A lot of us have picked up new hobbies and skills during the pandemic. One of my new skills has been starting to learn to be a Tabletop RPG Gamemaster (GM) via some pre-made game sets that have been designed to get our two kids A (a fifth grader) and W (a second grader) into […]
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My introduction to How The Grinch Stole Christmas came through a glimpse of the green meanie in Home Alone. An English childhood lends itself more to Beatrix Potter than Dr. Seuss, and it was years before I actually saw this classic movie in full and became somewhat obsessed with the deep tones of Thurl Ravenscroft. […]
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Sometimes it’s the little card games that can create lots of fun. Funko Games has been releasing a lot of smaller card games this year that are perfect for taking to a relative’s house or tucking into a Christmas stocking. Do you want to be able to play a quick game with the kids, but […]
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What is The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim The Adventure Game? The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim The Adventure Game is an official tabletop game based on the hugely popular Skyrim video game. The game can be played solo or cooperatively with up to four players aged 15 and up, but with an expansion, this can be […]
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Components for ‘Escape Puzzle Kids: Jungle Journey.’ Photo by Elizabeth MacAndrew. One of my favorite additions to the Ravensburger puzzle line is their Escape Puzzle line, which is designed to essentially be an escape room in a puzzle. I’ve reviewed several titles from that line here and here. Since my fifth-grader is really good at […]
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There are a couple of quotes that get bandied around with alarming frequency in our family. “You shall not pass” is a family favorite, though most in our house have yet to see the movies, and of course, “One does not simply…” is employed regularly. Throw in a handful of lines from Bluey, a smattering […]
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One of my top finds at PAX Aust 2021 was the tabletop game Land vs Sea; which, in itself, was quite an achievement since the event was completely online. Not an easy event for tabletop designers but Land vs Sea stood out in the Tabletop Simulator area. This game is easy to learn, easy to […]
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Note: Before gathering any family, please make sure those who are able to be vaccinated are fully vaccinated, and use other recommended precautions in general. Today is apparently National Jigsaw Day in the UK, and we’re celebrating by talking about some really neat puzzles. Jigsaw puzzles are a fun activity for family gatherings, especially those […]
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For the second year in a row, PAX Australia moved to the digital space. And while I am ever grateful for the virtual networking with my fellow gamers, I truly miss the “vibe” of PAX Aust in real life. I miss hearing the enthusiasm of people playing video games in the Indie Showcase. I miss […]
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Congratulations! We made it through 31 Days of Halloween Games! Not like it was a hard slog or anything. Quests like this are always easier when you share them with family and friends. That’s why I let my kids choose Game #31: Luigi’s Mansion 3 Multiplayer. It’s not the newest game in the catalog, but […]
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Congratulations! We made it through 31 Days of Halloween Games! Not like it was a hard slog or anything. Quests like this are always easier when you share them with family and friends. That’s why I let my kids choose Game #31: Luigi’s Mansion 3 Multiplayer. It’s not the newest game in the catalog, but […]
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It’s a beautiful day and we have decided to go on a hiking adventure. In the foothills of the mountains, we breathe deep of fresh air and pine needles. But wait! What’s this? We’ve forgotten a key item of gear! Can we borrow from a fellow hiker? Is there a supply hut to visit? Will […]
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It goes without saying that The Goonies is a beloved 80’s movie classic. It’s a movie we’ve enjoyed sharing with both of our elementary aged kids. Last Spring, when I discovered that Funko Games was releasing a Goonies themed tabletop rpg board game, I knew it was something we had to get our hands on […]
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It goes without saying that The Goonies is a beloved 80’s movie classic. It’s a movie we’ve enjoyed sharing with both of our elementary aged kids. Last Spring, when I discovered that Funko Games was releasing a Goonies themed tabletop rpg board game, I knew it was something we had to get our hands on […]
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I remember traveling from England to Walt Disney World in 1992 and being exposed to the ride It’s a Small World for the first time. It wasn’t referenced in British popular culture the way it was in the States, but even then you could tell it was part of the zeitgeist. It has since been […]
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I love Halloween. The combination of candy, costumes, and decorations is my absolute favorite. I particularly love cute Halloween plushies or shirts or even games that play on some spooky and supernatural elements. The Boo Hollow line from Funko was quick to roll a critical against my wallet, and I was delighted to see Funko […]
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When I was a kid I both loved and hated Mouse Trap. I loved the construction of the game, I loved watching the trap click clack it’s way down to catch the mouse, or catch thin air. I didn’t enjoy waiting the whole game to have construction completed. The new Disney game from Funko, takes […]
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As a child of the 90’s, Gargoyles was one of my husband’s favorite cartoons. When Ravensburger announced a Gargoyles based board game earlier this year, we knew it was something we were going to have to check out and Ravensburger was kind enough to send us our own copy to review. What is Gargoyles: Awakening? […]
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We have a wide variety of game players in our house right now. My eleven year old is currently having a bit of a moment with Exploding Kittens, but with him we can get away with games that can be high on intensity and comprehension. Our nine year old will join in with most things, […]
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When I was in my first year of school, many moons ago, one of my classmates was a deaf person. It seemed like an easy decision for all of us to learn the basics of Auslan (Northern), also known as Australian Sign Language. Almost 40-years later, I still remember the alphabet, simple counting, some animals, […]
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One of our favorite board game brands for kids is the German-based company HABA, and we’ve been lucky enough over the past few years to be able to review a number of their titles. It’s been a while since we’ve gotten a new HABA title in our house, but recently we got the chance to […]
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Everyone in our house has a soft spot for the Toy Story franchise. When my eldest son turned two, we gave him a talking Woody doll, and now we have a tote box full of toys that get pulled out on a regular rotation. From five to eleven, all the kids still enjoy playing with […]
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Full disclaimer: I did not watch the Olympics. Despite hailing from a Sports-Obsessed country, I genuinely have absolutely no interest in the Olympics; Summer or Winter. However, I am fascinated with Japan. From professional studies to my all-around personal love, I absolutely believe Japan deserved all the attention it could get from the Olympic coverage. […]
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As a child of the ’90s, Darkwing Duck was a vital part of my after-school routine along with the other cartoons from The Disney Afternoon programming. I still fondly remember the debut of Drake Mallard and his alter ego Darkwing Duck, and thanks to Disney+, my children discovered the entire Disney Afternoon lineup while stuck […]
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Marvel is one of the biggest franchise properties in our house and has been for quite some time. As boardgamers, this means we get excited to check out any tie-in games that are Marvel related. I was super excited to see Funko Games bring Marvel into the Funkoverse with the additions of Funkoverse: Marvel 100 […]
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My kids (ages 7 and 10) and I are big Marvel fans and love board games, so when any new game featuring Marvel characters hits our radar, we immediately have to take a look into it. When I first saw the images for Marvel Battleworld: Treachery at Twilight, my first thought was “my kids don’t […]
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This post was sponsored by Storyastic. We had the chance to interview Chip and Dana Brown, founders of Storyastic, about how families can use “the gamification of conversation” to reconnect with each other, and how playing games together strengthens relationships and fosters a healthy, happy family life. Dana is a former Walt Disney Imagineer and […]
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Walt Disney’s Alice in Wonderland is one of the few animated classics from it’s era to remain unscathed when re-watching it with our kids. It doesn’t have to be prefaced with a warning that ideas and standards have changed, it just has to be prefaced with the warning that Lewis Carroll had a wild imagination. […]
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There are no less than four (4) different Chess sets in our home… possibly five if the spawnlings are bored and decide to makeshift one. It’s not that we are a chess-crazed family. On the contrary, I’m pretty sure it’s been a solid three months since I last had my butt handed to me by […]
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A few themes seem to never go out of fashion, one of them being the ever-popular PIRATES. Of course, this is helped along by recent news like game updates or new movies. And yet there is something everlasting about the nature of pirates. We have heard tall tales and survival stories for many ships and […]
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