Trent, Author at The Board Game Family

Got any Spies and Turncoats?

“These are the times that try men’s souls.”

I’m sure many people may have uttered that phrase this past year. But we’re not here to talk about last year. Instead, we’re looking back to 1776 when Thomas Paine penned those words in The American Crisis.

Of course, we’re not here for a book report either, but instead to look at a social deduction card game set during the American Revolutionary War — Patriots & Redcoats by Green Feet Games.

In the game, players take on the roles of the Americans fighting to win independence and the British fighting to stop the rebellion. And like in typical social deduction type games, players are secretly assigned which side they’re on and must figure out who to eliminate to win.

But, be careful because players may also change loyalty along the way!

March 31, 2021 Trent 0 Comments 10-player, 4-player, 5-player, 6-player, 7-player, 8-player, 9-player, deduction, Green Feet Games, party, social, theme

Articles

11 Essential Storage Tips For The Growing Family Board Game Collection

Board games bring hours of fun and excitement, except when it comes to trying to find that missing piece. Efficiently storing your board games will keep your home tidy, as well as ensuring those little parts of the puzzle stay together.

Here, we share our top board game storage tips so you can effortlessly organize your collection.

March 28, 2021 Trent 1 Comment Board Games, storage

Board Games Cooperative Games Game Reviews

The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth board game review

It’s been a while since we’ve reviewed an epic board game. Well, we’ve got a doozy for you today!

The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth is a monster of a game from Fantasy Flight Games that we included in the Gamer Games section of last year’s Board Game Gift Guide.

It’s an epic game based on an epic story. But although the characters and themes are based in The Lord of the Rings lore, the adventure is completely new.

Like the Fellowship itself, the game is a cooperative experience for you and up to 4 of your friends. You’ll battle powerful foes, discover lost treasures, uncover forgotten lore, and customize your skills according to your role within the Fellowship.

Darkness will rise, shadows and corruption will expand and you’ll have to take a stand to survive.

March 16, 2021March 15, 2021 Trent 0 Comments 2-player, 3-player, 4-player, 5-player, campaign, fantasy, Fantasy Flight Games, Lord of the Rings, luck, solo, theme

Articles

17-Year Old Game Designer Q&A

How did your teenagers spend last summer when the world was shut down because of COVID-19?

Did they spend more time in front of a screen or did they find something more constructive to do with their time like Harrison Brooks?

Who is Harrison Brooks?

Well, he’s a 17-year old that designed and published a new card game called ElevatorUp and started selling it on Amazon.com last summer.

How’s that for making the most of summer vacation?

So we asked Harrison a few questions about the game, what prompted him to create it, and what the process was like. Here’s some of his story:

March 7, 2021 Trent 0 Comments card game, creative, designer

Board Games Family Games Game Reviews

Metro X Board Game Review

Years ago, when my wife and I took our long-anticipated trip to London, we were super excited to see so many sites. But we knew the first step to seeing them would be getting there!

So we headed to the Underground and pleasantly discovered the wonderful world of the Tube.

And now when we play Metro X, we can’t help but recall our fantastic week in London.

That’s because the Metro X board game is all about navigating your subway map in optimal fashion!

February 20, 2021February 20, 2021 Trent 3 Comments 2-player, 3-player, 4-player, 5-player, 6-player, Gamewright, luck, simultaneous, solo, write

Board Games Dice Games Family Games Game Reviews

Cubitos – a fun dice-building, racing game!

It’s time to get your race face on.

Because today we’re sharing all about this dice-building, dice-rolling, power-upping, push-your-luck, racing game!

It’s a new game by AEG called Cubitos.

And if you think you’re staring at SpongeBob SquarePants on the cover of the Cubitos game box, you’re not. What you are staring at though is a really big chunk of cheese wearing lederhosen!

Why? We have no idea.

But it definitely grabs attention. And if you’re like us, it makes you very curious about what’s inside. So, let’s dive in!

February 11, 2021February 27, 2021 Trent 0 Comments 2-player, 3-player, 4-player, AEG, dice, luck, push your luck, racing, variable set up

Board Games Family Games Game Reviews Kid Games

Butterfly collecting isn’t just fun for kids

Did you ever wander through fields swinging a net trying to catch butterflies?

Or if you haven’t experienced that joy, I bet you can still picture kids having fun in such an activity.

But can you imagine adults doing that same thing?

For some reason, it’s hard to imagine adults wandering around a field swinging butterfly nets to catch the flying insects.

So when we received the game Butterfly by Rio Grande Games, we just assumed it would be a game only kids would enjoy. But we were wrong!

Butterfly can be enjoyed by players of all ages.

January 27, 2021January 27, 2021 Trent 0 Comments 2-player, 3-player, 4-player, 5-player, kids, luck, Rio Grande Games, strategy, variable set up

Board Games Family Games Game Reviews Kid Games

Smart Four Connected board game review

Growing up, I loved playing a 3D version of 4-in-a-row game called Score Four.

Playing it made me feel so clever because I could look for tons of ways to get 4 in a row. I wasn’t limited to the 2-dimensional way to get 4 in a row like in Connect 4.

However, my siblings didn’t like playing it as much as I did, so the game sat on the shelf a lot. It’s hard to play a 2-player board game when you don’t have another person to play against.

But with Smart Four Connected, by Giiker, all that has changed!

January 16, 2021 Trent 1 Comment 2-player, digital, Giiker, physical, remote, solo, strategy

Articles

Can You Smell That? Aroma – a Game of Essence Q&A

One of the reasons why we love playing physical board games is because of their tactile nature. Moving pieces, rolling dice, and flipping cards is more satisfying to us than tapping an icon on a screen.

Board games give us a chance to interact face-to-face with other players and utilize more of our senses.

Yet, I can’t recall ever engaging my sense of smell as part of playing a board game. That’s why when I heard about Aroma – A Game of Essence, I was curious to learn more.

Here’s a Q&A I had with the designers about this fascinating new board game.