These are sure to make game night a blast!
The holidays are fast approaching and there is nothing better than sitting down with your families over a good, home-cooked meal and laughs. While seeing all of the family you’ve missed over the past year and bonding over the “itis” is always the highlight of the holiday season, nothing says family like a good ol’ game.
Not only do games bring out the competitive nature in everyone, but they also bring out a good laugh and may even serve an educational purpose. No family gathering is complete without a quick game of Spades, Taboo, or even a couple of rounds of Monopoly. As we focus more on cooperative economics in the community, let us not forget that Black creators in the gaming industry have also been historically underrepresented. To bring a little balance and make sure we buy Black across the board, here are 6 Black-owned games every family should add to their collection and play:
#CultureTags by Eunique Jones-Gibson
“What is CultureTags? If you can guess what IDK means then you just played #CultureTags! From the creator of Because of Them We Can, #CultureTags is a spirited game that will test just how well you know the culture. The game is simple. Grab a card, show your team the #CultureTag (acronym) and give hints to help them guess the phrase without saying what it is. Can’t figure it out? Pass! Just get through as many answers as possible before your time runs out! The great thing about CultureTags is that it can be played anywhere! With your family in your home, on social media platforms, and even on a video call with friends. It’s multi-generational and the variety of formats to play make it fun and engaging for everyone! Wherever you may be, CultureTags brings us closer together,” a description on the Target website reads.
“I was online and I saw a long acronym in my Instagram feed. There was no context and people were amazed at their ability to decode it with no help. I was one of those people. As I read the comments and laughed in agreement, I realized this was a game, but it wasn’t until December 2019 that I actually started to take creating it seriously. By New Year’s Eve, I had a prototype that I debuted at our annual NYE party,” Gibson told Because Of Them We Can.
“I think having what will soon become a household classic, that has been created by a Black woman, further cements what we already know. That we are the creators of culture. And instead of waiting on those who co-opt and package it for consumption without a genuine connection, we have the power to create things in an authentic way that honors our experiences while inviting others in. To me this has been a testament to our dreams, our village and the things we can accomplish, for the culture, when we look out for one another,” she added.
Not only is #CultureTags extremely fun, but they’re also always releasing new expansion packs, the 90s expansion bundle just recently dropping with 180 new #CultureTags. Purchase your game at www.culturetags.com or a Target store near you!
Black Card Revoked by Latesha Williams and Jay Bobo
“Laugh out loud, people! Black Card Revoked Game is a game that's sure to keep you and the family entertained for hours. Featuring humorous interpretations and friendly debates, the Black Card Revoked allows up to 3-6 players at a time. It's simple really, each player holds four black cards marked A, B, C or D to answer multiple-choice questions written on the white cards. Each round, a player asks a question from a black card and the rest of them answer with their funniest white card. So, no winners or losers, just fun times all the way!,” a description via the Target website reads.
Kulture Karaoke by Dae Fenwick
“Get ready for some throwback fun with this Music Card game. Kulture Karaoke will take your next game night or karaoke night to the next level! Use the cards to give you song ideas or play the game as a competition and see who can come up with the best song choice. Bad singer? No problem! This is not a talent show. Just fun, going back down memory lane. Fun song categories like "Pick a song by a 90s R&B girl group" or "Biggie vs. Pac" Contents: 150 cards with classic Hip Hop and R&B categories and detailed instructions,” a description on the Target website reads.
Verses by Alfred Street Baptist Church
This one is for the good-hearted Christian aunties and uncles and was created by the historic Alfred Street Baptist Church in Virginia.
The “VERSES” game features nearly 150 cards complete with biblical trivia questions. The card decks range from easy to hard and players can split into teams of two or play with larger groups. Each team has 30 seconds to answer a question and the first team to 150 points wins the game.
“We started the online game show in July of 2021, and it lasted for 8 weeks. The viewers were so engaged and requested to have the questions available to them in some way. Initially, it was thought to create a study guide or coffee table book but Brooke Watson, our Creative Production & Online Engagement Manager had the idea to turn it into a physical card game,” the team told Because Of Them We Can.
“We hope this game will create a zeal and excitement for people to study their word. It has been very easy to become disengaged with church and Bible study during the pandemic, so we hope this game creates a spark to get back into it…This game is necessary because oftentimes we hear sermons and sit in bible study but don’t retain much. This fun style of trivia has so many fun and little-known facts that will entice people to go back and read up on stories in the Bible,” they added.
Purchase your Verses card game here.
In-Home Banking by Derrick Grace
An advocate for gaming solutions that also serve as educational concepts, this game comes to you from social media influencer Derrick Grace. The "IHB" board game is one of the more educational games we have seen, and it’s a hit with online consumers despite its hefty $100 price tag. Not only does it correlate real-life issues to economic upward mobility, but the game also incorporates other issues that can have an impact on your financial state including ownership, judicial system challenges, financial literacy, etc.
The game is available physically and digitally via an app and features 15 system issues, 18 possibility cards, 18 outcome cards, 22 intellectual property cards, and a cheat sheet for real-life application. The game is designed to educate the Black community about finances, featuring topics on the “IHB” board game that families should know about including land patents, diet choices, and family court. Think Monopoly but way more detailed. Grace is also working on the In-Home Banking video game concept.
Purchase your In-Home Banking Board Game here.
Brilliant or BS? By Kimelia Weathers Smith
“How good is your BS detector? Find out with Brilliant or BS?, the hilarious trivia party game that will test your knowledge and your ability to tell when your friends are trying to fool you. Each round a different player (The Judge) reads a multiple-choice trivia question. The remaining players secretly input their answers using ‘ABC’ response cards. Without revealing which answer they chose, they must explain to the Judge how or why they know the correct answer...even if they're completely clueless! The Judge interrogates the other players to figure out who knows the correct answer (Brilliant) and who's only pretending to know (BS). Players earn points for convincing the Judge of their brilliance while the Judge earns points for correctly predicting who's brilliant vs. who's faking it! The fun comes in being creative and trying to trick your friends while also avoiding being fooled yourself,” a description via Target reads.
You can pick up your Brilliant or BS? game at www.brilliantorbs.com or any local Target, Barnes & Noble, or via Amazon.
Happy gaming family!
6 Black-owned games every family should play. Photo Courtesy of #CultureTags.