Tips and recommendations to help you enjoy games with your family; at any age, skill level, or player count.
We’re going to talk about what it’s like to grow up in a gaming family!
The largest chocolate bar by area measured 416.34 square meters, achieved on 2 December 2024.
What do you do with your tax refund? Do you get a refund at all? If you want to talk to First Move about habits you can build to take the next step toward your goals, go to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers to schedule a call.
Floristry (our review) – looking forward to trying the update!
Flip 7 (our review)
Trio (our review)
Iliad
Fight 5
Animal Rescue Team
Dice Throne: Marvel X-men – review coming soon
Welcome to our newest members! You can join the community on Facebook.
We asked about more topics… and your silliest #boardgamevalentine (see our TFG valentines).
You responded on the #backtalk channel of the Discord.
We started The Family Gamers Podcast when we had three kids, age 7 and under.
Back then, we were really just playing with the oldest and trying to find ways to include the preschooler.
We started playing very simple games with our oldest when she was probably 3 years old. We did play some CandyLand, but we mostly played simple “family” games rather than kids’ games. We were often trying to rule-shift or play games that were very simple (like Zombie Dice, which we mention back in episode 1!), in part because our oldest started reading at a very young age. So we didn’t need games that avoided reading. She also really enjoyed the adult attention she got from doing “adult” things.
And then our middle child got old enough to want to join in the games. Unfortunately, we discovered many “family games” don’t work well with multiple children when at least one can’t read yet.
That is when we first realized that when gaming with very young children, games need to be short, with very simple decisions, no reading, and limited symbols & counting.
We were barely aware of HABA games and other games geared towards very young children, but we learned! (Episode 36)
We also would “team up” a parent with a kid. The job of the parent was to present and explain the available decisions, without forcing the kid into any specific option.
We recommend using house rules or variants, as long as everyone agrees how to play! It’s OK if small children just want to use the game pieces to play “let’s pretend”. If that bothers other children playing (or you as the parent), you need to clarify this with the kid – it’s not right or wrong, just have a plan for how to handle it. Maybe it means finishing this game and coming back later to play with the kid-generated rules.
“You want to say ‘yes’ as much as possible.” – Andrew
As the kids got a little older, we noticed that our younger children were trying to emulate their older sibling(s). (This is still an issue with teenagers, by the way.) This made it even more important to emphasize being a gracious winner and avoid being a sore loser. But it also means that you have to find ways to include the younger sibling(s) even as the older children want to graduate away from “kids games”.
We looked for ways to handicap games, but also looked for games that would play to our younger children’s strengths, so they would not ALWAYS lose.
In 2026, we would recommend BoardGamesForAllAges.com. Tom has created “B-mods” which are handicapping rules to allow players of different levels to really be able to play TOGETHER. The structure encourages kids to keep leveling up, with fewer and fewer handicaps.
We are also now in a phase of life where board gaming as a family looks very different: our kids are all in middle & high school now. And their interactions with games are different. It’s no longer about leveling the playing field, it’s about honoring the ways that each of them want to interact with board gaming. Our oldest loves conventions, but it’s not about playing games; it’s about being with people. Our middle child loves playing and teaching games and will try almost anything, anytime. Our youngest needs a theme that really grabs him.
Now that they are older, their gaming is no longer driven by their ability. Now it’s all about their interests and their free time.
It’s OK if board gaming is not the best choice for your family activities right now!
People train their whole lives and put it all on display in their specific sport once every four years at the Olympics and we all marvel at it.
So, what’s your superpower? What is the weird talent that you have? Just know that we’ll talk about it on the show if you share it.
Andrew’s is maple syrup making. Anitra’s is singing.
Tell us on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, or in our Facebook community.
Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/community
Twitter (X): @familygamersaa
Instagram: @familygamersaa
TikTok: @familygamersaa
Bluesky: @familygamersaa
Threads: @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].
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 :)
Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors?
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 416 – Growing As a Family with Board Games appeared first on The Family Gamers.
Looking for some card games for your family to grow into? We’ve got you covered.
The racing tall ship Amerigo Vespucci holds the record for the largest maximum crew complement: 415 sailors.
If you’d like to talk about other ideas to help pass on your financial values to your children, schedule a time to talk to First Move by going to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers today.
Compile: Main 2 (very much like Compile: Main 1)
Logic & Lore – review coming soon. Check out the Kickstarter!
Ichor
Iliad
Carnuta
Dice Throne: Marvel X-men
Tidal Blades 2: Rise of the Unfolders
Verdant Arizona
Dice Clash
Embers
Tag Team
Anitra: 42 plays, 23 unique games. H-index: 3. Most played: Trio
Andrew: 23 plays of 14 unique games. H-index: 2. Most played: Trio & Verdant Arizona
Welcome to our newest members! You can join the community on Facebook.
We also cover some “for science” emails from listener Mallory. Would you be interested in hearing us try recipes “for science”?
We asked about your New Year resolutions: any that have to do with board games?
You responded on the Facebook group and on the #backtalk channel of the Discord.
Our goal with Room to Grow is to bring your kids – or your family – through a series of games that grow in complexity. Normally, we take a beginner game, an intermediate game, and an advanced game (and some honorable mentions). They offer a plan for growth for players to get comfortable with that mechanic, and all are family-friendly.
What is a card game? For the purposes of this podcast, we’re defining it as:
There are several games we could pick as a really easy starting point. But this one is the most like conventional card games, so we think it feels the most approachable.
Young kids can play this and enjoy it as long as they have basic numeracy. They might not get the statistics, but they can understand that there’s only one 1 and a lot of 12s, and they don’t want repeats.
This is pretty much the same game with two themes: Fantasy Realms is medieval-ish fantasy, and Marvel Remix is obviously Marvel super-heroes and villains. Turns out, there’s a third one called Star Trek: Missions!
Build a hand of cards that combo well together to get the most points. Each turn, you will add a card to your hand and discard a card from your hand, trying to get a little better each time. All cards get discarded to a central area, which also becomes the pool to draw cards from (in addition to the deck).
The rules do get a little more complicated with two players, but it’s still do-able.
Another set of three games with very similar mechanics – probably because the same guy (Tom Lehmann) designed two and had a heavy hand in the development of the third.
Res Arcana is fantasy themed, Race for the Galaxy is sci-fi, and San Juan is loosely themed around colonizing the Americas.
In San Juan, you build buildings from the cards in your hands, paying other cards from your hand as the cost. Each turn, the current player chooses a “role” – everyone gets to do an action based on that role, while the chooser gets a bonus.
Race for the Galaxy is somewhat more complicated. Everyone secretly selects an action, then simultaneously reveals. All of the actions that were picked will be performed in a round. You’re still paying out cards to play other cards, which interact in all kinds of ways in the different phases. This one has victory point & power chips to help you track values as the game goes along.
Res Arcana is along the same lines: collect “essences” to be able to claim abilities & cards. Work towards ten victory points to win the game. This was a Kennerspiel Recommended game in 2020: A hobby game, but not overly complicated.
What should we talk about next? Is there some board game topic you are curious about?
Or… what boardgame would you write a valentine to?
Tell us on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, or in our Facebook community.
Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/community
Twitter (X): @familygamersaa
Instagram: @familygamersaa
TikTok: @familygamersaa
Bluesky: @familygamersaa
Threads: @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].
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 :)
Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors?
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 415 – Room to Grow: Card Games appeared first on The Family Gamers.
This week, we examine our Amazon Affiliate statistics. What games are the most popular buys among our listeners?
Then, we compare our own lists of favorite games of the year.
The 414s – a group of teenage computer hackers from Milwaukee (the 414 area code) in the early 1980s.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_414s
To schedule a time to talk to First Move about other ways to take control of your finances, head over to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers to set up a free initial 15 minute call.
Animal Rescue Team
3 Chapters
Shadow Ninjas (w/4 players)
Cabanga! (our review – still great)
Guildlands
That’s Not a Hat
Metro X (our review – still great)
Cozy Stickerville demo
Paleo
Verdant Arizona
Logic & Lore
In December, Andrew played 15 unique games 23 times. H-index: 2. Most played: Leaders, Jungo.
In December, Anitra played 18 unique games 46 times. H-index: 4. Most played: Leaders, Tag Team, Lands of Amazement, Jungo.
Nearly all of our games were played at home, and at just two players.
In 2025, Andrew played 111 unique games, 299 times. H-index: 8.
16 games played 5+ times, 4 games played 10+ times. Trio is his most played, followed by My City, Floristry, and Lorcana.
In 2025, Anitra played 162 unique games, 507 times. H-index: 10.
More and more of her games are played with Andrew – this year, she played with Andrew far more than with any other person.
Welcome to our newest members! You can join the community on Facebook.
We asked about what game was the highlight of your holidays.
You responded on the Facebook group and on the #backtalk channel of the Discord.
These games were ordered the most through our affiliate links this year. Links are to reviews/recommendations we wrote for each game.
We each picked the seven games we enjoyed the most this year. We thought we would overlap to about ten games total. We were wrong.
Our top game of 2025: Floristry
Do you have a New Year’s Resolution that is board game related?
Tell us on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, or in our Facebook community.
Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/community
Twitter (X): @familygamersaa
Instagram: @familygamersaa
TikTok: @familygamersaa
Bluesky: @familygamersaa
Threads: @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].
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 :)
Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors?
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 414 – Top Games of 2025 appeared first on The Family Gamers.
We’re going to talk about games that are just plain fun, no matter the group.
La Roue – a silent movie, with a full run time of 413 minutes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Roue
For expert help applying some of the same principles that help you take down your friends in Agricola, head over to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers today to schedule a call.
Update – from the really cool Asmodee demo room at PAX Unplugged this year:
First Giants – looks heavier than it is. Great for families! (coming in May)
Carnuta – coming February
dnup – like Scout or Jungo, with card-flipping as you pick up cards you beat. coming May/June
Splendor Kids – uses a board instead of cards to buy. Already out!
Spring – similar to Winter
Tag Team – deck-programming duel with the SmashUp approach to the source deck
Shadow Ninjas
Leaders – there are a few errata to deal with. But this is a fun duel full of asymmetric powers.
Enthrone – more on this one soon.
Floristry
Unmatched – we used Moon Knight & Shakespeare
Dice Throne: X-Men – we used Cyclops & Rogue
Lands of Amazement
Welcome to our newest community members! You can join the community on Facebook.
We asked about your favorite kind(s) of video games.
You responded on the Facebook group and on the #backtalk channel of the Discord.
In no particular order, we picked five different kinds of games that always bring the fun.
You never thought a memory-and-deduction game could be so much fun! This hits the table super quickly, as long as you have at least three players. The set-collection element is part of what keeps everyone engaged, along with the revealing of information to deduce where certain sets of cards are. It’s our family’s favorite game.
Now available as Snailed It! from Hasbro, this game always gets our table yelling as we cause players to take penalty cards.
Play a card into a color area, and try to minimize the gap between that number and the other number in that color… or other players could throw out cards that fit in that gap and cause you to take penalties!
This is the “most complicated” game on the list… but it’s basically bingo plus bonus combos that add some strategy.
Fits well in either high-energy or low-energy situations. But always fun, and works at any player count, including solo.
Check out our review of Super Mega Lucky Box.
Even people who don’t normally play games will (usually) enjoy this game. Ask a question; everyone tries to pick an answer to match with the most people around the table.
Green Team Wins is unusual among party games. It works great among friends & family, but just as well with strangers as an icebreaker – or even combined groups where some people know each other well and others do not. It is our favorite party game.
Watch our review of Green Team Wins – and the Green Team Wins: Holiday Party expansion.
A high-energy “yell-y” game. We don’t play often, but it’s great if you’re ready for stress, a timer, and yelling. Cooperate to “fix your spaceship” by passing tool cards around the table to each player that needs them for specific tasks. As you fulfill tasks, discard them and find the spaceship parts. There are more cards in the mix that break expectations. And it feels so great when you can win!
Find out more at PlaySpaceteam.com.
Another great party game, but a little lower energy than Green Team Wins. And since this is a game of “be the first to shout out an answer”, you can join mid-game. We find that it starts slowly, but then slowly warms up as people get used to the slowly-changing letters and “things”. And it always leaves us appreciating other players’ cool answers.
Read our review of Red Letter, Yellow Letter.
We had a lot of games we played in the holiday week: what was YOUR board game of the week? This could be a gift you received for Chanukah or Christmas or whatever you celebrate, or it could have been something you got off the shelf of opportunity because you had some downtime. When I ask what your board game of the week is, what is it and why?
Our son’s highlights are Hercules and The 12 Labors, and Slay the Spire (the boardgame).
Anitra hopes that Paleo can finally get off the shelf of opportunity.
Tell us on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, or in our Facebook community.
Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/community
Twitter (X): @familygamersaa
Instagram: @familygamersaa
TikTok: @familygamersaa
Bluesky: @familygamersaa
Threads: @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].
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 :)
Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors?
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 413 – Five(ish) Games That Are Just Plain Fun appeared first on The Family Gamers.
Our yearly show with Engaged Family Gaming, where we talk about what video games might be on your kids’ wishlists.
412 is the area code for Pittsburgh (and they seem really proud of it).
The most people washing dishes simultaneously is 412 and was achieved by Henkel (Algeria) and Pril-Isis, in Algiers, Algeria, on 16 June 2017.
https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/112306-most-people-washing-dishes-simultaneously
If you want some help finding solid footing underneath you, or help finding the right step to leap to the next level, head to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers to schedule a quick phone call and see how First Move can help.
Anitra: 54 plays of 28 unique games. H-index: 4 (Chit Chat, Trio, INK, Leaders, Odin) – and Andrew is the most played-with person by a huge margin!
Andrew: 40 plays of 18 unique games. H-index 4 (Chit Chat, Leaders, Odin, Trio). 35 games together with Anitra! Pretty much everything was 2 players or 5 players.
Check out our recent reviews for INK and Odin.
Leaders
Jungo (check out our review!)
Logic & Lore
S’mores Galore Roast & Write
For Sale
Welcome to our newest community members on Facebook! In these darkest days of the year, let’s share some light with each other. Stop in and say hello.
We asked what you like to do with your family that ISN’T boardgames.
A few of you answered on the #backtalk channel on the Discord and in our Facebook community.
Stephen Duetzmann helps us with the best video games to give this year, via the Engaged Family Gaming holiday list.
But first we talk about videogames we’ve been playing:
Dogpile (on Steam)
Metroid Prime 4
Dredge (more info)
Hollow Knight: Silksong (which Andrew just finished – more info)
PS5 or Xbox Series X – They are very expensive and not focused on family-friendly titles. Not recommended unless you really want it for games you can’t get elsewhere.
Civilization VII – the rough edges have been sanded off. Pick a leader, but jump to different civilizations in each age. Plays pretty well on any console and on PC, but if you have a Switch 2, buy it for that system, so you can use the mouse controller.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown – turn based tactical game that still forces you to move forward like a typical side-scrolling brawler.
Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar – cozy “farm and town” game with engine-building. Has a week cycle as well as a day cycle.
Sonic Racing: Crossworlds – good if you don’t have Mario Kart.
Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted
“Playstation didn’t put out anything that didn’t involve mass-murder.”
Ghost of Yotei – only for grownups, but gorgeous.
nothing else really new, but Astro Bot, Final Fantasy VII, and Spider-man 2 are still great choices.
Also not much new that isn’t “headshot-central”. But Star Wars Outlaws is updated and even better than it was last year.
Both consoles are good choices: Switch 2 is very cool. Original Switch is the value choice, and those games will still work if you decide to upgrade later to the Switch 2.
Mario Kart World
Donkey Kong Bananza
Also recommended: Metroid Prime 4 – if you liked Metroid Prime
and Kirby Air Riders
“If you get a Switch 2, don’t limit yourself to just Switch 2 games” – get older original Switch games, too. A lot of them have been updated for the better graphics of the Switch 2, and they’ll be great!
You need to do the math and decide if these are worth it for your family. Good alternative to buying a single game if you don’t know what game your recipient would want.
Nintendo Switch Online – $80 for up to 8 users (don’t all have to be in the same location), even cheaper if you only need one user. This is absolutely necessary to play online AND gives you access to a bunch of older games.
XBox Game Pass – probably not worth it JUST for kids. Worth it for Andrew & Anitra, where we have many people all taking advantage.
PS Plus – again, needed for online play. Minimum $80/year for the Essentials plan.
Don’t forget to set it up before Christmas! (Plug in, connect to the internet, download updates, install a game or two. You might need to update the firmware on the controller.) It’s a much more effective surprise if it’s ready to play on Christmas morning.
And don’t forget about free to play games like Fortnite or Disney Speed Storm! Those are good to add ahead of time so they can play right away.
And don’t forget about The Family Gamers holiday gift guide, too!
Facebook: @EngagedFamilyGaming
TikTok: @EngagedFamilyGaming
Twitch: @EngagedFamilyGaming
They also have a Facebook community: facebook.com/groups/EngagedFamilyGamingCommunity
And you can find Stephen on Facebook too: @sduetzmann
What kind of video game do you like best?
Do you like multiplayer games because you’re a board gamer, and so you want to play with other people (locally or online)? Or do you have video games as your solo play and board games as your social play? Do you prefer puzzles, or action?
If you want to name a particular game that is your favorite, feel free!
Tell us on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, or in our Facebook community.
Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/community
Twitter (X): @familygamersaa
Instagram: @familygamersaa
TikTok: @familygamersaa
Bluesky: @familygamersaa
Threads: @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].
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 :)
Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors?
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 412 – Video Game Gift Guide appeared first on The Family Gamers.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year – PAX Unplugged is when we get to catch up with friends in the boardgame industry, see new games, and meet some of YOU!
If you’re a Millenial, you know that 411 was (is) a phone number to call for general information. Did you know there are other X11 codes?
https://www.networkworld.com/article/956606/beyond-911-other-n-1-1-codes-you-should-know.html
How do you know if you’re ready to retire? There’s the financial aspect, but don’t forget about the emotional and physical as well.
If you want help reviewing the financial part of preparing for retirement, set up a time to talk to First Move for free by going to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers today.
INK – review out today of this race to place all your ink bottles.
Odin – review coming next week. Best at 3-4 players.
Chit Chat – had our best game ever at 9 points! Check out the review.
Stroop – still breaks our brain, but fun.
Bouba/Kiki – a cooperative party game about matching shapes with nonsense words.
(We talk at length about Stroop and Bouba/Kiki in episode 370.)
Tropichaos – a fruit-selling push-your-luck game from Oink Games.
Person Do Thing – a simple word party game. Try it yourself at PersonDoThing.com
Leaders – we will talk a lot about this later.
Welcome to our newest community members on Facebook! Stop in and say hello.
We asked what your favorite thing to do at a convention – if you’ve ever been to one.
A few of you answered on the #backtalk channel on the Discord and in our Facebook community.
“X-wing crossed with Galaxy Trucker, and you’re trying to kill each other.”
Make your ship look like you want, and make it play like you want.
Starter set for two players is about $65.
A game based on OnePiece!
Guildlands – “if Carcassonne met Root“
Karak – a favorite for kids, with lots of upgrades over the version we reviewed years ago. And Karak II for a more challenging game!
Shadow Ninjas – cats sneaking into the dojo to eat the koi, and one dog trying to eliminate them all.
Puppies or Poop – build a doggie land-mine field under the leaves. Try to survive without poop on your shoes! A cute and more memorable re-implementation of Squirrel or Die.
Kaiser Cucumber – evil geniuses trying to out-steal each other. A sort of sequel to Mouse Cheese Cat Cucumber.
Supershow – a wrestling card game – and Super Lucha which is a crossover with luchadors.
Rummy Gummies – a set-playing card game. “Rummy with Uno-like effects”
Sirens – 1-2 player tiny game. Draft cards to make a song and lure sailors.
Hercules and the 12 Labors – solo game. Battle your way through Hercules’s famous 12 labors and choose rewards to help you with future labors.
River Market – now available!
Sea Shells – set collection by Bruno Faiduitti, coming summer 2026
Pack & Paddle – Kickstarter in 2026
Treeline – recover the landscape. Also coming summer 2026.
Fans of Diced Veggies and Endeavor: Deep Sea.
www.kidstablebg.com and www.burntislandgames.com
Trombone Champ – yes, like the video game. Full of hotdogs, baboons, and silly fake trombone facts.
Dragonarium – go check out the Kickstarter before December 11!
Last Lantern – coop polyomino game. Silently build a path across the board.
Zombie Princess – a sequel to Rebel Princess. “Save” the zombies by chopping off their heads. Trick-taking game that’s best with partners.
Haunted Mouse – a ladder-climbing/shedding card game that lets you use your opponents’ cards.
Game Makers – heavier game with a rondel. You step into the role of a game publisher – very meta.
Recommendations for this holiday: Seers Catalog and Xylotar (we reviewed the expansion)
Bonus: Jay is also @CardboardEast – he reviews games from Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, etc. Check out his Youtube channel!
Animal Rescue Team – with Matt Leacock
Twisted Trumpets – route-building, sort of. You’re building out very weird, twisty trumpet pipes.
Soothsayers – engine-building card game using traditional tarot.
Mokoko Village expansion
Nightflower Island Gold pack, and a 15-pack Gold Box (by popular demand!)
“We wanted to trick our moms into playing Magic: The Gathering with us”
TFG has really enjoyed Doomlings – easy to learn, with a lot of luck, but also some depth. Our review.
Sanctuary – an Ark Nova game, a bit lighter than Ark Nova.
Up or Down?
Rowdy Partners – trick taking for 1-4 players. Wrestling theme with characters, each who has their own powers
Wandering Towers – a TFG favorite.
Forestry – harvest a forest while replanting to manage it. Heavier game.
Galileo Galilei – heavier game
Aquaria
Stick ‘Em refresh
Wandering Towers expansion coming soon!
Leviathan Wilds – cooperative boss-battling game that uses a spiral-bound book for the gameboard. “Climb together. Save Leviathans.”
Andrew: PAX Enforcers (volunteers) and employees do an awesome job. And it’s really cool to see the same folks year after year. Love the culture of PAX Unplugged and its family friendliness.
Anitra: We waited in line as a family to get in and see Jacques Ze Whipper. Waiting in line, even for over an hour, was incredibly pleasant: mostly because the people around us were patient and friendly.
We hope to see you at PAX Unplugged 2026, December 4-6!
We’ve been listening to records. What is your favorite thing to do with your family that is NOT playing board games?
Tell us on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, or in our Facebook community.
Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/community
Twitter (X): @familygamersaa
Instagram: @familygamersaa
TikTok: @familygamersaa
Bluesky: @familygamersaa
Threads: @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].
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 :)
Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors?
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 411 – PAX Unplugged 2025 appeared first on The Family Gamers.
It’s that time again – we recommend games for everyone on your gift list.
10-4 is one of many ten-codes, used for clarity and brevity in Morse code & voice communications. 10-4 means “received” or “acknowledged”.
We talk about the sunk cost fallacy. Just because you’ve already invested resources into something doesn’t tell us if it’s worth that next bit of resources to see it through.
If you need a sounding board for your life’s financial decisions, go to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers and set up a time today to talk to First Move Financial – for free!
INK – review coming soon of this race to place all your ink bottles.
Red Letter, Yellow Letter – our review
Odin – review coming soon. Best at 3-4 players.
Obelus – gorgeous. Our review. We are excited to see more from this publisher!
Chit Chat – review coming soon for this trivia party game.
Jekyll & Hyde vs. Scotland Yard – a really hard cooperative trick-taking game, but we’re getting better at it
Welcome to our newest community members! You can join the community on Facebook.
We asked what YOU think makes a good gift when you’re given a board game.
A few of you answered on the #backtalk channel on the Discord and in our Facebook community.
… and yes, we did review Box of Rocks, a silly game.
Anyone interested in sharing some recipes for us to try out?
We race through all the games on our 2025 gift guide.
A friendly reminder to our listeners: many of the games on the list we received at no cost, and we do earn a (tiny) commission from the Amazon links. But every single game on that list, we have played, enjoyed, and would buy and give (or have already bought & given) to our friends and family.
We’re heading to PAX Unplugged this week. We’ll be teaching Castle Panic on Sunday morning (11/23)!
What is your favorite thing to do at conventions?
Tell us on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, or in our Facebook community.
Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/community
Twitter (X): @familygamersaa
Instagram: @familygamersaa
TikTok: @familygamersaa
Bluesky: @familygamersaa
Threads: @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].
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 :)
Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors?
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 410 – Holiday Gift Guide appeared first on The Family Gamers.
Let’s talk about card games!
A little about Formula 409®.
How do you maintain your budget during the holiday season, with gift giving, big family meals, decorations, increased travel, seasonal activities?
If you want to talk through other ideas to take some of the stress out of the holidays set up a time to talk to First Move by going to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers today.
Finished My City – ultimate winner: Anitra, but it was really close at the end!
HiFi – full review coming soon
Odin – with 6 players, it was less fun. Too easy to get stuck unable to play cards.
5 Towers
Jekyll & Hyde vs Scotland Yard
Andrew: 14 unique games 25 times, H-index 2 (My City, Chit Chat, Ink, Duel for Cardia, Odin)
Anitra: 16 unique games 36 times, H-index 3 (My City, Duel for Cardia, Bomb Busters, Chit Chat)
Almost all of our games we played with each other, much more than usual.
Welcome to our newest community members! You can join the community on Facebook.
We asked about your seasonal gaming traditions. A few of you answered on the #backtalk channel on the Discord, and that’s about it!
Sometimes you want something small, and fast (and cheap!). What you want is a card game. Here are five of our favorites:
Trick taking: Skull King
If you like trick-taking games but wish they were wackier, or you want to include more than four players, Skull King has you covered. Up to eight players can join in – make a bid for how many tricks you’ll win, but beware of cards like the pirates, mermaids, the pirate king, and the white whale.
Traditional (ish) card game: Flip 7 (our review)
This is another game that supports a LOT of players (up to 18?!?) It feels a bit like Blackjack, but with a lot more flexibility. Try to get the most points you can each round, but if you ever flip a number you already have, you’ll get nothing.
Party game: Anomia
It’s sort of a trivia game, but it’s just about shouting out something in the given category. Everyone stays involved, because you always need to be looking for a symbol that matches your own. We’ve reviewed the Pop Culture set and Anomia Kids, but we love the original and its sibling Duple!
Start playing right away: Circus Flohcati (our review)
Flip cards out from the deck until you decide to stop and take one. You’ll spend more time explaining the scoring than how to play.
Just plain good: Trio (our review)
This game combines memory and deduction. While it’s very easy to learn, we find that people mess up the “only highest or lowest card” rule, which can be frustrating.
You could get all five of these games together for under $75 – another reason card games are great!
Cabanga! – we absolutely love this tiny game, but it’s kind of hard to get, and going to get harder until Amigo can partner with a new US distributor.
Similo – another great party game. Remember to have guessers talk out their reasoning!
Combo – we love this semi-cooperative game, but it can be hard to teach.
Abandon All Artichokes – a wonderful early deck-building game. Cute and charming.
Tussie Mussie – a tiny split-and-choose game, at just 18 cards!
Get the MacGuffin – a goofy game about being the last player standing.
Sushi Go – an approachable set-collection “pick and pass” game. Even a very young kid could probably play this.
A few people asked for the Butter Chicken Mac & Cheese recipe. So, would you like to hear about more family recipes? Maybe in a little more detail?
We also asked last week about a BGG guild for The Family Gamers. If you’re avoiding social media, we’re happy to do a guild, but so far we’ve only heard from one person on this!
What’s the perfect kind of game to receive as a holiday gift? Is it about the games you like to play, or the environment to play them in?
Tell us on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, or in our Facebook community.
Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/community
Twitter (X): @familygamersaa
Instagram: @familygamersaa
TikTok: @familygamersaa
Bluesky: @familygamersaa
Threads: @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].
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 :)
Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors?
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 409 – Five Favorite Card Games appeared first on The Family Gamers.
Weather’s getting colder, time for something cozy!
The Haslam All-Sky Radio Continuum Survey used the 408 MHz radio spectrum to map the galactic sky around 1985. This map is still used today. It gets super technical, but if you’re interested in astronomy, check this out. Basically any time scientists want to measure anything outside the Milky Way, they use the Haslam survey to remove foreground distortion.
https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2009/22/aa12161-09/aa12161-09.html
First Move reminds us that we can think about our money like little workers in the worker placement game of life. If you need help figuring out where to place your dollar workers, reach out to First Move Financial. You can find them at firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers to schedule a time to talk today.
INK (review coming soon) – makes us think of Framework and Donut Shop with how well it’s put together. Here it is on BGA!
Duel for Cardia (review next week)
Bomb Busters
Chit Chat (review coming soon)
Zitternix – out of print. so happy to have a copy again!
Unmatched (Houdini vs. Sherlock Holmes / Bruce Lee vs. The Genie) – inspired by this episode of the First Player Token podcast
Odin
60 Second City
Jekyll & Hyde vs Scotland Yard
My City (our review)
Creature Comforts
Welcome to our newest community members! You can join the community on Facebook.
We asked about your heaviest games. A few of you answered on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, and in this post in the Facebook community.
What do YOU think about having a Family Gamers guild on BoardGameGeek?
The weather gets cooler, and it’s the perfect time to snuggle up with a hot beverage and a cozy game.
Calico (Flatout Games / AEG) – cozy, but challenging.
boop. (Smirk & Dagger) – mean but still cozy. Check our review – or boop the Halls !
Creature Comforts (Kids Table Board Gaming)
Arch Ravels (XYZ Game Labs)
Chai (Steeped Games) – our review
Flamecraft (Cardboard Alchemy / Lucky Duck Games) – our review
My Shelfie: The Dice Game (Cranio Creations / Lucky Duck Games) – our review
Leaf (Weird City Games) – our review
S’mores Galore (Mighty Acorn Games) – “exactly what I wanted in a smores-themed game”
Smug Owls (Runaway Parade) – a quiet and thoughtful party game. – our review
Butter chicken mac and cheese! We make this in the crockpot and pack it up for lunches.
Would you make this? Tell us what you think – and for the recipe, check out the Discord server.
We started talking about cozy games because it’s getting to be that time of the year in New England that we traditionally play cozy games.
Do you have a board game tradition related to a certain time of the year?
Tell us on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, or in our Facebook community.
Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/community
Twitter (X): @familygamersaa
Instagram: @familygamersaa
TikTok: @familygamersaa
Bluesky: @familygamersaa
Threads: @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].
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 :)
Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors?
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 408 – Top 10 Cozy Games appeared first on The Family Gamers.
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.
This one is for Zach. on 15 November 2012 a new world record was set. The most people flapping simultaneously is 407, achieved by Saint Joseph’s University (USA), in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
A successful financial life isn’t complex, but it does require discipline. The basics: create a budget; build an emergency fund; pay off high-interest debt; invest wisely; and educate yourself.
Remember, small steps today lead to big financial gains tomorrow. If you want to talk about the finer points of any of these, or if you need help getting unstuck in your situation, go to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers to set up a time to talk today.
My City (our review)
Hamster Roll (our review)
Drop It (our review)
Trio (our review)
Red Letter Yellow Letter (review next week!)
Spaceteam
Quacks of Quedlinburg
INK (review coming soon)
Duel for Cardia
Bomb Busters
Jekyll v. Hyde (our review)
Ham Helsing
Andrew: 13 unique games, played 32 times. Most played: My City (9 times!) and H-index of 3. Didn’t record anything he played at CuseCon though.
Anitra: 21 unique games, played 43 times. H-index: 4 (My City, Mr. Postmouse’s Picnic, Duel for Cardia, Trio). Over half played at 2 players (unusually high for Anitra).
Welcome to our newest community members! You can join the community too, on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/familygamersaa/posts/4172992196323572/
We asked about your favorite game(s) in 2025. You answered on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, and in this post in the Facebook community.
And check out Nick’s review of My Shelfie: The Dice Game!
Sometimes you just don’t have a lot of time to play. But if you have a little bit of time, you can still play!
Our top choices to end a game night or get the kids together quickly to play.
Great with 3-5 players, or even more:
Trio
Circus Flohcati
Get the MacGuffin
Strike (recommended in our “Top 10 Games for Teens”)
Similo – literally anyone can play.
Just One (if you play just a few rounds)
Only for 2 players:
Duel for Cardia (review coming soon – in the meantime, try it on BGA)
Jekyll vs. Hyde
Floristry
Quarto
Solo: A Gentle Rain
I’d love to learn a little more about our community. What is the heaviest game you own? If you went on Board Game Geek and looked at the game weight, what do you think your heaviest game is?
We found our heaviest is Keyflower, a 3.34 weight according to BGG.
Tell us on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, or in our Facebook community.
Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/community
Twitter (X): @familygamersaa
Instagram: @familygamersaa
TikTok: @familygamersaa
Bluesky: @familygamersaa
Threads: @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].
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 :)
Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors?
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 407 – Our Favorite 15-Minute Games appeared first on The Family Gamers.
Andrew just had a birthday! Let’s talk about his favorite games from this year.
Ted Williams had the best season batting average of anyone in the MLB: .406 in the 1941 season. Listen for the story of how he got there.
If you want to see if working with a financial advisor can help your situation set up a time to talk to First Move by going to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers today.
Mr. Postmouse’s Picnic (so much losing!)
My City (our review) – and a lesson on studying your kids’ preferences.
Tesla vs. Edison: Duel
Duel for Cardia (review coming soon) – try it on BGA
Run Run Run! (more losing!)
HiFi – we are divided on this one.
Welcome to our newest community members! You can join the community too, on Facebook.
We asked about themes that resonate with your family. You answered on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, and in this post in the Facebook community.
Sounds like for most people and most games, theme is a general push towards or away from a game.
We tried both. The Reeses-flavored Oreos were fine, but nothing special. Get peanut butter Oreos instead.
Oreo-flavored Reeses cups, however… really good. Although we disagree about how much “Oreo” is present.
This past week was Andrew’s birthday week. He did two crazy things for it. He drove to and from Syracuse for just ONE DAY of friends and gaming at CuseCon. And he also went to see Eric Clapton live in concert!
Let’s talk about what games Andrew liked the most this year from what he played.
Small/Medium Group Game: Trio (our review)
Two Player Game: Floristry (our review)
Party Game: Caution Signs (our review)
Co-operative Game: Paint the Roses (we talked about this in episodes 402 & 403)
Heavier Game: Tesla vs. Edison (see our old Valentine pun)
Most Looking Forward to: Compile: Main 2 (check out our review of Compile: Main 1)
What’s your favorite game that you played this year? The cream of the cardboard crop, whether it’s new or not?
Tell us on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, or in our Facebook community.
Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/community
Twitter (X): @familygamersaa
Instagram: @familygamersaa
TikTok: @familygamersaa
Bluesky: @familygamersaa
Threads: @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].
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 :)
Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors?
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 406 – Andrew’s Favorites in 2025! appeared first on The Family Gamers.