The Family Gamers

Sticky Chameleons: More Sticky or More Karma?

February 19, 2018 Updated: January 2nd, 2023 Andrew Smith Reviews

In episode 80, The Family Gamers explored games that are pure fun. Not necessarily the “best” or “most mechanically sound” game, but games that are just plain fun to play. This week we have a game that absolutely fits that mold. We will look at a new game designed by Théo Riviére and published by Iello, Sticky Chameleons.

Onitama: An Elegant Exploration of Strategy

December 19, 2017 Updated: April 24th, 2021 Andrew Smith Reviews

Onitama replaces complexity with elegance and layers with simplicity. With a ruleset that could literally fit on an index card, Onitama delivers a quick, compact strategy game experience that allows its players plenty of room to breathe and ruminate on their next moves.

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2 players, abstract, Andrew, Arcane Wonders, Board Games, strategy

Voodoo: Should You Do the Voodoo Too?

October 30, 2017 Updated: April 6th, 2021 Andrew Smith Reviews

Voodoo - a crazy magic game for 3 to 6 players

What does the word “Voodoo” make you think about? Is it a doll with pins? Is it an African religion? Most likely, you don’t think about the game Voodoo, a crazy magic game from Mayday Games. This week we take a stab at this game to find out if it casts a spell on us.

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3 players, 4 players, 5 players, 6 players, Andrew, Dice Rolling, Mayday Games, Tabletop

Super Hack Override: Proxy Swap Your Way to Supreme Victory!

October 16, 2017 Updated: August 20th, 2019 Andrew Smith Reviews

“There’s a war out there, old friend. A world war. And it’s not about who’s got the most bullets. It’s about who controls the information. What we see and hear, how we work, what we think… it’s all about the information!” – Sneakers, 1992 For some of us, it’s quotes like these that are about as close to hacking as

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Andrew, card games, take that, Weird Giraffe

Qwingo: Rank, Roll, Rejoice!

September 25, 2017 Updated: August 7th, 2023 Andrew Smith Reviews

Masters of the approachable family game, Gamewright delivers another multi-age filler game in Qwingo, a roll & write game designed by Heinz Meister. Read on to find out if we think Qwingo ranks highly, or if it makes us roll our eyes!

Bärenpark: A Koala-ity Family Experience

September 12, 2017 Updated: September 19th, 2022 Andrew Smith Hall of Fame Reviews, Reviews

It’s time to bear down and start building! This week we take a look at one of the hottest games to come out of Origin this year, the tile-laying game Bärenpark from Lookout Spiele and Mayfair. We’ll tell you whether it’s a universally koality* experience, or if we think it’s a bit more polar-izing.

Purrrlock Holmes: Furriarty’s Trail

August 16, 2017 Updated: January 5th, 2024 Andrew Smith Reviews

Work together to deduce which gang is helping Furriarty before he can escape in this cooperative game perfect for families.

CAMP: The Family Pastime

August 7, 2017 Updated: October 29th, 2018 Andrew Smith Reviews

We went camping this past weekend, and what better way to celebrate camping than to play camping themed board games? This week we take a look at CAMP: The Game that Grows With You, the Dr. Toy award winning game from Education Outdoors. CAMP has a lot of features that are really appealing, but do they come together to make

What’s Up and Strawberry Ninja: Short and Sweet!

July 27, 2017 Updated: August 20th, 2019 Andrew Smith Reviews

This week, we take a look at a pair of short, simple games from Strawberry Studio, What’s Up and Strawberry Ninja. Strawberry Studio’s mission is to “enrich the world of gaming with a line of smart, fun and easy to play microgames for families and friends”. Do they succeed with these two titles? Let’s dive in and find out.

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Andrew, Family Games, Microgames, Strawberry Studio, Tabletop Games

The Mysterious Forest: Bad Dream or Fantasy?

July 17, 2017 Updated: March 8th, 2024 Andrew Smith Reviews

“Ask yourself a question!” “When you recall the past, can you always distinguish which memories were real events and which were dreams or fantasies?”

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Andrew, Carlo Rossi, Iello, memory game, WormWorld Saga

Outfoxed!: Cooperative Logic for the Littles in your Life

July 10, 2017 Updated: April 6th, 2021 Andrew Smith Reviews

The clue-scouring gumshoe has always been a role masked in mystery and intrigue. Hardly a role for kids usually, mysterious detective tales filled with riddles and enigmas are designed to confound even the brightest observer. Enter Outfoxed, a lighthearted cooperative whodunit game from GameWright aimed squarely at a younger generation.

Ark & Noah: A Game Drenched in Biblical Themes

July 3, 2017 Updated: August 20th, 2019 Andrew Smith Reviews

Crashing lightning, booming thunder, and thousands upon thousands of gallons of water pour from the sky. The drumming of torrential downpour on the roof of the Ark is calming in its regularity, as the unending rows of matched pair animals bray and paw nervously. There is a loud creaking as the rising water level begins to lift the massive boat

Pirate Ships: Yo Ho Ho and a Battle of Fun!

June 25, 2017 Updated: August 20th, 2019 Andrew Smith Reviews

What could be more classic than a naval battle between two warring pirate ships? With straightforward mechanics and great art by accomplished artist Kevin Rechin, The Haywire Group brings us Pirate Ships, a simple game of naval destruction! Do we think Pirate Ships is seaworthy? Or is it cannon fodder?

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Andrew, dexterity games, Family Games, Haywire Group, pirates

Fight for Olympus: An Epic Battle!

May 22, 2017 Updated: January 23rd, 2024 Andrew Smith Reviews

Unbelievable tales of legend filled with debauchery, treachery, and heroism make the stories of the Greek gods fascinating to anyone who enjoys a good adventure. From the snakes of Medusa to the rippling muscles of Hercules, to the near invincibility of Achilles, every hero and villain captures our imagination with their epic tales of adventure, victory, and heartbreak. With virtually

Wise Alec: Family Trivia Game

April 24, 2017 Updated: August 7th, 2017 Andrew Smith Reviews

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

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Andrew, Family Gaming, Griddly Games, multi-level play, trivia, Wise Alec

PAX East 2017 – Jammed Up Studios

March 23, 2017 Updated: January 20th, 2023 Andrew Smith Interviews

We met up with Adric Polkinghorne of Jammed Up Studios who was showing off their soon-to-be-released game Think of the Children! – a cooperative parenting simulator. Think of the Children is a hilarious, and perhaps a little too-close-to-home look at the zany life of parenting multiple children. Check it out!

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Andrew, Interview, Jammed Up Studios, PAX, PAX East

PAX East 2017 – Anomia!

March 22, 2017 Updated: January 20th, 2023 Andrew Smith Interviews

We finally get the chance to meet up with Andrew Innes to talk about one of our favorite games, Anomia! Listen as he talks about his Duple re-release and the two new Anomia branded games coming this year!

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Andrew, Andrew Innes, Anomia, Anomia Dark, Anomia Kids, Duple, Interview, PAX, PAX East

PAX East 2017 – Gamewright

March 13, 2017 Updated: January 20th, 2023 Andrew Smith Interviews

We caught up with Nora Meiners of Gamewright Games at PAX East 2017 and talked about some of their big games at the show. Sushi Go Party Dragonwood (Check out our review too!) Imagine Forbidden Island Forbidden Desert Bring Your Own Book Check it out!

The Family Gamers at PAX East 2017

March 10, 2017 Andrew Smith Resources for Parents

Andrew will be representing us at PAX East, mostly in the board game area. (He may or may not be cos-playing as a dinosaur…) If you are there, say hi!

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Andrew, dinosaur, PAX

BattleGoats: Fun for All Ages!

February 26, 2017 Updated: December 29th, 2021 Andrew Smith Reviews

Family Gamers, we think silliness is a great way to relate to your children, and with the game BattleGoats from CardLords, there is ample opportunity for less-than-serious play.

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2 players, 3 players, 4 players, 5 players, 6 players, Andrew, animals, BattleGoats, card games, CardLords

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