Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
