Escape rooms let your family cooperate in new and interesting ways. But do you prefer a physical, in-person escape room, a video game, or a board game experience?
The Podcast
Episode 417 – The Purge: How Do You Know You’re Done?
How do you know when you’re done with a game and it’s time to get rid of it? Your kids have aged out of it – are you sure?
Recent Reviews
Shallow Regrets
Shallow Regrets hit a sweet spot with my son. He’s 12 and a budding fisherman, so the fishing theme and simple gameplay lured him right in.
Games for Every Age
Top 10 Games for Teens
We’ve got a few games to recommend for teenagers that are easy to teach to newcomers, and encourage talking and being silly together.
Top 10 Games for Kids Age 7-10
Between the ages of 7-10, we struggled to get our kids to play games, unless they loved the theme. So, let’s focus on some popular themes your kid will love.
Top 10 Games for 6 Year Olds
Six year olds have strong opinions and a variety of interests. Our top ten games covers many different styles and themes: you’re sure to find one your child will love!
Top 10 Games for 5 Year Olds
Five year olds usually have more patience for rules and competition. Here are 10 games we recommend for five year olds.
Top 10 Games for 4 Year Olds
Our top recommended games for typical 4 year olds. Short, fun, and educational!
Top 10 Games for 3 Year Olds
Three years old encompasses a very wide range in a young child’s life. But here are our very favorite games that emphasize turn-taking, stacking, memory, and pattern matching.
Why I Hate Candy Land (and What to Play Instead)
Kids love the candy theme and the fun characters. But Candy Land is too hard, too long, and uninteresting.
So, what can we do about that?
» Read moreZooscape: Gotta Catch ‘Em All
The ugly duckling emerging into a beautiful swan. Zooscape, a Tasty Minstrel Games remixing of OKAZU Brand’s Curio Collectors, is exhibit A of the mantra: “Don’t judge a game by its first playthrough.”
» Read moreZoom in Barcelona
In Zoom In Barcelona, players compete in a photo contest to try to take the best snapshots of the city. Everyone travels by walking and taking transit to visit different destinations, capturing breathtaking landmarks, skylines, and… dragons?
» Read moreYou Like Us! You Really Like Us!
We are thrilled that we have surpassed 500 likes on our Facebook page. In honor of that, we want to know what you like about The Family Gamers (so we can do more of that) and what you don’t (so we can change it). Would you take 5 minutes and fill out our survey? We’d really appreciate your feedback. Let’s
» Read moreYarrr Har Hunt: X Marks the Co-op Spot
Friendly pirates cooperate, following clues to get the treasure. Collect as many treasures as there are pirates before the boat comes to the shore and pick them all up!
» Read moreYacht Rock – More Like Musak
It’s hard to understand the right target demographic for Yacht Rock. The game tries to do a lot of different things, but it doesn’t do any of them well enough to stand out.
» Read moreXylotar Unhinged
We popped in Xylotar like a mixtape, and it’s been on repeat ever since. So, If you already own Xylotar, do you need the Unhinged expansion?
» Read moreXtronaut: The Game of Solar System Exploration
Xtronaut introduces a level of realism we don’t see in other space-themed games. Its mission: to introduce kids to the wonders of space flight.
» Read moreWorms: The Board Game
Worms aren’t high up the list of dangerous creatures. But what happens when you hand a worm a bazooka? Chaos.
» Read moreWorld’s Fair 1893: Ride the Ferris Wheel!
Step back in time to Chicago in 1893. The World’s Fair is coming to your city. But you’re not merely attending the fair – you’re helping to design and organize it! Such is the premise behind World’s Fair 1893, an area-control game by Foxtrot Games.
» Read moreWooly Whammoth: Eating Good in the Pleistocene Neighborhood
Compete with tribes of Cave People to shove mammoths off cliffs… or trick each other into careening off the edge! Survive prehistoric pitfalls and collect Mammoth Meat to feed your tribe.
» Read moreWoodland Rush
There are lots of different kinds of tasks involved here – matching, dexterity, memory, logic, and following instructions. And the combination of the timer and group participation on the Hide-and-Seek task means that no one has time to get bored.
» Read moreWonder Woods – Don’t Get Spored!
Wonder Woods is a very good introduction to deduction. We think if you give it a try, it will grow on you.
» Read moreWomen in Science
Women in Science is a card game celebrating women in science, naturally. We theorized that this game would be fun. But does Women in Science + The Family Gamers = FUN?
» Read moreWise Alec: Family Trivia Game
In 1982, a few newspaper editors came together to eventually create a game that became a household phenomenon. Using a non-linear board that facilitated stumping friends with trivia questions across various disciplines, Trivial Pursuit became firmly entrenched in the cultural zeitgeist of the United States. But for Gen-Xers and Millennials, it existed as a game with impossibly difficult questions and
» Read moreWisdom of Solomon: Calling All Wise Builders!
In this worker placement game for 2-5 players, governors must skillfully manage their resources while they create new buildings, carefully construct trade networks, and toil to build the Temple itself. In the end, the governor who secures the most favor with King Solomon is the winner.
» Read moreWindUp War: Cute Cards, Cataclysmic Combat!
Be the last toy faction standing; battle other toys by picking your five actions to attack and block – but you won’t be able to change the order once the round starts! An action-programming battle game for 3-6 players.
» Read moreWin The Mansky Caper!
Remember when we talked to Ken Franklin and Chris Leder about The Mansky Caper? We really loved playing, and now we’re giving away a copy of the game. You’ll have a blast!
» Read moreWhy Play Games with Your Kids? (Why Join… Part 3)
We’ve addressed why board game classes and cafés are great for your kids, but now we’ll pause and talk about why YOU should play games with your kids.
» Read moreWhy Join… A Café or Convention?
Why join a board game class or a meet-up? Why visit a board game café or convention? Why not just stay in the comforts of your own home, inviting friends over for regular board game nights?
» Read more