00 Intro

0:54 Game
1:16 Art
1:34 Mechanics - How to Play
3:23 Yeti
3:33 Sphinx
3:45 Jiangshi
3:58 Cthulu
4:40 Combine with Greek Monsters
5:01 Krampus
5:40 Expectations
6:34 Surprises

8:21 Recommended?
9:09 Outtakes

Transcript at thefamilygamers.com/horrified-world-of-monsters
Find 600 MORE board game reviews on our website, including our review of Horrified: Greek Monsters - thefamilygamers.com/horrified-greek-monsters

Follow us on social media: @FamilyGamersAA
or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord: thefamilygamers.com/discord

The Family Gamers received a copy of Horrified: World of Monsters and Horrified: Krampus for this review from Ravensburger.

Find Horrified: World of Monsters on Amazon with our affiliate link: amzn.to/4gvQxwe
or get it directly from Ravensburger: ravensburger.us/en-US/products/games/board-games/horrified-world-of-monsters-60001974

🎵 Music is "Avalanche" used by permission from You Bred Raptors? http://youbredraptors.com

#boardgamereview #familygamers #familygames #tabletop #tabletopgames
#horrifiedgame #worldofmonsters #cthulu #yeti #jiangshi #sphinx #krampus

Episode 406 – Andrew’s Favorites in 2025!

The Family Gamers 2025-09-22 | 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 (firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers) today.

0:05:00 What We’ve Been Playing

Mr. Postmouse’s Picnic (so much losing!)
My City (our review (thefamilygamers.com/my-city) ) – and a lesson on studying your kids’ preferences.
Tesla vs. Edison: Duel
Duel for Cardia (review coming soon) – try it on BGA (boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=cardia)
Run Run Run! (more losing!)
HiFi – we are divided on this one.

0:37:45 The Family Gamers Community

Welcome to our newest community members (facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa/posts/4156874487935343) ! You can join the community too, on Facebook.

#Backtalk

We asked about themes that resonate with your family. You answered on the #backtalk channel (discord.com/channels/1157003438425653379/1239323617368604672) on our Discord, and in this post in the Facebook community (facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa/posts/4147024285587030) .

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 (cusecon.com) . 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 (thefamilygamers.com/trio) )
Two Player Game: Floristry (our review (thefamilygamers.com/floristry) )
Party Game: Caution Signs (our review (thefamilygamers.com/caution-signs) )
Co-operative Game: Paint the Roses (we talked about this in episodes 402 & 403)
Heavier Game: Tesla vs. Edison (see our old Valentine pun (thefamilygamers.com/valentines) )

Most Looking Forward to: Compile: Main 2 (check out our review of Compile: Main 1 (thefamilygamers.com/compile) )

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 (discord.com/channels/1157003438425653379/1239323617368604672) on our Discord, or in our Facebook community (facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa) .

Find Us Online:

Facebook: @familygamersaa (facebook.com/familygamersaa) and thefamilygamers.com/community (facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa)
Twitter (X): @familygamersaa (twitter.com/familygamersAA)
Instagram: @familygamersaa (instagram.com/familygamersaa)
TikTok: @familygamersaa (tiktok.com/@familygamersaa)
Bluesky: @familygamersaa (https://bsky.app/profile/familygamersaa.bsky.social)
Threads: @familygamersaa (threads.com/@familygamersaa)
Youtube: TheFamilyGamers (youtube.com/TheFamilyGamers)

or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/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 (itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-family-gamers-podcast/id1031290391) or whatever your podcast subscription source is. We’re also on Amazon Music, TuneIn (tunein.com/podcasts/Kids--Family-Podcasts/The-Family-Gamers-Podcast-p1151589) , and Spotify (open.spotify.com/show/5T4hCWTyqdY2Io4fslCbOl) .

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 (firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers) to learn how the team at First Move Financial can help you pile up the victory points.

(https://FirstMoveFinancial.com/familygamers)

The post Episode 406 – Andrew’s Favorites in 2025! (thefamilygamers.com/episode-406-andrew-faves) appeared first on The Family Gamers (thefamilygamers.com) .

Episode 405 – Theme

The Family Gamers 2025-09-08 | 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 (firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers) .

0:04:20 What We’ve Been Playing

Spots [Editor’s note: “The Hundred and One Dalmatians” book was published in 1956. Still within copyright.]
Red Letter Yellow Letter
Cabanga! (our review (thefamilygamers.com/cabanga) )
Floristry (our review (thefamilygamers.com/floristry) )
Duel for Cardia
Merchants of Magick (our review (thefamilygamers.com/merchants-of-magick) ) – a lesson on what to do when pieces are missing.
Get Bit! (our review (thefamilygamers.com/get-bit) )
Oasis
Circus Flohcati (our review (thefamilygamers.com/circus-flohcati) )
INK
Trio (our review (thefamilygamers.com/trio) )
Junk Drawer solo (our review (thefamilygamers.com/junk-drawer) )
Mr Postmouse’s Picnic
Endangered (our review (thefamilygamers.com/endangered-review) )

Check out the Kickstarter for Endangered: Australia! (kickstarter.com/projects/grandgamersguild/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 (facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa/posts/4145189095770549) ! 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 (discord.com/channels/1157003438425653379/1239323617368604672) on our Discord, and in this post in the Facebook community (facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa/posts/4132615290361263) .

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 (thefamilygamers.com/mountains-a-beautiful-adventure) ).

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 (thefamilygamers.com/episode-212-favorite-food-games) , dragons (thefamilygamers.com/episode-366-top-5-dragon-games) , etc.) and why our lists for older kids (thefamilygamers.com/top-games-kids-under-10) and teens (thefamilygamers.com/top-10-games-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 (thefamilygamers.com/lacrimosa) really works for Anitra, even though it’s a harder game than she’d usually choose to play.

We mention Megaland (thefamilygamers.com/megaland-review) (yes, it’s still in print (red-raven-board-games.myshopify.com/products/megaland) ) as a great way to pull in a videogame feel to a kid-appropriate board game, or more complex game themes, like Worms (thefamilygamers.com/worms-board-game) , Halo: Flashpoint, or Call of Duty: The Boardgame. And check out our review of Shovel Knight: Dungeon Duels (thefamilygamers.com/shovel-knight) !

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 (discord.com/channels/1157003438425653379/1239323617368604672) on ...

Shovel Knight: Dungeon Duels

The Family Gamers 2025-09-08 | Shovel Knight is a retro video game that hits just right. How does it translate to the tabletop?

We review Shovel Knight Dungeon Duels in our GAMES format:
0:00 Intro

0:33 Game
0:45 Art
1:32 Mechanics
1:41 Setup
2:32 Hero Phase
4:00 Enemy Phase
4:20 End of Round
4:46 Boss Fight
5:30 Expectations
6:32 Surprises

7:44 Recommended?
9:12 Outtakes

Transcript at thefamilygamers.com/shovel-knight
Find 600 MORE board game reviews over at our website: thefamilygamers.com

Follow us on social media: @FamilyGamersAA
or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord: thefamilygamers.com/discord

The Family Gamers received a copy of Shovel Knight Dungeon Duels for this review from Panda Cult Games.
Get it here: pandacultgames.com/products/shovel-knight-dungeon-duels-3d

🎵 Music is "Avalanche" used by permission from You Bred Raptors? http://youbredraptors.com

#boardgamereview #familygamers #dungeon #shovelknight #8bit #retrogaming #minis

Episode 404 – Connecting Through Gaming

The Family Gamers 2025-08-25 | 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 (firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers) .

0:05:15 What We’ve Been Playing

A Gentle Rain (our review (thefamilygamers.com/a-gentle-rain) )
HiFi
Unmatched: Battle of Legends volume 3 (our review (thefamilygamers.com/unmatched-volume-3) )
Fruition
Red Letter, Yellow Letter – we played it in the car!
Backstories: Emerald Wedding Anniversary (review coming soon)
Tesla vs. Edison: War of Currents
Juicy Fruits
Dinosaur Tea Party (our review (thefamilygamers.com/dinosaur-tea-party) )
Prisma Arena (our review (thefamilygamers.com/prisma-arena) )
Obelus (our review (thefamilygamers.com/obelus) )
Quarto (our review (thefamilygamers.com/quarto) )

0:32:00 The Family Gamers Community

Welcome to our newest community members! (facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa/posts/4130864730536319) You can join the community too, on Facebook.

#Backtalk

We asked about “low-key” games. You answered on the #backtalk channel (discord.com/channels/1157003438425653379/1239323617368604672) on our Discord, and in this post in the Facebook community (facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa/posts/4119323098357149) . 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 (facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa/posts/4119672904988835) .

We’ve talked before about WHY to play games with your kids (thefamilygamers.com/episode-371-why-play-games) . But a reason that’s easy to skip over is connection: spending time working together on something – or lightly competing – can build memories and emphasize commonalities between people. And the important part is the CONNECTION, not the method you use.

Forcing your kids to the table does not really foster connection. (Bartering could work, though.)

Instead of always bringing them into the things you enjoy, bring yourself to something they enjoy.

Videogame recommendations:

Free-for-all fighting games like
Super Smash Bros (any version)
Ultimate Chicken Horse
Gang Beasts

Objective-based games:
Overcooked
Moving Out
Totally Reliable Delivery Service

Minecraft, of course. “Like playing with LEGO ‘together’.”

Two-player cooperative games that have a plot:
It Takes Two (content warning: divorce, language – best for teens)
Split Fiction (we haven’t played this yet)
Unravel Two

Death Squared (abstract strategy puzzles for 2-4 players)
Jackbox (get teens using their phones to play TOGETHER)
Rock Band (or Guitar Hero, etc.) “It simulates the experience of making music together, while removing barriers”

Takeaway: Meet your kid on their terms to better connect with them!

1:05:45 New Backtalk Question

What video games are you playing with other people LOCALLY? We’re talking couch co-op and local multiplayer.

Tell us on the #backtalk channel (discord.com/channels/1157003438425653379/1239323617368604672) on our Discord, or in our Facebook community (facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa) .

Find Us Online:

Facebook: @familygamersaa (facebook.com/familygamersaa) and thefamilygamers.com/community (facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa)
Twitter (X): @familygamersaa (twitter.com/familygamersAA)
Instagram: @familygamersaa (instagram.com/familygamersaa)
TikTok: @familygamersaa (tiktok.com/@familygamersaa)
Bluesky: @familygamersaa (https://bsky.app/profile/familygamersaa.bsky.social)
Threads: @familygamersaa (threads.com/@familygamersaa)
Youtube: TheFamilyGamers (youtube.com/TheFamilyGamers)

or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/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 (itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-family-gamers-podcast/id1031290391) or whatever your podcast subscription source is. We’re also ...

Episode 403 – Taking the Pressure Off

The Family Gamers 2025-08-12 | 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. 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 (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 (thefamilygamers.com/charcuterie) )
HUTAN (our review (thefamilygamers.com/hutan) )
Stew
Horrified: World of Monsters / Greek Monsters mashup (review coming soon)
Goblin Vaults (off the shelf of opportunity!)
Sagrada
The Magnificent

While camping:
Flip 7 (our review (thefamilygamers.com/flip-7) )
Cabanga! (our review (thefamilygamers.com/cabanga) )
Trio (our review (thefamilygamers.com/trio) )
Sushi Go Party!
Order Overload: Cafe
Sabobatage
Altiplano – a big miss for us.

0:24:30 July Monthly Report

Anitra: 49 plays of 27 unique games. H-index 3, with a lot of plays of Trio & HUTAN, but also at least 3 times with: Paint the Roses, Fight for Olympus, Canvas Critters, Jekyll & Hyde vs Scotland Yard, Quarto.

Andrew: 29 plays of 17 unique games. H-index 3. Lots of The Crew: Mission Deep Sea, Paint the Roses, Trio, plus Jekyll & Hyde v. Scotland Yard, HUTAN.

0:26:35 The Family Gamers Community

Welcome to our newest community members (facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa/posts/4117745728514886) !

#Backtalk

We asked about board game mechanics you dislike, and what you do about them. You answered on the #backtalk channel (discord.com/channels/1157003438425653379/1239323617368604672) on our Discord, and in this Backtalk (facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa/posts/4092019231087536) post in the Facebook community (facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa/posts/4105341636421962) .

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 (thefamilygamers.com/episode-243-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 littl...

Episode 402 – Room to Grow: Deck Building

The Family Gamers 2025-07-28 | 00:00 Fact for 402

“The Kids from Room 402 (imdb.com/title/tt0242210) ” – 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 (firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers) .

04:00 What We’ve Been Playing

Paint the Roses – after 5+ years. First saw at PAX Unplugged 2019 (thefamilygamers.com/episode-173-pax-unplugged-day-2) .
Jekyll & Hyde vs. Scotland Yard – great, but we don’t like it as much as Jekyll vs. Hyde (thefamilygamers.com/jekyll-vs-hyde) .
Toriki – new review (thefamilygamers.com/toriki) !
HUTAN – review coming soon. Try it on BGA (boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=hutan) !
Stew
Skulls of Sedlec
Cake Stack – a homemade game.
Trio – our review (thefamilygamers.com/trio) .

22:00 The Family Gamers Community

Welcome to our newest community members! facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa/posts/4104499843172808

#Backtalk

We asked for your family’s evergreen game(s). You answered on the #backtalk channel (discord.com/channels/1157003438425653379/1239323617368604672) on our Discord, and in this Backtalk post in the Facebook community (facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa/posts/4092019231087536) .

27:10 Grow into Deck Building Games

What is deck building? We defined it this way all the way back in episode 64 (thefamilygamers.com/episode-64-meeples) : “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 (thefamilygamers.com/tag/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

(thefamilygamers.com/star-realms-academy)

The subtitle to Star Realms Academy (thefamilygamers.com/star-realms-academy) (our review) (thefamilygamers.com/star-realms-academy) 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 ...

Episode 401 – Ten Top Evergreen Family Games

The Family Gamers 2025-07-14 | 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 (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 (thefamilygamers.com/santas-workshop) )
Trio (our review (thefamilygamers.com/trio) )
Smug Owls (our review (thefamilygamers.com/smug-owls) )
Canvas Critters (check out the Kickstarter (kickstarter.com/projects/th3rdworldstudios/canvas-critters) )
Sabobatage
The Crew: Mission Deep Sea
Caution Signs (our review (thefamilygamers.com/caution-signs) )
Donald Duck in Happy Camper (next written review)
Unmatched: Battle of Legends vol 3 (review coming soon)
Marvel X-Men Dice Throne
Fight for Olympus (old school! our review (thefamilygamers.com/fight-for-olympus-review) )
Quarto (our review (thefamilygamers.com/quarto) ) – great when you’ve only got a few minutes
Suspend – just fun.
For Sale
Doomlings (our review (thefamilygamers.com/doomlings) )
Floristry (our review (thefamilygamers.com/floristry) )
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

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 (discord.com/channels/1157003438425653379/1239323617368604672) on our Discord, and in this Backtalk post (facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa/posts/4079378199018306) in the Facebook community.

We discuss Happy Camper’s next release: Jungo (here’s the trailer video (youtube.com/watch?v=4CERBAwmvTU) )

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 (boardgamegeek.com/thread/3026635/data-analysis-boardgamegeeks-top-100-evergreen-gam) to find the top 100 games that have stayed popular over time, back in 2023.

Here are the top ten from his list:

10 Race for the Galaxy
09 Agricola
08 Power Grid
07 Puerto Rico
06 Ticket to Ride
05 Pandemic
04 Dominion
03 7 Wonders
02 CATAN
01 Carcassonne

Maybe three of these we’d consider “family” games: Carcassonne, Ticket to Ride, and Catan (although you could argue for others).

“Family Evergreen” Games?

A “family” evergreen game might be a little different – something that works at all – or most – stages for your family. By definition these are going to be simpler games, because

#1 – Not everyone in the family is a board game nerd!
#2 – The game has to support multiple age ranges: not too many rules, not a lot of reading required.

So without further ado, here are our 10 games, in no particular order.

Ticket to Ride
CATAN
Carcassonne
Can’t Stop
Just One
Kingdomino (thefamilygamers.com/kingdomino)
Drop It! (thefamilygamers.com/drop-it-review)
Azul
Strike (also available as Impact: Battle of Elements)
Trio (thefamilygamers.com/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 (discord.com/channels/1157003438425653379/1239323617368604672) on our Discord, or in this Backtalk post in the Facebook community (facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa/posts/4092019231087536) .

Find Us Online:

Facebook: @familygamersaa (facebook.com/familygamersaa) and thefamilygamers.com/community (facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa)
Twitter (X): @familygamersaa (twitter.com/familygamersAA)
Instagram: @f...

Episode 400 – It’s All About Families

The Family Gamers 2025-06-30 | 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 Facts
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 (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 (kickstarter.com/projects/th3rdworldstudios/canvas-critters) – from 3WS and Katia Howatson (thefamilygamers.com/episode-247-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 (thefamilygamers.com/episode-278-travel-games) .
Toriki: The Castaway Island
Floristry (our review (thefamilygamers.com/floristry) ) “the perfect date game”
Hutan: Life in the Rainforest – played solo. But now also available on Board Game Arena (boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=hutan) !

18:10 The Family Gamers Community

We just passed 1000 members in the community. (facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa/posts/4077580319198094) 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! (discord.com/channels/1157003438425653379/1239323617368604672)

24:00 SNAP Review – Micro Macro Kids: Crazy City Park

(thefamilygamers.com/micro-macro-kids-city)

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. (thefamilygamers.com/micro-macro-kids-city)

30:20 FOR SCIENCE

We drink a pickle juice electrolyte drink: JUCE from TruPickles (trupickles.com/collections/juce) .

Why? Because they’re also a partner with friend-of-the-show Andy Geremia (thefamilygamers.com/tag/andy-geremia) for a pickleball dice game (trupickles.com/pages/pickleball-dice) .

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 (thefamilygamers.com/tag/toddler) .

This is when kids begin to learn about taking turns or causality (“if I do this, then this happens”).

More: Ep 236 – Babies & Boardgames (thefamilygamers.com/episode-236-babies-and-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 (thefamilygamers.com/4-ways-sore-loser) and also to start building emotional intelligence (thefamilygamers.com/color-monster-game) . Yes, even with CandyLand. (thefamilygamers.com/why-i-hate-candy-land)

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!) (thefamilygamers.com/reading-skills-boardgames) , math (thefamilygamers.com/gameschool-ela-math) , science (thefamilygamers.com/science-games) , and more.

Middle & High School

Shif...

Micro Macro Kids: Crazy City Park #seekandfind #mystery

The Family Gamers 2025-06-27 | Our favorite seek-and-find game is back, with kid-friendly mysteries and new tools that will help older, more tired eyes, too.

We review Micro Macro Kids: Crazy City Park in our GAMES format:
0:00 Intro

0:20 Game
0:41 Art
1:15 Mechanics - How to Play
2:52 Expectations
3:39 Surprises

5:31 Recommended!
6:14 Outtake

Transcript at thefamilygamers.com/micro-macro-kids-city
Find 600 MORE board game reviews over at our website: thefamilygamers.com

Follow us on social media: @FamilyGamersAA
or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord: thefamilygamers.com/discord

The Family Gamers received a copy of Micro Macro Kids: Crazy City Park for this review from Hachette.
Find it on Amazon with our affiliate link: amzn.to/3T9KaUH

🎵 Music is "Avalanche" used by permission from You Bred Raptors? http://youbredraptors.com

#boardgamereview #familygamers #familygames #kidsgames #tabletop #tabletopgames #seekandfind #micromacro #whereswaldo #mysterygame #searchandfind #familypuzzle

Episode 399 – Room to Grow: Modern Abstract Games

The Family Gamers 2025-06-16 | 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 (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 (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 Burgundy
Marvel Dice Throne: X-Men (Rogue and Gambit this time)
Jekyll vs. Hyde – one of our favorites (our review (thefamilygamers.com/jekyll-vs-hyde) )
Compile – we also love this one (our review (thefamilygamers.com/compile) )
Ultimatch – hardest at two players! (our review (thefamilygamers.com/ultimatch) )
Cabanga
Belratti (review below)
Grove (our preview/review (thefamilygamers.com/grove) from its Kickstarter) – we’re working on a review for Hutan which feels similar but more involved.
Mojo (our review (thefamilygamers.com/mojo) )

0:13:45 Community
#Backtalk
#Giveaway

0:17:55 SNAP Review – Belratti
youtu.be/fmrj4_qiPY4

0:25:30 FOR SCIENCE!
Reese’s PB&J Big Cup

0:30:20 Room to Grow: Modern Abstract Games

Our goal with Room to Grow (thefamilygamers.com/tag/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 (thefamilygamers.com/episode-398-room-to-grow-classic-abstract) (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
Intermediate: Azul
Advanced: Shobu

0:46:30 Other Highly Recommended Abstracts
Cinco Linko (which we reviewed as OK Play)
boop
Onitama
Deblockle
Quoridor (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?

Belratti - Art? or Not? #boardgamereview

The Family Gamers 2025-06-13 | What is art? In this family game, art is anything the painters chose to fit a theme. Can the museum curators pick out the art from Belratti's forgeries?

We review Belratti in our GAMES format:
0:00 Intro

0:22 Game
0:35 Art
1:22 Mechanics - How to Play
4:19 Expectations
4:48 Surprises

6:38 Recommended?
7:13 Outtakes

Transcript at thefamilygamers.com/belratti
Find 600 MORE board game reviews over at our website: thefamilygamers.com

Curious about the other games we mentioned? We reviewed them, too!
Similo: thefamilygamers.com/similo-card-game
Caution Signs: youtu.be/K7_yAD7Ts84
So Clover: youtu.be/7kt4jnYQ5C0

Follow us on social media: @FamilyGamersAA
or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord: thefamilygamers.com/discord

The Family Gamers received a copy of Belratti for this review from KOSMOS.
Find it on Amazon with our affiliate link: amzn.to/4l9u7SJ

🎵 Music is "Avalanche" used by permission from You Bred Raptors? http://youbredraptors.com

#boardgamereview #familygamers #familygames #tabletop #tabletopgames
#deduction #guessinggame #teamgame #art #7players

Caution Signs - sketch and guess game #boardgamereview #familygamenight

The Family Gamers 2025-06-06 | Quickly draw "caution signs" based on a descriptor and a noun. Can the other players guess piece together what you sketched?

We review Caution Signs in our GAMES format:
0:00 Intro

0:19 Game
0:34 Art
0:58 Mechanics - How to Play
2:54 Expectations
3:14 Surprises

4:18 Recommended
4:54 Outtake

Transcript at thefamilygamers.com/caution-signs
Find 600 MORE board game reviews over at our website: thefamilygamers.com

Curious about the other games we mentioned? We reviewed them, too!
So Clover: youtu.be/7kt4jnYQ5C0
Happy Little Accidents: thefamilygamers.com/snap-review-happy-little-accidents

Follow us on social media: @FamilyGamersAA
or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord: thefamilygamers.com/discord

The Family Gamers received a copy of Caution Signs for this review from Wise Wizard Games.
Find it on Amazon with our affiliate link: amzn.to/43Yckbc

🎵 Music is "Avalanche" used by permission from You Bred Raptors? http://youbredraptors.com

#boardgamereview #familygamers #familygames #tabletop #tabletopgames
#partygame #drawing #sketch #roadsigns #guessinggame

Episode 398 – Room to Grow: Classic Abstract Games

The Family Gamers 2025-06-02 | 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 (amzn.to/4jsOVDv) .
If you want to talk about other ways to equip your children for their future, go to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers (firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers) to schedule a time to talk to First Move today for free.

0:05:30 What We’ve Been Playing
Azul
Trio (our review (thefamilygamers.com/trio) )
Flip 7 (review out this week! Keep listening)
Disney Lorcana (Gateway review this week (thefamilygamers.com/lorcana-gateway) )
Food Chain Island
Toriki (review coming soon) – great for playing with kids
Gruzzle: The City – very hard! But take a look: gruzzle.com (gruzzle.com)
5er Finden (our review (thefamilygamers.com/5er-finden) )
HUTAN: Life in the Rainforest (review coming soon). So many trees!
Adventure Party (our review (thefamilygamers.com/adventure-party) )

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 (facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa/posts/4051088558513937) !

#Backtalk
Last time, we asked about your favorite convention memory. We got a couple of answers on Discord (discord.com/channels/1157003438425653379/1239323617368604672/1374033426629394433) .

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.
youtu.be/DOUarE_hCHY

0:37:15 Room to Grow: Classic Abstract Games

Beginner: Tic-Tac-Toe

Intermediate: Checkers

Advanced: Chess

0:59:15 New Backtalk Question
What's your favorite classic abstract game?

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: thefamilygamers.com/400th-ep-giveaway

Find Us Online:

Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/community
Twitter (X): @familygamersaa
Instagram: @familygamersaa
TikTok: @familygamersaa
Youtube: TheFamilyGamers

or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord

Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.

PLEASE don’t forget to subscribe to the show, tell your friends about the show, and leave us a review at Apple Podcast or whatever your podcast subscription source is. We’re also on Amazon Music, TuneIn, and Spotify.

You can also now find us on YouTube Music! So pull it up and give us a listen while you’re toiling away at work :)

The Family Gamers is sponsored by First Move Financial. Go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/familygamers to learn how the team at First Move Financial can help you pile up the victory points.

Flip 7 - a party game for everyone! #boardgamereview #partygame

The Family Gamers 2025-05-30 | Flip 7 is a card game in a tiny package, that's a whole lot of fun no matter the age or the mix of ages. Just pull it out of the box and start playing - after watching our review and how-to-play, of course. :)

We review Flip 7 in our GAMES format:
0:00 Intro

0:12 Game
0:38 Art
1:28 Mechanics - How to Play
4:18 Expectations
4:39 Surprises

5:59 Recommended
7:02 Outtakes

Transcript at thefamilygamers.com/flip-7
Find 600 MORE board game reviews over at our website: thefamilygamers.com

Follow us on social media: @FamilyGamersAA
or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord: thefamilygamers.com/discord

The Family Gamers received a copy of Flip 7 for this review from The Op.
Buy it directly from The Op: https://theop.games/products/flip-7
Find it on Amazon with our affiliate link: amzn.to/45AksQr

🎵 Music is "Avalanche" used by permission from You Bred Raptors? http://youbredraptors.com

#familygamers #familygamenight #tabletop #tabletopgames #playgameswithyourkids
#cardgames #blackjack #pressyourluck #partygames

Bear In Mind - a memory game for all ages - How to Play & Review

The Family Gamers 2025-05-23 | A family board game review. This memory game is for kids - but not JUST for kids!
Bear in Mind asks players to tell stories about why an item is in a location - to help you remember later which item is where.

We review Bear in Mind in our GAMES format:
0:00 Intro

0:28 Game
0:43 Art
1:48 Mechanics - How to Play
3:40 Expectations
4:21 Surprises

6:18 Recommended
7:11 Outtakes

Transcript at thefamilygamers.com/bear-in-mind
Find our reviews of Chip Theory Kids games and more over at our website: thefamilygamers.com/tag/chip-theory-games

Follow us on social media: @FamilyGamersAA
or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord: thefamilygamers.com/discord

The Family Gamers received a copy of Bear in Mind for this review from Chip Theory Games.
Get it directly from Chip Theory Kids: chiptheorykids.com/shop#!/CTG-Kids-Bear-in-Mind/p/705073264

🎵 Music is "Avalanche", used by permission from You Bred Raptors? http://youbredraptors.com

#boardgamereview #familygamers #kidsgame #childrensgame #familygames #tabletop #tabletopgames #howtoplay #memorygame #reinerknizia #storytelling #chiptheory

Episode 397 – PAX East Recap

The Family Gamers 2025-05-19 | 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
guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2022/11/theres-not-many-downsides-man-with-the-worlds-longest-tongue-727048

Sponsor Message
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What We’ve Been Playing

Flip 7 (review coming soon)
Smug Owls (our review (thefamilygamers.com/smug-owls) )
Caution Signs (review coming soon)
Disney Lorcana Gateway (review coming soon)
Another Man’s Treasure (review linked below)
Combo (our review (thefamilygamers.com/combo) )
Patchwork
The Gang
Jungo – coming later this year from Happy Camper (https://happycamper.games/)
Cantankerous Cats (review coming eventually)
Ultimatch (our review (thefamilygamers.com/ultimatch) ) – 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.
youtube.com/watch?v=TkS39K_o1mU

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 (cleverendeavourgames.com/ultimate-sheep-raccoon) ) if your kids like wacky video games.

Andrew is excited by Ludocene (ludocene.com) – “Tinder for videogames”, which is on Kickstarter now. It’s possible that they’ll make a boardgame version as well!

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!
Find out more at cyoa.com (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 (youtube.com/shorts/ZwG2amY7f6Y) .

See all the available boards at TNTLaserWorks.com (tntlaserworks.com/sage-stones) 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 (dotsrpg.org)

0:45:20 Modern Meeple
See more and sign up for their email list at ModernMeeple.com (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.
Find out more at Pencil-XR.com (pencil-xr.com) .

0:55:00 Family Gamers Community
Welcome new members – we’re glad you’re here (facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa/posts/4038551279767665) !

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).

New Backtalk Question!
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?

Another Mans Treasure - a family game review

The Family Gamers 2025-05-16 | Another Man's Treasure (Grandpa Beck's Games) is a game of getting rid of the junk your relatives give you... by bundling it into just the right set.
Based on rummy, this card game is good for young and old alike.

We review Another Man's Treasure in our GAMES format:
0:00 Intro

0:19 Game
0:32 Art
1:34 Mechanics - How to Play
3:45 Expectations
4:32 Surprises

5:43 Recommended
6:15 Outtake

Transcript at thefamilygamers.com/another-mans-treasure
Find 600 MORE board game reviews over at our website: thefamilygamers.com

Follow us on social media: @FamilyGamersAA
or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord: thefamilygamers.com/discord

The Family Gamers received a copy of Another Man's Treasure for this review from Grandpa Beck's Games.
Find it on Amazon with our affiliate link: amzn.to/4mjDRLg

🎵 Music is "Avalanche" used by permission from You Bred Raptors? http://youbredraptors.com

#boardgamereview #familygamers #familygames #tabletop #tabletopgames
#cardgames #rummy #setcollection

Sage Stones - gorgeous abstract game #boardgames #paxeast2025 @Sage_Stones #familygames

The Family Gamers 2025-05-12 | This is one of the most gorgeous board games I've ever seen. The video doesn't even do it justice.

How to play Sage Stones #boardgames #howtoplay #familygames #sagestones #paxeast2025

The Family Gamers 2025-05-12 | I got a quick demo of Sage Stones from @Sage_Stones while at #paxeast2025. It's a gorgeous, abstract family game for 2-6 players.

Modern Meeple new products! #paxeast2025 #boardgames #gameysusan

The Family Gamers 2025-05-12 | Josh from Modern Meeple shows us new products they're working on, including an open dice vault (compatible with all Gamey Susan and/or parts trays) and a prototype bag!

Find out more at modernmeeple.com

A hurdy gurdy at #paxeast2025! #music #musicnerd #pirates

The Family Gamers 2025-05-10 | I'm guessing the song is from a pirate-themed video game. But I'm just going to keep nerding out over obscure instruments...

At #paxeast2025? Come try Mission to Planet Hexx!

The Family Gamers 2025-05-08 | ...

Episode 396 – 5 Games that Surprise!

The Family Gamers 2025-05-05 | 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

Sponsor Message
If you want to talk to someone about your natural money instinct reach out to First Move Financial by going to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers (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 (instagram.com/p/DHv7DSQpzRV) .
Combo (our review (thefamilygamers.com/combo) )
Trio (our review (thefamilygamers.com/trio) )
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 (thefamilygamers.com/merchants-of-magick) )

and also:
Toriki: The Castaway Island (review coming soon) – like Chronicles of Crime (thefamilygamers.com/chronicles-of-crime) or Kids Chronicles (thefamilygamers.com/kids-chronicles) , but somewhere in between.
Belratti (review coming soon)
Word Fluxx (review below)
So Clover (our review (thefamilygamers.com/so-clover) )
Floristry (our review (thefamilygamers.com/floristry) )

0:34:15 April Monthly Report!

0:35:55 SNAP Review – Word Fluxx ( youtu.be/gyB8hNXPPLo )

0:42:25 The Family Gamers Facebook Community

#Backtalk

Last time, we asked about your favorite Disney movie(s). And you stepped up to let us know – on Facebook (facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa/posts/4011139389175521) and on Discord (discord.com/channels/1157003438425653379/1239323617368604672) .

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 (thefamilygamers.com/magic-mountain) – Looks like a kids game but it’s not just a kids game! It grabs EVERYONE.

Back Stories (thefamilygamers.com/back-stories-alone-under-the-ice) – 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 (facebook.com/groups/1644992689123548?multi_permalinks=4025821364373990) or on Discord (discord.com/channels/1157003438425653379/1239323617368604672)!

And check out our review of kids’ game Octo Grabbo (youtu.be/F4MS4eB0Sxo) – which surprised us how much all kids under 12 liked it!

Find Us Online:

Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/community
Twitter (X): @familygamersaa
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TikTok: @familygamersaa
Youtube: TheFamilyGamers

or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord

Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.

Check out our new Family Gamers and Play Games with Your Kids merchandise – T-shirts, hoodies, and mugs – at thefamilygamers.com/merch.

PLEASE don’t forget to subscribe to the show, tell your friends about the show, and leave us a review at Apple Podcast or whatever your podcast subscription source is. We’re also on Amazon Music, TuneIn, and Spotify.

You can also now find us on YouTube Music! So pull it up and give us a listen while you’re toiling away at work :)

The Family Gamers is sponsored by First Move Financial. Go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/familygamers to learn how the team at First Move Financial can help you pile up the victory points.

Octo Grabbo chopstick game - family game review

The Family Gamers 2025-05-02 | Octo Grabbo is a chopstick dexterity game for kids, produced by high-quality boardgame maker Chip Theory. A 5 minute boardgame review and how to play - is this game right for your family?

We review Octo Grabbo in our GAMES format:
0:00 Intro

0:19 Game
0:35 Art
1:17 Mechanics - How to Play
3:25 Expectations
4:11 Surprises

5:26 Recommended
6:10 Outtakes

Transcript at thefamilygamers.com/octo-grabbo
Find 600 MORE board game reviews over at our website: thefamilygamers.com

Follow us on social media: @FamilyGamersAA
or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord: thefamilygamers.com/discord

The Family Gamers received a copy of Octo Grabbo for this review from Chip Theory Games.
Get it directly from Chip Theory Kids: chiptheorykids.com/shop#!/CTG-Kids-Octo-Grabbo/p/705067769

🎵 Music is "Avalanche", used by permission from You Bred Raptors? http://youbredraptors.com

#boardgamereview #familygamers #kidsgame #childrensgame #familygames #tabletop #tabletopgames #howtoplay #chopsticks #octograbbo #chiptheory

Word Fluxx - Review & How to Play

The Family Gamers 2025-04-18 | Word Fluxx is a family-friendly word game where the goal is always changing and the rules are, too!

We review Word Fluxx in our GAMES format:
0:00 Intro

0:27 Game
0:36 Art
0:53 Mechanics - How to Play
3:09 Expectations
4:01 Surprises

5:33 Recommended
7:04 Outtakes

Transcript at thefamilygamers.com/word-fluxx
Find 600 MORE board game reviews over at our website: thefamilygamers.com

Follow us on social media: @FamilyGamersAA
or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord: thefamilygamers.com/discord

The Family Gamers received a copy of Word Fluxx for this review from Looney Labs.
Find it on Amazon with our affiliate link: amzn.to/3Y46p0Z

🎵 Music is "Avalanche", used by permission from You Bred Raptors? http://youbredraptors.com

#familygamers #familygames #boardgamereview #tabletop #tabletopgames
#cardgames #wordgames #fluxx #wordfluxx #howtoplay

Episode 395 – Euro, Ameritrash, and Other Boardgamer Jargon

The Family Gamers 2025-04-14 | 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?

#podcast #boardgames

0:00 Fact for 395
We talk about our local Interstate 395, and the much more beautiful Route 395 in California.

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 (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 (thefamilygamers.com/trio) )
Circus Flohcati (our review (thefamilygamers.com/circus-flohcati) ) – 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 (thefamilygamers.com/green-team-wins) )
Landmarks (our review (thefamilygamers.com/landmarks) ) – the surprising stand-out hit of the business/fun trip weekend.
Alpina (review linked below)
Floristry (our review (thefamilygamers.com/floristry) )
Farkle
In the Footsteps of Marie Curie (our review (thefamilygamers.com/footsteps-marie-curie) )
Disney Lorcana: Gateway – Learn Lorcana in a structured way! Review coming soon
Escape from the Starline Express (“Professor Puzzle Presents…”) – like the easier EXIT boxes, and more-or-less re-giftable.

18:30 March Monthly Report

Andrew: 23 plays of 17 unique games. H-index: 2. Trio (3 plays), then Anomia, Project L, Order Overload: Cafe, Obelus (2 plays) 39% at home, 39% on the work trip.
Anitra: 48 plays of 28 unique games. H-index: 4. Trio (6 plays), plus Mezen, Landmarks, and Circus Flohcati at 4 times each.
46% of plays were on the work trip (because Anitra doesn’t have to work on that trip!)

21:00 The Family Gamers Facebook Community
Welcome new members! This cute goat says hi, and so do we! (facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa/posts/4000524330237027)

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. (thefamilygamers.com/alpina)

32:30 Eurogames, Ameritrash, and other Jargon

The responses to our Backtalk question last month (thefamilygamers.com/episode-393-asymmetric-auction-bidding) kicked off a lively discussion of boardgamer jargon on Discord (discord.com/channels/1157003438425653379/1239323617368604672) .

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 (thefamilygamers.com/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 (thefamilygamers.com/episode-160-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...

Alpina Board Game Review

The Family Gamers 2025-04-11 | Build a habitat together for alpine animals (goats, birds, and frogs) - but arrange it so that you earn the most points! We review Alpina, a card game for 2-4 players by Luc Rémond.

#familygamers #familygames #boardgamereview #tabletop #tabletopgames #alpinagame #cardgame #boardgame

We review Alpina in our GAMES format:
0:00 Intro

0:25 Game
0:41 Art
1:10 Mechanics - How to Play
2:38 Expectations
3:08 Surprises

6:23 Recommended
7:04 Outtakes

Transcript at thefamilygamers.com/alpina
Find 600 MORE board game reviews over at our website: thefamilygamers.com

Follow us on social media: @FamilyGamersAA
or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord: thefamilygamers.com/discord

The Family Gamers received a copy of Alpina for this review from Helvetiq.
Find it on Amazon with our affiliate link: amzn.to/3RJgNHR

🎵 Music is "Avalanche", used by permission from You Bred Raptors? http://youbredraptors.com

Little Alchemists Board Game Review - fun for any age!

The Family Gamers 2025-04-04 | "It's like running a lemonade stand, but the lemonade is magic!" So says the rulebook for the boardgame Little Alchemists. Combine ingredients and see what kind of potion you get! Over multiple plays, you'll unlock more ingredients, potions, and ways to get points.

We say Little Alchemists is a "room to grow" game all on its own, appropriate from age 6-7 at the introductory levels, all the way up to a teens-and-adults game at the highest levels.

#familygamers #familygames #boardgamereview #tabletop #tabletopgames #childrensgame #kidsgame #appassistedgame #potions #alchemists #littlealchemists

We review Little Alchemists in our GAMES format:
0:00 Intro

0:30 Game
0:48 Art
1:36 Mechanics - How to Play
3:37 Expectations
4:14 Surprises

5:25 Recommended
6:23 Outtakes

Transcript at thefamilygamers.com/little-alchemists
Find 600 MORE board game reviews over at our website: thefamilygamers.com

Follow us on social media: @FamilyGamersAA
or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord: thefamilygamers.com/discord

The Family Gamers received a copy of Little Alchemists for this review from CGE.
Find it on Amazon with our affiliate link: amzn.to/43CYfQU

🎵 Music is "Avalanche", used by permission from You Bred Raptors? http://youbredraptors.com

Episode 394 – 7 Party Game Favorites

The Family Gamers 2025-03-31 | 0:00 We’re out of town this weekend. A perfect time to talk about our favorite party games.

#podcast #boardgames

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, intelligently navigating the money world. Donnie is a board gamer just like us, so he completely understands the shelf of shame. You can go to firstmovefinancial . com / familygamers to find out more.

04:15 What We’ve Been Playing

Little Alchemists (review coming soon!)
Mezen (solo mode)
Donald Duck in Happy Camper
In the Footsteps of Marie Curie
Medieval Academy (solo)
Cabanga!
Jekyll vs. Hyde

18:00 Backtalk
We’re waiting another week for more deep dives into board game terms. But we had to share this Nidavellir pronunciation guide from Stephan.

19:20 SNAP Review – Mezen

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 (thefamilygamers.com/anomia-pop-culture) and Anomia Kids (thefamilygamers.com/anomia-kids) .

Green Team Wins – A game of friendly “religious arguments” for lots of players. See our review (thefamilygamers.com/green-team-wins) .

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 (thefamilygamers.com/secret-identity) .

Similo – One clue giver, everyone else is trying to guess (an asymmetric (thefamilygamers.com/episode-393-asymmetric-auction-bidding) 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 (thefamilygamers.com/similo-card-game)

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 (thefamilygamers.com/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 (thefamilygamers.com/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.

Medieval Academy - board game review in a SNAP!

The Family Gamers 2025-03-28 | Same great game, refreshed with new art and clearer rules! This game of knights-in-training is a great family introduction to drafting cards.

#familygamers #familygames #boardgamereview #tabletop #tabletopgames

We review Medieval Academy in our GAMES format:
0:00 Intro

0:31 Game
0:57 Art
1:31 Mechanics - How to Play
3:21 Changes in the new version
4:06 Expectations
4:48 Surprises

6:42 Recommended?
7:10 Outtake

Transcript at thefamilygamers.com/medieval-academy
along with 600 MORE board game reviews!

Follow us on social media: @FamilyGamersAA
or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord: thefamilygamers.com/discord

The Family Gamers received a copy of Medieval Academy for this review from Blue Cocker Games via Flat River Games.
Find it on Amazon with our affiliate link: amzn.to/4hOX3gG

🎵 Music is "Avalanche", used by permission from You Bred Raptors? http://youbredraptors.com

Mezen painting and the board game Mezen

The Family Gamers 2025-03-26 | What's special about Mezen painting? The limited color palette, primitive shapes, and repeated designs are everywhere in the game Mezen, inspired by this folk art.

#boardgame #boardgameart #mezengame #familygames #sologames

Mezen - an Artful Board Game Review

The Family Gamers 2025-03-21 | Mezen is a type of folk art from the Nordic area of Russia... and now also a board game! Remove and slide animal tiles to make larger groups and fulfill ever-changing goals.

#familygamers #familygames #boardgamereview #tabletop #tabletopgames #boardgames #tileshifting #sologames #5players

We review Mezen in our GAMES format:
0:00 Intro

0:16 Game
0:29 Art
1:00 Mechanics - How to Play
4:03 Expectations
4:51 Surprises & Solo play

6:45 Recommended?
7:17 Outtakes

Transcript at thefamilygamers.com/mezen
Find 600 MORE board game reviews over at our website: thefamilygamers.com

Follow us on social media: @FamilyGamersAA
or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord: thefamilygamers.com/discord

The Family Gamers received a copy of Mezen for this review from Arcane Wonders.
Find it on Amazon with our affiliate link: amzn.to/4iFtShv

🎵 Music is "Avalanche", used by permission from You Bred Raptors? http://youbredraptors.com

Episode 393 – Board Game Terms: Asymmetric, Auction, Bidding

The Family Gamers 2025-03-17 | It's been a long time since we defined some board game terms. Let's do a deep dive into asymmetric games and auction games.

The post Episode 393 – Board Game Terms: Asymmetric, Auction, Bidding (thefamilygamers.com/episode-393-asymmetric-auction-bidding) appeared first on The Family Gamers (thefamilygamers.com) .

Floristry board game review - cozy quick auctions for 2 players

The Family Gamers 2025-03-14 | We are loving Floristry, a quick and cozy two player game. Bid on flowers and add them to your display, making larger groups for more points. Both players play at the same time, using a simple web app for auctions - whoever bids first, wins their choice of flowers.

#familygamers #familygames #boardgamereview #tabletop #tabletopgames #appassistedgame #2playergames #datenightgame #cozygames

We review Floristry in our GAMES format:
0:00 Intro

0:25 Game
0:44 Art
1:47 Mechanics - How to Play
3:51 Expectations
4:26 Surprises

6:24 Recommended
6:51 Outtakes

Transcript at thefamilygamers.com/floristry
Find 600 MORE board game reviews over at our website: thefamilygamers.com

Follow us on social media: @FamilyGamersAA
or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord: thefamilygamers.com/discord

The Family Gamers received a copy of Floristry for this review from UP Games.

Pre-order until March 21 at UP Games: shop.upgamesatplay.com/products/floristry

🎵 Music is "Avalanche", used by permission from You Bred Raptors? http://youbredraptors.com

Strato board game review - a solo game of weather manipulation

The Family Gamers 2025-03-07 | The weather is infinitely changeable, and yet somehow always the same.
Take control of the weather in Strato, a challenging puzzle game intended for one player.

#familygamers #familygames #boardgamereview #tabletop #tabletopgames #sologames #weather #cooperativegame #cardgame #1player

We review Strato in our GAMES format:
0:00 Intro

0:25 Game
0:44 Art
1:28 Mechanics - How to Play
4:08 Expectations
4:34 Surprises

6:13 Recommended?
6:56 Outtakes

Transcript at thefamilygamers.com/strato
Find 600 MORE board game reviews over at our website: thefamilygamers.com

Follow us on social media: @FamilyGamersAA
or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord: thefamilygamers.com/discord

The Family Gamers received a copy of Strato for this review from Helvetiq via Asmodee.

Find it on Amazon with our affiliate link: amzn.to/4i8nHlB

🎵 Music is "Avalanche", used by permission from You Bred Raptors? http://youbredraptors.com

Episode 392 – Springtime Games

The Family Gamers 2025-03-03 | We’re currently having false spring here in New England. But after a cold dreary winter, we are ready for green, growing things. Let’s talk about games with flowers and plants – games that make us think spring.

0:00 Fact for 392

It’s been a while since we’ve done a car fact: The SRT 392 is a high-performance version of the Dodge Charger and Challenger models.

Sponsor Message

Check the FTC’s website (consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-get-out-debt#Credit%20Counseling) for information about credit counseling and debt management plans for anyone wanting to learn more.

Remember, you can always schedule a short phone call by going to FirstMoveFinancial.com/familygamers (firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers) – and even if they aren’t the right fit to help you, they can point you in the right direction.

04:00 What We’ve Been Playing

Horrified: World of Monsters – this time using Cthulu and the Krampus expansion monster.
Nidavellir
Shovel Knight: Dungeon Duels
Little Alchemists (review coming soon)
Strato (review coming Friday)
Floristry (review coming soon – this game will be out later in March!)

13:25 Feb Monthly Report

Andrew: 14 plays, 10 unique games, H-index: 2 (Floristry, Little Alchemists) 86% at home, 56% at two players.

Anitra: 43 plays, 22 unique games, H-index 3 (Strato, Floristry, Octo Grabbo)

14:30 The Family Gamers Community

We’re so glad for new members who joined us on Facebook. Hope you like pizza! (facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa/posts/3958356321120495)

15:00 Backtalk

Getting to know you! Listeners tell us about their favorite snack or candy. See responses on Discord (discord.com/channels/1157003438425653379/1239323617368604672) and Facebook (facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa/posts/3948504752105652) .

19:30 FOR SCIENCE!

We try pink lemonade KitKats.

22:00 SNAP Review – Hundred Acre Wood Fluxx

Elliot helps Anitra review this adorable version of Fluxx, crafted with a love for A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh stories.

And kids can include stuffies as players. Who doesn’t love that?

Watch the video or read the transcript of our Hundred Acre Wood Fluxx review : youtu.be/OL0HMel_DAs

26:00 Ten Games that Make Us Think Spring

Ten games with flowers and plants and growing things. Not a top ten! Just ten spring-like games we recommend.

• Floristry (review coming soon!) – A very fast, very compelling game for two players.

• Flower Fields (our review (thefamilygamers.com/flower-fields) ) – Celebrates the whole ecosystem of growing flowers. A little more complicated than Patchwork or Kingdomino. Playable solo or two players, but best at three or four players.

• Gift of Tulips (our review (thefamilygamers.com/gift-of-tulips) ) – A game that rewards you for giving flowers away. Best for 3-6 players.

• Bonsai (our review (thefamilygamers.com/bonsai) ) – Create bonsai trees bit by bit, using hex tiles to create surprisingly organic looking plants/trees.

• Tea Dragon Society Card Game (our review (thefamilygamers.com/tea-dragon-society-card-game) ) – A super cute kids game, “my first deckbuilder” with no conflict.

• Power Plants – Area-majority tile game. Grow crazy magical plants. Not a friendly game, but rarely intentionally mean.

• Grove (our review (thefamilygamers.com/grove) ) – Create a grove of citrus trees. Stack cards to get better fruit (tracked with dice). Quick and compact solo game that you can bring almost anywhere.

• Gnome Hollow (review coming soon) – Friendly gnomes make rings of mushrooms, collecting mushrooms and flowers for points.

• A Gentle Rain (our review (thefamilygamers.com/a-gentle-rain) ) – Another solo game. This one should be completely stress-free: match tile edges and place flowers. Enjoy the art and the calming illustrations.

• Tussie Mussie – A fantastic split-and-choose game (/tag/split-and-choose) that is best at two players. Easy to learn, lots of layers of strategy, with bluffing and several kinds of set collection.

49:30 New Backtalk Question

Do you have a favorite flower?

You can play Hundred Acre Wood Fluxx with stuffed animals!

The Family Gamers 2025-02-28 | We love the stories of Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh. Now there's a gentle, family-friendly Fluxx card game that pulls from all those stories. Kids can even bring their favorite stuffed animals along as "plush players"!

#familygamers #familygames #boardgamereview #tabletop #tabletopgames
#childrensgame #kidsgame #winniethepooh #hundredacrewood #fluxx #fluxxcardgame

We review Hundred Acre Wood Fluxx in our GAMES format:
0:00 Intro

0:17 Game
0:36 Art
1:05 Mechanics - How to Play
3:10 Expectations
3:40 Surprises

4:02 Recommended?
4:26 Outtake

Transcript at thefamilygamers.com/100-acre-wood-fluxx
Find 600 MORE board game reviews over at our website: thefamilygamers.com

Follow us on social media: @FamilyGamersAA
or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord: thefamilygamers.com/discord

The Family Gamers received a copy of Hundred Acre Wood Fluxx for this review from Looney Labs.
Find it on Amazon with our affiliate link: amzn.to/3EWmaR3
or get it directly from Looney Labs: store.looneylabs.com/products/hundred-acre-wood-fluxx

🎵 Music is "Avalanche" used by permission from You Bred Raptors? http://youbredraptors.com

Runemasters - cooperative tower defense - board game review

The Family Gamers 2025-02-22 | A cooperative tower defense game where each character's contribution really matters!
Unfortunately, the randomness in this game makes it harder than it should be.

#familygamers #familygames #boardgamereview #tabletop #tabletopgames
#towerdefense #cooperativegame

We review Runemasters in our GAMES format:
0:00 Intro

0:27 Game
0:38 Art
1:41 Mechanics - How to Play
5:06 Expectations
5:32 Surprises

7:02 Recommended?
7:23 Outtake

Transcript at thefamilygamers.com/runemasters
Find 600 MORE board game reviews over at our website: thefamilygamers.com

Follow us on social media: @FamilyGamersAA
or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord: thefamilygamers.com/discord

The Family Gamers received a copy of Runemasters for this review from Flat River Games on behalf of Funforge.
Find it on Amazon with our affiliate link: amzn.to/41tjMdp

🎵 Music is "Avalanche" used by permission from You Bred Raptors? http://youbredraptors.com

Episode 391 – Room to Grow: Cooperative Games

The Family Gamers 2025-02-17 | Following on from last week’s topic, let’s talk about cooperative games that can you can play with your children as they grow!

0:00:00 Fact for 391
The deepest hand-dug well was 391m (1285 ft) deep. It took almost 6 years to hit water! Find out more: guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/761162-deepest-hand-dug-well

Sponsor Message
If this primer on investments already has you overwhelmed, you may want to get help with managing your investments. First Move is here to help. Go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/familygamers (firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers) to set up a time FOR FREE to see if they can help you make your First Move with investing.

0:05:15 What We’ve Been Playing
trio of Chip Theory Kids games: Bear in Mind, Octo Grabbo, Woodland Rush
Flamecraft (our review (thefamilygamers.com/flamecraft) )
Hamster Roll (our review (thefamilygamers.com/hamster-roll) )
Hundred Acre Wood Fluxx (review coming soon)
Cabanga! (our review (thefamilygamers.com/cabanga) )
Runemasters (review coming soon)
Project L
Let’s Go! To Japan
Floristry (review coming soon)
Splendor Duel

0:33:30 The Family Gamers Community
We’re so glad for new members who joined us on Facebook. A sleepy puppy welcomes you! (facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa/posts/3946048292351298)

Backtalk
Listeners tell us about their favorite cooperative games. See responses on Discord (discord.com/channels/1157003438425653379/1239323617368604672) and Facebook (facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa/posts/3936128750009919) .

0:43:40 SNAP Review – Landmarks

0:50:50 Room to Grow: Cooperative Games

Landmarks - Cooperative Board Game Review & How to Play

The Family Gamers 2025-02-15 | How do you find where you're going - especially if you don't have a map? Hopefully the pathfinder back at base can give you some good landmarks to navigate by.

#familygamers #familygames #boardgamereview #tabletop #tabletopgames #cooperativegame #wordgame #guessinggame

We review Landmarks and tell you how to play in our GAMES format:
0:00 Intro

0:44 Game
1:04 Art
1:48 Mechanics - How to Play
4:56 Expectations
5:31 Surprises

7:24 Recommended
7:48 Outtake

Transcript at thefamilygamers.com/landmarks
Find 600 MORE board game reviews over at our website: thefamilygamers.com

Follow us on social media: @FamilyGamersAA
or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord: thefamilygamers.com/discord

The Family Gamers received a copy of Landmarks for this review from Floodgate Games.
Find it on Amazon with our affiliate link: amzn.to/4hFlfCs

🎵 Music is "Avalanche" used by permission from You Bred Raptors? http://youbredraptors.com

This Micro Macro puzzle is harder than it looks! - a boardgame review

The Family Gamers 2025-02-07 | A jigsaw puzzle combined with MicroMacro, our favorite seek-and-find boardgame? Sounds perfect!

Just allow a lot more time than you think you'll need.

#familygamers #familygames #boardgamereview #tabletop #tabletopgames #jigsawpuzzle #seekandfind #micromacro #familypuzzle #puzzlereview

We review the Micro Macro Jigsaw Funfair in our GAMES format:
0:00 Intro

0:34 Game
1:00 Art
1:30 Mechanics
2:21 Expectations
2:50 Surprises

4:02 Recommended
4:41 Outtakes

Transcript at thefamilygamers.com/micro-macro-jigsaw
Find 600 MORE board game reviews over at our website: thefamilygamers.com

Follow us on social media: @FamilyGamersAA
or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord: thefamilygamers.com/discord

The Family Gamers received a copy of Micro Macro Jigsaw Funfair for this review from Hachette. If you're in the US, find it on their webstore: hachetteboardgames.com/products/micro-macro-puzzle

🎵 Music is "Avalanche" used by permission from You Bred Raptors? http://youbredraptors.com

Episode 390 – Cooperative Games

The Family Gamers 2025-02-03 | This week, we're talking about cooperative games - what they are, what makes them a good fit for families, and we explore the breadth of games that can be considered "cooperative".

The post Episode 390 – Cooperative Games (thefamilygamers.com/episode-390-cooperative-games) appeared first on The Family Gamers (thefamilygamers.com) .

Combo - board game review and how to play

The Family Gamers 2025-01-31 | Build fruit combos in Combo, a semi-cooperative family game. Contribute your fruit to guarantee your spot in the strongest combo each round!

#familygamers #familygames #boardgamereview #tabletop #tabletopgames #cardgame #fruit #happycamper #howtoplay #cardgamereview

We review Combo in our GAMES format:
0:00 Intro

0:31 Game
0:49 Art
1:29 Mechanics - How to Play
3:40 Expectations
4:18 Surprises

5:42 Recommended
6:54 Outtakes

Transcript at thefamilygamers.com/combo
Find 600 MORE board game reviews over at our website: thefamilygamers.com

Follow us on social media: @FamilyGamersAA
or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord: thefamilygamers.com/discord

The Family Gamers received a copy of Combo for this review from Happy Camper Games.
Look for it at your local game store, or find it on Amazon with our affiliate link: amzn.to/3Q2N0sI

🎵 Music is "Avalanche" used by permission from You Bred Raptors? http://youbredraptors.com

Obelus - beautiful 2 player board game review

The Family Gamers 2025-01-24 | Andrew is obsessed with obelisks. Thankfully, there's a game for that. It's beautiful, fast, and portable.

#familygamers #familygames #boardgamereview #tabletop #tabletopgames #2playergames #smallbox #datenightgame #abstractgame #dice

We review Obelus in our GAMES format:
0:00 Intro

0:29 Game
0:45 Art
1:13 Mechanics - How to Play
3:49 Expectations
4:13 Surprises

5:21 Recommended
5:41 Outtakes

Transcript at thefamilygamers.com/obelus
Find 600 MORE board game reviews over at our website: thefamilygamers.com

More 2 player games we love:
Jekyll vs. Hyde youtube.com/watch?v=fbwyZHlwMnA
Quarto youtube.com/watch?v=vfduivREd7w
boop youtu.be/Qv6fh4UC70c
Maul Peak youtube.com/watch?v=5C5lwSbIBlA
Yokai Sketch youtube.com/watch?v=diSln3hLRBQ

Follow us on social media: @FamilyGamersAA
or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord: thefamilygamers.com/discord

The Family Gamers received a copy of Obelus for this review from Phase Shift Games.
Find it on Amazon with our affiliate link: amzn.to/40y8XF9

🎵 Music is "Avalanche" used by permission from You Bred Raptors? http://youbredraptors.com

Episode 389 – Games to Disconnect

The Family Gamers 2025-01-20 | Sometimes intentionally, sometimes by accident, we find games that disconnect us from the stresses and worries of every day life. Andrew and Anitra discover that they have different ideas of what helps them step away from the real world – but there’s some overlap, too. 0:00 Fact for 389 When diving (“stooping”), the peregrine falcon can reach speeds of 389kph.

The post Episode 389 – Games to Disconnect (thefamilygamers.com/episode-389-games-to-disconnect) appeared first on The Family Gamers (thefamilygamers.com) .

Bite Your Tongue - board game review in a SNAP!

The Family Gamers 2025-01-17 | Can you make yourself understood with your nose plugged and your tongue sticking out?
That's the idea behind super-fast, super-silly game Bite Your Tongue, and our super-fast board game review.

#familygamers #familygames #boardgamereview #tabletop #tabletopgames #kidsgames #sillygames

We review Bite Your Tongue in our GAMES format:
0:00 Intro

0:20 Game
0:28 Art
0:41 Mechanics - How to Play
1:49 Expectations
2:17 Surprises

3:00 Recommended?
3:13 Outtakes

Transcript at thefamilygamers.com/bite-your-tongue
Find 600 MORE board game reviews over at our website: thefamilygamers.com

Follow us on social media: @FamilyGamersAA
or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord: thefamilygamers.com/discord

The Family Gamers received a copy of Bite Your Tongue for this review from R&R Games.
Find it on Amazon with our affiliate link: amzn.to/3WlytvO

🎵 Music is "Avalanche" used by permission from You Bred Raptors? http://youbredraptors.com

Episode 388 – Top Ten Games of 2024

The Family Gamers 2025-01-06 | It's the first podcast of 2025, so we're going to go back over our favorite games from 2024.

The post Episode 388 – Top Ten Games of 2024 (thefamilygamers.com/episode-388-top-ten-2024) appeared first on The Family Gamers (thefamilygamers.com) .