Mountain Goats is a fun, simple, 20-minute family game that’s all about rolling dice and moving your goats to the tops of the mountains to gain the most points.
It’s great fun, and simple enough that you can learn to play in under a minute.
Homeschoolers… you’re going to love it ;)
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Whenever someone comes into Brain Spice and asks how to teach a subject in their homeschooling program, I always recommend including as many games as possible.
…then I always follow it up with, “But don’t just get games because they say they teach that subject. Make sure the games are actually fun!”
Often, the games that teach a subject or skill best aren’t classified as “educational games”. They’re family games - and the learning is just a by-product of playing.
Those are my favourite kinds of homeschooling games.
Ecosystem: Coral Reef is a perfect example of this.
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If you’re looking for an interesting solo or couples game with beautiful components and interesting strategic decisions without the overwhelming gameplay, I definitely recommend picking up a copy of Flamecraft Duals.
We’ve played competitively, solo, and cooperatively, and have loved each gameplay equally, but each one for different reasons.
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Had to share this. Ella brought in her Brain Spice voucher today from seven years ago! Brain Spice vouchers really are forever!
This was a blast from the past for me: the old 7-character code, the "12-month expiry date" (that we discontinued years ago) and our old shop address!!
And it still had $7.25 on it. Which we honoured, of course!
So many people have recommended I try this game over the years - I don’t know why it took me so long.
Actually, that’s not true.
I do know why…
It was the cover. Between the artwork and the wording, I assumed Dixit was more of a peaceful cooperative storytelling game rather than a competitive game. So it never made it to the top of my wish list.
Plot twist…
It’s actually a party game!
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Gnomes at Night has got everything… a fun game.. a maze… teaching kids life skills through play… gnomes that move as if by magic.
It’s the most “Brain Spice” thing I’ve ever seen…
In Enthrone, you out-sneak your opponent. This is a 2-player bluffing game, and I love it!
I've discovered a personal fascination of bluffing games, late in my life, which is hilarious, because I'm also very bad at them. I don't really care.
Bluffing games give you permission to be a little bit wicked. You find a dozen subtle ways to deceive - even down to where you stare at the board.
You know when you see something labelled glow-in-the-dark… and you assume that it means it’s going to be 10 minutes of you holding it up to the light, before then turning the light off and trying to convince yourself it’s now glowing?
…We’ve all done it.
Thankfully though, I’ve discovered that Ghost in the Attic is NOT that game 👻✨
Do you think Cleopatra became Queen of Egypt before or after the invention of the toothbrush?
That’s the sort of question you have to ask yourself when you play Timeline.
…(I’ll include the answer below - I know you’re wondering now!)
If you love quirky humour in your games…
this one’s for you.
Organ Attack is a family-friendly game where the aim is to destroy your opponent’s organs… before they destroy yours.
