money on quality games. Companies are creating more and more games that teach kids STEAM concepts, such as Thames & Kosmos’ Dohdles, which challenges kids to use clay to help with problemsolving and creativity.
adults only: games for an older audience Games are not just for kids, and while adults have been playing board games for years, many companies are cranking out games designed specifically with adults in mind. Largely based on humor, adult-focused games are typically intended for large groups of people. What’s Yours Like, from Patch Products, challenges one player to guess the mystery word based on other players’ descriptions, resulting in big laughs and easy bonding experiences. USAopoly will launch an adult-only version of its popular Telestrations game later this year; and the crowd-funded game Exploding Kittens is perfect for adults who enjoy whimsical fantasy.
for the people, by the people: crowd-funded games Crowd-funded games, which are financially backed by the public on digital platforms such as Kickstarter before they are actually produced, continue to gain traction. Backers pledged more than $53.6 million for tabletop board games on Kickstarter last year. One of the most well-funded campaigns was for Exploding Kittens, bringing in more than $8.7 million from 219,382 backers. Founder Elan Lee’s original funding goal was $10,000 to print 500 decks of cards, which he exceeded in eight minutes. Another heavy hitter is Sony Pictures and Cryptozoic Entertainment’s Ghostbusters board game, which exceeded its funding goal by 618 percent on Kickstarter, with 8,396 backers and more than $1.5 million pledged. Monolith Board Games’ Conan board game generated more than $3.3 million, and
22 • THE TOY BOOK
CoolMiniOrNot’s Zombicide: Season 3 board game earned $3.1 million earlier this year.
from underground to the masses: hobby games go mainstream Niche board games from relatively small manufacturers, as well as Euro-style strategy games, are entering the mass market with tremendous success. Mayfair Games’ Settlers of Catan is currently the fourth largest board game brand in the U.S., with retail value sales of more than $80 million in 2013, even though it was largely an unknown niche brand nearly 10 years prior. Some traditional game manufacturers are adding games that fit this category to their lines, such as Gamewright’s Forbidden Island. This year, the company debuted a sequel to the popular strategy game, called Forbidden Desert. “[We are] selling lots of small card games, probably due to Hanabi and Love Letter’s popularity,” says Linda Schmidt, owner of Cat and Mouse Games in Chicago. “Also, anything with bluffing and/or deduction. The combination of social interaction and strategy (but not too much) that these games have is a real sweet spot.” Hobby games have enjoyed six consecutive years of growth and earned $735 million in sales last year, making them not so much of a “hobby” anymore. The game aisle has never been more robust, with more types of games on the market than ever before. From fiveminute card games, to updated classics, to strategy-based games that take hours to finish, there’s something for every type of player. Publishers, retailers, and consumers alike are enjoying the trend to get away from screens, meet face-to-face, and play tabletop games. Loads of choices are fueling games growth and will undoubtedly continue to do so. ■
Expoloding Kittens
JULY/AUGUST 2015