Tulikko board game
Board Games Family Games 

Tulikko board game review

Tile-laying games are some of our family’s favorite board games.

There’s something satisfying about watching a colorful puzzle slowly come together over the course of a game. And when a game adds an interesting twist to the formula, we’re even more eager to give it a try.

So, when we saw the colorful tiles and unique drafting mechanism in Tulikko by Pandasaurus Games, we were excited to give it a go.

Tulikko takes a familiar tile-laying formula and adds a unique tile-drafting mechanism that makes every turn feel interesting. Combined with gorgeous artwork, quick gameplay, easy-to-learn rules, and variable goals, it creates a fun game experience.

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Flip 7 With a Vengeance card game
Card Games Family Games Game Reviews Kid Games Party Games 

Flip 7 and Flip 7 With A Vengeance Card Game Review

Card games don’t usually explode onto the family gaming scene overnight, but that’s exactly what happened with Flip 7.

Since its release in 2024 by The Op Games, this little push-your-luck card game has made a splash worldwide.

And after playing it many times with our own family and friends over the past year, it’s easy to see why.

Flip 7 is one of those rare games that’s instantly approachable.

You can teach the rules in one minute, the rounds are quick, players of all ages can enjoy it, and everyone wants to play “just one more time.” It creates laughs, nervous tension, and memorable moments without requiring a lot of focus. That combination makes it a fantastic family card game.

Then came Flip 7 With A Vengeance — a more aggressive version that keeps the same core gameplay while adding more player interaction and opportunities to mess with each other.

Both games are excellent for families, but they create slightly different experiences at the table. So let’s dive into how to play, what makes them fun, and which version might be the best fit for your family.

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Rubik’s Tetris Cube
Game Reviews 

Rubik’s Tetris Cube Review: Familiar Moves, Different Headache

The Rubik’s x Tetris crossover combines two of the most legendary shape-based puzzle games into one fun ride. The goal is to restore all six iconic Tetris Tetriminos to their original forms.

As someone who’s been solving different styles of Rubik’s cubes for a few years, I found the Rubik’s Tetris Cube both fun and infuriating. For reference, I can usually solve a standard 3×3 cube in about 90 seconds. My first solve on the Rubik’s Tetris Cube took about 20 minutes! 

Rated at level 4 difficulty, the Rubik’s Tetris Cube is designed for ages 8+.

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SaltCon Spring 2023
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5 Hot Games I’m looking forward to at SaltCon Spring 2026

SaltCon Spring 2026 is only a couple of weeks away and the excitement is building.

I’ve attended our local board game convention near Salt Lake City, Utah for 15 years and have loved seeing it grow every year. More than 2,500 people are anticipated to attend again this year to enjoy 4 days of gaming fun.

One of the aspects I look forward to each year is trying out some of the Hot Games.

These are recent board game releases that so many people are interested in playing that the organizers set up dedicated tables just for these games. Rather than only having a copy or two in the Game Library for people to check out. These games are always set up and volunteers are in place to teach the games over and over. That way a ton more people get a chance to try them out.

From the 8 Hot Games this year, the 5 I’m most looking forward to playing are:

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Skull board game
Board Games Family Games Game Reviews Party Games 

Skull – Is it a fun game or colorful drink coasters?

Forget the regular preamble to a board game review. We’ll cut right to the chase – Skull is an absolutely hit with everyone we’ve introduced the game to.

It’s a short game packed with strategizing, guessing, second guessing, and bluffing. Yes, bluffing.

While players don’t actually lie during the game, the way they choose their disks and state how many disks they think they can safely flip, they can definitely influence other players into thinking one way or another.

To do well, you’ll need to anticipate what your opponents will do and try to call their bluff at the right times while also making careful choices yourself.

And that’s exactly why we keep playing Skull over and over again.

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25 Words or Less party game
Family Games Game Reviews Party Games 

25 Words or Less party game review

“I can name that tune in 5 notes.”
“You go ahead and name that tune!”

That’s exactly what I thought when reading the rules to 25 Words or Less, a new game from The Op Games.

Since most of our readers won’t be familiar with the 1970’s TV game show, Name That Tune, I’ll briefly explain. Essentially contestants would battle for how quickly they could name a song. They bid lower and lower until one contestant stopped and forced the other to name the song in that many notes.

In a similar vein, in 25 Words or Less teams compete to see which team can guess the 5 answers on a card in as few word clues as possible.

But efficiency of word clues isn’t the only challenge – because the sand timer is also ticking away.

If you’re up for a fun team word challenge, keep on reading.

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Scream! card game
Card Games Family Games Game Reviews 

Scream! card game review

If a tree falls in the woods, does it make a sound?

How about, If a camper screams in the woods because they spot strange creatures throughout their campsite, will they be heard?

Well, you better hope you can clear your campsite of those creatures before the end of the game. Because the player with the safest campsite will be declared the winner in this new game from Bezier Games called Scream!

A couple of years ago, Bezier Games published a card game called Scram! The setting in that game is players returning to their campsite after a hike to find their campsite ransacked by woodland critters. They need to clear their campsite of those pesky critters.

Well, now its night time and these campsites are teaming with a beings that are a lot worse than pesky mice and squirrels. In Scream! players are dealing with werewolves, zombies, aliens, and more.

And perhaps even worse, they’ll have to deal with other players potentially bluffing!

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Top Tier party game
Board Games Family Games Game Reviews Party Games 

Top Tier party game review

It’s always been popular to rank things.

By human nature, we feel compelled to place all sorts of things in order of preference.

And with the meteoric rise of our online world, ranking things have reached all time highs.

So why not make a new party along those same lines?

Top Tier, recently published by Indie Boards & Cards, is exactly that.

It’s a light party game where players take turns ranking contenders based on a crazy category and the rest of the players try to guess the rankings.

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Board Games Family Games Game Reviews 

Finspan board game review

In 2019, Wingspan took the world by storm.

Rookie game designer, Elizabeth Hargrave, hit a home run on her debut board game with a Kennerspiel des Jahres win. Board game lovers and bird lovers alike all flocked to it. It’s a card-driven, engine-building board game featuring 180 unique birds. Since its initial publication, Stonemaier Games has sold over 2 million copies of Wingspan!

Inspired by that success, Stonemaier Games published Wyrmspan in 2024. It’s a dragon-themed board game with similarities to Wingspan but with plenty of unique elements and an added level of complexity.

Which leads us to the release earlier this year of Finspan.

With 125 unique fish cards, Finspan has players diving into the oceans for aquatic life. They’ll grow their collection of fish, discover fresh eggs, hatch them into young, and nurture them into schools to gain the most points.

So the big question is, “Is Finspan just a quick spinoff without substance, or is it a good game of its own accord?”

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The Search for Planet X deduction game
Board Games Family Games Game Reviews 

The Search for Planet X deduction game review

I love logic puzzles.

In fact, a number of years ago, I bought a stack of back issues of Penny Dell Logic Puzzles so I could rattle through logic puzzles during flights on business trips.

As such, I also love good deduction board games.

I enjoy thinking through various logic conditions to figure out the solution in a deduction game before the other players. And modern deduction board games have come a long way from classic Clue.

So when I heard about The Search for Planet X, by Renegade Game Studios, it caught my attention.

I got a copy of the game at SaltCon Spring 2024, and was immediately hooked from my very first play. Since then, I’ve played it with family and friends – many of who have bought a copy of their own. Yep, it’s a good one.

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