Boop Board Game Review

It's time for a kitty cat-themed review!  And I love kitty cats, so I'm here for it! MEOW! Today's game up for review is Boop, by Smirk & Dagger! I'll be completely honest. I didn't think I would care for this game much. I've seen it around lately online and in game stores. It looked super cute.  And I love cats, so I was always drawn to the cute kitty on the cover.  And, of course, the name is adorable.  But maybe because of the cuteness of the theme and design, I thought it would be too simple to be enjoyable.  Boy was I wrong! 

Great Small Box Games From AllPlay

 I've done several reviews featuring small box games recently.  There's a very good reason for that - I'm running out of room!  Haha!  Small box games are ideal for a couple of reasons. Firstly, and most obviously, they take up less room. That mean I can fit more games in my house.  WIN! Secondly, they are ideal for travel.  Whether it's just traveling to a doctor's appointment, a restaurant, or a park, or its traveling across country, small box games allow you to take the fun with you! So today I'd like to introduce you to some fabulous small box games from AllPlay, formerly known as BoardGameTables.com. 

Pollen Game Review

It’s Spring, you guys! I love Spring! Warmer weather, beautiful flowers, birds singing.  It's a wonderful time of year.  Except for one thing - POLLEN. I have lots of blasted allergies, but pollen is definitely one of the biggest offenders. It wreaks havoc with my eyes, my nose, my throat. UGH!  So, you'd think a boardgame called Pollen would be the LAST game on my review list.  Thankfully though, Pollen the game is beautiful and fun - and contains no actual pollen, so I'm safe!

Aldabas: Doors of Cartegena Card Game Review

 I love a game with a good backstory!  And if that back story is educational, then all the better!  Games that have some sort of historical backstory really float my boat!  So I was thrilled at the opportunity to review Aldabas: Doors of Cartegena, by Grand Gamers Guild!

Cat In The Box Card Game Review

 Are you a fan or trick-taking games? Do you love out-of-the-box thinking? Are you into physics? You ever heard of Schrodinger? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then have I got a game for you!

Cat In The Box, by Bezier Games combines trick-taking, a completely out-of-the-box game idea, physics, and that pesky Schrodinger's cat for a game that is truly unique and tons of fun! So let's take a look!

Three Great Small Box Games from CardLords

We own a lot of games.  I mean, a lot a lot.  Haha! We own 600+ games.  That'll happen when you couple a love of gameschooling with a blog where you review games. But honestly, we don't have room for 600+ games. At least, that's what my family keeps telling me.  So Finding games that come in small boxes is a really big plus in our house!  Thankfully, lots of board game publishers have jumped on the small box bandwagon.  So I thought I'd share some great little gems I've found.  All of today's games are from the awesome folks at CardLords.

Agree To Disagree Board Game Review

 In our current society, it can be really hard to disagree with someone without causing a huge argument. And board games can often cause disagreements too.  But what if there was a game all about disagree with other people? Well, now there is - Agree To Disagree, by Adam's Apple Games! But in this fabulous game, you're looking for someone to disagree with because that's how you score points!

The Pirate's Flag Board Game Review

Arrr, matey! Are ye ready for a pirate-y good time? In The Pirate's Flag, by CardLords, you and 2 to 5 of your pirate friends will be battling for the coveted pirate's flag. You'll be racing, scheming, and backstabbing your way through the Serpent's Pass in an effort to capture the flag and bring it back to the Dread Sea, where you started your adventure!

Applejack Game Review

Are you a fan of delicious flavor? Do you love nice, crisp apples? Do you like the idea of growing your own food?  Are you interested in agriculture? Then a game about apple orchards may be just the thing for you!  Join me and learn all about becoming the best apple farmer around!

Applejack, from Stronghold Games, is a wonderful tile-laying game for 1 to 4 players, ages 8 and up. It plays in 30 to 60 minutes. In Applejack, you'll be buying apple tiles and laying them in your orchard in an effort to harvest more and more delicious apples. 

Blueprints of Mad King Ludwig Game Review

 I love a game with a great back story.  One of my favorites is Castles of Mad King Ludwig, by Bezier Games. The game is based on the real-life King Ludwig II of Bavaria. Whether he was actually "mad" or not is debatable, but what isn't debatable is his absolute obsession with castle building. He's responsible for some of the most beautiful castles in all of Europe, including Neuschwanstein Castle, in modern day Germany, which served as the inspiration for Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Another thing I absolutely love is roll and write/flip and write games.  These are games where you roll dice or flip over cards, choose one and mark it on a game sheet.  Some games even include drawing shapes instead of simply writing in numbers or coloring in a dot. These games are particularly fun and have a Tetris-like feel.

So when the creators of Castles of Mad King Ludwig decided to make a flip and write version of their fantastic board game - complete with drawing Tetris-type polyominoes, I was all ears!  Let me introduce you to one of my new favorite games: Blueprints of Mad King Ludwig!

Outrun the Bear Game Review

 I love a good, family-friendly game.  Especially one that plays my ENTIRE family of 5.  So when I saw Outrun the Bear, I knew I needed to check it out! And what could be more family friendly than a lovely little game about outrunning a bear - or at least, outrunning your other family members so the bear eats them first.  Haha!

Outrun the Bear is a game for 2 to 6 players, ages 8 and up and it plays in 20 to 45 minutes.

Ecosystem: Coral Reef Game Review

 As a board game reviewer, I often get contacted about reviewing games for various companies.  But sometimes I see a game that just grabs my attention and I contact the company myself and ask if I can review it. That's what happened with Ecosystem: Coral Reef, by Genius Games. I saw this game and immediately knew I had to review it for all my readers! 

I'd previously reviewed Periodic: A Game of the Elements, also by Genius Games, so I knew that Genius Games makes beautiful, quality, educational games. Their entire mission seems to be to make science fun and accessible for everybody - and I really love that! 

So let's take a look at Coral Reef!

My Lil Everdell Game Review

 There are a few things I'm a sucker for in a game:

1.) a wildlife theme

2.) fun dice

3.) well-illustrated cards

4.) cute animal meeples

That's why I'm THRILLED to review My Lil Everdell, by Starling Games! The wonderful folks at Tabletop Tycoon were kind enough to send me a copy and I am beyond excited!  This game fits all four of the previously mentioned game qualities that I love, so let's take a look!

Great Small Box Games and Game Accessories That Fit Perfectly In An Easter Basket!

Easter is coming!  And if you're like me, you're probably trying to find creative ways to fill those Easter baskets that don't include hopping your kids up on an insane amount of sugar. Thankfully I have a HUGE list of fabulous games and game-related accessories that fit perfectly in an Easter basket and make fantastic gifts!  So, let's jump in, shall we?

Grandpa Beck's Games = Perfect Gifts!

I'm always looking for games that make great gifts - either for my own kids or for their friends.  But I have some rules for gifting games to others:

1.) The game must be simple to learn. - I've made the mistake of giving complicated games as gifts before.  If I'm giving them to a fellow game-obsessed family, its ok. But if I give it to a family that isn't familiar with modern board games, the instructions can often seem overwhelming. So my current rule is that if I don't know their board game preferences, I stick with games that don't have instructions that may freak them out. 

2.) The game must be visually appealing. - The first thing most people do is look at components.  If they don't look interesting, most people won't invest the time in reading the instructions or playing the games.

3.) The game must be something we enjoy. - I only gift games that we've played and enjoyed.

Thankfully, Grandpa Beck's Games has some fantastic titles that check all these boxes!

Let's take a look at a few, shall we?

Patriots & Redcoats Game Review

As a homeschooling mom and a history buff, I'm always looking for fun games that will immerse my kids in a historical topic.  It can be difficult sometimes, though.  Most of the history games I've found are either mostly helpful in terms of geography - which is fabulous on its own - or they're too advanced in terms of gameplay.  That's why I was thrilled when Green Feet Games contacted me!  They have several games with historical theme that are accessible to kids and play in less than an hour.

Booty Dice Game Review

Sometimes there's nothing better than a simple, fun dice game!  Don't get me wrong.  I love a long, complicated game with lots of pieces. But sometimes simplicity is what we crave!  Especially if we don't have tons of time. Also, I'm arrr-guably a big fan of pirate games (See what I did there?), so reviewing  Booty Dice, by Messy Table Games was a no-brainer!