Engaged Family Gaming

31/07/2025

The Disney Lorcana team invited all the GenCon attendees to chill out with the newly announced expansion coming in Q1 2026... WINTERSPELL!

This set certainly looks ... cool. ;)

This set will feature Angel from the Lilo and Stitch franchise for the first time.

They also told us that this set is being designed to help iomprove the limited play experience (Pack rush, sealed, draft, etc).

What other frosty surprises do they have in store for us?

31/07/2025

Whispers in the Well incoming!

Big reveals dropped at the Disney Lorcana panel during GenCon—and Set 10 is shaping up to be unforgettable.

🗓️ Pre-Release: November 7 | Full Release: November 14
🕵️‍♂️ Meet the Detectives: Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde step in with a brand-new mechanical classification.
🌀 Whispers emerge: These partially formed Glimmers add mystery and magic.
🎬 New franchises join the fray: Gargoyles and The Black Cauldron make their debut!

This set, Whispers in the Well, might be the most exciting one yet. I’m all in—are you?

Check out DisneyLorcana.com for more.

31/07/2025

✨ FABLED is almost here, and Mickey & Minnie have never looked better.

We just got a full reveal of their Iconic cards, and they are absolutely gorgeous. You’ll also find standard versions of each in the set, so there’s something for every collector.

🗓️ Pre-Release: August 29
🌍 Full Release: September 5

Swipe through for a closer look and head to https://www.disneylorcana.com/ for all the details.

31/07/2025

🎸POWERLINE. ENCHANTED. Let’s gooo! ⚡️

A Goofy Movie is officially part of Fabled, and the Disney Lorcana team did not hold back:

✨ Powerline gets an Enchanted card (!!)
✨ “I2I” is also Enchanted
✨ “Stand Out” debuts in the brand-new Epic rarity!

This set is pure nostalgia with a high-voltage twist, and I’m absolutely here for it.

🗓️ Pre-Release: August 29
🌍 Available Everywhere: September 5

More details at https://www.disneylorcana.com/

28/07/2025

SDCC was this past weekend and there were tons of card reveals.

One of them was teased at the announcement of the Avatar the Last Airbender panel and it didn't dissapoint!

Yue, the Moon Spirit!

28/07/2025

You Don’t Have to Be Good at Games to Help Your Kid Get Better at Them

Let’s set the record straight: being “bad at video games” doesn’t disqualify you from helping your kid level up.

You don’t need super fast reflexes or years of gaming experience.

What you do need?

Curiosity, encouragement, and a willingness to press start (even if you don’t know what all the buttons do)

Here are five powerful ways you can help your child grow as a gamer regardless of your skill level

1. Ask, Don’t Advise
Instead of giving tips or advice (which can feel forced if you’re not familiar with the game), ask questions that get your kids thinking:

“What’s your plan here?”
“What’s the hardest part of this level?
“How would you explain this to someone else?”

These questions teach reflection and strategy.
You become a sounding board, and that’s more valuable than unsolicited advice. (And let's be honest. Theyre more likely to listen.)

2. Be Their Cheer Squad
Even when you’re not playing, being present counts.
Watch a tough boss fight. Congratulate a win. Validate the frustration after a loss.
It’s not about you knowing the game. It’s about them knowing you care.

3. Learn Alongside Them
Stuck on a puzzle? Look up a guide together.
Struggling with a mechanic? Watch a YouTube tutorial and talk about what you learned.
Now you’re modeling problem-solving and teamwork, even if your hands never touch the controller.

4. Let Them Be the Teacher
Say “I don’t get it. Can you show me?” and watch their face light up.
When kids teach, they solidify knowledge.
You’re not just building skills. You’re building confidence.

5. Frame It Like a Sport
We don’t expect parents to master soccer to help their kid with practice.
We cheer from the sidelines, learn the rules, and ask how the game went.
Games are no different.

In the end, parenting through gaming isn’t about skill. It’s about support.

You’re not the coach or the star player.
You’re the one holding the water bottle and shouting, “You’ve got this!”

24/07/2025

Every gamer hits a wall sometimes.

A boss fight feels unfair.
A teammate quits mid-match.
A jump is missed for the tenth time.

That’s when something called "tilt" shows up.

Tilt is when frustration takes over and clouds a player’s judgment.

The term started with pinball where players would literally pick up and move machines for a competitive advantage (and thus the pinball table designers would include failsafe measures to shut the machine down if players did it).

It eventually found its way into poker where players who were "on tilt" would let their emotional state get tilter and cause them to make bad decisions.

In video games, tilt often leads to emotional outbursts, sloppy mistakes, or quitting entirely. Not because of a lack of skill, but because of stress.

For kids, tilt can be especially tricky. They’re still learning emotional regulation, and games are really important to them. This makes small mistakes feel deeply personal.

If your child starts spiraling mid-game, you may see signs like:

- Snapping at siblings or yelling at the screen
- Blaming lag, bad teammates, or a “broken” game
- Making uncharacteristic mistakes or refusing to keep playing

It’s tempting to jump to “That’s enough!” and pull them off the game as punishment. But, its important to look at this as an opportunity to help learn some useful skills.

Here’s how to help:

1. Catch it Early

If you notice the signs, gently interrupt the cycle. A calm “Hey, looks like that round got to you” can break the loop.

2. Create Space for a Reset

Offer a short break. Don't frame it as a punishment. instead offer a reset. Water, stretching, or just walking away from the screen can help the nervous system reset.

3. Talk About It Later

Help them reflect after theyve calmed down. Ask what triggered the frustration, and brainstorm a few strategies for next time (changing games, asking for help, trying co-op play, etc.).

Bonus Tip: Model It

When you play, show how you deal with your own mistakes.

Laugh off a loss.
Say “Whew, that was tough.”

After all, Kids mirror what they see.

Tilt doesn’t have to derail game time! Your support and guidance can help turn it into a chance to grow.

23/07/2025

And it looks like the Christmas classic Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer is getting its own 3D platformer.

I'm over here wondering if bumbles really bounce.

🎄✨ His nose isn't the only thing lighting up this holiday season... ✨🎄Rudolph and his friends are bringing a new, interactive adventure that'll have you da...

23/07/2025

“This game is broken!”

If you've heard that from your kid mid-game, you're not alone. We all have. (I've heard it from some of my adult friends, too!)

Sometimes you are playing a game and cruising through quests and blasting through levels. You're in the perfect groove and then find yourself crashing into a wall.

Your stuck! And nothing you do works to get past it!

But!

Before blaming a bug or a broken level, it helps to dig a little deeper.

When kids get stuck in a game, it’s often not about the game being broken. It’s about hitting a wall they don’t yet know how to climb.

Here are three common reasons they might be stuck:

1. They missed a clue.

Games often hint at solutions in dialogue, environmental details, or quest descriptions. If your kid rushed through a cutscene or skipped instructions, they might have missed the hint they needed.

2. Frankly, It’s a skill issue.

Some levels require precise timing, reflexes, or coordination. That’s not a flaw: it’s a challenge. Encourage them to try again, take breaks, and practice.

3. There is a problem.

Yes, sometimes it is a bug. But even then, it’s worth checking if the problem is common or if there’s a workaround. Sometimes bugs are just inconveniences that can be dealt with.

So what can you do?

Search for walkthroughs.

A quick Google search like “GameName LevelName walkthrough” can lead to guides, videos, or even forums where others had the same problem.

Check FAQs.

Game publishers and fan communities often compile tips for common issues. If its an older game you can often rely on well written and curated FAQs at GAMEFAQs.com

Watch a tutorial on YouTube

Sometimes seeing someone else solve it unlocks the missing piece. And just about every game you can imagine has multiple complete walkthroughs by dedicated content creators or professional guide writers. (IGN has a huge guide section run by pros that work on getting guides up as soon as a game is out.)

Helping your kid get unstuck teaches them more than just how to beat a level.

It shows them how to troubleshoot, research, and keep going when things get hard. Those are lessons that go way beyond the screen.

22/07/2025

What Happens in Games Doesn't Stay in Games

If your kid plays online multiplayer games, they’ve almost certainly heard (or been exposed to) some form of hate speech, bullying, or toxic behavior.

That’s not an overstatement.
It’s backed by data, and the numbers are tough to look at.

The problem isn’t just “trash talk, ” though.

It’s that hateful language is so common, kids start to think it’s normal. And when something becomes normal, it spreads.

And to make matters word it spreads both online and off.

Here’s what that looks like:

3 out of 4 players say they’ve witnessed racism, misogyny, or anti-LGBTQIA+ comments while gaming. Nearly half have seen or heard white nationalist rhetoric

Many kids report that they hear these things so often that they don’t think it’s out of place.

Unfortunately, only 1 in 10 players report toxic behavior when it happens. Most just mute, move on, or worse, join in.

It creates a cycle:
Kids join a game. They hear hate. They stay silent or imitate it. Then the next kid joins and hears the same thing. And so it continues.

And this isn’t just an “online problem.”

Kids targeted by harassment are more likely to experience anxiety, depression, and even suicidal thoughts. Extremist groups have used popular games to groom kids into hate-based ideologies.

Even those who don’t get radicalized still walk away with a distorted sense of what’s funny, what’s serious, and what’s harmful.

Here’s the hard truth: the culture around a game matters just as much as the content of the game itself.

So what can we, as parents, do?

We play alongside them. We talk. We listen. We intervene. Because gaming isn’t just play. It’s a test drive for real life situations we'll have in the future.

Let’s raise better players.
Let’s raise better people.

Source: https://rachelkowert.substack.com/p/online-hate-to-offline-behavior-games

21/07/2025

“You don’t need to beat the boss; just be there when your kid does.”

You don’t have to be a gamer to participate in your child’s gaming life.

You don’t need fast reflexes.
You don’t need to know what an NPC is.
You don’t need to understand every button combo.

What matters is being there.

Cheering them on during a tough level.
Sitting nearby while they explore a new world.
Asking, “What are you working on in the game today?” and showinig genuine interest.

That’s participation.

Here are three simple ways to show up in the hobby without picking up the controller:

1. Be the audience. Watch them play the way you might watch them practice piano or run around a soccer field. Your presence matters.

2. Ask open-ended questions. “What’s the goal here?” “Why do you like this character?” Thats an open invitation to connect.

3. Celebrate their wins. Whether they beat a boss or build something cool, respond like they just scored a goal. Because it is!

Being involved in your kid’s gaming doesn’t have to mean being good at games. It just means showing that you care.

17/07/2025

Celebrate the Win Like It's a Home Run!

When your kid nails a tough platforming jump or clutches a last-minute victory royale (VicRoys in our house), don’t just nod and move on.

Celebrate it.

Big time.

Just like you would if they hit a home run or scored a goal.

I know it's easy to downplay in-game achievements because they happen on a screen. But think about it: a tricky jump in a Mario game might’ve taken thirty tries.

That win in Fortnite? It came from focus, strategy, and maybe even teamwork if they were squading up.

These moments are real, and they matter to our kids. There is even a name for it: Fiero.

"Fiero is what we feel after we triumph over adversity. You know it when you feel it – and when you see it. That’s because we almost all express fiero in exactly the same way: we throw our arms over our head and yell.

- Reality is Broken, Jane McGonigal."

Celebrating in-game wins teaches kids their effort matters—even in virtual spaces. It reinforces problem-solving, perseverance, and confidence. And it sends the message that you’re paying attention, even if you weren’t holding the controller.

The next time they shout, “I did it!” don’t brush it off. High-five them. Cheer. Ask what made it hard. Be curious. That shared celebration becomes a memory, just like the ones you’d have on the sidelines of a sports field.