2023-11-22 08:15:00
There is no age to be “addicted” to board games. “I have around thirty in my cupboard: board, cooperative or conquest… 7 Wonders, Citadelles, Les Aventuriers du rail, escape games. I buy about two to three per year, to play with friends, to take them on vacation. It’s nice to be able to get together around a game and share an activity together. I also have versions for playing as a duo. Since confinement, I have also gotten into puzzles. »
Amandine, a 29-year-old from Lyon, ticks all the boxes of a “kidult”: the contraction of “kid” (child in English) and adult. She is not the only one: many adults collect board games. A boon for the toy market.
A trend accelerated by confinement
“It’s important to recreate connections, to play together, with family or friends. It is a moment of sociability and conviviality. Board games are part of our heritage, our heritage. We all played cards, Monopoly® or small horses with our grandparents,” notes Frédérique Tutt, toy market analyst for the Circana firm (formerly NPD Group).
This trend has even developed outside: today there are numerous players’ associations and gaming bars continue to flourish. “Since confinement, this sector has continued to grow. Many have regained a taste for getting together around a game or an activity away from screens,” notes the toy market expert.
As proof, while the toy sector is suffering the indirect consequences of the drop in purchasing power (it recorded a drop of 4.5% over the first nine months of 2023), the “kidult” games market is growing by 1.6% and is one of the locomotives in the sector
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Board games and collectible figurines
Here, we are not talking about toys for children, but board games for adults. The brands have clearly understood the issue around this passion that the French have and are developing versions intended for beginners as well as experienced players and adapted to all tastes: aperitif games, investigation games, atmospheric games, strategy games … Not counting the extensions and new products, the manufacturers’ sales strategy.
The other branch which is not experiencing the crisis is that of collectible figurines. “Adults have a larger budget and will not hesitate to spend a certain amount on a figurine that will serve as a collector’s item: licenses such as Marvel, Star Wars, Pokémon, Harry Potter or Lego are doing well” , analyzes Frédérique Tutt. Thus, over the first nine months of 2023, card games grew by 12%, adult puzzles by 11% and collectible action figures by 5%. Enough to give you some ideas for slipping a gift under the Christmas tree.
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