Episode 332 – You Ask, We Answer

This week, we tackle YOUR questions!

332 Fact

The Tuskeegee Airmen were a group of primarily African American military pilots and airmen who fought in World War II. The name refers to the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group, as well as all the support personnel associated with both groups.

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What We’ve Been Playing

We played more games in the last 3 days than we had played for over a week before that!

Unmatched: Houdini vs. The Genie – we really need to try these characters against some of our other Unmatched sets.
Wildtails: A Pirate Legacy
Matching puzzle game and Pictionary – we crushed it!
KuZOOka
Wonder Woods – mushrooms!
Scribbly Gum

SNAP Review – Scribbly Gum

We love this all-ages flip-and-write game from Phil Walker-Harding. It’s currently only available in Australia, but we hope it will go around the world soon!

We highly recommend you watch the video for this cute game.

Welcome new members

Stop in to our Facebook community and say hi!

And now, on to your questions!

Backtalk… Extended! We Answer Your Questions

Normally, we ask you for Backtalk (although we won’t take it from our kids…) This week, we wanted to answer listener questions, and you gave us plenty!

Family Gift with Widely Different Interests

Adam asks about what would make a good gift for a family with preteens. The girl likes Tiny Towns and Dream House and the boy likes D&D-styled games (Small World, Castle Panic)?

Anitra recommends: Merchants of Magick has a theme that bridges the gap! You’re creating magical items that adventurers would use in a fantasy adventure setting and the variety of dice also lean into the theme.

Andrew also recommends Adventure Mart and Flamecraft, which are both very cute. Adventure Mart has you run a cute (and complex!) shop. Flamecraft has you collecting all kinds of resources… with dragons!

Anitra also recommends Quacks of Quedlinburg which has a fantasy theme but is entirely different style. Simply building your own bag and potion(s).

Games with Longevity

Shaun asks for games that you can play with little kids and still continue to enjoy as they grow up.

Our community immediately recommended Drop It and Karuba.

These have to be games that have simple mechanics and little or no reading, but won’t get stale. “Single flip” games (like Karuba) let parents model what to do with little kids.

Anitra recommends some games that the family has been playing since the kids were little: Kingdomino, Onitama, and Lanterns: The Harvest Festival. All of these are a stretch for a younger kid, but which they’ll grow into more over time. All three of these have expansions you can add if they start to feel stale later.

Dexterity games are also great for this, but what kind of dexterity is good depends on your family. We love Drop It and stacking games (in particular, Beasts of Balance), but flicking games have not lasted for us.

Smart Kid, Short Attention Span

Stephanie asks about games that have more involved mechanics but minimal set up and quick game play.

Andrew recommends Scout – it flows quickly and feels similar to UNO with more challenge.

Anitra recommends games that go quickly and can build strategy or add new ideas game after game: Kingdomino Origins, Zombie Kidz Evolution.

Andrew also recommends abstract games like Quarto that stay short.

What about Draftosaurus (plays fast, low setup) or Panic Island (literally 60-second play time!)?

Game for a Deserted Island

JP of the Whose Turn is it Anyway Podcast asks for a recommendation for “4 people stranded on a deserted island with no power and limited chance of rescue to try and stave of the thought of eating each other over time?”

Andrew says Cinco Linko – it won’t get damaged by sun, sand, or water… and the pieces kind of look like candy. So you’ll be tempted to eat the pieces before you eat your friends. ;)

Anitra recommends: NO food-themed games! How about 7 Wonders, which you can play over and over again and try different things every time?

Side note: we like the idea that all the Matt Leacock cooperative games are linked: Mole rats escape the sinking island (Forbidden Island), crash the helicopter into the desert (Forbidden Desert), dig up the rocket, then fly from the sky islands (Forbidden Sky) to the snake-infested space station (Space Escape, AKA Mole Rats in Space).

Story or Campaign in a Light Fantasy World

Mark tells us that his girls love Flamecraft but want to try something with more of a story, but staying away from anything too dark. He asks about Hogwarts Battle, CoraQuest, and My City specifically.

Andrew recommends kid-focused RPGs such as No Thank You Evil, Magical Kitties Save the Day. Robit Riddle is another great storytelling game that doesn’t need a dungeon master. If you want a more strongly guided adventure, you might like Stuffed Fables (although our family struggled to get into it.)

We enjoy My City, but there’s no story there, so it’s probably not the right choice for this situation.

Hogwarts Battle or Toy Story: Obstacles and Adventures carry you through a familiar story. But it can get frustrating with how much gets “reset” after each play.

CoraQuest is a great, light RPG! And so is Hero Kids (and cheap!)

Mysteries and Puzzles

Stephanie asks about mystery and puzzle games for a 7 year old who is a strong reader and has already enjoyed Unlock Kids, Micro Macro Crime City, Junior Detective, etc.

First, know that there are more quests coming soon for Kids Chronicles: Quest for the Moonstones !

Andrew recommends: Zombie Kidz Flashback (the newest in the Zombie Kidz series) has a lot of mystery solving. Spy Club has a kid-friendly mystery theme, but is probably more than a 7-year-old can handle.

Anitra recommends the easier, family-friendly EXIT boxes, specifically EXIT: The Enchanted Forest and EXIT: The House of Riddles, and the Clever Kids Mysteries (which are print-and-play, so you can start right away!)

Andrew also recommends The Key series (we reviewed Theft at Cliffrock Villa and Sabotage at Lucky Llama Land), which are logical deduction with a crime-solving theme. Each game has 9 puzzles, but you can definitely replay all of them.

Anitra also recommends The Grimm Masquerade and Dinosaur Tea Party, which ask you to solve a mystery based on information that the other players reveal (like Guess Who?)

More Questions?

Keep reaching out! We love helping families find games that work for them and sharing our recommendations.

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