The Family Gamers Podcast

0:00:00 Intro – We usually talk about kids on this show. But our children aren’t little children anymore – so what about games for teenagers?

The Ukraine country code for international calling is: 380.

To set up either a 15 minute phone call or a 90 minute meeting, go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/FamilyGamers.

Clash of Magic Schools (review coming soon)
Trio (our review)
Skull King (review from One Board Family)
Little Alchemists
Floating Floors (review coming soon)

Join in and welcome!
Don’t forget, you can also join our Board Game Arena community!

Speaking of our community, let’s talk about our backtalk. We got a lot this week! Lots of people playing games online I guess.

See responses on Discord and Facebook.

0:29:00 We explain H-index to answer a listener’s question.

This delicious game is great for mixed-age groups, or as a short appetizer before a longer game.

Watch the video and see how yummy this game is!

A follow on to our Games for Every Age series. Find the full list at TheFamilyGamers.com/top-10-games-teens/

Is there a game from your past that you wish you could bring back, because you’re in a different season of life and you think it would fit better now?

For Andrew, it’s the videogame Rock Band. We used to play it in college and as young professionals with our friends, but it went away as we had kids and our video game consoles got older. Now that our kids are old enough to play with us, he misses it, and wishes he could bring it back to play with them!

Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/community
Twitter (X): @familygamersaa
Threads: @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! [email protected] and [email protected].

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.

The post Episode 380 – Top Ten Games for Teens appeared first on The Family Gamers.

Let’s talk about playing board games online!

The Peterbilt 379, in production from 1992-2007, is still popular. And it was the model used for Optimus Prime in the Transformers movies.

https://blog.ritchiebros.com/the-classic-peterbilt-379-a-semi-truck-that-carries-its-value

Go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/FamilyGamers. There, you can set up a quick, free phone call to see if First Move is a good fit for you.

Star Trek: Chrono-Trek – Every time we set it up, we play it a bunch of times in a row.
Super Kawaii Pets
Mojo (try it on Board Game Arena)
Cosmoctopus

All of the games above are ones we are preparing to review.

We also learned Sky Team and played it together on Board Game Arena!
We recommend this video from Monique at Before You Play

Anitra: 42 plays of 25 games. H-index: 3. Most played: Chrono-Trek, Trio, Grove, Jinxx, and Donuts.

Andrew: 21 plays of 15 games. H-index: 2. Most played: Chrono-Trek, Trio. (also Secret Identity and Roll to the Top)

Just a few this week. Stop in and say hi!

P.S. We will officially be at PAX Unplugged – with FOUR writers (and family members)! We will be running a Learn-and-Play on Sunday of that weekend.

Listeners tell us their favorite date-game stories.

See responses on Discord and Facebook.

Give clues and guess each other’s identities in this feel-good guessing game. There’s only shared success, which makes it a great family game, with a little bit of silliness. Just watch out for very small text and symbols!

Watch the video or read the transcript for our Secret Identity review.

So this week we’re going to talk about Board Game Arena. It’s not the only way to play board games online, but for us, it’s probably the most valuable. Why?

7 Wonders Duel – we like this in person, but having BGA handle the bookkeeping is amazing.
7 Wonders – Bookkeeping again, plus this game is a table hog in person.
Happy City – we love this simple tableau-building game (our review) – but the cards can get a little fiddly.
Roll to the Top – because each turn is so simple; a great way to take a minute to drop in and take a quick break from your day. Love this one in person, too (our review)!
Space Base – huge numbers of cards. Gets really messy in person. And BGA lets you set up options to speed the game when it’s not your turn.

Some more games we play because they’re hard to get to the table at home:

For Sale – a double bidding game. Anitra prefers it in real-time.
Tzolk’in – a complex game, that Andrew loves and Anitra does not want to play.
6 Nimmt! (AKA Take 5) – a quick numbers-on-cards games of predicting what others will play.
Lucky Numbers – we enjoy this game (our review) but no longer have this game at home. Another one that’s great to drop in and make one simple decision.

Some games are NOT as good on Board Game Arena! For example, Turing Machine or any game that requires “judging” (like Similo).

Through the Ages and Railroad Ink are both available on BGA, but are much better in their custom mobile apps.

Codenames app is in beta – Andrew says it’s awesome.

Do you play board games online? What’s your favorite on Board Game Arena – or anywhere else? Tell us about your online board gaming experience!

And you should join our Board Game Arena group – let’s see if we can get some more games going there.

Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/community
Twitter (X): @familygamersaa
Threads: @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! [email protected] and [email protected].

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.

The post Episode 379 – 5 Board Game Arena Favorites appeared first on The Family Gamers.

This week the kids go back to school. You know what that means? The return of Date Breakfast and “date night” games!

Did you know about the London Overground? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_378

If you’ve got questions about home ownership, investment, or any other financial question, go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/FamilyGamers. There, you can set up a quick (free) phone call to see if First Move is a good fit for you.

Hero Kids (we interviewed the creator way back in episode 5!)
Nekojima
Dragonkeepers – review coming soon
Unmatched
Tír na nÓg – you should check out the Kickstarter for the reprint!
Railroad Ink Challenge (with new Archipelago boards)
Project L
Streamer Standoff
Chrono Trek – fun for Star Trek fans. Review coming soon.

Anitra: 37 plays of 18 games. H-index 3. Most played: Tether, Autumn, Merchants of Magick, Unboxed, Unmatched.

Andrew: 29 plays of 15 games. H-index 3. Most played: Merchants of Magick, Clash of Magic Schools, Unboxed, Tether, Charcuterie.

Say hi to all the new Facebook group members! Welcome!

Listeners tell us about games they’ve played based on locations.

See responses on Discord and Facebook!

We flipped for Flip Circus – a challenging memory duel in a small pouch.

Check out the transcript or watch the video for Flip Circus.

So, Flip Circus is NOT a good date game. But what is?

We talked about this way back in episode 180. We go through the old list we made (four years ago!) and say whether we’d still pick these for a date.

What would we pick now? Listen to us narrow down a list in real time, until we can get to a top six.

Jekyll vs. Hyde (our review) – 2 player competitive trick-taking.
Compile (our review) – card dueling.
boop (our review) – be mean kittens and boop each other off the bed.
Catch the Moon – a beautiful dexterity game, in a small space, and you can be as mean or as kind as you want to be.
Tussie Mussie – I-split-you-choose for 2+ players. Secret messages in flower bouquets.
Unmatched – Skirmishing game with lots of mix-and-match themes.

Royal Visit
Lanaikea
Tether (needs a large table)
Jaipur
Onitama
Shobu
Sherlock Solitaire – or Ultimatch – cooperative games are great!

What is your favorite game to play with your partner?
Do you ever bring games on a date?
Do you have any great stories about playing a game on a date?

Send us more weird food FOR SCIENCE! :
The Family Gamers
60 Auburn St. #528
Auburn, MA 01501

Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/community
Twitter (X): @familygamersaa
Threads: @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! [email protected] and [email protected].

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.

The post Episode 378 – Top 6 Date Games appeared first on The Family Gamers.

We waited an extra week for this podcast so we could bring you all the Gen Con goodies with Nick.

The most people wearing aviator sunglasses is 377, achieved by ProofPilot (USA) in Orlando, Florida, USA, on 7 February 2023.

https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/727771-most-people-wearing-aviator-sunglasses

If you’ve got questions about home ownership, debt, or any other financial question, go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/FamilyGamers. There, you can set up a quick (free) phone call to see if First Move is a good fit for you.

Sausage Sizzle
Renature
Gnome Hollow
Xylotar
Sagrada
Floating Floors
Secret Identity

Whoa! A whole bunch of people have come to spend time in The Family Gamers Community over the last few weeks! Let’s gather ’round and say hi! Welcome!

Not many kid-friendly board game clubs among our listeners. Maybe you could help start one?

Nick tells us about his adventures at Gen Con. Picking up cheap older games at the used game consignment market and the auction, demoing others, escape rooms, meeting designers, and of course, being our roving reporter!

Nick highly recommends Snatch It! from HeidelBAR Games.

Looking for a portable game your kid can play all by themselves? Our boys highly recommend Paper App Dungeon.

Watch the video or read the transcript of our review. But seriously, watch the video!

Brand new: Patrician: Towers of Influence

Coming: Day of the Brambles – “a card-flicking throwdown”

Coming: Legends of the Monster Academy

Doing well: Four Corners and Hive Mind

and a few we’ve reviewed in the past: Enchanted Plumes and Mass Transit

Find more at CalliopeGames.com

CloudShip
Pick-a-pen games
Cabanga!

30th anniversary of Take 5 / 6 nimmt!
20th anniversary of Saboteur
2?th anniversary of Bonanza (and check out Bonanza Dahlias !)
26th anniversary of No Thanks!

coming soon: 3 Chapters

Find more at Amigo.games

Set 3 of Pack-O-Games, with
WIN – distilled version of Long Shot the Dice Game
BOG – 2 player card programming / hand-management
MAD – trick-taking

Long Shot: The Dice Game

Find them at PackOGame.com or Perplext.com

Coming soon: 3-2-1 Countdown

Out now: Toil & Troublez
Another Man’s Treasure

Classics: Cover Your A$$ets
Skull King

GrandpaBecksGames.com or check the bottom of any of their boxes and find Brent’s phone number
For a discount, use GET15 on their website for 15% off.

Tir na Nog (sold out! There’s now a reprint campaign on Kickstarter)
Endeavor: Deep Sea (with Burnt Island Games)
La Familia Hort (review coming soon)
Words of a Feather (our preview)
Holiday Hijinks games (we love these! and more are coming soon)
Endangered – Red Wolves expansion, and Endangered: Australia (coming 2025 – with koalas, toads, Great Barrier Reef)

For more, check out GrandGamersGuild.com.

Trio (we love it! – our review)

coming soon: Combo

Find more at HappyCamper.Games

Tiny Games series

Confusing Lands – expansions are in the works

coming soon: Dragon Roost

Kalahari (coming 2025 – not a tiny box)

Find more at EnvyBornGames.com, or on social media. Mathue says “I spend a lot of time on TikTok”.

Anitra mentioned playing Sagrada after being at the Sagrada Familia. Have you ever played a game at a location it’s based on? Or has a trip ever motivated you to play a certain game?

We know that we have to go visit the Greek town of Santorini because of how much Asher likes the game.

Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/community
Twitter (X): @familygamersaa
Threads: @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! [email protected] and [email protected].

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.

The post Episode 377 – Gen Con 2024 with Nick appeared first on The Family Gamers.

Wow. We’re… Back? It’s been a very busy two weeks, and we’re already halfway through the summer. Let’s look forward to the start of school and talk about board game clubs!

Space facts are always cool. Let’s talk about the HS-376 – a popular type of satellite, and the first launched by the Space Shuttle!

If you have (student) loans forgiven, the US counts that as taxable income.

This has been specifically changed to not include student loans that are forgiven until the end of 2025, but if a client is in a forgiveness program and won’t be meeting their number of payments requirement in that time then they’ll want to have money saved up to pay the taxes on the forgiveness. A good thing to remember that is easily missed!

If you’ve got questions about how to manage your student loans, or any other financial question, go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/FamilyGamers. There, you can set up a quick (free) phone call to see if First Move is a good fit for you.

Clash of Magic Schools
Merchants of Magick (our review)
Paper App Dungeon (review coming soon)
Charcuterie
Canvas Critters (we think that’s the name? It’s in development)
Autumn (bought from Gameria in Barcelona)
Colt Express

Whoa! A whole bunch of people have come to spend time in The Family Gamers Community over the last few weeks! Let’s gather ’round and say hi! Welcome!

We talk about hobbies in the Discord community and games we’d like to see based on those. Organs? Eurovision? Camping?

For more on organs, check out episode 253 with our organist friend.

For more on camping, read our review of Camp Pinetop.

Aye! We build our pirate crews in this bag-pulling, tile-flipping game.

Captain Flip was nominated for the Spiel des Jahres, and it’s easy to see why.

Watch the video or read the transcript of this review.

We try a special Polar seltzer flavor – Jalapeno Citrus Margarita.

Very different from other Polar seltzers we are familiar with.

We reached out to our friend Liz (a teacher who runs a board game club) for some help with these tips.

Reach out to your children’s principal. Is there a board game club? Is there a similar club (like chess club) that could be expanded to include board games?

You can also reach out to the Parent-Teacher organization to suggest a board game club as a new after school activity.

If there is a club, or if you’re helping to start it, help the club advisor with planning what to do each week! Be prepared to teach games, too.

Teachers have full time jobs and do this extra. But if you’re listening to this podcast, you might know more about hobby board games than they do.

You’ll be tempted to loan your own games, but you don’t want to do that. Kids will lose pieces and not treat the games with the same care you would. You’ll probably want multiple copies of some games too.

So, approach the PTO with financing the purchase of those games. Your word will carry more than a teacher’s in this case.

The school can host an event where parents and kids play games together (hopefully with help from the PTO).

Gamewright used to have a fundraiser program called the Gamewright Game Night. We don’t know if they do that any more, but that was a great community event. You can combine it with a bake sale or another school community event – and then also show that there would be support for an after-school club.

The number one complaint from teachers who run clubs is that people don’t respect their time. They don’t show up on time to pick up their kids (or don’t show up on time as volunteers). Teachers are people too, often with their own kids they need to pick up from other places!

Most of these tips still apply for a homeschool co-op, library, or community club. Ask what’s available, make suggestions of what YOU can do to help make this happen. Be willing to volunteer, and you don’t have to fund this all yourself!

We are talking about school board game groups. So tell us about yours!

Do you have a board game group at your school? A D&D group? What’s it like? Share your best story from your school game group!

Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/community
Twitter (X): @familygamersaa
Threads: @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! [email protected] and [email protected].

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.

The post Episode 376 – 5 Ways to Help Your School’s Board Game Club appeared first on The Family Gamers.

Welcome Stephanie Nye this week, to talk about the games we’ve been playing lately and the Origins Game Fair.

A fact about gold

First Move Financial gives us tips about repayment plans and student loan debt.

Go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/FamilyGamers to set up a free call.

In the Footsteps of Darwin – Spiel des Jahres nominee!
Captain Flip – another nominee!
Lords of Waterdeep – a classic worker placement game. Should we try Champions of Midgard?
Sequoia – this doesn’t need to be as big on the table as the instructions say.
Jinxx (and Hijinks) from Looney Labs
Flip Circus

Anitra: 40 plays of 22 games (H-index:3, mostly Jinxx, Captain Flip and A Gentle Rain)

Stephanie: 31 plays of 18 games. Most played: Deduckto. (H-index: 3, with Deduckto, Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, Sequoia, and High Risk)

Andrew: 21 plays of 17 games. (H-index: 3 with Compile, Captain Flip, Kiri-ai The Duel, Ogre Under, and Unboxed.)

Stop in and say hi!

What game would make a good movie or TV show?

Check out the Facebook discussion or the Discord.

Anitra shares the details about this new version of A Gentle Rain – a great, simple solo game.

Watch the video to see the new art, or read the full transcript.

Origins Game Fair is a medium-sized convention (“the smallest of the big conventions” says Anitra). It’s great for both seeing new games and for playing games. Stephanie and her husband always set aside time to play games from the Origins library.

Exciting games from the convention:

Café Baras – a must-buy
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
Super Kawaii Pets (look for a review of this one in the future)
boop. (Andrew & Anitra love this one!)
Captain Flip
Nimalia
Skyteam (the other Spiel des Jahres nominee!)
Romi Rami
Santa’s Workshop

Columbus Ohio is a great, family-friendly city to visit – and accommodations/food are a lot easier than some of the bigger conventions.

The board gaming community is usually very welcoming, and Origins is a great example of that.

You may remember in the past Andrew talking about his hobby of bowling, and once he even mentioned a bowling board game that he played called Dragon Bowl. If you could pick a hobby YOU have that you would want a board game about, what would it be, and what would the game be called?

Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/community
Twitter (X): @familygamersaa
Threads: @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! [email protected] and [email protected].

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.

The post Episode 375 – Origins with Stephanie! appeared first on The Family Gamers.

What are some games we can play to keep our kids’ skills fresh over the summer?

374 years ago on June 9, 1650, the Harvard Corporation is established as the first legal corporation in the American colonies.

To get help moving towards your financial goals, go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/familygamers and set up a free call with First Move today.

Super Snipers
Donuts
Compile (our review)
Tournament of Towers (our review)
Pyramidice
Captain Flip – a nominee for Spiel des Jahres!
Jinxx

Stop in and say hi!

Last episode, we asked about conventions. What’s your favorite convention? Do you bring your family?

Derek Bruff loves Tennessee Game Days and lets his kids pick new games to try.

JP has only been to small local cons with his kids (Gen Con and Fan Expo Toronto without them) and prefers the small local ones. They’re cheaper and you can drive home each night!

Whether you think mushrooms are delicious or gross, you’ll love the cute mushrooms in Mycelia, a intro-level deck-builder with plenty of variation for more experienced players.

Watch the video or read the transcript (with pictures) of our review.

If you have kids in school, you’ve probably heard of the “summer slide” or summer learning loss. The best way to keep your kids from losing math and reading skills is to use them! So let’s talk about five games that will give some practice.

“The most fun I have ever had with math flash cards!” Math Rush is truly all about reinforcing your math facts, but it does it in a fun way. Buy the version that makes the most sense for your kids: Addition/Subtraction, Multiplication/Exponents, or Fractions/Decimals/Percentages. And check out our review.

You are going to practice addition and multiplication over and over in this game.

We really like the original game, but any of the variations and sequels will work well too.

Keep your USA geography knowledge. Plan routes through the states. You don’t need to know already where each state is, but you’ll be referencing them on the map and relating them to each other as your build your route.

And check out Gameschooler Podcast episode 175 about the newest version of the game from The Op.

– Honorable mention: The Scrambled States of America Game

This is our top recommendation for reading – especially for ages 10 and up. Not only will you have plenty to read on the cards, but they’ll also give insight into the stories, which might pique your kid’s interest to read more about these characters!

Whether it’s ancient mythology, Marvel characters, or Jurassic Park, you’re sure to find something your kid will enjoy.

This is a great opportunity to get some more history into your summer – but even if none of these historical women grab your interest, you can force a little bit of reading here with the one-page biographies on each card. See our review for more.

Math: Anything with score keeping, especially if it involves multiplication (Mind Up!, Next Station, Splito, Metro X, etc.)

Reading: Any game with a theme that hooks your kid and keeps them reading. (Horrified, Marvel anything, The Hunt for WWII naval history)

Vocabulary and Spelling: Illiterati – since it’s cooperative, there’s lots of room for Mom & Dad to help.

How about “Board Game Summer Camp”? The Tabletop Family came up with a new set of challenges for 2024: https://thetabletopfamily.com/board-game-summer-camp-merit-badges/

There was a Battleship movie and a CLUE movie. Terraforming Mars is getting its chance for a TV series. If there was any board game you wanted to see a movie or TV series about, what would it be?

Andrew’s would be Hero Quest. Anitra’s would be Tesseract.

Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/community
Twitter (X): @familygamersaa
Threads: @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! [email protected] and [email protected].

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.

The post Episode 374 – Top 5 Games to Beat the Summer Slide appeared first on The Family Gamers.

It’s June, kicking off “convention season” for a lot of people. So, we’re sharing our best tips for navigating conventions with your family.

Apparently, 373 is a “sexy prime“. (It’s 6 away from another prime number.)

If you want to see an estimate of what your fee would be to work with First Move Financial, you can go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/FamilyGamers: there’s a fee calculator on that page, as well as a way to set up a quick (free) phone call to see if they’re a good fit for you.

Ogre Under – off the shelf of opportunity!
Cape May – also off the shelf of opportunity! It’s a nice game, but none of us loved it.
Unboxed – solve mysteries involving “ancient” games. How on earth are we going to review this?
Fleet: The Dice Game – an old favorite.

Anitra: 45 plays of 26 games. H-index: 3 with Ultimatch, Unmatched, King of Monster Island (enjoyed this MORE solo), and Mycelia.

Andrew: 21 plays of 15 games (but probably missing a few, since Anitra sees 23 plays with Andrew but he only sees 19 with her). H-index: 2 with Unmatched, Roll through the Ages, Sheep in Disguise, Ultimatch, Kirai: The Duel,

Say hi to our newest friends!

Last time: What is a thing you do (or an item you use) to simplify or streamline your game time?

Anwers on Facebook and Discord included:

Good inserts. Chat GPT?!? How-to videos. Game topper (neoprene mat) – signifies “it’s game time”. Having all the special bits & organizers. Having convenient storage for the most-played games. Learning a game with a second player.

Normally we stick with games that are already available, but Compile will be out in August. It’s gorgeous and amazingly replayable, with over a thousand different deck combinations.

This might become one of our favorite two player games. Check it out!

tippy tip tip
https://www.thefamilygamers.com/episode-70-cons-with-kids/

Choose the right kind of convention for your family. There are all different kinds: large, small, consumer-focused, game-playing-focused, and conventions where board games are only a small part. Even choosing how far away you’re ready to go and where you’re going to stay.

Follow your kids’ interests. If they have social anxiety, stick with smaller conventions (if any). If they’re not big board gamers, find a convention that follows THEIR interests. (Our boys really enjoy smaller conventions that focus on playing games. But Claire wants to go to big pop-culture type conventions where she gets to show off her cosplay.)

Make a plan so everyone gets to do at least one thing they really want to do (cosplay, role-playing games, meeting up with friends, meeting a celebrity, playing a specific game, etc.)

This means… do research! We talked about this a lot way back in episode 148 about FOMO. If you research ahead of time, you’ll have a better idea of where you want to spend your time.

Be prepared! Snacks, water, first aid kit, face masks if you’re inclined, hand sanitizer, vitamin C. etc. Notice places to sit, bathrooms, places to eat.

Take breaks! Especially important with big overwhelming conventions. Could be as simple as getting outside for some fresh air and sunshine (maybe get food and eat it outside). But it could be going to see other sights in your destination city, or going back to the hotel and splashing around in the pool. Sleep and quiet time are also important.

What’s your favorite convention? Do you bring your family? What’s your best convention win or best convention story? Tell us all about what YOU think or remember when you think about going to conventions!

Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/community
Twitter (X): @familygamersaa
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or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord

Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected].

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.

The post Episode 373 – Top Convention Tips for Families appeared first on The Family Gamers.

We chose five games from 2023 (and the first half of 2024) that come in small boxes but pack a big punch!

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/372/schotten-totten

Did you know that you can talk to our sponsor First Move Financial for free?

If you’re curious what it would cost to get help, visit firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers and scroll down, there’s a calculator there where you enter your income and net worth and it will tell you your estimated monthly fee.

Onitama
Unmatched: Slings & Arrows
Mycelia
Tangram City
King of Monster Island
Thurn and Taxis

Stop in and say hi!

Last time: If you could play ANY game, what game would you play with your family and why?

This time: What is a thing you do (or an item you USE) to simplify or streamline your game time?

This party game is perfect for families of any size, as long as everyone can read.

Check out our video review, or read the transcript.

We decided to limit it to only games that came out in 2023/2024. All of these games are super easy to throw in a pocket or a bag, but contain a lot of fun.

This is a solo dungeon crawl, but we’ve all been loving it (sharing the book and taking turns completing a dungeon). There are 44 dungeon levels in the notebook, and a special “P6” – a pencil with each side labeled with a number, so you can use it instead of a die!

A cooperative (or solo) game that feels a bit like pyramid solitaire. Easy to learn, but with lots of layers of tactics and strategy. Everyone has cards in their hand that only they can know & play, so no single person can take charge. Check out our review – a rare perfect score!

A card game coming soon from Greater Than Games. A lane-dueling game (like Riftforce), in which you race to play enough value to a lane to “compile” it. Each player creates a deck from three “protocols” (card suits), and each protocol (out of 12) has a different play style. If you like this style of game, you can combine the decks in a ton of different ways.

(We discuss how we use “roles” in BG Stats to help us track which “protocols” we’ve tried.)

If you’re not tired of us talking about Trio yet, you’re in luck! This small card game feels very classic, with a combination of memory and deduction. It’s the type of game we’ll play two or three times in a row, since it’s quick and setup is easy. You will need at least three players, though.

Check out our review for Trio.

A party game that lets you either feel clever, or appreciate other people being clever. There are so few games that are competitive but have you encourage and affirm other people’s cleverness! (Poetry Slam is another.) We love that vibe.

It’s pretty close to an all-ages game, and it helps us appreciate our kids’ imagination.

Check out our review for Smug Owls.

Oink Games, which publishes Deep Sea Adventure, Scout, and plenty of others. They fit a ton of gameplay into tiny boxes.

Button Shy only does 18-card games. They try a lot of things with these games, and you can find just about any theme or mechanic. We recommend Wildtails, their legacy/campaign game, as well as Tussie Mussie, Sprawlopolis, and more.

Perplext is well known for their “Pack-O Games”, which are the size of a pack of gum. We reviewed BOO, years ago.

What is a thing you do (or an item you USE) to simplify or streamline your game time?

1 – Player packs! If people get the same “starting equipment” every time you play the game, set that up ahead of time!

2 – Some kind of container for small pieces that get used by multiple players (coins, tokens, whatever). Silicone muffin cups are a cheap choice, and so are dollar-store lidded containers.

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

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

Or, for the most direct method, email us! [email protected] and [email protected].

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.

The post Episode 372 – Top 5 New Small Box Games appeared first on The Family Gamers.

It’s been six years since we devoted a podcast to this topic. So let’s revisit: Why should you play games with your kids?

Why do we (still) play games with our kids?

Frank Rubio – 371 consecutive days in space!

If you want to talk about ways to teach your children to manage their personal finances, set up a time to talk by going to firstmovefinancial.com / familygamers.

Unmatched: Slings and Arrows – Hamlet doesn’t feel great.
Ultimatch
Jinxx
Amun-Re
Paper App Dungeon
Roll Through the Ages: The Bronze Age

Andrew: 41 plays, 22 unique games. H-index: 3 (Trio: 10 times! and Flashback: Lucy, Compile, Tapple 10)
Over 50% of games played in April were in the first week, on our work-related trip. “74 players” (although some were double-counted). Lots of games at 4 or 5 players this month!

Anitra: 69 plays, 33 unique games. H-index: 4 (Sherlock Solitaire, Trio, Tapple 10, Anomia, Flashback: Lucy, Palm Island).
32% of all games played in April were on that first weekend.

This “little brother” to Tapple is just as fun, and a lot more portable. Just a small box of double-sided cards and a 15-second timer. Saying there are ten games in the box is a bit of a stretch; but there are multiple fun ways to play.

Watch the video or read the transcript of our review.

Welcome new members to the community! Stop in and say hi.

We last talked about this specifically all the way back in episode 104. (Also the first podcast that included a SNAP review!)

This reason hasn’t changed. Why wouldn’t you want to do something fun with your family?

Board games allow kids to fail in a safe environment. They can create antagonism or challenges that don’t exist after the game is put away.

You can even flip roles and let kids be in charge in the game, or allow them a chance to be better than their parents. Maybe even “beat up” Mom or Dad!

We have a six year age gap between our oldest and youngest kid, and a lot of different interests. Playing a well-chosen board game levels the playing field and allows everyone to have fun.

Sports and outdoor activities are great, but it’s hard to adjust them so that family members at different physical abilities can all enjoy them. And they’re usually weather-dependent; hard to allow for that in New England where it’s sunny one day and freezing the next.

Watching a movie can make for family bonding, but you have to work at it. But board games require you to interact with the game and (usually) with each other.

Board games let you learn by doing. Skills like being a gracious loser (see Four Ways to Help a Sore Loser) get better with practice. Anitra observes that online video games encourage poor sportsmanship around winning and losing unless you actively work against it.

Board games are about connecting with people. We have been more intentional about playing games one-on-one with our kids in the past few years. Especially with preteens and teenagers, it makes it easier for them to open up about things they think are important.

“Sometimes the board game is the least important thing happening while you’re playing a board game.”

It’s incredibly rare to have inter-generational experiences that come naturally. Board games do that for us.

If you have teens or young adults, we recommend playing board games with their close friends or prospective boyfriends/girlfriends, too. It provides so much insight into how these friends treat other people – like parents and siblings.

But this only works if playing board games is already normal for your family!

They love to explore nature? There are lots of games for that.

We’ve got a kid who loves Greek mythology, so we play a lot of Santorini, Fight for Olympus, and Horrified: Greek Monsters.

Another kid loves Star Wars? Yeah, we’ll play Star Wars games if that will get them to the table.

We’ve already talked about how our daughter loves anything with dragons.

We recommend The Game Schooler Podcast to learn more about the kinds of skills that games can teach and reinforce.

One of our favorite things about going to small conventions is seeing our kids interact with other adults and play games together.

If you could sit down and play anything, what game would YOUR family play?

Answer in the Facebook community or on Discord.

Anitra’s answer: Quacks of Quedlinburg (it’s a game that all five family members enjoy and will agree to!)
Andrew’s answer: Anomia Tongue Twisters (Go get it for free!)

Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/community
Twitter (X): @familygamersaa
Threads: @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! [email protected] and [email protected].

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.

The post Episode 371 – Why Play Games? appeared first on The Family Gamers.