Family Game Reviews

Rich Aunt Agatha is dead, and 16 of her potential heirs have gathered for the reading of her will. To collect anything, they must escape from the treacherous, trap-filled mansion before the stroke of midnight.

When you get the whole family together, sometimes it can be difficult to choose a game to play. Here are my picks for the best games to play at family gatherings.

Break the Safe is a unique game, as players work cooperatively to deactivate a safe's self-destruct mechanism. It's a fantastic game for families.

The classic whodunit game moves to Springfield with a cast of suspects from The Simpsons animated television series.

Coda won't force you to use all your brain cells, so if that's what you look for in a deduction game, don't pick up this game. But if you would enjoy a light 20-minute deduction game, Coda is for you.

Fish Eat Fish is a clever abstract game that can be played and enjoyed by novices and children, but offers enough depth to appeal to serious gamers and adults.

Golo Golf Dice is a simple, addictive dice game that works well with the golf theme and will provide hours of fun without taxing your brain very much.

There's a pile of cheese at the end of the race, and in Gouda! Gouda! each player controls a team of five mice eager to get their hands on it.

A review of the card game Hannah Montana Uno, pubished by Mattel.

Players race through an ever-changing maze of halls and classrooms to be the first to complete seven assignments.

A review of this two-player game. One player controls the Powerpuff Girls; the other is Mojo Jojo. The 3-D board features a large laser tower used by Mojo Jojo to attack the Girls.

A patriotic-themed edition of Monopoly which also introduces some new optional rules.

A review of the card game Nefarious, designed by Donald X. Vaccarino and published by Ascora Games in 2011.

PDQ, the Pretty Darn Quick Word Game, is light family fun. It's a great game to toss into a backpack for a weekend getaway.

A trivia game with questions all about animals, with special questions available for younger players.

A review of The Pirates of the Caribbean DVD Treasure Hunt game.

A review of the card game Poison, designed by Reiner Knizia and published by Playroom Entertainment.

A review of Prince Caspian - The Shield of Courage Card Game, based on The Chronicles of Narnia.

A look at this Powerpuff Girls game. Players compete to be the first to nab four criminals.

Not the height of strategic gaming, but very good for what it is -- a light game based on rolling dice. Each player controls a team of Jedi trying to slay enemy creatures.

A review of the dice game To Court the King, published by Rio Grande Games and designed by Tom Lehmann.

Players track the vampire Drakus in this game that sees time switch from day to night and back again. Your weapons are garlic, a sword and a stake. Happy hunting.

A review of Leaping Lemmings, a fun and family-friendly board game about racing lemmings over a cliff. Everything from the rulebook to the card art is highly entertaining.

A review of the board game Survive: Escape from Atlantis! This board game is a re-release of the classic game of sharks and sinking islands, now updated with higher production value by Stronghold Games.