Randy Hoyt from Foxtrot Games was kind enough to talk to Nick at Gen Con. Foxtrot Games big hit this year is Spy Club. Nick also asked about his first-ever trick-taking game, The Fox in the Forest. Spy Club This is a cooperative game for 2-4 “junior detectives”. Hand management and set collection to solve a mystery. You can play
» Read more
Jon Mietling from Portal Dragon Games talked to our roving reporter, Nick, at Gen Con. Palm Island Palm Island is a unique game that plays completely in the palm of your hand. Play solo, cooperatively, or competitively. Each card has 4 states (top & bottom on each side of the card), and there are only 17 cards in the entire
» Read more
At Gen Con, we talked to Maxime Tardif of Sphere Games. Sphere Games is a small publisher based in Quebec, Canada. Mini Diver City – in pre-release (will be available in October). 1-7 players are divers that save species from extinction. Plays in 15-20 minutes and only costs $20. Twist: you hold your cards face-out. You cannot see what is
» Read more
We talk to JC Dorais of FoxMind Games about what they were promoting at Gen Con 2018. Originally, FoxMind was known for educational games, but they’ve been increasing their catalog of family games. (Easy to teach, affordable, colorful.) Here’s some of their newest: The Potion – a microgame for 3-7 players. Deduction and bluffing, packaged in a small bottle! Acrylic
» Read moreNick talked to Ryan Laukat, of Red Raven Games. What were they promoting at Gen Con? Amber Mines expansion to Near and Far just released. This expands the mine for exploration and adds spells and new characters. There’s also a co-op mode, where everyone’s scores are added together, but as the game continues, the score needed is higher. Megaland –
» Read more
Nick was able to grab Jason Kotarski from Green Couch Games and talk about what they’ve been doing at Gen Con. Before the Earth Explodes – the newest offering from Green Couch Games. Designed by Daryl Andrews and Adrian Adamescu, who also designed Sagrada. Two player head-to-head, rock-paper-scissors style play with four ways to win. Best Treehouse Ever: Forest of
» Read moreJonathan Chaffer talked with us about two of his games, both present at Gen Con 2018. Filler Published by Green Couch Games. It is a filler game, about 20 minutes long. It’s about filling pastries: “I believe in pun-first design.” Hand-building game: you’re trying to put more cards in your hand, but unlike a deck-builder, you don’t have to shuffle
» Read more
Nick caught up with David Gerrard of Junk Spirit Games at Gen Con. Here are a few games they are excited about: Tyler Sigman’s Crows – Tyler Sigman is the designer of the video game “Darkest Dungeon”. This card game has been revamped and polished since its first version in 2010. By the Order of the Queen – an introduction
» Read more
Who Did It? is a game of memory, deduction, and rapid discarding from Blue Orange. Prove that your pet didn’t do the poo!
» Read more
It’s that time again – Gen Con is the largest gaming convention in the USA. If it seems like we’ve done this before, it’s because we have! We covered Gen Con (and Gen Can’t) last year (episode 60). Warning: this episode includes 2 hours of interviews from Gen Con, recorded by our man on the ground, Nick Martinelli.
» Read moreWe got a chance to talk to Allen Chang, creative director of Rule & Make Games, about a few of the games they have currently available, and what is coming out soon. Rule & Make is a publisher based in Australia. They make a variety of games: from family-weight to heavier hobbyist games. Family Games Robots and Rockets – a
» Read more
Chris Leder spoke to us about upcoming games for Calliope Games! All three of these games are due to come out before the end of 2018. Everyone Loves a Parade! by Mike Mulvihill Spymaster by Seth Johnson Ship Shape by Rob Daviau Like this? Listen to more short interviews.
» Read more
Brouhaha Games is a brand-new publisher, focused on making family-friendly games with a Halloween theme. We talked to Travis Drake, Creative Director, at Gen Con 2018. Check out their first game, Pumpkin Patch: Bad Seeds, on Kickstarter now. Pumpkin Patch: Bad Seeds On Kickstarter through Thursday, August 9 for only $9 (plus shipping)! 10-15 minute abstract game 1-3 players, kid-friendly
» Read more
Who doesn’t love ice cream? If I was serving up sundaes for the family, I would try to hold back some favorites for myself. But what if everyone else gets to choose their sundae first? How do I keep the family away from “my” favorites? That’s the concept behind Sundae Split.
» Read more
Introducing a new type of review from The Family Gamers: the SNAP review! These reviews “in a snap” are five minute audio reviews, accompanied with pictures, a list of features, and a star rating.
» Read more
Have fond memories of making the trip to the water park on a hot summer day? Nothing was more fun than the thrill of tearing down the slides at breakneck speed, anticipating the splashdown at the end of the tunnel. You might ride the same slide over and over until it was time to go home. But how can you
» Read more
Why play games with your kids? No, really – why should you play games? We asked our community and a few other friends.
» Read more
Reviews – in a snap! Our inaugural SNAP review is Jetpack Joyride, from Halfbrick Studios and Lucky Duck Games. Jetpack Joyride, the board game, translates the frantic feel of the endless runner into a tile-laying puzzle. Speed puzzle: lay polyominoes (5-unit pieces) onto individual boards to build a path and be the first to “escape the lab”. Cover coins
» Read more
Trash Pandas is a press-your-luck, dice-rolling game designed by Michael Esuke of Red Rook Games. Players become raccoons digging through trash.
» Read more
We’re joined this week by Stephen Duetzmann, who tells us about his favorite moments from E3 (which we previewed in episode 99) and CTFIG.
» Read more