Unbored games : serious fun for everyone /

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

UNBORED Games has all the smarts, creativity, and DIY spirit of the original UNBORED ("It's a book! It's a guide! It's a way of life!" -- Los Angeles Magazine ), but with a laser-like focus on the activities we do for pure fun: to while away a rainy day, to test our skills and stretch our imaginations--games. There are more than seventy games here, 50 of them all new, plus many more recommendations, and they cover the full gambit, from old-fashioned favorites to today's high-tech games. The book offers a gold mine of creative, constructive fun: intricate clapping games, bike rodeo, Google Earth challenges, croquet golf, capture the flag, and the best ever apps to play with Grandma, to name only a handful. Gaming is a whole culture for kids to explore, and the book will be complete with gaming history and interviews with awesome game designers. The lessons here: all games can be self-customized, or hacked. You can even make up your own games. Some could even change the world.The original UNBORED has taken its place as a much beloved, distinctly contemporary family brand. UNBORED Games extends the franchise -- also including UNBORED Adventure -- in a new handy flexibound format, illustrated in full color throughout. This is a whole shelf of serious fun the whole family can enjoy indoors, outdoors, online and offline.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

Starred Review. Coauthors Glenn and Larsen (Unbored: The Essential Field Guide to Serious Fun) have reunited to create a delightful and engaging compilation of games galore, from the indoors to the outdoors, from the computer to the traditional board game. This well-illustrated and visually enhanced book, designed by Leone and illustrated by Heather Kasunick and Mister Reusch, draws the reader in from the get-go, creating curiosity about what lies ahead. The book is divided into several chapters, each containing various types of games: those to play at home, electronic games (including apps), adventure games, and more. Detailed explanations of rules and engaging illustrations are present throughout. Some highlights include sections on "instant games," which are rules to games that you can play "on the fly" without any extra items or props. Additionally, passages to popular "game-like" stories are also included, which fit in with the overall theme of the offerings at hand. One example of this is a passage from Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll, which details a chess match. VERDICT Overall, this book just screams "fun." Readers both young and old will find something appealing here, as there is a game or activity to fit every mood and every game-playing preference. Highly recommended for all ages.-Annette Haldeman, Dept. of Legislative Svcs., Maryland General Assembly, Annapolis (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publishers Weekly Review

Glenn and Larsen follow 2012's Unbored with a second collection of DIY activities and ideas for children and families, this time built around the idea of game play, whether it takes place around the kitchen table, outdoors, or online. As in the previous book, the authors employ a team of contributors who bring backgrounds in video games, crafting, computers, and more to the table. Over four chapters, readers receive dozens of recommendations for existing games and apps to check out, ideas for how to "hack" said games to keep them fresh, activities that require no more than one's body or mind, and information about the history of gaming. From creating "exquisite corpse" drawings to tossing cabers, "larping," and everything in between, there's more than enough to entice kids of all interests and abilities. All ages. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Joshua Glenn and Elizabeth Foy Larsen are the authors of UNBORED: The Essential Field Guide to Serious Fun and UNBORED Games: Serious Fun for Everyone . Josh Glenn is an editor at HILOBROW, and is a principal of the commercial semiotics agency Semiovox. He is co-author and/or co-editor of Taking Things Seriously, The Idler's Glossary, and Significant Objects, among other titles. Josh was a columnist and blogger for the Boston Globe's IDEAS section; he published the zine/journal HERMENAUT. He lives in Boston. Elizabeth Foy Larsen was a member of the team that launched Sassy , a magazine for teen girls. She went on to hold various editorial positions at Utne Reader , including executive editor of Utne Lens, one of the world's first online magazines. She mastered the art of brevity as a digital content editor at the St. Paul Pioneer Press and as the executive producer of Twin Cities Sidewalk . Today, she's a freelance writer and editor whose stories have appeared in numerous local and national publications including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Mother Jones, The Daily Beast, Slate, Travel + Leisure, Parents, Family Circle, and StarTribune.