It’s summer, maybe we’ll have more time to play board games on the long, crazy sunny evenings. Since confinement, these IRL games, which are played “in real life”, have revealed good economic health. Better, we can talk about boom! On the occasion of the games festival Paris is fun! », we talk about in our news podcast « Wait a minute ! » of these games for young and old, classics but also new nuggets, with Benjamin Chapon, head of the Culture and Media department at 20 minutes.
With more than 30 million boxes sold in 2021 and an annual increase of more than 15% in recent years (and – which does not spoil anything – margins of more than 40%, unique in their kind in the world of publishing ), board games are a pillar of French cultural industries.
First trend, it is in the old recipes that we produce successes. Monopoly, Scrabble, 1000 terminals are classics and are sold every year with small modifications, new inspired colors or a sometimes slightly changed board. Stars of the 1990s, the Hotel games, The mysteries of Beijing, Panic at the mansion are still selling, 30 years after their launch. The key to success ? Widely known rules, games that parents pass on to their children…
But alongside these classics, Benjamin Chapon reveals a whole myriad of French nuggets, less known, but whose names are well known among the gaming community, and are enjoying phenomenal success. Seven Wonders, Blanc-Manger Coco, Crack List, Skyjo…
How can these successes be explained? Our journalist points out that the environment has become more democratic thanks to the development of game bars, fun events, festivals… And above all the network of specialized shops”, word of mouth initiated by specialized stores to reach supermarkets . For more on the board game boom, listen to Benjamin Chapon in this episode, in the audio player above. Good listening !
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