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From Family Fun to Game Design: The Rise of FamBam Games


 

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The Geek Post met many game creators at Gen Con 2024 and one such company is helmed by Alice and Jessica, the sisters behind FamBam Games. Born out of their love for playing board games and spending quality time with family, FamBam Games was launched during the pandemic, when finding fun, accessible games for their diverse, multigenerational family became a challenge. With ages ranging from 5 to 50 in their family, Alice and Jessica set out to create games that would engage players of all ages, leading to the development of their hit card game, Not So Neighborly. In this conversation, the sisters share their creative journey, the inspiration behind their games, and their passion for bringing families together through interactive play.

GeekPost: What inspired you to start Fambam Games, and how did the idea of creating your own game come about?

Alice: During the pandemic, we were looking for ways to stay connected with our family while stuck at home. Playing board games has always been one of our favorite ways to bond, especially with our cousins. We realized that games have a unique power to bring people of all ages together, which inspired us to create our own.

Jessica: Our cousins are all different ages, so we wanted to design a game that everyone could enjoy together. Our first game, Not So Neighborly, is a lighthearted, easy-to-learn card game where players build neighborhoods while playfully sabotaging others. It was designed with the goal of being easy to learn but still strategic, offering fun for all ages. That experience made us want to share the joy of playing with even more families, and that’s how Fambam Games started.

GeekPost: Can you tell us more about the moment when you realized that existing games weren’t meeting your family’s needs?

Jessica: While many family games let kids and adults play together, it’s hard to find one that is both easy for kids to learn and strategic enough to keep adults interested. It wasn’t just one moment, but over time, we realized we were running out of new options during game nights. At the time when we first created Not So Neighborly the ages ranged from 5 to 30.

Alice: Many of the games we played involved lengthy rulebooks, which quickly lost the attention of our younger cousins. Also, the complexity of rules, with too many elements to remember, made it difficult to keep everyone engaged, especially the little ones. This general frustration with the existing games is what ultimately sparked our idea of creating something of our own.

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GeekPost: How did you come up with the concept for your first game, Not So Neighborly?

Alice: The idea for Not So Neighborly came from conversations about the types of games we love. I enjoy building and creating things, whereas my sister likes destroying things.

Jessica: Sometimes causing chaos and destruction is a bit more enjoyable in games!

Alice: This dynamic became the foundation of our game mechanics for Not So Neighborly—finding the perfect balance between building something up and then using strategic tactics to tear it down. We initially envisioned a city-building game but wanted a theme that was more relatable. Almost everyone has dealt with a bad neighbor, so we thought it’d be fun to create a game about building neighborhoods while using mischievous ‘bad neighbors’ to sabotage others. This mix of lighthearted rivalry and strategy became the core concept for Not So Neighborly, capturing the balance between creation and destruction that we both enjoy.

GeekPost: How did your experience playing games as a family influence the development of your games? Did you test them with your own family first?

Jessica: Playing games as a family deeply influenced how we developed our games. With our wide range of ages and attention spans, especially the younger cousins, we quickly realized the need for a game that kept everyone engaged, even when it wasn’t their turn. We focused on creating more interaction throughout the game to avoid those moments where players felt like they had nothing to do.

Alice: We also wanted a game that was easy to jump into. With varying levels of interest and experience across our family, it needed to be simple enough for beginners yet still fun and challenging for more experienced players. Our goal was to bridge those gaps and make it enjoyable for everyone.

Jessica: Also of course, we tested our games with our family first. It was important for us to see how it played out with a diverse group—our younger and older cousins, adults fluent in English, and those for whom English is a second language. This gave us a variety of experiences and helped us refine the game to make sure it was inclusive, accessible, and engaging for all.

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GeekPost: Can you share any funny or memorable moments that happened while developing the game or working as a team?

Jessica: Between my sister and I, she is the more talented artist – she draws everything herself and creates all the designs on her trusty iPad. In the beginning stages of developing Not So Neighborly, we ordered blank cards and markers on Amazon to create a prototype. We had a lot of fun designing the first prototype. I am not the most talented artist, so the first cards I drew were quite, let’s just say, unique and interesting. We actually sold a few of the first prototype cards on our Kickstarter, so I guess people liked them! What was your favorite moment, sis?

Alice: Come on, they weren’t that bad, they had their own charm! My favorite moment was at a board game convention when a little girl spotted Dennis, one of our characters, and excitedly shouted, ‘It’s Dennis!’ She eagerly pulled her parents and siblings over to our booth, explaining that Dennis was her favorite and that she loved playing our game with her therapist. In that moment, I realized I didn’t need anything else; experiences like that made all the effort worthwhile.

GeekPost: Your mission is to create games that bring families and friends together. What specific elements do you focus on to make sure your games are engaging for all ages?

Jessica: We focus on a few key elements to ensure they’re fun for all ages: interactive gameplay, simple strategy, enjoyable artwork, and relatable themes. We include mechanics that encourage players to interact with each other, like the ‘don’t laugh’ cards in Not So Neighborly, which add a playful twist beyond just following the rules. While our games are easy to jump into, they have just enough strategy to keep players engaged during and after their turn.

Alice: We also put a lot of thought into creating fun, relatable characters that players of all ages can connect with. Each character has a distinct personality, and you can read about them in the rulebook. This way, the artwork and the personalities appeal to both kids and adults, creating a connection that resonates across age groups. Fun fact: the characters are loosely based off our cousins!

 

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GeekPost: What advice would you give to other aspiring game designers or entrepreneurs who want to start their own projects?

Alice: Focus on the people and what inspired you to start creating in the first place. It’s easy to get caught up in numbers, finances, and responsibilities, but staying true to your original passion is key.

Jessica: Yes – never forget why you started in the first place and center your business around your mission. My advice would be to establish clear boundaries between your rest periods and work sessions. As an entrepreneur, you are in charge of building your own schedule so it’s easy to forget to rest and always work on growing your business. However, it’s important to dedicate time for rest so you don’t burn yourself out.

GeekPost: Do you consider yourselves geeks? What does that mean to you?

Jessica: Oh, for sure. I have a lot of obsessions ranging from Legos, Avatar, and Disney. My sister and cousin got me all the Avatar Funko pops and it was the best birthday gift ever.

Alice: Her reaction was priceless! To me, being a geek means being deeply passionate and curious about something. I am definitely a geek when it comes to learning how things are made—whether it’s games or anything else. Growing up, I loved watching the Factory Visit segments on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.

GeekPost: What are some games that you felt inspired the creation of your own game?

Jessica: A huge inspiration for us was Exploding Kittens because not only is it a fun, simple game with fun artwork, but also, it’s created by non-typical game designers like us.

Alice: Games were definitely a major inspiration, but I was also inspired by friends who started an Asian seltzer company called Lunar. Seeing people with a similar background pursuing their dreams encouraged me to tap into my own creativity and build something of my own.

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GeekPost: Are there any new games in development? If so, can you give us a sneak peek of what’s next for Fambam Games?

Jessica: Yes, we launched a Kickstarter earlier this year for our second game called SpyOuts and it will officially be for sale in early 2025! In SpyOuts you’re an agent and your mission is to be the first person to complete all three of your codes, but you’ll encounter special agents with unique abilities that could either help or hinder your mission. The difficulty level is similar to Not So Neighborly, and you will see some familiar faces in the second game!

GeekPost: Is there anything else that you would like our readers to know about you?

Jessica: Coming from an immigrant Asian family, we never thought this passion project would become what it is today. We hope everyone continues to watch us grow. We would be so happy if people stopped by our booths at the different board game conventions like Gen Con and Pax Unplugged – make sure to say hi!

Alice: You can find our game, Not So Neighborly, on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at our shop, www.fambam.games. Plus, our newest game, SpyOuts, will be available at Barnes & Noble this coming spring 2025!

A very big thank you to Jessica and Alice of FamBam Games. No doubt that as you both remain dedicated to your mission of creating fun, engaging games that bring people together, success will continue, and FamBam Games will continue to bring joy and laughter to game nights everywhere.

With Not So Neighborly already a hit and their upcoming game SpyOuts set for release in 2025, the sister duo shows no signs of slowing down. Their passion for fostering connection through play is clear, and they’re excited to see more families and friends bonding over their creations. Be sure to check out their games online or at upcoming conventions and follow them along on their journey on social media.

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