Global study reveals tabletop games are the breakout star of leisure time, rivalling video games and podcasts
asmodee is one of the most prominent tabletop publishers today and it is determined to learn more about its audience, using its 30th anniversary celebrations to gain a crucial insight into how people play. And what it learned is fascinating!
asmodee’s data reveals that playing board games helps to strengthen family ties, building those important social bonds – with 64 per cent of those questioned using games to bring the family together. With one in four playing board games at least once a week and one in three millennials favouring playing tabletop games over consuming the news, gaming has officially become a consistent part of modern life.
The major survey was conducted across 8,001 consumers in the UK, USA, France and Sweden. This allowed asmodee to highlight where certain nations differ. France, for example, is ahead of the curve when it comes to using games to bring the family together, with 71 per cent of those asked viewing the hobby as a familial bonding exercise.
There’s more good news for the industry, as data reveals that people are just as likely to enjoy listening to a gaming podcast in their leisure time and tabletop gaming is catching up to video gaming when it comes to popularity.
Millennials also say they see the hobby as a way to get offline, with 41 per cent saying they experience joy while playing. Meanwhile, 53 per cent of people use these gameplay moments as escapism, helping to support their mental health.
“Tabletop games are gaining more traction as a favoured leisure activity, offering an appealing way to unwind and spend quality time with friends and family. As a lifelong gamer myself, I know first-hand how tabletop games are played for much more than recreation, but are also a valuable gateway to imagination, wellbeing, fun and togetherness among players,” says Thomas Koegler, CEO of asmodee. “From homes to holidays and cafés to hospital beds, tabletop games create opportunities to connect and share meaningful stories. As we celebrate our 30th anniversary, we look forward to delivering games inspired by a wider set of players than ever before, devising new formats to accommodate new settings and new themes to reimagine the realities of modern life.”
In a world where the digital is becoming ever more prominent, it is promising to see, based on this study, that the tabletop hobby is growing. asmodee itself continues to expand in its 30th year, following the launch of asmodee Kids and Moodbox Games – the latter being a brand-new US-based studio dedicated to developing party games, in a team-up with creative development studio, Hedyverse.