Brad Berger - Big Book of Family Games: 101 Original Family & Group Games that Dont Need Charging!

To Taylor and Rebekah

Copyright 2019 by Brad Berger
All rights reserved.

Published by Familius LLC, www.familius.com

Familius books are available at special discounts for bulk purchases, whether for sales promotions or for family or corporate use. For more information, contact Familius Sales at 559-876-2170 or email .

Reproduction of this book in any manner, in whole or in part, without written permission of the publisher is prohibited.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
2018966233

Print ISBN 9781641701334
Ebook ISBN 9781641701716

Printed in China

Edited by Katie Hale and Alison Strobel
Cover design by David Miles
Book design by Brooke Jorden

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

First Edition

WARNING!

THIS BOOK HAS WAYS TO DISTRACT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS FROM LOOKING AT YOUR PHONES FOR SIGNIFICANT STRETCHES OF TIME.

WHO SHOULD USE THIS BOOK...

GET READY TO BRING YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS TOGETHER FOR MANY HOURS OF ENTERTAINMENT

W hen we are alone in our cars on long road trips, there are various ways we all like to pass the time. Some of us listen to music or podcasts, others talk on the phone, and many of us just take the time to think, enjoy the scenery, and complain about the other drivers.

Me? Well, I think about a new game I want to invent for my friends and family to try out at our next game night. First, I think about a specific experience I want to create. Then, I think about the different people in my gamer groups of varying ages, interests, and personalities. I think about how they would all approach the game and react to it, and the rules I would have to put in place to make for the best possible overall experience. This initial process could take anywhere from one to five hours. Once I have the concept all set, its time for Game Night! Most of the time, I dont tell anyone Im trying a new game out. They just assume it is one I have played with others before and they are simply next in line. If it hits the bulls-eye the first time, Im halfway there and I give it a few more rounds with different people and different size groups, perhaps changing the rules slightly based on the reactions and feedback from the first attempt. If it doesnt work perfectly but the concept still has legs, I make necessary changes and give it another shot. Otherwise, I may scrap the concept altogether and its back to the drawing board and another long drive. At some point, a new game is created with lots of fun times to be had in the years to come.

So, why tell you all of this? Because the 101 games in this book have all been tested and played many times and have produced the best memories with the hundreds of people in my focus groups over the course of several years. These are my absolute favorites!

What you have in your possession is a book of games that accomplishes three of my main goals when bringing people together:

Disconnection from Technology: For five minutes or five hours, you will all be engaged without the distractions of your phones and tech devices.

Convenience: In one book you have a choice of many different kinds of social games for groups of all ages and sizes.

Adaptability: With these games, you control the categories and themes based on the personalities and interests of your specific group.

SELECT THE EXPERIENCE YOU WANT

THIS BOOK IS BROKEN OUT INTO TEN CHAPTERS, EACH INCLUDING GAMES THAT PROVIDE A SPECIFIC TYPE OF GAMING EXPERIENCE.

Predictions: Games that require you to match your lists with the lists of the other players in your group. How well can you predict what everyone will say? (.)

Discovery: Games that lead to discovering a lot about the past, present, current goals, and specific interests of everyone in your group. (.)

Creativity: Games that give you a launchpad for getting your creative juices flowing, with the ultimate objective of impressing the judges and making people laugh. (.)

Performance: Games that allow you to show the group you missed your calling as an actor and should be the next in line for a big role on Broadway. (.)

Deception: Games that test your ability to completely change your personality and pretend to be someone else in the room. (.)

Strategy: Games that require you to come up with the ideal plan based on your perception of the knowledge of each individual in your specific group. (.)

Speed: Games that challenge your ability to think quickly and come up with the answer before anyone else. (.)

Memory: Games that offer fun ways to test how well you can remember what you have seen or heard. (.)

Puzzle solving: Fun competitions where teams work together to solve puzzles. (.)

Athletic: One multi-event, Olympic-style friends and family competition that brings together people of all ages and athletic abilities to compete in an epic battle. (.)

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

IMPORTANT TIPS ON HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR SOCIAL GAMING EXPERIENCE:

MATERIALS:

All you will need to play most of these games are pens or pencils and paper. Ideally, every player should have his or her own pad. I like to purchase the small pads you find at many pharmacies and office or school supply stores. Every player puts his name on the pad, and thats his game book for the day, night, or week. For some of these games, we recommend index cards over paper. Youll understand why as you read the game instructions. Some games dont require anything at all besides the players themselves.