Welcome to GamerDad: Gaming with Children. My name is Andrew S. Bub - the GamerDad - and I've been writing about videogames, movies, and children for over 15 years now. After working as a magazine journalist, I switched gears to write about how media violence affects children, educating parents about them, and working closely with magazines, newspapers, major retailers and even politicians. GamerDad is an internationally recognized expert in this field. Games, movies and media are fun, kids and families love them, they aren't going away. So join me in cutting through the hype and lets have a real conversation about the things that matter: Video Games, Violent Media, and their supposed effect on children and families.
Welcome to GamerDad: Gaming with Children. My name is Andrew S. Bub - the GamerDad - and I've been writing about videogames, movies, and children for over 15 years now. After working as a magazine journalist, I switched gears to write about how media violence affects children, educating parents about them, and working closely with magazines, newspapers, major retailers and even politicians. GamerDad is an internationally recognized expert in this field. Games, movies and media are fun, kids and families love them, they aren't going away. So join me in cutting through the hype and lets have a real conversation about the things that matter: Video Games, Violent Media, and their supposed effect on children and families.
Pokémon Quest (Switch, Mobile)
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Posted on July 6th, 2018 by
You discover an island full of treasure and Pokémon, but everything here is cube-shaped! It’s up to you and your new cubic Pokémon friends to explore the island, battle rival Pokémon, and find all the treasure. Pokémon Quest is free to download on Switch and later mobile devices, but reviewed on Switch here.
BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle (PS4, Switch, PC)
Posted on July 4th, 2018 by
Cross-over fighting games are nearly always neat, so here’s a 2-D one with anime styled characters from BlazBlue, Persona, Under Night In-Birth, and even RWBY. You can choose two characters at once and swap them out during fights, so it has more of a Marvel vs. Capcom feel to it. But otherwise it plays like how you’d expect a 2-D one-on-one fighter would, and it’s available on PS4, Switch, and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Steamworld Heist (Switch, PS4, PC, Xbox One, NDS, Mobile)
Posted on July 3rd, 2018 by
The Switch is known for great arcade gaming, but Steamworld Heist: Ultimate Edition shows that it can also be great for pick-up and play tactical gaming. This turn-based, side-scrolling, tactical RPG features steampunk robots exploring the solar system in their run down spaceship. Bumbling robot adventurers and tactical battles combine with a skill system and weapon load-out options to provide a surprisingly deep tactical experience. Switch gamers looking for a little squad-based tactical battles should check out the game.
Azure Reflections (PS4, PC)
Posted on July 2nd, 2018 by
Azure Reflections is a 2-D horizontally side-scrolling shooter, but it’s also associated with the “Bullet Hell” sub-genre. Which means that you are tasked with avoiding and maneuvering around tons of projectiles on screen while you shoot. The cast is entirely full of annoying cute anime girls who can somehow fly and fire magic bullets. Aside from some Japanese symbols, the title logo also has the word “Touhou” in the corner. I’ve seen that word in some other game press releases I’ve gotten, but I have no idea what it means. Anyway, this game is available to download on PS4 and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
We Bare Bears: Match3 Repairs (iOS, Android)
Posted on June 29th, 2018 by
Grizzly, Ice Bear, and Panda, the three popular bears from Cartoon Network’s hit show We Bare Bears, well, they’ve got a problem. Construction workers have mistakenly wrecked their cave and now it’s up to the bear brothers to repair their home and surrounding campsite. You can help them by playing a match three puzzle game. Yeah it’s another one of those, but this one is pretty good for what it is. It’s available for free on mobile devices, but reviewed on iPad here.
Memoarr! (Boardgame)
Posted on June 28th, 2018 by
Memory based games are a great equalizer between young and old. Memoarr! starts out like most, with a grid of upside down cards. However, rather than matching pairs of cards, players attempt to create a chain of cards, with each card matching the landscape or animal of the previous one. The result is a memory matching game with just enough spin to mark it different from the others. It becomes more unique when using the advanced rules which has the cards triggering special actions based on the animal on the revealed card.
Hexologic (iOS, Android, PC, Switch)
Posted on June 27th, 2018 by
Hexologic is a simple number game that is similar to Sudoku. On each level is a field of hexagon blocks arranged in a pattern, like a honeycomb. At the end of some of these blocks are numbers. It’s up to you to place the correct numbers in the blank spaces so they add up to the number at the end. When all the spaces have the right numbers, you win the level and can move onto the next puzzle. The game is available to download on mobile, PC, and later the Switch, but reviewed on iPad here.
RPG Minis Update – Spring 2018
Posted on June 26th, 2018 by
WizKids recent Wardlings release is a great line of kid-themed pre-painted miniatures. Each kid-model mini comes with an associated “pet” to add a bit of playfulness to any RPG session. WizKids other mini lines (D&D Icons of the Realms and Pathfinder Battles) keep on truckin’ with a couple jungle themed releases and one that fits in with D&D’s most recent adventure book. While minis aren’t cheap, they can add a bit of flash and excitement to any game night.
Eden Obscura (iOS)
Posted on June 25th, 2018 by
This is a pretty weird game. It’s made by Q Games’ PixelJunk division, so if you’re familiar with them, that should perk up your ears. In the game you play as a little sprite critter who can latch onto plants and swing from them. It’s up to you to collect pollen in the air to make more plants grow so you can have more places to swing as you try and find the exit core before time runs out. It’s available to download for free on iOS devices, but reviewed on iPad here.
E3 2018 Part 3: Classics Both Mini and Mega
Posted on June 22nd, 2018 by
When people at E3 asked what my favorite game I played at the show was, and I replied with “Mega Man 11,” they would say (sometimes rather disappointingly), “Oh, you’re an old-school gamer.” Yeah, well, I may be old school, but I’ve still got it (I just don’t remember where I put it). But being old-school isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as classic games are coming back in big and small ways! I noticed it so much so at E3 that I’ve dedicated my final article of the show to all the classic gaming related stuff I saw!
