Look, I’m going to be honest: When I read that Family Matters is the family game for ages 8+ that helps your family get to know each other better, I steeled myself for my daughter rolling her eyes and my son sliding underneath the table, declaring his boredom. Nonetheless, my family took it for a test drive–and I couldn’t be more pleased to report that I was completely wrong.
Each family member takes turns “driving” the family car around the board and through the various cards. We all loved guessing the answers to the My Favorite Things cards (guess something about the driver) and doing the silly things on the Funny Bone cards.
Sure, my goofy family didn’t take the Fake Family Crisis cards as seriously as maybe the gamemakers at Better Indeed intended–acting out things like getting in trouble at school invariably resulted in one child telling the other “Bad dog!” for some reason–but we played together for an hour and did an awful lot of laughing. You can make your own cards, too, if you’re inclined to customize it.
The best part? The “winner” gets granted a Weekend Wish of his choosing, provided it’s a family-oriented activity. Don’t tell my son that we all won. -Mir
You can buy Family Matters directly from Better Indeed. You’re going to need it to keep you all busy until school’s back in session!