GamerDad and family 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.
Hire GamerDad / Media Guide

From Villager to Mayor to Happy Home Designer

DIGBYHey folks, just wanted to write a blog and tell you about my new job! I’m designing happy homes, and my clients are real animals! But luckily it’s pretty easy work, and somewhat entertaining, too. So let’s take a look at how I got to where I am today.

more…

Reader Review: Final Dusk (PC)

DUSK_BOXOctober is the perfect month for silly spooky Halloween games, so here’s a review by my friend Robbie Allen. It’s a downloadable PC title called Final Dusk, and in it you play as a vampire girl as she sets out to save her family from a witch who turned them all into stone! Check it out!

more…

Snail Bob 2 (iOS, PC)

SNAIL_BOXHelp Bob the snail stay safe in this sequel to the hit 2-D puzzler. Similar to Lemmings, Snail Bob will creep along in dozens of single screen puzzle rooms, but he won’t stop, even if danger is ahead. You’ll have to tap switches and manipulate the environment so Snail Bob has a safe path to the exit. Snail Bob 2 is a downloadable title for iOS devices and PC, but reviewed on iPad here.

more…

Skylanders Superchargers Super Special!

SKYLANDERS_LOGOThe Skylanders are revving up for another game in the popular ‘toys-to-life’ series, and this time, they’re bringing vehicles into the mix. Now you can not only bring your toy Skylanders into the game for the tried and true 3-D action you know and love, but also land, sea, and air crafts for them to drive and race around in certain areas, too! This time, the evil Kaos has created a Doomstation of Total Doomstruction, and it’s eating up all the Skylands! What’s worse, it’s powered by a mysterious force that even Kaos doesn’t understand called ‘The Darkness.’ Now it’s up to the Skylanders and their new supercharged vehicles to save the day once again! Skylanders Superchargers is available for nearly all the current gaming consoles, but reviewed on Wii U here.

more…

Unplugged: Fish Fish Squish! (Boardgame)

fish fish boxA good kid’s game will involve a bit of actual thinking (looking at you Candyland) and a bit of physical interaction (to help those squirrelly ones.) Fish Fish Squish! has a bit of both, matching cards and smashing play-doh fish as a reward for success. This makes it fun for kids and agreeable to parents playing along.

 

 

 

Fish Fish Squish!
Publisher: Winning Moves
Ages: 5+
Players: 2-4
Time: 20 mins
(Review copy provided by Winning Moves)

 

more…

Extreme Exorcism (Wii U)

EXTREME_BOXWith Halloween coming up, now’s a good time to practice your ghost busting skills with Extreme Exorcism. It’s an arcade action game for up to four players where you try and shoot ghosts who follow the same path you took on the last round! Extreme Exorcism is a downloadable title for Wii U, PS4, PS3, and Xbox One, but reviewed on Wii U here.

more…

Unplugged: Patch Products (Kid’s Games & Toys)

mytouch screenI like a nice, deep boardgame: something fun to play that would last 60-90 minutes. However, with two young boys and a toddler girl I am always on the lookout for games and toys appropriate for my younger crowd. Patch Products have none of the former, but specializes in games and toys for the younger (or family with younger) crowd. Scoping out things for the holiday season, here are three newer items of note from the company. They aren’t going to collect awards as grown-up games, but all three were a big hit with my kids.

 

 

 

more…

I am Bread (iPad)

BREAD_BOXI am Bread is a quirky 3-D action game where you control a slice of bread as it flops around various locations. This slice of bread has one goal in mind: to be made into toast. Your goal in each level is to guide the piece of bread around obstacles and keep it from getting too dirty as you make it to the toaster in each area. I am Bread was originally available on PCs and the PS4, but now it’s also on iOS devices as well (reviewed on iPad here). So is the game the next best thing since sliced bread, or is it just milk toast? Read on to find out.

more…

It Was a Good Day Amiibo Hunting

AMIIBO_LOGOA few weeks ago, Nintendo released their latest batch of Amiibo figures. And thanks to a family member, I was able to get all the ones I wanted from that set. So I thought I’d showcase them here, as well as some that I imported that I figured would be hard to get otherwise.

more…

Unplugged: Cinelinx

CINELINX_BOXCinelinx is a card party game for 2-6 players. It says on the box that this game is for people who love movies. And that’s definitely true. The object of the game is to connect cards together that have something in common, and all the cards are film genres, titles, and movie stars. Whoever can connect all their cards and get rid of their hand first, wins!

more…