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.
Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate (Boardgame)
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Posted on October 31st, 2017 by
Part story, part game, Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate is never the same game twice. Players start the game exploring the city of Baldur’s Gate. About halfway through the game changes into an entirely new experience when one player becomes the traitor and begins to work at cross purposes to the rest of the players. Neither side knows the other’s winning conditions until the contest is over. Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate takes the gameplay of the popular Betrayal at House on the Hill (released in 2004) and blends it together with a strong Dungeons and Dragons theme. The result is a fun, narrative rich, slightly horror-esque delve into the Forgotten Realms.
Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate
Publisher: Avalon Hill / Wizards of the Coast
Ages: 12+
Players: 3-6
Time: 60 minutes
(Review copy provided by Wizards of the Coast)
King’s Knight: Wrath of the Dark Dragon (iOS, Android)
Posted on October 30th, 2017 by
It’s “Free-to-Play Week” at GamerDad, where we’ll look at free mobile titles all week! In Final Fantasy XV, some of the characters enjoy talking about and playing a video game in their world called King’s Knight. And now you can play that game for free on mobile devices (reviewed on iPad here). But King’s Knight has a bigger history than that. Read on to find out more!
Culdcept Revolt (3DS)
Posted on October 28th, 2017 by
Culdcept Revolt brings the “Monopoly meets trading card game” back for another round. Roll to move, but fight monsters instead of purchase properties, and upgrade terrain rather than place houses or hotels. The game does not end end with elimination, it ends when one player collects enough magical power. An enjoyable game if one is willing to look past the somewhat random nature of the dice.
The story of Culdcept Revolt centers around the main character (who has amnesia – surprise!) in a town strictly controlled by a nasty dictator. Your character makes a few friends who band together to try to overthrow the government or at least distract them enough to escape the city to the freedom beyond. Challenge the enemy characters in a Culdcept “duel” as you try to recover your memories and take down “the man.”
LEGO Dimensions Beetlejuice Fun Pack
Posted on October 27th, 2017 by
Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! I remember watching this movie a couple of times when I was a kid, but I haven’t seen it since then. It was pretty popular, though. So much so that they had a Beetlejuice Saturday morning cartoon when I was a kid as well. It wasn’t my favorite, but I do remember it being of higher quality than most of the other Saturday morning cartons at the time. Plus I think I read it won an Emmy. Now the Ghost with the Most is haunting LEGO Dimensions with the Beetlejuice Fun Pack. It’s available to play on nearly all current game consoles, but reviewed on Wii U here.
Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth (Nintendo 3DS)
Posted on October 26th, 2017 by
Yet another foray into the giant tree. Etrian Odyssey V brings back once again the old-school party building, turn based combat, exploration RPG. Form up a party of up to five characters, and delve your way UPWARDS into the giant Yggdrasil (say that three times fast.) Abandoning even the slim storylines of past games, take your party higher and higher into the tree to find the riches within. EOV: Beyond the Myth brings more of the same found in previous games, which is a good thing.
Drive Girls (Vita)
Posted on October 25th, 2017 by
So there have been plenty of hack and slash games where you play as a scantily clad female, but I don’t think there has been a game where you can do that and transform into a car, too. Well, that’s exactly what you do in Drive Girls. Play as a group of ladies who beat up robotic bugs, and also turn into cars in this very strange, very Japanese-y downloadable game for the PS Vita.
Bowser’s Minions amiibo
Posted on October 23rd, 2017 by
I got a new batch of amiibo figures recently. This time it’s two of Mario’s most famous enemies: Goomba and Koopa Troopa. Let’s check them out.
The LEGO Ninjago Movie Video Game (PS4, Xbox One, Switch)
Posted on October 20th, 2017 by
Ninjago is a popular toy line from the building block giants at LEGO. It features a group of heroic teen ninjas as they battle all sorts of bad guys to defend Ninjago City. Ninjago has spawned a massive toy line, a TV cartoon series, and now a full-length animated feature film now in theaters! And now you can play as the characters and relive the action of the new movie with The LEGO Ninjago Movie Video Game. It’s available for nearly all the current home video game consoles, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Unplugged: Printing 3D Terrain
Posted on October 19th, 2017 by
Role-playing games are typically a theater of the mind, but sometimes setting up a fancy game area makes an encounter extra special. Plaster or resin terrain can be used to set up a dungeon or castle, but they aren’t cheap, about $1.50 per piece. However, if you have access to a 3D printer, you can print your own for about ¼ the price. While some 3D files can be found at the popular Thingiverse site, Fat Dragon Games (currently running a Kickstarter) sells a selection of files for printing professionally sculpted 3D terrain pieces.
Mystik Belle (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
Posted on October 18th, 2017 by
Belle is a first-year witch student at the Hagmore Academy. Late one night while practicing fire magic outside her room, a mysterious stranger crashes into her and runs away, and next thing she knows, she’s in trouble for spilling a special brew. Now she must find ingredients to make the brew again and find out who really spilled it in the first place. Mystik Belle is a 2-D side scrolling platformer that also has elements of point and click adventures, as you must find items and combine them to bypass obstacles and progress the story along. The game’s graphics and style look like a 16-bit title, although it also makes me think of something that could’ve been done on the GBA. With its spooky settings and bosses that include Frankenstein-like monsters, werewolves, and giant spiders, it’s also a good pick to play around Halloween. Mystik Belle was originally on PC, but WayForward published it to download on PS4 and Xbox One (PS4 version reviewed here). WayForward didn’t actually make the game, but it does feel like something they would’ve done.
