199 – Our Families Play Games – The Family Gamers Podcast

This week, we are joined by Mik and Starla from Our Family Plays Games!

But first, a word from our sponsor, First Move Financial – and it ties in with the number 199!

We find out that Grant (Mik & Starla’s son) edits all their videos! Wow, he’s doing a great job.

What have you been playing lately?

Suburbia (Bezier Games)

Everdell (Starling Games)

Unmatched: Cobble & Fog (Restoration Games), and Unmatched: Bigfoot & Robin Hood

We got a little off the rails here…

Champions of Midgard

Lords of Waterdeep

Roll Player

Following last week’s episode, our kids have been asking to play Toasted or Roasted (Education Outdoors)

The Kids of Carcassonne – the more we play it, the more we like it.

Quacks of Quedlinburg

Terra Mystica (find it on Board Game Arena)

Rock Paper Switch

SNAP Review – Valley of the Vikings

What do Vikings, bowling, and falling off a dock have to do with collecting coins? We don’t know either, but they all go together in Valley of the Vikings from HABA. See pictures and read the transcript at the SNAP review page.

Our Family Plays Games

Mik and Starla have been posting weekly videos for about six months now.

They started playing modern hobby board games around seven years ago. They were tired of playing the same old Monopoly, Sorry, etc. with their son. So Mik started researching other games online. They started with Forbidden Island, only to discover that Starla doesn’t like cooperative games. Then they found Catan, and that was the gateway to trying lots of other games.

Why did you start making videos?

It started with a Facebook page. Mik and Starla were going to meet-ups and conventions, but weren’t seeing people who looked like them. “When you see people who look like you, you get that comfortable feeling. You feel happy, you feel OK.” Living in Texas, the reception of black people in larger gaming groups was mixed.

They made a few great friends who helped them feel welcome anyway. But as they continued to reach out, they couldn’t find many content creators who were focused on gaming as a family or people of color. So they decided to start their own Youtube channel that combined both, and be a resource for people of color who are looking for more about board gaming.

Their goal is to get more people of color to enjoy this hobby, which is so valuable to keep families together.

Andrew & Anitra really connected with the video series called “Beyond Monopoly”. We talk about what prevents people from joining the larger gaming community.

“There’s not enough designers who look like us, there’s not enough boxes that look like us… not enough games that represent our stories.”

Mik

“We want all of those views to have an opportunity to be shared.”

Starla

We agree over our love of game stores that are actually local and friendly! It shouldn’t take a lot of effort to meet people where they are.

How do you get your teenager to play?

We heard that Mik & Starla’s teenage son does all the video editing. Good for him! We try to get our kids involved and it doesn’t always go well. What’s it like trying to pull in a teenager to family game time?

Take away the phone and other screen time, but find games they like! His favorite games are King of Tokyo, Champions of Midgard, Survive!. They also have a grown daughter, and she prefers lighter but cerebral games like Love Letter and Codenames. Everybody likes Quacks of Quedlinburg.

Let’s make sure our kids get a balance and variety. We’ve talked about taking time out at cons to do non-board-game things. Maybe a video-gaming room or a Smash Bros tournament? This is what kids (and teenagers) are most familiar with and it probably feels like a nice break.

But we parents love to see our kids’ minds at work, and board games are great for that!

What about introducing other family members to games?

We recommend Codenames, Splendor, and Ticket to Ride. Splendor has great components and simple rules, and Ticket to Ride is so engaging. Here at TFG we especially recommend Ticket to Ride: New York, since it’s nice and short.

Where can we find Our Family Plays Games online?

Twitter: @Our_Plays
Facebook: @OurFamilyPlaysGames
Instagram: @OurFamilyPlaysGames
Youtube: Our Family Plays Games

And check out their T-shirts, with cool graphic design by Starla!

Find Us Online:

Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/community
Twitter (X): @familygamersaa
Instagram: @familygamersaa
TikTok: @familygamersaa
Youtube: TheFamilyGamers

or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord

Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.

Check out our new Family Gamers and Play Games with Your Kids merchandise – T-shirts, hoodies, and mugs – at thefamilygamers.com/merch.

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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.

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