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Holiday & Gifts

The holidays are coming up fast and if you’re like me, you still have no idea what to get your friends and family. Well, never fear, because I’ve put together the Official Engaged Family Gaming Holiday Gift Guide! This guide is packed full of video games that will make any gamer happy. Whether your loved one is a seasoned pro or just starting out in the gaming world, I’ve got you covered. So sit back, relax, and let me help you find the perfect gift for the gamers in your life!

The EFG Holiday Gift Guide For Video Games

Below are recommendations for video games across all three major consoles.

Nintendo

Nintendo had a pretty good year this year. It started with Pokemon Arceus and then it kept going from there.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land

If you’re looking for a Nintendo Switch game that the whole family can enjoy, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a great option. The game came out in 2022, and it’s already a hit with kids and adults alike. In the game, Kirby must save his home from an evil wizard who has cast a spell over the land. To do so, Kirby will need to use his special abilities to defeat enemies and solve puzzles. The vibrant colors and cute characters are sure to appeal to younger players, while older gamers will appreciate the challenging gameplay. Whether you’re a seasoned gamer or a Nintendo fan who is just getting started, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a great choice.

You can buy Kirby the Forgotten Land on Amazon here.

Splatoon 3

Nintendo Switch gamers rejoice! The newest installment in the beloved Splatoon series is finally here. And it does not disappoint. Splatoon 3 takes everything that was great about the first two games and cranks it up to eleven. The colorful ink-splattering action is as frenetic and fun as ever, and the new maps and modes provide endless hours of entertainment. But Nintendo has also added some serious depth to the game this time around, with a robust single-player campaign and a host of new online features. In short, Splatoon 3 is the perfect Nintendo Switch game for kids of all ages. So break out your splatanas and get ready to have a blast.

You can buy Splatoon 3 on Amazon here.

Pokemon Scarlet/Violet

The newest addition to the Pokemon franchise, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, are set to be released in 2022. These games will be the first open-world games in the history of the franchise, giving players a chance to explore the world of Pokemon like never before. In addition, Nintendo has announced that these games will be compatible with all current Switch models, as well as the new Switch Lite. So whether you’re a longtime fan of the series or just getting started, there’s a Nintendo Switch option for you. And with Nintendo’s commitment to quality family entertainment, you can be sure that these games will be fun for everyone. So mark your calendars for 2022 and get ready for a whole new world of Pokemon adventures!

You can buy Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet on Amazon here.

Nintendo Switch Sports

Nintendo Switch Sports is one of the latest releases for the Nintendo Switch. The game features six sports: Soccer, Volleyball, Bowling, Tennis, Badminton, and Chambara. Nintendo Switch Sports is a great game for kids because it helps them to stay active and have fun at the same time. The game is also easy to pick up and play, making it perfect for family gatherings or parties. Nintendo Switch Sports is a must-have for any Nintendo fan, and it’s sure to provide hours of fun.

You can buy Nintendo Switch Sports on Amazon here.

Mario + Rabbids: Spark of Hope

Nintendo has a long history of releasing games that are not only fun to play, but also full of charm and whimsy. Mario + Rabbids: Spark of Hope, is no exception. This game, which is exclusive to the Nintendo Switch, follows the unlikely team-up of Nintendo’s iconic plumber and a band of mischievous rabbids as they try to save the Mushroom Kingdom from an invasion. It features enough humor and clever gameplay mechanics to entertain players of all ages. Whether you’re a seasoned gamer or a Nintendo fan who is just getting started, Mario + Rabbids: Spark of Hope is definitely worth checking out.

You can buy Mario + Rabbids: Spark of Hope on Amazon here.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus

Nintendo Switch owners were in for a treat when, this past January, Pokemon Legends: Arceus was released. This new style of action-focused gameplay is a departure from the turn-based games of the main series, and is sure to be a hit with kids. So if you’re looking for a new adventure to take on with your Nintendo Switch, be sure to check out Pokemon Legends: Arceus. You won’t be disappointed.

You can buy Pokemon: Legends Arceus on Amazon here.

PlayStation

Sony-Playstation-logo

PlayStation started the year strong with Horizon: Forbidden West and and is going to finish the year with God of War: Ragnarok. That is a pretty impressive one two punch for gaming audiences in general, but leaves a little to be desired from our perspective. (God of War isn’t on anyone’s Family Game of the Year lists).

Horizon: Forbidden West

The long-awaited sequel to 2017’s Horizon Zero Dawn, Forbidden West picks up Aloy’s story as she ventures into unknown territories to uncover the secrets of the machines and save the world from a new threat. The game is set in a beautiful open world full of exotic landscapes and deadly creatures, and it promises to be an amazing adventure for fans of the first game. Whether you’re playing on PS4 or PS5, Forbidden West is a must-play title that shouldn’t be missed.

You can buy Horizon: Forbidden West on Amazon here.

Gran Turismo 7

Do you like racing games? Do you like cars? Well, I’ve got some good news for you: Gran Turismo 7 was released for the PlayStation 5. 

If you’re not familiar with Gran Turismo, it’s a series of racing games that has been around since the early days of the PlayStation. The first game was released in 1997, and since then there have been six additional installments, with Gran Turismo 7 being the latest. The franchise is known for its realistic portrayal of car physics and for its large selection of vehicles – Gran Turismo 7 has over 1200 different cars to choose from!

Whether you’re a longtime fan of the series or you’re just looking for a new racing game to try out, I highly recommend giving Gran Turismo 7 a shot. It’s an absolute blast, and I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

You can buy Gran Turismo 7 on Amazon here.

LEGO Star Wars Skywalker Saga

This year has been a big one for LEGO fans, with the release of the long-awaited Skywalker Saga game. The game lets players relive all nine movies in the Skywalker saga, from The Phantom Menace to The Rise of Skywalker. With over 100 playable characters and plenty of humor, the game is a must-play for any LEGO fan. And with the release of the new Clone Wars DLC, there’s even more reason to dive in. If you’re looking for a fun way to relive the Skywalker saga, or just want a good laugh, LEGO Star Wars Skywalker Saga is the game for you.

You can buy LEGO Star Wars Skywalker Saga on Amazon here.

WWE 2K22

If you’re a fan of professional wrestling, then you were probably excited for the release of WWE 2K22. This year’s installment in the popular simulation wrestling series promises to be the most realistic yet, with updated graphics and game mechanics that make it feel more like you’re watching a real match than ever before. With so much to offer, WWE 2K22 is sure to be a hit with wrestling fans of all ages. So don’t wait any longer, grab a copy and get ready to rumble!

You can buy WWE 2K22 on Amazon here.

Marvel: Midnight Suns

Marvel: Midnight Suns is an excellent strategy video game developed by Firaxis studios. In this game, players take control of popular Marvel superheroes and team up to fight a demon army. The gameplay is exciting and fast-paced, and the graphics are stunning. Marvel: Midnight Suns is a must-play for any fan of the Marvel universe.

You can buy Marvel: Midnight Suns on Amazon here.

Xbox

Xbox is really interesting to talk about. All of their first party games come to Xbox Game Pass

LEGO Star Wars Skywalker Saga

This year has been a big one for LEGO fans, with the release of the long-awaited Skywalker Saga game. The game lets players relive all nine movies in the Skywalker saga, from The Phantom Menace to The Rise of Skywalker. With over 100 playable characters and plenty of humor, the game is a must-play for any LEGO fan. And with the release of the new Clone Wars DLC, there’s even more reason to dive in. If you’re looking for a fun way to relive the Skywalker saga, or just want a good laugh, LEGO Star Wars Skywalker Saga is the game for you.

You can buy LEGO Star Wars Skywalker Saga on Amazon here.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection

If you’re looking for a blast from the past, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is the perfect way to relive your childhood. This collection of SNES, NES, Genesis and Game Boy games features the turtles in all their retro glory. From the original arcade game to the classic side-scrolling games, this collection has something for everyone. And best of all, it’s now available on modern consoles! So whether you’re looking to relive some childhood memories or just want to try something new, be sure to check out the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection.

You can buy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection on Amazon here.

Sonic Frontiers

Sonic Frontiers is an open-world game that lets players explore a vast and beautiful world as they collect items, solve puzzles, and uncover secrets. Fans of the franchise are sure to be delighted by the new direction the series is taking. With an expansive open world to explore and tons of exciting content to discover, Sonic Frontiers is sure to be a favorite. 

You can buy Sonic Frontiers on Amazon here.

Marvel’s Midnight Suns

Marvel: Midnight Suns is an excellent strategy video game developed by Firaxis studios. In this game, players take control of popular Marvel superheroes and team up to fight a demon army. The gameplay is exciting and fast-paced, and the graphics are stunning. Marvel: Midnight Suns is a must-play for any fan of the Marvel universe.

You can buy Marvel’s Midnight Suns on Amazon here.

For the Grown-ups

Look. Adults play games too. Below are just a few games that are a great recommendations for grown up gamers looking for something a bit more Mature.

God of War: Ragnarok

The God of War series is one of the most popular video game franchises of all time. The original God of War was released in 2005 and was an instant classic, spawning multiple sequels over the next decade. The most recent entry in the series, God of War 2018, was a massive hit, selling over 10 million copies. Now, fans are eagerly awaiting the next installment in the series: God of War Ragnarok. Set to release on November 9th, 2022 for PS4and PS5, God of War Ragnarok is one of the most highly-anticipated games of the year. In this latest installment, players will once again take control of Kratos as he embarks on an epic quest to defeat the Norse gods. With stunning graphics, intense action, and a compelling story, God of War Ragnarok is sure to be another blockbuster hit for the franchise.

You can buy God of War Ragnarok on Amazon here.

Elden Ring

From Software, the makers of Elden Ring, have a history of creating amazing action RPGs. Their most recent game, Elden Ring, is no exception. It has quickly become one of the most popular games of the year. The game is set in a vast and beautiful open world, and the player takes on the role of a brave warrior who must save the kingdom from a powerful evil. The combat is fast-paced and intense, and the game features a unique magic system that allows players to cast spells in strategic ways. With its gorgeous graphics and captivating gameplay, Elden Ring is sure to be one of From Software’s most iconic games.

You can buy Elden Ring on Amazon here.


What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

Make sure to keep your eyes on Engaged Family Gaming for all of the latest news and reviews you need to Get Your Family Game On!

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The board game industry just keeps putting out amazing games. We have gone through some of the new games that have caught our attention, and fit a wide range of ages, styles, and experience. Not to mention some themes that will grab your attention.


Games for the Whole Family

These games are easy to learn, and perhaps hard to master games that can be enjoyed by a wide range of players. These games are great for multi age game play and a range of gaming experience.

Doomlings

After major board game conventions there are always a few games that everyone is talking about, and that was the case for Doomlings. Once gamers go their hands on this game they could not stop talking about it. This was originally funded on Kickstarter and was picked up by Breaking Games to be distributed through major retailers.

Doomlings is a card game where you are trying to survive from the birth of lift to the end of the world. Each turn you are adding trait cards, but with each round an Age Card is drawn which affects all the players. Mixed in with these Ages cards are Catastrophe cards, which negatively affect everyone. When three Catastrophe cards have been drawn, that signals the end of the world and players add up their points to see who is the winner.

Chonky Donkey

Hilarity ensues with the latest party game from Gamewright, Chonky Donkey. In many party games, there is a judge of the cards submitted to a prompt in games such as Apples to Apples. Chonky Donkey takes it in a different direction. Instead of the judge selecting the card they like best, instead the reader must not laugh or smile. Especially when you know maintaining a straight face is required, it becomes increasingly challenging. If the reader laughs or smiles when reading an “answer” they player who submitted the card wins the card and point. However if the reader can maintain a straight face the entire time, they get the card and point.

Akropolis

Transport yourself to the Mediterranean and take on the role of a Greek architect to build the best city against your rivals. In Akropolis, players are drafting and laying tiles to build their cities. Stone can be earned from the quarries and used to select the best features for you city. Tiles can also be placed on top of existing tiles and those earn you more points at the end. There is a handy player guide so you easily can tell what features on the tiles have the potential to earn you the most points.

While the game box and enclosed rules are for two to four player, the publisher, Gigamic has also posted a solo mode varient on their website and you can print the rules here.

Planted

Caring for house plants can present its own challenges in remembering what each plant needs. In Planted by Buffalo games you are collecting house plants and trying to take care of them to earn the most points. There are multiple game mechanics going on throughout the game, but the cards make it easy to understand what needs to be done for each plant, and helps players streamline their strategy, and keep the game from becoming overly complex. The game is played over four rounds, and players can collect up to six plants. This Target exclusive game has top notch components for the MSRP of the game at $29.99 (and Target regularly has sales on their board games).

Teeter Tower

Teeter Tower combines two favorite genres of family games, dexterity and cooperative games. This innovative game, combines rolling dice, cooperation and collaboration to place all the tiles before the pool of dice is used up or dice fall off the tower. You also can set the difficulty from Novice, Normal, Hard, to Insane to customize for your group. With simple rules Teeter Tower can be learned in minutes.

Everyone wins or looses (and then tries again) in this new spin on dexterity, strategy and cooperation. Challenge your family to build a tower upon the base block and successfully add the capstone block to with.

Next Station London

Take on the roll of planning subway lines in flip and write game Next Station London. In this game players are using a common deck of cards to dictate what their choices are for the next station they can select on their individual map paper. This plays over four rounds, and the neat twist is that each round players complete their line in a different colored pencil. Players are trying to score as many points as possible by adding lines to as many of the 13 districts as possible, go to tourist locations, and crossing the River Thames. No matter your choices you may limit future moves, so plan your routes carefully.

Summer Camp

For those of you who have enjoyed in the unique experience of summer camp this game will bring you back. For those of you like me who never went, you can get a taste of the unique dynamic. Each ga me players determine with three camp activities they will play in that game. By changing the actives each game it also changes which actions are available. On each turn, you play five cards from your personal deck. These cards will allow you to perform actions and acquire new cards. As you gain more cards, it adds to what you can do by gaining more power and abilities, and as you reach milestones, earn merit badges. Once a player earns all three merit badges, that triggers the end of the game, and the player with the most points wins.

Games For the Expert Gamer

Some of us have that gamer in our lives, or are that gamer, that loves complex games that take over an hour to play. These are new games that will be a good fit for making it a game day just to play one or two games.

Paint the Roses

You take on the roll as the royal gardeners for the Queen of Hearts in the fantastic world of Alice in Wonderland. You must work together to finish the royal grounds according to her ever changing whims before the Queen catches up to you. Each player has a secret Whim card which you may not share with the other players. However, there are some clues you are able to give to work towards your common goal, and some discussion is permitted with limits.

To move the gardeners players must guess the Whim cards, and if the card is guessed correctly the gardener token moves forward. If the players guess wrong when the Queen moves double her movement. There is also an expert mode that can be utilized. Since it is Alice in Wonderland, there is also the White Rabbit which moves when the gardeners pass the White Rabbit token.

For those who love the Alice in Wonderland theme, and are looking for a more complex game, this is a great option.

Ark Nova

Work to build the most successful zoo. To grow your zoo, you will build enclosures, work for conservation projects, and even release animals into the wild. With five actions to choose each turn, and the power of that card determined by the location on the tableau.

The Action Cards include: Build, Animals, Cards, Association, Sponsors. Build cards let you add to your zoo through building enclosures, kiosks, and pavilions. Animal cards allow you to accommodate animals. With the Cards you can gain new zoo cards (basically the others listed), Associations give you the chance to let your workers perform different tasks. Finally, Sponsors allows the player to play a sponsor into your zoo or to raise money for your zoo.

This is a complex game, and time is needed to learn to play. For the experienced gamers looking for a game with more complexity and time commitment.

Games that Fuel Your Nostalgia

These games include a theme or characters from something we remember. Hard to believe we fell in love with these in some cases 20 or 30 years ago (or more)!

A Goofy Movie Game

The 90’s seem even closer when you open up the box for The Goofy Movie Game. The map has all of the charm and bright colors that were the hallmark of the 90’s Disney, plus there is a Powerline concert poster picture on the back side of the map. As you move across the map, you are going to collect pictures for your scrapbook, and there are right from the events and locations from the movie! If you land on a spot to roll the die, you may send Goofy on a detour or get Powerline closer to the concert venue.

The Rocketeer: Fate of the Future

For those of us who remember watching the 1991 movie The Rocketeer, this board game will bring back some of your favorites from the movie. In the board game, The Rocketeer: Fate of the the Future, you are playing either as the Good Guys (Cliff Secord AKA The Rocketeer), Peeve Peabody, and Jenny Blake), or the Bad Guys (Eddie Valentine, Neville Sinclair, and Lothar). Just like in the movie, the Good Guys have the plans for the rocket that Cliff wears, and the bad guys are desperately trying to get those plans. Game play happens over rounds, but once the Luxembourg Zeppelin reaches Los Angeles, the final round is triggered and player with the most points wins.

While this game follows the premise of the movie, it has a lot of cards, and steps within a turn. The complexity of the Rocketeer: Fate of the Future, , makes it a game better suited for an experienced gamer, rather than an novice.

Our Favorite Themes

We all have favorite themes whether they are books, movies, shows, or other games. There is something about playing a game within your favorite world or with a beloved character. There have been a several games released in the past year that tap into a favorite topic.

Exit Lord of the Rings: Shadows Over Middle-Earth

For all those Lord of the Ring fans, now you can complete secret assignment for Gandalf, and buy Frodo and the Fellowship time. Escape rooms are a great way to spend an evening with friends, and the Exit games are an escape room in a box. These have puzzles and clues to complete a series of tasks and meet the objective. Depending on how long you take and how many clues you need determines your ” score”. Exit games are ranked by difficulty level, and this one is level 2 out of 5, making it great for those inexperienced with Exit games.

Star Wars Villainous

Ravensburger has brought the Villainous property to a whole new theme…Star Wars! For gamers who love Villainous and the Star Wars villainous, this is a must buy. While the villainous games are not best suited for the novice gamer, they are a blast to play with your favorite villain! In Star Wars Villainous you can play as: Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, General Grievous, Asajj Ventress, or Moff Gideon. Each villain has their own objective they are working toward to win. So players need to both work on their villain’s objective and try to disrupt the progress of the other villains.

Wordle Party Game

The hit digital game Wordle has become an analogue party game using dry erase boards, where players take turns writing five letter secret words. Just as in the digital game. The other players need to guess the word in the fewest guesses. There are also four ways to play Wordle: Classic Play, Fast Mode, Timed Mode, Compete Mode. Classic Mode is the same format as the digital game. In Fast Mode, players race to be the first to solve the word. Timed Mode players are trying to beat the clock or earn the most points. Finally, there is a team mode, where players can play in groups.

For fans of the digital game, now you can play it in person with your friends and family.

Games for Younger Gamers

There are so many options for games for young children beyond the “classic” games everyone knows. What is great is the newer games tend to be more fun for the grown-ups playing with the kids. These are some of the newest games for kids age 7 and younger.

Burger ASAP!

Can you build the burgers to order first? In this wild party card flipping game, players each get 7 double sided ingredient cards and try to be the first to build the burger or burger from the challenge card. All cards must be used in each challenge, and you are likely to need to overlap cards. The challenge cards come in three levels of difficulty indicated by the number of stars at the bottom. There is also a puzzle aspect because there is only one solution to each challenge card.

With a Cherry on Top

For some of the youngest gamers who can resist ice cream sundaes. In this adorable games players roll the dice and count out that number of scoops and place them on the open spaces on the banana split. This beginning strategy game has players consider where to best place the ice cream scoops. When they place the final scoop on a banana split, the player gets to put a cherry on top and get the card.

Octopie

Set your sights under the sea as you work to build the first octopus with eight tentacles with the same color wins. Being a Gamewright game, even in games for young gamers, they make sure to add a few elements to keep the game interesting for all players. What a player can do each turn depends on the die roll. If a pie is revealed during your turn you get a pie token. These tokens give you an additional action or the ability to block another player’s action.

Board Game Accessories

Being a gamer lends itself to collecting. Sometimes it is challenging to find an amazing fit or you want to get something that is not a new game. Perhaps you need a small item for a small holiday container. There are great accessories that can enhance the gaming experience for a huge range of gamers.

Game Storage On the Shelf

Storage of board games can get challenging. Depending on your storage situation you may need to store them on their sides instead of laying flat. One item I have invested in are bands to hold the box closed and minimize the change of pieces falling out. This also helps with traveling with games where the lid is a smidge loose.

Click here for Silicone Rubber Bands on Amazon

Click here for Elastic Box Bands on Amazon

Traveling with Games

There are bags for carrying games, and then there are bags! You can get a more basic tote bag to bring your latest favorite to game night, or go all out on a special game hauling backpack or tote.

Click here for a USA Board Game Bag

Basic tote from Amazon

Game Box Storage

Ticket To Ride storage bins

Bins for game components

Jazz Up Your Game

100 Wooden Meeples

Keeping it Neat On the Table

Foldable bowls

Dice Trays

Simplifying for the Little Games

Gamewright Card holder


For More Gift Ideas

EFG Essentials: Great Board Games for Kids


What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

Make sure to keep your eyes on Engaged Family Gaming for all of the latest news and reviews you need to Get Your Family Game On!

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People buy a lot of games. That can make it incredibly challenging for those of us that want to buy cool games for the gamers in our lives. Fortunately, every console (including PC) has a subscription service. These make “practical” gifts that will always be appreciated.

These services  can all be purchased for various lengths of time to accommodate your budget. You don’t even need to worry about whether they are subscribed or not. You can purchase a subscription card for them and the time will be added to the end of their existing subscription!

Take a look at the options below to see what you might need!

PlayStation Plus

PlayStation Plus is a subscription service for PlayStation that is required in order to play online multiplayer games over the PlayStation Network. The service also includes periodic discounts on digital purchases through the PlayStation Network. It also includes a suite of free PS5 and PS4 games each month.

(We wrote a parent’s guide for PlayStation Plus. Take a look here for a full explanation!)

PlayStation Now

PlayStation Now (PSNow) is a Netflix-esque streaming service for PlayStation 4 and PC. Subscribers have unlimited access to stream a collection of PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 games over the internet on their PlayStation 4 console or PC.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

Xbox Game Pass is a service that allows unlimited downloads of a wide range of Xbox games

We wrote a parent’s guide to Xbox Game Pass. Take a look here for a full explanation!)

Xbox Live Gold

Xbox Live Gold is a subscription service for Xbox that is required in order to play online multiplayer games over Xbox Live. The service also includes periodic discounts on digital purchases through the Xbox Marketplace. It also includes a suite of Xbox games that are available for free each month.

(We wrote a parent’s guide to this service. Take a look here for a full explanation!)

EA Play

EA Play subscription service run by Electronic Arts that gives subscribers early access to EA games, discounts on digital purchases, and access to the “EA Vault.”

(We wrote a parent’s guide to this service. Take a look here for a full explanation!)

Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass

Nintendo Switch online is a service that allows online multiplayer for Nintendo Switch games as well as cloud saves. It also includes unlimited access to a suite of NES, SNES, N64, and Sega Genesis games. 


What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

Make sure to keep your eyes on Engaged Family Gaming for all of the latest news and reviews you need to Get Your Family Game On!

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The holidays are approaching quickly and some amazing new games have come out this year. There are so many more games than we can fit into one article, so if you need more ideas check out the links at the bottom to our Essential Board Games that may inspire your gift shopping.

Games for the Whole Family

These games are easy to learn, and perhaps hard to master games that can be enjoyed by a wide range of players. These games are great for multi age game play and a range of gaming experience.

Here to Slay

  • Age 10+
  • 2-6 Players
  • Playtime 30-60 Minutes

Table top roleplay game meets a simple and quick family card game. Players choose a champion at the beginning of the game and gather a party of heroes to defeat monsters. In this competitive game, you can also thwart your opponents by playing certain cards. To win, players need to gather a full party of six heroes, or defeat three monsters. For those who love Dungeons and Dragons or high fantasy, this gives you the flavor without the time investment.

Happy City

  • Age 10+
  • 2-5 Players
  • Playtime 30 Minutes

Happy City! is a building strategy city building card game. Players buy buildings so they can attract residents and earn income to expand. But watch out for the happiness of your residents, because that is what your final score is based on!

Super Mega Lucky Box

  • Age 8+
  • 1-6 Players
  • Playtime 20 Minutes

Super Mega Lucky Box takes some of the elements of Bingo and adds all kinds of twists and special powers. Players are trying to cross off the numbers on their boards each round and get bonuses. These are unlocked for completing row, and include moons, lightning bolts, stars, and numbers, each with a special ability After four rounds points are tallied to determine the winner.

Yokai- The Game of Mystical Spirits

  • Age 8+
  • 2-8 Players
  • Playtime 20 Minutes

Challenge your memory as you try to reunite the spirits. In Yokai- The Game of Mystical Spirits. Reunite the sprits correctly before the game ends, then reveal if you have succeeded or not!

BlockNess

  • Age 8+
  • 2-4 Players
  • Playtime 15 Minutes

The Loch is only so big and the monsters are battling for space. This strategy game from Blue Orange games players add to their monster segment by segment with the goal to add the most segments onto their monsters.

The Key: Sabotage at Lucky Llama Land

  • Age 8+
  • 1-4 Players
  • Playtime 20 Minutes

Lucky Llama Land Amusement park has been the victim of sabotage, but thankfully crisis was averted at the last minute. Now the saboteurs need to be found. Players need to examine the clues; such as witness statements, forensics, and investigation file to generate a number code and use the key to capture the saboteurs.

If You Like…

There are some old favorites that publishers re-imagine, add a new theme, or add a next chapter to the story. Many times these games can become our new favorites.

Kingdomino Origins

  • Age 8+
  • 2-4 Players
  • Playtime 25 Minutes

The award winning game Kingdomino has gone even further back in time to prehistoric days! Kingdomino Origins introduces new components and three game modes: fire and volcanoes, wooden resources, and cavemen. Points are earned by collecting resources, players earn additional points when they have the majority of a resources.

The Crew Mission Deep Sea

  • Age 10+
  • 2-5 Players
  • Playtime 20 Minutes (per mission)

Search for the lost city of Mu beneath the ocean depth with in this sequel to the award winning game. Using a unique, and easy to learn cooperative trick-taking gameplay the players take on different missions to tell the story. Completing each hand under certain conditions completes each mission and advances you through the story on your search for Mu.

Lost Cities Roll and Write

  • Age 8+
  • 2-5 Players
  • Playtime 30 Minutes

Journey on an expedition in this roll and write game, in the next chapter of Lost Cities. Each turn, roll the dice and decide if you are starting a new expedition or continuing one. Carful that your expedition does not get stuck or you will loose points.

Exploding Minions

  • Age 7
  • +2-5 Players
  • Playtime 15 Minutes

The silliness of Exploding Kittens, but only with Minions. Just like in Exploding Kittens, players keep drawing cards and get eliminated as the Exploding Minion is drawn. A new twist is added to this version with a Clone card.

Throw Throw Avocado

  • Age 7+
  • 2-5 Players
  • Playtime 15 Minutes

Dodgeball and card game are a combination we saw in Throw Throw Burrito. Now the nonsense ensues with avocados. Collect sets of card to score points, but watch out for flying avocados. Extra cards are included to combine this with Throw Throw Burrito.

Sticky Cthukhu

  • Age 6+
  • 2-6 Players
  • Playtime 15 Minutes

The crazy chaos of Sticky Chameleon gets a new theme with Sticky Chameleons. In this game players use a long sticky “tentacle” to grab creatures. A roll of the two dice determines the color and creature to capture. But beware the investigators! Gather the most Deep Ones tokens to win the game.

Games for Younger Gamers

Hedgehog Roll

  • Age 4+
  • 1-4 Players
  • Playtime 20 Minutes

Rolling hedgehogs elicit a cute factor beyond measure. In Hedgehog Roll players roll the fuzzy hedgehog ball to collect leaves, pinecones and flowers. They ten move the number of spaces on the board equal to the number of objects picked up. The game can be played cooperatively to outrun a fox or competitively to race each other.Play

Slappy Camper

  • Age 5+
  • 2-4 Players
  • Playtime 5-10 Minutes

Time to pack the camper. Flip the cards to see the next item to pack into your camper, and use the marshmallow stick to smack the right item. First to smack the item can pack it, but be careful smacking the wrong item can cause you to unpack. Win by being the first to fill the camper.

Paco’s Party

  • Age 5+
  • 2-6 Players
  • Playtime 5-15 Minutes

Paco’s birthday party was a blast and tons of pictures were taken, but not everyone was in each picture. Players call out the missing character in each picture to get rid of their cards. If all the characters are there call it out while dancing like Paco, but the last one to dance has to add all the played cards to their hand. First to get rid of their hand of cards wins.

Games for the Littlest Gamers

My Very First Games: Rhino Hero Jr.

  • Age 2+
  • 1-4 Players
  • Playtime 10-20 Minutes

Time for superhero training. In this beginner version of Rhino Hero Jr. children can practice the basic skills of fine motor, memory, and basic understanding of numbers and counting one to five with three mini games. Additional suggestions to support your child’s development of these concepts is included in the rulebook.

My Very First Games: Construction Site

  • Age 2+
  • 1-4 Players
  • Playtime 5-10 Minutes

Time to work together on the construction site. In this beginner game, players work together to build a house by flipping over cardboard chips to determine the next piece to move. The game comes with a Kullerbu-compatible truck players use to move the pieces. Additionally, a read aloud story is included to help support the idea of what they are building.

For More Gift Ideas


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The holidays are approaching quickly and some amazing new games have come out this year. The EFG team was fortunate to have been able to see most of these games in person at New York Toy Fair early this year. There are so many more games than we can fit into one article, so if you need more ideas check out the links at the bottom to other articles that may inspire your gift shopping or wishlist creation.


Games for the Whole Family

These games are easy to learn, and perhaps hard to master games that can be enjoyed by a wide range of players. These games are great for multi age game play and less experienced gamers.

Dungeon Drop

The titular “Dungeon” in Dungeon Drop is created by dropping an assortment of colored cubes onto the play surface. Each colored cube represents a different object ranging from grey pillars (which help form the rooms) to orange keys, and green Boblins. This simple gameplay loop can be taught in a few minutes and gameplay is fast.

Ship Shape

If you are looking for a unique and engaging game, Ship Shape is a great choice. It is a 3-D puzzle game where you take on the roll of a Captain trying to fill the hold of your ship with  treasure, cannons, and contraband to try and get the most coins for the visible contents. With the recommended age beginning at eight years old, this is a game that is great for so many members of the family.

Starlink

Try and seal your victory in Starlink by creating constellation. This party style drawing game is engaging and can play three to six players. Players draw a secret word and on their turn they need to try and draw the secret object by connecting stars. Players earn bonus points for fitting their constellation inside the telescope circle.

Abandon All Artichokes

Build your hand of garden vegetables by deconstructing your deck of artichokes. In Abandon All Artichokes, players start with a hand of all artichoke cards. The goal is to abandon their artichoke cards and create a hand with other vegetables from the garden. This is a great deck builder game for players new to that style of game.

Back to the Future

The story of Back to the Future comes to life in this cooperative board game. Just as in the movie, you need to fix the 1955 timeline by repairing the DeLorean, getting the clock tower ready, and keeping Marty’s parents love on track before the picture fades. Back to the Future-Back in Time features some unique touches including the dog Einstein as a playable character, and the clock tower doubling as a dice tower.

If You Like…

So many games are released each year. There are some old favorites that publishers re-imagine, and many times these games can become our new favorites.

Marvel Splendor

The Marvel Universe has been merged with Splendor. This new version included new tactics, new updates to the rules and new win conditions. Players need to gain infinity points using the Infinity gems. They use these to recruit heroes and villains, and when the right moment arrives, claim the Infinity Gauntlet.

Tsuro Phoenix Rising

Tsuro Phoenix Rising add some great new components to the classic Tsuro game. In Phoenix Rising, players now have double sided tiles that sit in a special tray so they can be flipped over during gameplay. Unlike the original, if you are sent off the board, it does not mean you are out. Instead you can be reborn from the ashes once per game, and continue playing.

Dragomino

The game Kingdomino took the boardgame world by storm winning the Spiel De Jahres in 2017. Now there is a My First version that is for players ages five and up, with a dragon theme. Dragonmino takes the same tile drafting and placement mechanism, and simplified it further for younger players. With each match with the tiles players earn a dragon egg and are trying to collect eggs with baby dragons inside.

Dragon’s Breath the Hatching

Dragon’s Breath The Hatching fits into two categories: Games for Young Gamers and If You Like. Haba took the popular Dragon’s Breath game, which is a great game for young gamers, to the next step. The Hatching is a versatile addition to any family’s game collection. It can be a stand alone game, or expansion to the original Dragon’s Breath game. As an expansion it adds a fifth player.

Games for Young Gamers

Duck Duck Dance

Duck Duck Dance is a movement game for players age two and up. There are three simple steps to the game. First roll the over-sized dice to reveal dance moves, perform the dance moves, then flip card on the board to reveal an audience member. The game ends when all audience members are revealed. Duck Duck Dance incorporates many skills needed for toddlers: Gross Motor, Sequencing, Counting, Imitation, Turn Taking, and Vocabulary building.

Panda’s Picnic

Panda’s Picnic in the Park is a matching game for players age two and up. The game comes in a picnic basket and players take turns pulling items out of the basket and matching them with things on their plate. There are multiple ways to play. Learning skills include: Color and Shape. Pretend play, turn taking, gross and fine motor skills, and vocabulary building.

Bandit’s Memory Mix Up

Bandits Memory Mix Up is a game for two to four players ages three and up which challenges memory. This game has players take the spy glass and placed five garden tiles inside then shake it up. One garden tile is removed secretly. The challenge: remembering the removed tile. The first player to identify the missing tile wins. There are also variants which support solo and large group play. Play reinforces the skills of turn-taking, visual discrimination, and memory.

Smoosh and Seek Treehouse

Smoosh and Seek Tree house is a cooperative game for two to four players ages three and up. In this game players are working together to find all the different Woodland animals playing hide and seek in the tree before Mr. Prickles climbs the ladder. Players worked together to remember the location of the different seekers when they think they have located a seeker they state who they think it is pick up the disk and smash it into the smash to to reveal who’s hiding. If they successfully find a hide or they place a token to show that seekers has been found. Game play reinforces memory, simple strategy, cooperation and fine-motor skills.

2020 Award Winning Games

Pictures

The 2020 Spiel Des Jahres  winner Pictures is a unique party game that takes place over five rounds. The game begins with a field of 16 photo cards placed in a four by four grid. Then each player uses a series of unique items to best represent one picture. Items include: 2 Shoelaces, 6 Wooden, Building Blocks, Wooden cubes and Picture frame, picture cards in a hand drawn style, and 4 Sticks plus 4 Stones.

Once the pictures are recreated, each player guesses which pictures the objects represent. Players earn points by correctly guessing, and having your picture correctly guessed. Materials pass, allowing all players to use all five different materials, and the creating beings again.

The Crew

The 2020 Kennerspiel Des Jahres, the Crew combines two unique gaming styles, cooperative and trick taking. Players take on the roll of a space crew trying to complete missions. The rule books tells the story of each mission as well as the conditions players need to follow to succeed. Once a mission is completes successfully players can move on to the next mission. The game has 50 mission, which increase in intensity both within the story and in the requirements needed to be successful. For a small game, and modest number of components there is a lot of game packed into the small box.

For More Gift Ideas

To support families during the unique times we are in, we put together some articles this spring. These articles suggest some great games that would also make great gifts. Plus the EFG Essentials is our “go to” collection of games that we recommend.


What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

Make sure to keep your eyes on Engaged Family Gaming for all of the latest news and reviews you need to Get Your Family Game On!

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It’s that time of year again. Finding great gifts for people can be tough. Here are some of our recommendations for the grown-up gamers in your life!

Control

Control is the X-Files game we always wanted, but never got. You play as a woman named Jessie as she explores The Federal Bureau of Control in search of answers about her past. In short order, she becomes the director of the Bureau and acquires psychic powers and a transforming gun. Every twist and turn in the story (and the building itself) is interesting and you’ll be kept guessing until the very end. This is definitely a great gift for the grown up gamers on your list.

Resident Evil 2 Remake

A high definition remake made by game designers who grew up as fans of the original. This game is not only a visual upgrade, but an expansion of the original story that brought the zombie apocalypse of Raccoon City to the PS1 Era. Resident Evil 1 and 2 favored fixed camera angles and prerendered backgrounds as a solution for hardware limitations of the PS1. The RE2 Remake uses the power of modern gaming hardware to present an over the shoulder view made famous by more recent editions of the series with both visual and quality of life improvements. This game is a nostaglic horror experience, with the familiar suspense found in classic horror movies.

Sekiro Shadows Die Twice

Sekiro is the most recent title from From Software Director Hidetaka Miyazaki.

The game brings the complex storytelling and difficult, yet triumphant, combat of the Dark Souls series and sets the stage in a mythical feudal Japan. Produced in conjunction with Activision, this game is whirlwind of beautiful sound, visuals and actions and is well worth a holiday pick up.

Devil May Cry 5

Devil May Cry 5 is the most recent edition of an action/brawler series that is known bombastic action, sound and visuals.

The series refuses to take itself, or its apocalyptic stakes, very seriously. Game play focuses on performing stylish combat as one of three devil hunters. DMC 5 is a AAA title with B Movie sensibilities and is an inexpensive holiday pick up. 

Code Vein

Code Vein is the complex combat and cryptic stories known for in the Dark Souls series combined with beauty and bombast of an Anime art style and sensibility. The game’s story focuses on the remnants of civilization after a post apocalyptic encounter against an inhuman foe. Like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Code Vein adds a fully voiced cast of characters and allies. Action is the same brutality as Dark Souls, but supports a system that allows you to bring an NPC ally.

Mortal Kombat 11

Mortal Kombat is a legendary franchise that is, somehow, growing in popularity with every iteration. Netherrealm Studios has managed to create a game with an incredible competitive scene AND an interesting story mode that should be the gold standard in the fighting game genre. The story mode plays out like a movie. You jump from character to character in a fantastically over the top adventure. You’re forced to play as most of the characters by the end. This has the hidden advantage of both making the experience more interesting, and giving you a chance to learn characters you might never have imagined playing.

What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

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It’s that time of year again. Finding great gifts for people can be tough. Here are some of our Xbox One recommendations for the kids in your life!

No Man’s Sky: Beyond

You might have heard people talk about No Man’s Sky being a disappointment. You might have heard about it’s hideous pre-release marketing. Forget about all of that. No Man’s Sky is a completely new experience that takes the bones of the original release and builds on it so much that they could have just called it a sequel. 

No Man’s Sky is all about exploring the unknown. You fly spacecraft from planet to planet gathering resources, building bases, and discovering interesting alien creatures as you travel towards the center of the Galaxy. It even has a creative mode for spacefarers that want to build without restrictions. 

Kingdom Hearts 3

Kingdom Hearts 3 is the culmination of a story that has been being told since the PS2 era. The story doesn’t make much sense to anyone who hasn’t played all of the games, but that doesn’t really matter too much. The real draw is the opportunity to explore Disney worlds and battle evil alongside characters like Buzz Lightyear and Elsa. This is a complex game, and has its share of flaws, but the spectacle is worth the price of entry alone. 

Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled

Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled is a painstakingly crafted remaster of several Crash Team Racing games that were released on PS1 and PS2.

This is a challenging cart racer that will be a big hit with fans of Mario Kart 8 that are looking for more challenge. This a feature rich remaster with 31 tracks, numerous cosmetic items, and a full-fledged story mode. It’s definitely worth looking into for your family. 

FIFA 20

Soccer (Football for our international readers) is the most popular sport on Earth. It stands to reason then that the digital version would be wildly successful as well. If your kids play soccer, then they likely have this game on their wish lists every year. I can’t say that I blame them. FIFA does amazing work each year in crafting as authentic and fun of an experience that they can. This year’s biggest addition is the Volta football mode which celebrates the street soccer. Its wild, and exciting… everything a true fan would want to see. 

Madden 20

Time marches on. Years pass. Seasons come and go. New Madden games come out. This might sound like a complaint, but it’s not. Madden releases every year like clockwork to the delight of video game loving football fans. Madden 20 includes a new Face of the Franchise mode where you play a high school quarterback who is recruited into college, plays through the NCAA Football playoffs, and is drafted into the NFL. This replaced the Longshot mode from the last few years, but is a welcome addition. 

Yooka Laylee and the Impossible Lair

Playtonic is a studio made up of former Rare developers who worked on the legendary Banjo Kazooie franchise. They reunited a few years back to release Yooka Laylee thanks to a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign. The game itself was not very well received. But, the success of the crowdfunding campaign sent the message that people were hungry enough that they should try again. Fortunately, they did! Yooka Laylee and the Impossible Lair is wonderful new game that embraces the joy of the first game, but plays in 2D like a Donkey Kong Country game. This is a budget title so it is a wonderful gift idea for families looking so save some money (or get an extra game without paying for a full priced game).

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

EA has held the exclusive rights to make Star Wars games for years, but their efforts have been lackluster so far. This is especially true for fans who want to play single-player, story-focused games. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is just the panacea that those fans need. It features exciting lightsaber combat, a cute droid, multiple planets to explore, and a canonical story. This is definitely one to keep your eye on for the Star Wars fan in your house!

NBA 2K20

The NBA2k series may be part RPG and part basketball simulation, but it is all one big celebration of basketball culture. Every kilobyte of data built into this game is there to help basketball fans party together while experiencing their favorite sport. The music, the style, the storylines – they are all here. And they come included with a technical marvel of a basketball game that lets you take on the role of your favorite star, or beat them to the hoop with your own. 

Just Dance 2020

The Just Dance series is one of the most joyous games I have ever played.

Each year Ubisoft releases a new entry in the series with new songs and access to old hits. Every time they do that they entrance a new wave of fans. This year will grab a whole bunch of younger fans thanks to its inclusion of Pinkfong’s smash hit Baby Shark (Don’t lie. You started singing it, too.)

Plants Vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville

Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare has been a hit with kids for years. The two games in the series have given countless kids a chance to cut their chops in the competitive shooter space without having to play some of the more violence games out there. 

Fortnite Battle Royale may be an ever present threat to PvZ’s place in your living room. But, Battle for Neighborville fights back with a great sense of humor. It features goofy characters like a ninja mushroom and a football player zombie.


What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

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It’s that time of year again. Finding great gifts for people can be tough. Here are some of our Nintendo recommendations for the kids in your life!

Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield

The 8th generation of Pokemon is upon us! Pokemon Sword and Shield will be the perfect gifts for the Pokemon fans in your family. These games can easily provide a hundred or more hours of entertainment, and these newer games will likely include even more! Sword and Shield are the first Pokemon games released on a home Nintendo console so they look great, but, as always, they are right at home on the go.

Super Mario Maker 2

Super Mario Maker 2 is one of the best creative tools for young and adult gamers alike. This game lets you create Super Mario Levels from across the history of Nintendo, with a well made tutorial that offers plenty of new ideas. Players can browse player made content by individual creator or in an endless mode that select levels based on difficulty. Super Mario Maker 2 is easily the best level creation experience for the Nintendo Switch.

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is a shot for shot remake of a game (by the same name) that was released on the Game Boy Color in 1993. This version released in September with an adorable new art style and an orchestral soundtrack. This is a perfect gift for Zelda fans that are too young to have played the original AND for those of us looking for a chance to relive our glory days. 

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

If your child spent hours arranging all of their Imaginext toys in massive battles, then Fire Emblem is worth a look. Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a strategy game set in a sword and sorcery themed academy for heroes. (It’s not exactly Hogwarts for Dungeons and Dragons characters, but it’s pretty close.) Battles play out on massive fields where you move your different characters around strategically to take advantage of enemy weaknesses. This is a challenging game, and the characters are teenagers (so they come with the appropriate thematic baggage), but it ends up as a T-rated game. 

Steamworld Quest: The Hand of Gilgamech

All of the Steamworld games are amazing, but this is easily one of my favorites. Steamworld Quest is a friendly RPG where you control a team of robots during a fantasy/steampunk era.  The combat is card-based. You build a 24 card deck using a card pool determined by which robots are in your party. Every fight turns into a puzzle that is very satisfying to solve. The story is also relatively short so this will be a great game for Holiday break!

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3

It’s tough to find a kid that doesn’t love Marvel super heroes and Ultimate Alliance 3 has a TON of them. Ultimate Alliance 3 is a celebration of recent Marvel history that has a character just about every kid will enjoy. MUA3 is a paint by numbers action RPG for up to four players. It doesn’t do anything revolutionary, but it doesn’t really need to in order to be a great gift. 

Yoshi’s Crafted World

Every year I get asked about video game gifts for younger gamers. Yoshi’s Crafted World is this year’s answer to that question. It’s adorable. It’s simple to control. And it’s engaging. This will be a great game to share with the younger siblings/cousins who might not be ready for bigger challenges just yet. 

Ring Fit Adventure

Nintendo has made fitness games before. Wii Fit (and the Wii Fit Balance board) where huge hits back when they came out. Ring Fit Adventure is their latest attempt to break into that scene on the Nintendo Switch. Ring Fit Adventure is an RPG adventure where you move around the world by running in place, and attack monsters by completing exercises using a specially designed pilates band. The story isn’t anything to write home about, but its good enough to help motivate players to complete a short workout every day. 

Untitled Goose Game

(Honk)… A PC game that charmed the Internet with its simplicity, Untitled Goose Game is best described (without spoilers) as an environmental puzzle game. You are a goose, with the mind of mischief and the talents of a… goose. You have a list of things to do, and no idea how to do them. Our advice is to pick it up on Steam as a gift for the holidays and enjoy the mayhem. 


Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled

Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled is a painstakingly crafted remaster of several Crash Team Racing games that were released on PS1 and PS2. This is a challenging cart racer that will be a big hit with fans of Mario Kart 8 that are looking for more challenge. This a feature rich remaster with 31 tracks, numerous cosmetic items, and a full-fledged story mode. It’s definitely worth looking into for your family. 

Luigi’s Mansion 3

Luigi doesn’t get the spotlight very often. That honor is normally reserved for his brother Mario. The Luigi’s Mansion series is the exception. These spooky adventures feature Luigi while he tries to rescue his lost brother from King Boo. Luigi’s Mansion 3 is out now for the Switch and includes a lot more variety in the environments because it takes place in a massive haunted hotel. This will be a great game for kids who love to explore and solve puzzles. (Note: This game is definitely more silly than it is spooky so don’t be super concerned about kids getting scared.)


What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

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It’s that time of year again. Finding great gifts for people can be tough. Here are some of our PlayStation 4 recommendations for the kids in your life!

Kingdom Hearts 3

Kingdom Hearts 3 is the culmination of a story that has been being told since the PS2 era. The story doesn’t make much sense to anyone who hasn’t played all of the games, but that doesn’t really matter too much. The real draw is the opportunity to explore Disney worlds and battle evil alongside characters like Buzz Lightyear and Elsa. This is a complex game, and has its share of flaws, but the spectacle is worth the price of entry alone. 

MLB The Show 19

Baseball fans have only one place to go when it comes to playing as their favorite players and teams on their home consoles. MLB The Show is a long-running series that is always a hit with fans. This year included several significant upgrades on the defensive end. Skilled players are more likely to make great plays on D than ever before. The Road to the Show is still here and it is, essentially, a baseball RPG. 

Madden 20

Time marches on. Years pass. Seasons come and go. New Madden games come out. This might sound like a complaint, but it’s not. Madden releases every year like clockwork to the delight of video game loving football fans. Madden 20 includes a new Face of the Franchise mode where you play a high school quarterback who is recruited into college, plays through the NCAA Football playoffs, and is drafted into the NFL. This replaced the Longshot mode from the last few years, but is a welcome addition. 

FIFA 20

Soccer (Football for our international readers) is the most popular sport on Earth. It stands to reason then that the digital version would be wildly successful as well. If your kids play soccer, then they likely have this game on their wish lists every year. I can’t say that I blame them. FIFA does amazing work each year in crafting as authentic and fun of an experience that they can. This year’s biggest addition is the Volta football mode which celebrates the street soccer. Its wild, and exciting… everything a true fan would want to see. 

NBA2K20

The NBA2k series may be part RPG and part basketball simulation, but it is all one big celebration of basketball culture. Every kilobyte of data built into this game is there to help basketball fans party together while experiencing their favorite sport. The music, the style, the storylines – they are all here. And they come included with a technical marvel of a basketball game that lets you take on the role of your favorite star, or beat them to the hoop with your own. 

Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled

Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled is a painstakingly crafted remaster of several Crash Team Racing games that were released on PS1 and PS2. This is a challenging cart racer that will be a big hit with fans of Mario Kart 8 that are looking for more challenge. This a feature rich remaster with 31 tracks, numerous cosmetic items, and a full-fledged story mode. It’s definitely worth looking into for your family. 

Yooka Laylee and The Impossible Lair

Playtonic is a studio made up of former Rare developers who worked on the legendary Banjo Kazooie franchise. They reunited a few years back to release Yooka Laylee thanks to a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign. The game itself was not very well received. But, the success of the crowdfunding campaign sent the message that people were hungry enough that they should try again. Fortunately, they did! Yooka Laylee and the Impossible Lair is wonderful new game that embraces the joy of the first game, but plays in 2D like a Donkey Kong Country game. This is a budget title so it is a wonderful gift idea for families looking so save some money (or get an extra game without paying for a full priced game).

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

EA has held the exclusive rights to make Star Wars games for years, but their efforts have been lackluster so far. This is especially true for fans who want to play single-player, story-focused games. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is just the panacea that those fans need. It features exciting lightsaber combat, a cute droid, multiple planets to explore, and a canonical story. This is definitely one to keep your eye on for the Star Wars fan in your house!

What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

Make sure to keep your eyes on Engaged Family Gaming for all of the latest news and reviews you need to Get Your Family Game On!

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So many great board games releases in 2019! It was a challenge to limit the list into a comprehensive collection of games for all types of games. To help your family find the best game we have broken the games into categories so you can see what may best suit your gift giving.

For the Youngest Gamers

Topper Takes a Trip

Topper Takes a Trip is a cooperative game for players ages two and up by Peaceable Kingdom. For the youngest players this is a great game to encourage discussion and vocabulary development. Players select a destination card and match the packing list for each destination as well. Players then gather the items on the packing list, and place them in the suitcase. Once all pieces are gathered players can pretend they are enjoying the activities of that destination. Topper travels to three places to complete the game. There are also suggestions for extending the play and enriching the experience to develop early skills. The skills include: gross motor, problem solving, color matching, spatial reasoning, and visual discrimination.

Guess It Get It Gumballs

Guess It Get It Gumballs is a cooperative memory game for two to four players ages four and up from Peaceable Kingdom. Players take turns picking up gumballs of the matching color from a spinner. They then guess the face on the reverse side by making that face into the mirror. The gumball is grabbed by using the suction cup on the reverse of the mirror. Players are trying to get a rainbow of gumballs before getting the stinkface. With the current awareness of Emotional Intelligence this game is great for helping young children recognize and identify feelings.

Small Games

Punto

Punto is a tiny tin box card laying game for two to four players ages eight and up from Gamewright. Players each have a pile of dot cards in one color. The cards are randomly shuffled within their pile. Cards are placed once player at a time either diagonally or orthogonally. The objective is to get five cards in a row at two player game or four cards in a three or four player game. Players need to keep the cards within a six by six grid. The game ends when one player has won two rounds. While the game is recommended for age eight and up, since there is no reading and the rules are not complicated this can scale down in age.

Tic Tac Surprise

Tic Tac Surprise is a two player game for ages five and up. This game by Peaceable Kingdom takes the classic game of Tic Tac Toe and adds a twist. The cards instead of X’s and O’s have two pictures. There are multiple versions of the game, so you can have dogs/cats, chocolate/vanilla donuts/ or fairies/unicorns. Within each picture type there are some special cards with an additional feature. For example on the donuts some of the donuts have sprinkles. These special cards allow players to place that card on top of an opponent’s card. Now a space is never truly unavailable.

Snowman Dice

Snowman Dice is a fun fast rolling, stacking, flicking, and pushing dice game for two to four players ages six and up from Brain Games. The photo above is of a prototype we previewed at New York Toyfair, and the finalize version in a snowball shaped bag. Additionally, the playtime and age recommendations have been changed since we saw the prototype. In Snowman Dice players are trying to roll the three pieces of their snowman and push the stack to the center marker, which is the North Pole. The dice also have an arrow, snowflake, which is a wild, and a snowball icon. The arrow is needed to push your snowman. With the snowball the player can flick the dice at an opponent’s snowman to try and knock it down and thwart their progress. Then winner is the first player to the North Pole.

Dirty Pig


Dirty Pig is a simple light card game from Happy Planet, a subdivision of North Star Games. In this game players are trying to be the first to make all of their pigs dirty. The game is for two to six players and is recommend for ages six and up. To play, all players begin with clean pigs. The number of pigs varies depending on the number of players. Each player draws three cards and can play one per turn, drawing a new card at their end of their turn. Cards include: Dirty Your Pig, Rain, Barn, Locked Barn Door, Lightning, Lightning Rod, and Clean That Pig. This is a light silly game good for multi-ages and can even scale younger since there is no reading involved.

Games for the Whole Family

Pyramid of Pengqueen

Pyramid of Pengqueen is a spin off theme from the Ice Cool games from Brain Games. The penguins have ventured in search of the mummy’s magical treasure. One playing takes on the roll of the mummy and the rests of the players are the adventures searching for the treasures. In the game there is a two sided vertical board with magnets. The players know were the mummy is but the mummy do not know where the penguins are. If the mummy finds a penguin it is sent to the mummy’s tomb. Players are trying to collect enough treasures before the mummy catches them too many times.

This Game Goes to Eleven

Gamewright has taken this simple counting game for two to five players, which given it a light heavy metal theme. This Game Goes to Eleven is for players ages eight and up. Players discard cards in their hand and add the numbers as they go. If the pile of cards is exactly eleven after you play your card, you give the whole pile to another player. On your turn, if your card bring the total over eleven you get the pile too. The player with the least cards at the end wins. There are two special cards. The eleven card instantly brings the pile to eleven regardless of the cards below.

Bloom

Roll and write games a very popular right now, and Bloom is a great one in that genre. In Bloom by Gamewright you are trying to gather flowers of the same color and quantity as on your sheet. On your turn you roll the dice and choose which color and number best matches the flowers in your garden. To end the game, a player must have three colors of flowers where they circled all the flowers of those colors, or completed four garden beds. Bloom is for players age eight and up and supports two to five players.

Adventure book

Quirky Circuits



Quirky circuit is the next adventure book from Plaid Hat Games. This one features a automatic vacuum cleaner, similar to a Roomba, and you need to direct it to achieve certain goals. The challenge is that players please down their movement cars in secret from the other players to there are many challenges with getting the correct path to complete the objective. This game is for two to four players ages seven and up. The game contains 21 different scenarios within the adventure book.

Legacy

Zombie Kidz Evolution

Zombie Kidz Evolution is a perfect first legacy game for children. The game is for 2 to 4 players ages 7 and up and episodes take 5 to 15 minutes each approximately. The game takes place in the school and the player’s objective is to secure all the doors to keep the zombies out. As players move through the challenges they can open envelopes which adds new characters and makes changes to the board and to the rules.

If You Like. ..

Imhotep Duel


Imhotep Dual is a 2 player game that takes the strategy and gameplay of the original Imhotep and makes it a 2 player only game. The game is for ages ten and up and plays in about 30 minutes. Since it is only 2 players the premise is you are Nefertiti and Akhenaten, the famous Egyptian couple. Fans of the original will enjoy this 2 player version.

Sushi Roll

For any fans of Sushi Go,Gamewright has re-imagined it into a brand new game Sushi Roll! In Sushi Roll each player rolls a set of dice and chooses which to add to their plate. The remaining sushi pass to the next player on a conveyor belt. Then each player rolls their new dice before choosing which to add to their plate. The player board lists the point values for each kind of sushi. The game includes scoring tokens as well, so players who enjoy Sushi Go, have the option to use them there as well.

Forbidden Sky

Forbidden sky is the next adventure in the forbidden series from Gamewright. In this adventure players are now in the sky exploring a platform inside of a storm trying to launch a rocket. Game right for the very 1st time incorporates an electronic element and you need to complete the circuit and have the rocket light up and make sound to complete the game in succeed. One false move and you could be blown off the platform. The game is for ages 10 and up and plays 2 to 5 players.

Dragonrealms

Dragonrealm takes place in the same world as Dragonwood and moves it to the next adventure. This time instead of defeating creatures you are trying to look for treasure in different locations. As in Dragonwood you collect sets of cards that allow you to complete different actions. Adventure cards in a numerical row allow you to sneak. Cards all the same color allow you to search. Cards that are all the same color allow you to storm. The number of cards being played allows the player to have that many dice to roll to try to reach the required number on a location to complete the action. The total rolled by the days becomes their score and players discover if they have succeeded or failed. Once the dragon location is complete the game ends and players Pat up their coins. The player with the most coins wins

What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know if you’re picking any of these games up!

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