1.1 The board game, an institution in Germany

Board games are generally characterized by:

A regulation - the rules of the game - more or less complex;
A minimum of 2 participants as opposed to solitary games or puzzles, which are played alone;
The need for one or more material supports (game board, pawns, pen, dice, cards).

In contrast to other European countries, such as France, where the popularity of board games has varied over the decades, Germany has always been a country with a high consumption of board games and participates in their renewal from the 1990s onwards. Indeed, family gatherings around a board game are very frequent, so that German board game publishers have been very successful economically.

The famous British weekly magazine The Economist even went so far as to declare that "Germany was to board games what Belgium was to chocolate" (The Economist, German recreation: An affinity for rules, 08/2018).

Today, however, the German market seems to be growing at a slower pace, whereas the world market is growing by 13% per year. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has sparked new interest in the German market, with a strong increase in turnover and new consumer trends that could last for years to come.

The main players on the German market are multinational publishers and distributors of games and toys such as Mattel or Hasbro, German human-sized board game companies such as Amigo or Haba, small, highly successful foreign publishers such as Asmodee or Jumbo, or board game resellers such as Vedes and Smyths.

1.2 A dynamic global market

Market dynamism is confirmed

Revenues from the board game market World, ****-****, in billions of USD Source: ****

The board game market is expected to grow significantly by **% per year between **** and **** to reach a value of $** billion.

This development benefits from a favourable context with a great popularity among the days ...

1.3 A growing segment in a relatively stable industry

The broader games and toys industry, registered by the Statistisches Bundesamt (***) under code EH**-**** "Spielwaren", has been relatively stable since ****. Indeed, the sector's turnover has remained around EUR *.* billion since that year. There is even a slight decrease of *% between **** and ****.

Sales in the games and toys market Germany, ****-****, ...

1.4 Strong market growth following the Covid-19 pandemic

Admittedly, the Covid-** pandemic had a slightly recessive impact on the production of board games. This was due to problems in the supply chain due to restrictions imposed around the world. In addition, cafés that are also good places to play board games have had to close down, resulting in ...

2.1 Children: an important market for manufacturers

Top ** Christmas wishes Germany, ****, in % Source: ****

This study involved the responses of *** children aged * to ** years as to their preference in terms of Christmas gifts.

Board games are the fourth most popular gift for children at Christmas. More than one in ten German children want a board game for Christmas. Board ...

2.2 Yearly events witnessing an attractive market

International gaming fairs

Germany is known for its major game and toy fairs, which further proves that games are an important market for Germans.

International Spieltage SPIEL, often called the Essen Game Fair after the name of the city where it is held, is an annual four-day fair held in October ...

3.1 Value chain

The distribution chain for a board game is relatively clear: game publishers sell their goods to distributors, who in turn supply the resellers (***). At each stage of distribution a margin is taken, which inflates the price of the game for the consumer.

Nevertheless, some companies may be both publishers and distributors ...

3.2 The structure of the German board game market

The toy sector is listed by the Statistisches Bundesamt (***) under the code EH**-**** "Spielwaren". However, board games are not the only product category registered under this code as it concerns games and toys in the broadest sense. However, this gives a macroeconomic view of the market.

Number of companies in ...

3.3 A production mainly Made in Asia

As in the toy industry, to which the board game industry is closely related, products are mainly manufactured in Asia, and in particular in China, in order to keep production costs as low as possible, as labour is cheaper in Asia.

With regard to producer prices, as competition is increasingly fierce ...

3.4 Main distribution channels

As with toys in general, there are several places to buy board games:

Toy/game stores (***) are always in demand for their wide variety of items. Specialist shops are present in the form of many small shops specialising in board games, especially in the big cities. Supermarkets are also important places ...

4.1 Categories of board games

Although it is difficult to classify all board games, as there is so much diversity in terms of rules or ways of playing, it is possible to make broad categories of games.

Card games: as their name suggests, card games are played with cards. Long practised only with traditional card games ...

4.2 A constantly renewed range

Although the classics remain an important part of sales: Monopoly, Risk, Cluedo, Uno, etc., the share of innovation is very important in order to constantly renew the pleasure and curiosity of consumers. According to Hermann Hutter, more than *,*** titles appear each year in Germany, and are presented at trade fairs such ...

4.3 Prices

According to the game information site Tric Trac, a board game in Germany costs on average from ** to ** euros. In general, the prices of board games are in the price range €* - €**.

Germany, however, seems to be experiencing a phenomenon of downward price pressure, resulting mainly from a fierce struggle between ...

4.4 Additional costs to be taken into account

In addition to the actual manufacturing of the sets, many additional costs have to be taken into account.

Research: especially for large companies (***), it is important to know the demand of families, children, etc., in order to produce games that correspond perfectly to expectations. Game development: often with the help of ...

5.1 Regulations

Board games are mainly composed of material elements, which are likely to represent a danger for a public that is too young, and therefore comply with strict regulations both on prevention and on the composition of the elements.

While the controversy over the supposed dangerousness of games and toys made in ...