Andrew Smith is the executive editor of The Family Gamers, and co-host of The Family Gamers Podcast.
Explore the reviews and podcasts he has contributed to.
Andrew
Episode 407 – Our Favorite 15-Minute Games
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
» Read moreSNAP Review – Back Stories: The Emerald Wedding Anniversary
We played the first Back Stories – and it was awesome! We hoped our kids would enjoy this second spy-themed mission.
» Read moreSNAP Review – Horrified: World of Monsters
This cooperative game includes monsters from all over the world. Can you defeat the Sphinx, Jiangshi, the Yeti, or even… Cthulu?
» Read moreEpisode 406 – Andrew’s Favorites in 2025!
Episode 405 – Theme
SNAP Review – Shovel Knight: Dungeon Duels
Shovel Knight is a retro video game that hits just right. How does it translate to the tabletop?
» Read moreEpisode 404 – Connecting Through Gaming
Boardgames aren’t the only way to connect with your kids – and they aren’t always the BEST way, either.
We discuss other ways to connect, and recommend some videogames.
Unmatched: Battle of Legends Volume 3 – The Legend Continues
Battle of Legends Volume 3 is the conclusion to the “Battle of Legends” trilogy for Unmatched, which is a little sad.
» Read moreEpisode 403 – Taking the Pressure Off
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?
» Read moreToriki: The Castaway Island
Episode 402 – Room to Grow: Deck Building
Deck building was a little challenging because even among “pure” deck-building games, some of their foundational mechanics are different. Nevertheless, we came up with three we’d recommend to learn this style of game.
» Read moreEpisode 401 – Ten Top Evergreen Family Games
Just like an evergreen plant that doesn’t die, these are games that stay popular year after year.
» Read moreEpisode 400 – It’s All About Families
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.
» Read moreEpisode 399 – Room to Grow: Modern Abstract Games
We talked about older games last week – this week we’re moving on to modern abstract games (within the last 20 years).
» Read moreSNAP Review – Belratti
I love that here, you’re kind of dividing the group in half every round, but everyone is still working towards the same goal. I also love how the teams are changing all the time with shifting roles.
» Read moreSNAP Review – Caution Signs
The Guesser flips over all the cards and tries to match the cards to the sketches on the table. They’ll put a descriptor card and a subject card for each sign, and once they finalize their choices, it’s time to score!
» Read moreEpisode 398 – Room to Grow: Classic Abstract Games
This week is devoted to older, classic abstract games. You probably know how to play these timeless games already, and have some of them relegated to the back corner of your shelves or your closet.
» Read moreDisney Lorcana: Gateway – The First Taste is so Sweet
Even if you never go past the four walls and 120 cards of the Gateway box, this is a full and wonderful Lorcana experience.
» Read moreSNAP Review – Flip 7
Your goal in Flip 7 is to be the first player to score 200 points. But you cannot do that in a single round. Each round, you’ll score points based on the cards in front of you. But you’ll bust and get zero points for the round if you have two cards with the same number.
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