Trent, Author at The Board Game Family

King of Tokyo: Dark Edition game review

In 2012 we reviewed one of the hot new board games that year, King of Tokyo.

King of Tokyo is a push-your-luck board game where you get to play “king of the hill” using dice, special ability power cards, and cool monsters.

It’s no wonder why it jumped to “hot game” status because it’s easy to play and a lot of fun for up to 6 players.

iello quickly published an expansion for the game, King of Tokyo: Power Up. And a couple of year later released King of New York.

Last year, they published a collector’s edition of the game called King of Tokyo: Dark Edition and we’re excited to share our thoughts about it.

July 4, 2021 Trent 0 Comments 2-player, 3-player, 4-player, 5-player, 6-player, dice, iello, luck

Board Games Cooperative Games Family Games Game Reviews

Break In: Area 51 – Game Review

Congratulations! You’ve successfully completed your mission.

Unfortunately, you left your spaceship behind and the humans have captured it and are taking it apart in a place they call “Area 51”.

You better break in and get it back before it’s too late. Otherwise, you’ll never be able to return home.

What are you waiting for? Get going!

June 24, 2021 Trent 0 Comments 2-player, 3-player, 4-player, 5-player, 6-player, cooperative, escape, PlayMonster, solo, thinking

Articles

Theme Every Game Night with Medieval Collectibles

Cosplay has exploded over the past two decades and the resources available to fans to make or buy costumes and accessories of all sorts has kept pace.

One such resource is Medieval Collectibles — a one-stop-shop for collectors of medieval weapons, renaissance clothing, and many other such items.

To get a first hand look at the high quality and range of their items, they sent us a Black Hilt Rapier and a Norman Crusader Guarding Door Bookend.

To cut to the chase, we’re extremely impressed with both items.

June 15, 2021June 15, 2021 Trent 0 Comments theme

Board Games Family Games Game Reviews Kid Games

Bananagrams Duel Word Game Review

I’m not a big fan of word games in general.

However, there are a few that buck the trend and end up being word games I enjoy playing.

For example, though millions of people love playing Scrabble, I steer clear of it. Yet I quite enjoy playing Boggle. And the team word game, Word on the Street, is one of my favorite party games.

So when we got a copy of Bananagrams Duel from Bananagrams, the big question was, will this 2-player, dice-rolling, word-building, race-game buck that trend as well?

Let’s find out!

June 11, 2021 Trent 0 Comments 2-player, Bananagrams, family, spelling, word

Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig Secrets and Soirees board game

Board Games Family Games Game Reviews

Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig: Secrets & Soirees – expansion game review

The king is at it again!

More crazy castles to build with your neighbors plus options to go it alone!

Last year we reviewed a fun game from Stonemaier Games called Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig. It was a mash up of two games we really enjoy — Between Two Cities and Castles of Mad King Ludwig. And they did a fantastic job bringing those two games together in yet another enjoyable game.

So of course we were excited to get a chance to review this new expansion, Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig: Secrets & Soirees.

And it’s time to share our thoughts about the expansion game!

May 23, 2021 Trent 1 Comment 2-player, 3-player, 4-player, 5-player, 6-player, 7-player, 8-player, castles, cooperative, solo, Stonemaier Games, strategy, theme, tile-laying

Board Games Family Games Game Reviews

Disney: The Haunted Mansion – Call of the Spirits board game review

When was the last time your family spent some time in The Haunted Mansion at Disneyland or Disney World?

It’s a classic ride that Disney fans flock to the world over. And now you can live it up on your own kitchen table!

Last year, while all the Disney parks were shut down, Funko Games published Disney: The Haunted Mansion – Call of the Spirits Game.

Players explore all the classic rooms of the ghost-infested manor, from the festivities-filled Ballroom to the Attic and out to the Graveyard and beyond in search of ghosts.

Are you ready for those grim grinning ghosts to socialize?

May 18, 2021 Trent 0 Comments 2-player, 3-player, 4-player, Disney, Funko, luck, strategy, theme

Articles

UnboxBoardom – A subscription service for board games!

When we first started reviewing family board games almost 12 years ago, there was a local board game store that had a rental service. They would rent board games for 10 days 10% of the cost of the game. It was a unique service that we enjoyed using for trying new games.

It gave us a way to experience something fresh on a regular basis.

Well, since then we’ve seen a number of different board game services offered by companies to tap into the joy people find with discovering new and fun games to play.

Recently we heard about a board game subscription service called UnboxBoardom.

May 10, 2021May 10, 2021 Trent 0 Comments

Card Games Family Games Game Reviews Kid Games

Abandon All Artichokes Card Game Review

When you give your kids vegetables for dinner, do they just push them around and try to make it look like they ate some?

Or do you have to tell them to stop playing with their food?

Well, now there’s a new way to play with vegetables — Abandon All Artichokes!

Gamewright is known for making fantastic board games and card games for families and we’re happy to say that tradition continues with this light, fun family card game.

April 27, 2021 Trent 0 Comments 2-player, 3-player, 4-player, card, Gamewright, luck

Board Games Family Games Game Reviews

Dinner in Paris board game review

Almost 2 years ago (June of 2019), a friend and I traveled to Normandy, France for the 75-year commemoration of the WWII D-Day landings.

It was an amazing experience to visit so many historic sites over the course of our week in France. And we capped the trip off with a final day and a nice dinner in Paris at a cafe near the river Seine.

So when I heard from Funnyfox about their just-released board game, Dinner in Paris, it brought back tons of memories and sparked my interest in playing the game!

Now the big question is…is the game as memorable as my actual last dinner in Paris?

April 18, 2021April 18, 2021 Trent 0 Comments 2-player, 3-player, 4-player, Funnyfox, luck, strategy, theme

Articles

6 Tips for Teaching Kids Time Management

Before the global pandemic hit in 2020, I would have confidently told you our family was great at time management. We were never late, we finished our homework on time, and we had plenty of time to get everything done.

Jump to spring 2020, and you’d find us in total disarray. Homeschooling is done ad hoc, homework is checked when me or my husband can find 15 spare minutes away from our individual screens, and the TV has taken over all that lovely playtime we used to have.

Having realized how easy it is to slip into the habit of chaos, I’d like to share some of our tips on how to teach kids to better manage their time.

(Guest contributor article)

April 12, 2021 Trent 0 Comments