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.
Mastho is Together (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
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Posted on December 20th, 2021 by
According to the press release for this game, you are a sugar-free marshmallow. Wait, does such a thing exist? Aren’t marshmallows just pure sugar? Well after doing a search, apparently they do exist. Who says video games don’t teach you anything? Anyway, in this game all you see of yourself is a white square and you must travel through single screen super challenging levels in this 2-D minimalistic platformer. It’s available on nearly all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
Posted on December 17th, 2021 by
All right folks, I’m about to reveal one of my guilty pleasures. I like ghost shows. You know those shows on the Discovery Channel where investigators or ‘ghost hunters’ will explore haunted places to try and find proof of ghosts? Yeah I know those shows are dumb and probably are over exaggerated and maybe even faked at times. But I still like ‘em anyway! I just think ghosts are cool. But there’s not a whole lot of horror themed video games where you fight ghosts. It’s usually zombies or something else. But even though I usually like happy, colorful, kid friendly games, I do have a passing interest in the Fatal Frame series, where you use a special camera to fight ghosts by taking pictures of them. This series of games goes all the way back to the PS2, and the latest one, Maiden of Black Water, came out on the Wii U. But now it’s getting a second lease at life as it’s being re-released on nearly every current console, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Holidays with D&D 2021 – School, Dragons, and a Carnival
Posted on December 16th, 2021 by
Wizards of the Coast, makers of the Dungeons and Dragons role playing game, had its sights set for the holiday season releasing three new big books in only four months. There’s a little something for everyone. Strixhaven provides a setting for gamers to play the role of students progressing through four years of a magic school. Fizban’s Treasury is all about dragons – including the return of gem dragons. Finally, Wild Beyond the Witchlight is a low level adventure leading into the fairy-land of the Feywild. Despite the bevy of titles on offer, they each bring something unique to the table and odds are high that at least one would be a great fit for a player or perhaps a GM on your list.
Super Sami Roll (Switch, PS4, PS5, PC)
Posted on December 15th, 2021 by
You are Sami, a cute little reptile critter who can roll around in a ball and has a long tongue. An evil business monkey has kidnapped your best friend Vera, and now you must save the day. Super Sami Roll is a 3D action game similar to Super Monkey Ball, but with platforming elements as well. It’s available on Switch, current PlayStation consoles, and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.
Clockwork Aquario (PS4, Switch)
Posted on December 14th, 2021 by
There once was a video game company called Westone that made a lot of popular titles, such as the Wonder Boy and Monster World series, and was even responsible for some of the Adventure Island games, too. But did you know their last arcade game was never released? It was called Clockwork Aquario and was supposed to be out in the early 1990s. But because of the popularity of one-on-one fighters and a low score in test markets, this 2-D action platformer never came out. Until now. Join a heroic boy, girl, or robot as they venture to an underwater city to stop a fish-man from taking over the world with his robotic sea creatures. Clockwork Aquario is available to download on PS4 and Switch, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Angry Alligator (Switch, PS4)
Posted on December 13th, 2021 by
Play as an alligator as you eat prey and grow bigger to eat even larger prey in this endless cycle of a 3-D game. There’s a story about an organization doing experiments on alligators in the swamp and you have to stop them, but it doesn’t seem to matter much in the minute to minute gameplay. Angry Alligator is available on Switch and PS4, but reviewed on Switch here.
Unplugged: GamerDad Holiday Guide 2021
Posted on December 11th, 2021 by
Happy Holidays! Boardgaming continues to make inroads to wider audiences, and there’s no better time to get (or get your friends and family) into the hobby than an extended holiday break. It is yet another “unusual” year so there may not be as much mixing in your neck of the woods but there are boardgames out there to meet up with almost any taste. If you only have access to online gaming buddies, check out BoardGameArena.com or TableTopia.com. Boardgames are timeless, just as good today as they will be years in the future, so a purchase today will still be serving you well after the lockdowns go away. As we at GamerDad have done for the past 18+ years, it’s time for an annual rundown of recent boardgames well worth your time. Feel free to delve into some past year’s guides for 2020, 2019, 2018, or older as they’re still great candidates for your consideration. You might not find all these titles at your local mega-mart but many can be found online or in a friendly local game store. Some may argue $60+ boardgames are expensive, but compare that to video gaming (and where multiple copies are required for multiplayer play) and the economics of boardgaming shows their true value. For each game I’ve provided the publisher (to help you find it), an approximate MSRP (you might find it lower), the number of players, the expected time for one game, and the manufacturer’s recommended ages (and I would say most of these could easily be skewed lower for experienced younger gamers.
The Jackbox Party Pack 8 (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
Posted on December 10th, 2021 by
If you have a bunch of people over to play games during the holidays, but not enough controllers to play with everyone, then Jackbox has you covered! Their latest batch of party games is out, and all you need are cell phones or tablets to play them! Just connect to Jackbox.tv on any mobile device and enter in the room code and you’re in! It’s pretty simple and works well, and in some games, even people who don’t have cell phones can be part of the audience and participate, too. The Jackbox Party Pack 8 is available on most anything that can play games, but reviewed on PS4 here. Let’s take a quick look at the five games on this collection.
Kitaria Fables (Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
Posted on December 8th, 2021 by
In a fantasy world full of talking dogs, cats, goats, bears, and others animals, trouble is brewing. An ancient calamity has returned, making monsters more aggressive and endangering the lives of the people. You play as a young cat imperial soldier, sent to a small town to help defend the village. There you’ll discover that to keep the calamity at bay, you must collect several relics from dungeon caves. And so your adventure begins! Kitaria Fables is a top down action adventure game, similar to titles like Zelda or more obscure ones like Brave Fencer Musashi. There’s a heavy emphasis on crafting materials and items, too, so you’ll do a lot of mining for ores and farming crops. So the game has a lot in common with titles like Rune Factory as well. It’s available on most current consoles and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.
Pretty Girls Panic! PLUS (PS4, PS5, Switch, PC)
Posted on December 6th, 2021 by
Play a classic styled arcade game to reveal pictures of anime ladies in Pretty Gals Panic! PLUS. It’s very similar to Pretty Girls Panic, which I reviewed recently, but adds new graphics, characters, and gameplay mechanics. It’s available on PlayStation consoles, Switch, and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
