Interest in Board Games and Benefits

Many born in the mid to late-20th century remember when playing board games was a popular pastime. With the rapid growth of digital technologies and gaming, though, sitting around the table and playing Trivial Pursuit, Monopoly, Sorry!, or any of the other numerous board games may seem outdated, especially with the growth of online gaming. Surprisingly, even in the middle of a gaming renaissance, the board game has evolved and adapted to the changing times.

Playing board games has a number of advantages for those who engage in this activity. The pandemic was a catalyst for an increase in board game sales. A December 2016 CNBC article reported that global sales of board games and puzzles grew from $9.3 billion in 2013 to just $9.6 billion in 2016.

The same article reported this modest increase in interest was due to Euro Style board games such as The Settlers of Catan, a German board game popularized in the states and Europe. Cooperation and strategy are key features of Euro Style games, and in the case of The Settlers of Catan, players must trade to acquire resources on an island they colonize, which requires players to compromise. Incidentally, one of the reasons that Euro Style games have grown in popularity is because of this emphasis on cooperation and negotiation, as opposed to competition and conflict.

Board games experienced another surge in popularity during the quarantine, when everyone was required to remain indoors. According to a December 2020 Today article published online, game company Hasbro reported a 20 percent jump in sales during the third quarter of 2020 over the same quarter of 2019. Some of the more popular sellers were Monopoly, Jenga, Operation, Life, Sorry, and Connect 4.

Mattel is another game company that saw an increase in board game sales. As of December 2020, the company reported a 48 percent increase in sales compared with the same month the year before. Top sellers that year were its flagship game UNO, Apples to Apples, Pictionary, Phase 10, and Blakus, with UNO experiencing growth nine quarters in a row.

Interest in board games has lasted well beyond the onset of the pandemic. Moreover, some experts project that the industry will be worth $21.56 billion by 2025, with this jump representing global growth.

This growth might have a lot to do with the proliferation of online and offline board game communities. Online forums and groups on social media and sites such as BoardGameGeek serve as an outlet for people to talk about the different types of board games available and to share their own ideas and strategies about playing them.

Then, there are the conventions such as PAX Unplugged and Gen Con where board gamers can play new board games, meet designers, and compete in tournaments, among other activities. Finally, Kickstarter, a platform for launching projects, has served as a platform for launching new board games, with one game, The Witcher: Old World, raising $2.6 million in funding in one day.

Interest in these games in the last few years has to do with more than just finding a way to pass the time. In fact, playing board games holds a host of benefits. For example, it is a way to unplug from a very digital world.

Playing a board game requires the interaction of at least one person, providing players with the opportunity to connect with one another socially. While everyone is around the table playing, they are talking with one another and laughing, which is conducive to reducing stress.

Finally, while perhaps not a reason for playing for most people, board games offer cognitive benefits for participants. Board games force players, regardless of age, to use higher-level thinking skills to make decisions and solve problems, helping to keep their brains in shape.