How old Board Games are coming back with a bang

In the times where technology has taken over our lives, board games are still paving a way for people to stay connected online and offline. They act as a medium to  bring family and friends together encouraging cooperation, social interaction and stress relief. These are good enough reasons for the ongoing rise of board games but that’s not it. Electronic gadgets and devices that have slowed down the real social interaction (not considering the virtual interaction, here) but board games do just the opposite. They allow people to interact, spend time together, and have fun. Even when life has become so stressful for people with their busy lives, they turn to board games and take it as one of the ways to deal with stress. Multiple players playing together and interacting at the same time helps them reduce stress.

The board games market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 10% during the period 2018-2024.

Source: Report Linker

What are the reasons for the uptick

1. COVID-19, the virus 

With the coronavirus hitting our lives and then the followed stay at home orders were reasons good enough to resurrect the popularity of board games. The lockdown post the pandemic made people’s life boring and made them crave for social connection for which many turned to board games. It was perceived as a great way to release stress so people started playing such games remotely. 

2. All kinds of stress management 

Heard of the phrase “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. Yes, there is truth to it. Life can be boring at times and with work, there should also be some leisure time. There is a need for friends and family to spare some time to bond and spend quality time together. But how? With COVID-19 and other precautionary norms over our head? Fret not, because digital media has more ways than you know to keep you connected with fun-filled board games that you can play in the comfort of your house whilst maintaining social distancing. They make an enjoyable experience. Did you know, Endorphins, the “happy hormone” is released when you play games which also improves conscious and unconscious mind functions. If only that was it, but playing board games also helps improve blood circulation and maintain blood pressure. 

3. Social media and social networking

The Internet and social media have helped build the craze for online multiplayer board games by bringing the world together on a platform. The sales are increasing year after year. Around the world, with digital expansion, buying board games online has become the norm these days. Ludo, Chess, Scrabble, and Monopoly being some of the most popular board games that are played.

4. They make us feel nostalgic

If you go back to the days when you were young and when smartphones did not exist, everyone of us will remember board games being a part of those times. Those were the times when engaging board games were the most widely played indoor game and we all loved spending time with our family and friends chatting and playing. So, yes we started playing these old fashioned games when we were kids and it’s pretty obvious that they make us all very nostalgic and are preferred by many. People already seem to be aware of the rules and the game and it comes as an easy activity to them for fun.  In other terms, these games are quite relatable.

5. Targets not one but all

There is not a particular section of people that board games target unlike other genres. These games have easy rules to follow and are hence played by all - kids, teens, adults, and the elderly population. The young crowd has always been into gaming and made use of it to kill boredom, but now a time has come when it is just not the millennials but also the Gen X, the baby boomers, and the silent generation who are enthralled by board games.

6. Brings people together and allows them to bond

A fun fact about board games is that they are not played alone but with others. They bring people together and strengthen relationships. They kill loneliness too by letting you connect with people.

7. Competitive fun

Who doesn’t like some good competition now and then? And board games for sure bring out the competitive side of us as they by design divide us.

8. Former popularity contributes too

Games have been popular for a long time and the overwhelming craze for board games is spurring the board games market. Well, people are understanding that it has become necessary and it is refreshing to step back from the hustle of our day to day lives, and enjoy gaming with others or alone. This means people are looking to be involved in engaging activities and playing board games is one of them. It wouldn’t be wrong to say it’s popularity also contributes in making such games more popular.

According to Statista, the global market value of board games, alternatively known as tabletop games, was estimated to be around 7.2 billion U.S. dollars in 2017 and was forecast to reach a value of 12 billion U.S. dollars by 2023.

Source: Statista

9. Board games bring along multitude of options on the table

People are confined to their houses because of the pandemic and the variety in complexity and genre and types of board games has given people options to deal with the boredom. 

10. Bringing technology and board games together

Were all those reasons already not enough? That now board game developers thought of incorporating technology into their products to better the player’s experience. One such example being

applications which make these games more available and add to the experience by guiding the user through the setup and teaching them how to play. Game app developers are combining technology and board games to make game development, funding, marketing and selling easier and better which has made board games all the more interesting. NFC and bluetooth technology, Augmented Reality, 3D printing, and other such technologies are contributing to the swift progression in the experience of playing board games.

11. Learning capabilities

Multiplayer board games are entertaining and at the same time develop our mental and cognitive functioning. There are many options in board games that are created to motivate learning different skills that include counting, reading, and reasoning. Other than that, patience and learning to follow rules, enhancing focus, teamwork are also on the list.

Board games have created their own buzz in the gaming industry and calling them a success would be an understatement. Big game development companies are competing to build games and their better versions to give the players an exceptional experience. One such company is Logic Simplified, a multiplayer board game development company in Dehradun that holds game designers and developers who are capable of producing creative and unique games in both dimensions - 2D and 3D. They are well versed with different techniques that go into making a game that stands out and is compatible across various platforms. Not just that but most importantly they ensure that the games developed by them are entertaining that will make them popular. Share your thoughts, enquiries and suggestions by writing to us at enquiry@logicsimplfied.com, and we will get back to you shortly to provide you with ultimate gaming solutions.