1.1 Definition and presentation

Board games have an ancient tradition, they have indeed been a pastime for a long time; the first mentions of these games date back to 5000 years ago. Board games, "Giochi da Tavolo" in Italian, are part of a broader category, which identifies any recreational activity that requires the participation of more individuals. Board games, as the name suggests, group together all those activities that require a table to be played.

Difficult to define in absolute terms, board games are generally characterized by :

A more or less complex rule of the game;
A minimum of 2 participants;
The need for one or more material supports (game board, counters, pen, dice, cards).

The market for board games, against all expectations, is booming, despite the development of countless alternatives based on rapid technological expansion. Board games continue indeed to survive and are actually experiencing a period of growth worldwide (valued at 8.5 billion USD in 2019, they are expected to reach 12 billion USD by 2023) [Arizton].

Board game sales exploded by 11% over 2020 compared to 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the periods of lockdown put in place by the world's governments. People around the globe, having to spend more time at home, started occupying their free time with social board games.

The sector is also experiencing a prosperous period in Italy thanks to the many events, fairs and shows such as Play Modena organized in their honor, which increase visibility and help boost innovative offerings.

1.2 The Global Market for Board Games

A **** study by Arizton estimated the value of the global board game market at approx *.* billion in **** and that this market is expected to reach a value of ** billion by ****.

Global board game market value World, ****-****, in billions of dollars Source: ****

The major players in the global board game market, ...

1.3 The Incredible Performance of the Italian Market

Looking only at Italy, the trend is equally positive. The market of board games in our country, in fact, has an estimated value of *** million euros and is constantly growing with a proposal of *** new titles per year, a symptom of a great liveliness of the sector. "The depersonalization of relationships, ...

1.4 COVID-19 Impact

In ****, especially during the lockdown months, interest in board games increased dramatically compared to the previous year, with +**.*% in terms of purchase intentions on idealo's Italian portal (***). In ****, the long time spent indoors due to the Covid-** pandemic and necessary restrictions thus led to a huge boom in demand for board ...

2.1 Characteristics of the Demand for Board Games

According to data collected by Asmodee Italia, a publishing house that localizes, publishes and distributes board games and role-playing games, the interest of Italians towards board games has increased between **% and **% only in the last year, probably as a reaction to too many hours spent online between smart working, social and ...

2.2 Top Games Sold Online in 2020

What games did Italians spend their time with during ****? Based on purchase intentions on its Italian portal, idealo determined the top ** in the Board Games category:

Monopoly Classic: This board game from Hasbro is aimed at a wide audience and is suitable for both children and adults. This makes it an ...

2.3 Italian Families Expenditure on Games and Hobbies

One of the most important demand drivers for board games is the expenditure of Italian families on games and hobbies.

Using the data provided by the Italian Statistics Institute, ISTAT, we can have a look at the evolution of the average monthly expenditure of Italian families on games and hobbies between ...

2.4 Consumer Profile

As already mentioned, a series of basic analysis of the target of board games confirms that the vast majority of buyers today are aged between ** and ** years, then the generation of Millennials, i.e. those born between **** and ****.

To have an idea of the potential demand for board games, it is ...

2.5 Key Success Factors of a Board Game

What characteristics must a boxed game have to keep youngsters glued to it? Forget endless games of Monopoly or Trivial Pursuit: now the secret is speed.

The most popular games are structured in such a way as to accommodate quick games of ** or ** minutes maximum.

Space is also given to simplicity: ...

3.1 Value Chain and Dynamism of the Market

To have an idea of the dynamism of the board games sector in Italy, it is useful to mention a small but important fair on a national level, held in April every year in Modena. It's called Play - Festival del Gioco and the first edition took place in ****, growing continuously ...

3.2 Distribution Channels

The sale of board games, which are aimed at different types of consumers, passes through various channels: supermarkets, specialized stores, small retailers. Sales data from large retailers, i.e., supermarket chains and large toy retailers, are in the possession of the NPD research group, which does not make them public, but ...

3.3 Revenues of the Main Players

The growth of the board game market, in Italy, can be observed through the sales figures of individual companies: DV Giochi, for example, is an Italian company that exports to ** countries around the world, founded in ****. Contacted by Il Post, the company's head of marketing, Barbara Rol, said that turnover has ...

4.1 Typology of the Offer

Given up for dead a few years ago because of the video games that would have phagocytized them, board games are enjoying an unexpected springtime.

Even in Italy. The market is growing, players are growing, associations are growing and creativity is growing too: there is a ferment of authors and publishers. ...

4.2 Pricing

To have an idea of the pricing of board games, it might be useful to look at and compare the prices of the most popular games in Italy.

Source: ****

Overall, most of the represented games can be found on very broad price ranges. As a general rule, the lower side of ...

4.3 Hasbro Italia - an Innovation Leader

The Website Ilgiocointavolo.it interviewed Viola Modugno, Brand Manager Hasbro Gaming and Monopoly in Italy. She answered to the website's questions about new initiatives and innovation at Hasbro Italia.

In Modugno's opinion, the year **** has been a bit ''different'' and challenging for everyone, but still full of news and surprises about ...

5.1 Rules and Regulations that Apply to Board Games

For board games there is no specific protection, on the contrary they are apparently devoid of any kind of protection. The copyright law does not include them among the protected works, and the patent law expressly excludes them among the objects that can be protected. In general the manufacturing, import and ...

5.2 Manufacturer Obligations

A toys and games manufacturer is defined as a natural or legal person who manufactures a toy or has a toy designed and manufactured and markets it under its own name or trademark.

The obligations the toys and games manufacturer must comply with are:

Carry out or have carried out the ...

5.3 Importer and Distributor Obligations

An importer of toys and games is defined as a natural or legal person established in the Community who places a toy from a third country on the Community market.

The obligations the importer must comply with are:

Ensure that the manufacturer has: carried out the appropriate conformity assessment procedure; and ...