Board games and card games - statistics & facts
Are we in the golden age of tabletop games? With beautiful artwork, staggering stories, and any theme you can think of, board games and card games have evolved far beyond well-known classics like Monopoly and Scrabble. This renewed interest in tabletop gaming has been largely driven by the growth of the online community. Growth can also be seen in the global revenue of both the board games market and the card games market.
The tabletop game industry has come a long way. Fueled by community support, creators now have the freedom to develop more diverse games that cater to wider audiences. This has not only resulted in more interest in the hobby but also a growth in revenue, a trend which is forecast to continue in the coming years.
What are the most popular tabletop games?
These days, a key aspect of the tabletop gaming community are platforms like online forum and game database, BoardGameGeek, where hobbyists discuss, rate, and review games. In 2024, some of the highest rated board games on BoardGameGeek included Brass: Birmingham, Pandemic Legacy: Season 1, and Gloomhaven, each boasting a rating of over 8.3 out of ten. Meanwhile, Solitaire, Spades, and Blackjack dominated as the most popular card games in the United States in 2023. Of course, when talking about popular board games, it would be remiss not to mention chess, a game that has not only stood the test of time, but is also played professionally across the world.How has crowdfunding influenced the tabletop game industry?
Crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter have allowed creators to bypass traditional publishing methods, directly engaging with their target audience to fund, design, and develop games. As of 2024, some of the most funded tabletop games on Kickstarter worldwide included Frosthaven and Kingdom Death: Monster 1.5, each raising over 10 million U.S. dollars. The ability to secure funding in advance has encouraged a wave of creative experimentation, resulting in new and unique game concepts that might not have otherwise been produced. Among these, several Kickstarter projects have attracted thousands of backers worldwide, including notable campaigns like Exploding Kittens and Bears vs Babies.Who plays board games and card games?
The diversity of games available these days, ranging from quick party games to complex strategy games, has made the hobby interesting to many different audiences. When surveyed in 2023, the gender of board game enthusiasts worldwide was split almost equally between males and females. Meanwhile, the most common age range of global board game players was between 18 and 34.The tabletop game industry has come a long way. Fueled by community support, creators now have the freedom to develop more diverse games that cater to wider audiences. This has not only resulted in more interest in the hobby but also a growth in revenue, a trend which is forecast to continue in the coming years.
