What's at Play in The Board Game Renaissance?

What's the one thing that can destroy a friendship or familial bond faster than anything else? A really good board game. And you'd better gear up and prepare for battle with your loved ones because board games are having a moment.

The board game industry definitely got a major boost from everyone spending their whole lives at home, looking for something else to do throughout 2020. But unlike most COVID-boomlets, the board game business has pieced together a genuine renaissance, with a market size approaching $19 billion, according to market research firm Arizton. It's also a uniquely fragmented market that has given upstart creators a chance to unseat the old powers, so even if the classics of your childhood might not be thriving, the shelves are full of new options that are drawing in a new generation of gamers.

So grab your dice, your figurines (but not the top hat, we want that one), and do not pass GO because today we're getting stuck in the whimsical world of board games.

https://www.fool.com/investing/2023/03/27/whats-at-play-in-the-board-game-renaissance/

 

 

Global Playing Cards and Board Games Market Report 2023: Sector to Reach $35 Billion by 2030 at a 7.7% CAGR.

Initially, homes and other social gatherings were the only settings where board gamers could play these playing cards and board games. However, as commercialization has grown, there has been a significant increase in the number of cafes where customers can play these games for a small fee.

Due to these cafes, the global market for playing cards and board games is expected to have strong growth throughout the forecast period.
During the forecast period, social media has been a major factor in the market's growth. This is due to the abundance of games that are accessible and integrated with social media, allowing users to play with friends who are located far away. Another significant aspect affecting the market's anticipated growth is the game's unlimited access based on social media profiles.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/global-playing-cards-board-games-093000063.html

 

 

We’re in a golden age of board games. It might be here to stay.

As he quarantined during the height of the pandemic with his wife at home in Frederick, Md., Jared Bryan would look longingly at one of the many shelves of card and tabletop games he has displayed in his home. But instead of finding joy as he admired the beautiful boxes, recalling memories from his many game nights, he found sorrow.

“In 2021, it was kind of really sad looking at these games that weren’t getting played,” said Bryan, 37, a software engineer who got into board games in college. “Now, I’m kind of having the opposite feeling. I’m really looking forward to being able to play them again.”

Bryan missed the shared experience and the ability to push aside everything going on in his life and just have fun with his friends — and he’s not alone. Those feelings of community and gaiety are among the many catalysts driving card and tabletop games into a golden age not seen since the 80s, industry experts say. Board games have unequivocally made a comeback. And they’re just in time for the holiday rush.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/12/24/board-game-popularity/

 

 

‘Where to Meet People’ Internet Searches Spike Amid Loneliness Epidemic.

The U.S. Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, released a report this month declaring loneliness and social isolation problems of epidemic proportions. He cited scientific studies showing that one in two American adults have reported feeling lonely even before the Covid-19 pandemic kept many people in their homes and away from public interactions. Loneliness also has grave impacts on people’s physical health, the report stressed, and is associated with elevated risks of heart disease, stroke, dementia in older adults and premature death. 

Though there are many structural issues that are behind these feelings of disconnection, Google’s search trends reveal a potentially important one: More than ever, people are seeking spaces where they can build new relationships. 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-05-10/-how-to-meet-people-google-searches-reach-new-highs

 

 

Subscription based gaming market size to grow by USD 4,409.54 million from 2022 to 2027.

The subscription-based gaming market size is forecast to increase by USD 4,409.54 million from 2022 to 2027, at a CAGR of 8.17%. Innovative features of next-generation gaming consoles is a major driver shaping the market. In addition, the increasing number of strategic partnerships and acquisitions in the AR (augmented reality) games landscape is also influencing the growth. Charts & data tables about market and segment sizes for a historic period of five years have been covered in this

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/subscription-based-gaming-market-size-154500011.html

 

 

A 3D Printing Renaissance Is Coming for Tabletop Games

WE LIVE IN an era when anyone can own and operate a 3D printer. While not without its flaws, the technology has continued to make headlines during the Covid pandemic. And 3D printing has begun to disrupt the economy of tabletop miniatures, as entrepreneurs try to democratize an expensive and somewhat monopolistic market. Meanwhile, longtime brands increasingly fear destabilization as yet another door to piracy swings open.

To get a picture of this world, we spoke to a few of its adopters about the paradigm shift it’s opened up, the tricky economics involved, and what it could all mean for the future of manufacturing for the tabletop.

https://www.wired.com/story/3d-printing-tabletop-games-wargaming/