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The board game sector has never been as vibrant as it is today, thanks also to the contribution of digital technology, which has not destroyed it, but has helped it to renew itself.

Give way, video games. An old challenger armed with a new pair of digital boxing gloves is ready to return to take on the ultimate challenge in the home entertainment ring. Board games have experienced a real boom in recent years. And even if the market is worth several times less than the video game market, there has already been a symbolic overtaking: industry estimates show a compound annual growth rate of 13% through 2026 (according to the Global Board Games Market Report 2021) . ) compared to 11% in video games (Global Gaming Market Size Report 2021).

The secret weapon of board games? It may simply be the ability to innovate. Anyone who thinks of ordinary dice, pawns and paper boards is greatly mistaken. Board games are on the cusp of a digital revolution that takes many lessons from its older cousins, video games, to offer users an even richer and more complex experience. But that's not all. The entire industry is reshaping in ways never seen before: between crowdfunding platforms, social media marketing, influencers, and strictly digital forms of development. This is the story of a sector that is changing to stay true to itself and continue to find a place on the tables of new generations of players around the world. You can read more about the best gamer software and essential tools for every gamer on this website.

Hybrid Invasion

In an entertainment world dominated by video games, board games seem to be the mainstay of analog entertainment. However, in recent years, hybrid games have gradually penetrated this fortress, which, along with traditional components, contain applications or websites that can be accessories or indispensable for the game. Today, about 300 board games, according to the BoardGameGeek database, require the use of a digital component.

Hybrids between board games and video games are nothing new. As early as 1972, on Magnavox's Odyssey (the first home console), a Risk-inspired video game was sold along with a game board depicting a fantasy world. In 1983, the Apple II experimented with Chivalry, a video game accompanied by four pawns and a goose-like board. In Italy, many remember Clementoni's Atmosfear, a horror game released to great fanfare in 1992, complete with TV commercials, where the multimedia content was nothing more than a VHS videotape.

Survive Covid Between Crowdfunding and Digital Board Games

It seems paradoxical that board games have not been affected by the social isolation of Covid-19. The market continued to grow without fear of a pandemic. Many couples and families have rediscovered hobbies to pass the time during the darkest months of lockdown.

According to Euromonitor International, the global board game and puzzle market reached $11.3 billion in 2020, up $1 billion from the previous record in 2019. In Italy, according to data compiled by industry giant Asmodee, consumer interest in board games (expressed in terms of search queries on sales portals) has grown by 50% compared to 2019.

The digital transposition of board games has also experienced a boom during the pandemic. Hobby enthusiasts never stop playing their favorite games or trying out the latest releases. Online platforms such as BoardGame Arena or Yucata have come to their aid, offering a transposition of great classics and modern games that can be played directly in the browser, often for free. Or more sophisticated simulators like TableTop Simulator or Tabletopia: virtual spaces that let you manipulate chips, dice, cards and boards without imitating the rules of the game. And finally, there are apps that digitize individual games and often also offer artificial intelligence to combat online matchmaking systems: the closest digital pollution comes to video games.

The very way board games are financed and sold depends on the digital revolution. Crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstarter and Gamefound have become a major marketplace for offering not only experimental projects that would otherwise not see the light of day, but also the direct sale of successful blockbusters without having to go through traditional distribution.
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