Anitra Smith is the managing editor of The Family Gamers, and co-host of The Family Gamers Podcast.
Explore the reviews and podcasts she has contributed to.
On this week’s episode, we are joined by Jon Mietling of Portal Dragon Games, to talk about the Kickstarter for his game Planetoid, his other games, and how games have helped him connect with his foster kids.
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Mostly a catching-up show this week, plus ten minutes talking about different approaches to gaming conventions. It should surprise no one that Andrew and Anitra get very different things out of the conventions we attend.
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Be a pretty princess and save yourself with sweet spells in Sparkle Kitty, a silly word game from Breaking Games. Hear our thoughts in 5 minutes with this audio review.
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Kids love the candy theme and the fun characters. But Candy Land is too hard, too long, and uninteresting.
So, what can we do about that?
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Deblockle is a beautiful and elegant game of abstract strategy that’s durable enough to keep on your coffee table – even with kids!
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We talk to Trevor Muller-Hegel about Split Perspective Studios. He’s creating variations of classic games (like chess and checkers), with new game designs coming out every month.
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“Those who don’t learn history are doomed to repeat it.” Games are one of the best ways to get facts to stick. We recommend some games that teach history, and games with a historical setting that will get you and your kids talking.
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The Champion of the Wild is a voting and negotiation game for 3-8 players. Coach your animal(s) to victory in a series of competitive events. Listen to our thoughts in about 5 minutes.
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We talk to Tom Clare about his game, The Champion of the Wild. If he could talk to animals, he’d put them into an elite sports competition!
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We look forward to 2019 and our most anticipated games, conventions, and Kickstarter fulfillments.
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Xtronaut introduces a level of realism we don’t see in other space-themed games. Its mission: to introduce kids to the wonders of space flight.
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Daniel Zayas is well-known in boardgaming circles, especially on Facebook. We talk to him about snow and football… but then get to the real reason we’re here: his new game! Tangled Timelines Tangled Timelines is a card game, on Kickstarter starting January 22nd. Tangled Timelines is a strongly thematic set-collection game. Start with a hand of 4 cards, representing different
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Mix potions faster than your opponent in this micro-game from Button Shy. Potions Class sits at a low simmer for us; with just a few changes, it could hit a rolling boil.
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We discuss our top games from 2018 – and ask the kids about theirs. Plus Boardgame in the Middle, what we’ve been playing, and Backtalk!
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Welcome to the exciting world of bug collecting! Snatch bugs off the rug to add to your collection, but watch out for the bugs you don’t catch – they’ll fly onto the wall and do tricky things.
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California rolls, cucumber rolls, soy sauce, wasabi – sounds delicious. In Maki Stack, you stack wooden replicas of these items. Does Maki Stack stack up? Listen to our SNAP review in under 5 minutes, or read on below.
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Happy (almost) New Year! We’re back to doing “regular” shows after our PAXU blitz, and it feels good.
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Drop It was designed by Bernhard Lach & Uwe Rapp and published by KOSMOS. It feels a bit like Connect 4 played with tangram shapes, if your object was to make as few lines as possible. Hear our impressions of this strategic dexterity game in about 6 minutes, or read on for more.
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Simon’s Cat Card Game is a simple shedding game with a minor twist. The suits aren’t evenly distributed, and you take a “mess” if you can’t play a card on your turn.
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Friends ask me on a regular basis about good games for very young children or children who have learning impairments. How can you have a game that’s fun without counting or even color matching?
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