The Board Game Family

Raccoon Tycoon Board Game Review

Raccoons get a bad rap.

With their bandit-mask look and stealthy scavenging in the dark, they’re so often portrayed as nefarious creatures.

Well, Forbidden Games decided to shake up that portrayal and create a family board game about enterprising raccoons instead.

Enter Raccoon Tycoon!

And it’s not just the raccoons – Cats, Dogs, Skunks, Foxes, and Bears all get in on the action in this light economic board game.

They’re all just going about their business of building railroads, establishing towns, constructing industrial buildings, and influencing the commodities markets.

Now, doesn’t that sound like a fun way for critters to spend their time?

April 18, 2023April 20, 2023 Trent 1 Comment

Board Games Cooperative Games Family Games Game Reviews

Decorum board game review

How well do you get along with the people living under your same roof? Do you know what makes them happy? And can you provide that?

Well, even if you can’t help out in that regard, you can at least try to make them happy with their decorating goals in a fun cooperative board game by Floodgate Games – Decorum!

Decorum is a cooperative, hidden information game where players try to decorate their shared home in a way that makes everyone happy. The catch is that you don’t know what’s going to make the other players happy!

You must deduce what types of things make them happy by what changes they make to the decorations in the various rooms during their turns. Hopefully you’ll all be able to figure that out and arrange things just so before the game ends or you’re not going to survive in the same house for long.

March 25, 2023April 19, 2023 Trent 0 Comments 2-player, 3-player, 4-player, cooperative, Floodgate Games, strategy, theme

Articles Board Games Card Games Cooperative Games Dice Games Family Games Game Reviews Kid Games Party Games

15 Games Played at SaltCon 2023

SaltCon Spring just keeps getting bigger and better every year!

This year over 2,000 people enjoyed playing board games, card games, dice games, party games, and more for 4 days straight as part of SaltCon Spring 2023.

And with that many people, there’s a broad range of gaming interests. That’s why there are also areas in the convention center set aside for RPGs, miniatures painting, dexterity games, play-to-win games, competitions, and an Artemis Spaceship Bridge Simulator.

But even as the event itself keeps getting bigger, this year the game playing for me was much more intimate.

March 14, 2023March 14, 2023 Trent 0 Comments SaltCon

Board Games Family Games Game Reviews

Namiji board game review

A decade ago, Funforge released a family board game called Tokaido where players are travelers crossing the “East sea road”, one of the most magnificent roads of Japan. In the game, players collect beautiful items, discover great panoramas, stop for meals, and visit temples – enjoying the journey along the way.

As if to mark a 10-anniversary of Tokaido, last year Funforge and Asmodee released a new board game called Namiji featuring similar game play with a slightly different theme. Instead of traveling a road in Japan, players are now Japanese anglers seeking a fruitful journey at sea.

Those familiar with Tokaido will feel right at home when playing Namiji. And those that haven’t yet played Tokaido, will discover a delightful game to enjoy with their family and friends.

February 28, 2023February 28, 2023 Trent 0 Comments 2-player, 3-player, 4-player, 5-player, Asmodee, family, Funforge, luck, strategy, theme

Articles

SaltCon Coming in 2 weeks!

The SaltCon Math Trade has just finished and I’m super excited because it means the big, local board game convention is only 2 weeks away!

What is SaltCon? And what is the SaltCon Math Trade?

Well, I’m more than happy to tell you.

February 18, 2023 Trent 4 Comments

Board Games Family Games Game Reviews Party Games

Sounds Fishy party game review

When you hear something you can’t quite believe, you say it “sounds fishy”.

And that’s exactly what you’ll be saying while playing Sounds Fishy from Big Potato Games.

That’s because most of the stuff you’ll hear will be completely made up!

The game reminds us a lot of Balderdash and Beyond Balderdash, where players make up answers to factoids.

However, Sounds Fishy is much easier and quicker to play and is packed with more interesting facts that leave players scratching their heads.

January 14, 2023 Trent 3 Comments 10-player, 4-player, 5-player, 6-player, 7-player, 8-player, 9-player, Big Potato Games, bluffing, party, trivia

Articles Board Games Card Games Cooperative Games Dice Games Family Games Game Reviews Kid Games Party Games Top 10 Lists

15 Stocking Stuffer Games for 2022

Time is ticking down and there are only a few more shopping days left until Christmas Day.

If that puts you in a frantic rush for finding game gifts for your friends and family this year, we can help with that!

For starters, jump over to our 2022 Board Game Gift Guide and you’ll find a bunch of great games to choose from as gifts.

If you already have what you need with those game gifts and just need a few smaller games to pack a Christmas stocking with game goodies, then this list of 15 recommended games is for you.

December 21, 2022December 20, 2023 Trent 2 Comments card, dice, luck, party, Star Wars, top 10

Board Games Cooperative Games Family Games Game Reviews

Exit: The Game + Puzzle – The Sacred Temple game review

We’ve played a lot of “escape room” board games and card games over the years. They’re full of riddles and puzzles to solve as you cooperatively try to get out of whatever predicament the story has you caught up in.

But rarely do these types of games include actual puzzles to put together!

However, that’s exactly the case with Exit: The Game + Puzzle – The Sacred Temple.

In this EXIT game by Kosmos, in addition to the riddles and challenges along the way, you’ll put together 4 actual puzzles!

Then you’ll look for more riddles/puzzles within those puzzles to progress further on your journey.

If you like puzzles within your puzzles, then read on…

December 15, 2022 Trent 0 Comments 2-player, 3-player, 4-player, cooperative, escape room, Kosmos, puzzle, solo

Board Games Cooperative Games Family Games Game Reviews Party Games

So Clover! game review

A true mark of a fantastic game is when your teenagers pull it out to play over and over.

And you know it’s an even bigger hit when they want to play it during dinner night after night.

Such has been the case with So Clover!

That’s also why it was such an easy decision to include it in our 2022 Board Game Gift Guide.

Repos Production has struck gold again with this super easy to play and fun cooperative party game.

December 9, 2022 Trent 0 Comments 3-player, 4-player, 5-player, 6-player, cooperative, family, party, Repos Production

Board Games Family Games Game Reviews

Play the villain in Star Wars Villainous

I’m currently watching Andor on Disney+ and loving it.

With Disney pumping out more and more Star Wars shows (The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Tales of the Jedi, The Book of Boba Fett, and much more) it’s no wonder Ravensburger recently released Star Wars Villainous: Power of the Dark Side.

Designed with a similar premise to the popular game Disney Villainous, players take on the roles of popular villains to achieve their nefarious goals before their opponents reach theirs.

Only this time, players get to be their favorite Star Wars villains in Star Wars Villainous!