I have been to Target, Wal-Mart, and a couple of the other large toys and games stores trying to find some new games for family game night.  What puzzled me was seeing the same selection in each store. I asked about this and was told that the store only carries 140 games, period. And that 140 includes five versions Monopoly and four versions of each Apples to Apples and Cranium. Not to mention how many different Trivia games there are. It’s frustrating to try and have a family game night and every time I bring out a game I hear groans from one or more of us. I guess Cranium Six is like the movie Terminator 6 – slightly different name – same game.. 

There is a new game in town for family game night. Do Tell the Relationship game is the one I am talking about here. The version I got is the Adult version which works well for teenagers and my daughter is in college this year.  I also like it because we can play it with our friends when they come over, and its plays differently every time – sort of magical actually.

So back to lack of choices for family game night. I found this article by about the ads on the Jon and Kate show by David Zurawik.  I think his observation might explain the availability of only main stream titles at these stores: “While the product placement on “Jon & Kate “often seemed excessive to me this season ….As soon as Kate said she was going to have “family game night” with the kids in Monday’s episode, we went to commercial, and what was the commercial for? You guessed it: family game night….”

So the moral of my story is: “If you want something different you have to look for it a little harder.” Go to the smaller game stores, search the internet.  Your find of a good game to bring home and play will be rewarded.