The tabletop game industry is the
economic sector
One classical breakdown of economic activity distinguishes three sectors:
* Primary: involves the retrieval and production of raw materials, such as corn, coal, wood or iron. Miners, farmers and fishermen are all workers in the primary sect ...
involved in the development, marketing, and monetization of games that fall within the scope of
tabletop games
Tabletop games or tabletops are games that are normally played on a Table (furniture), table or other flat surface, such as board games, card games, dice games, miniature wargames, Tabletop role-playing game, tabletop role-playing games, or ti ...
, which includes dice and card games. According to
Statista
Statista (styled in all lower case) is a German online platform that specializes in data gathering and visualization. In addition to publicly available third-party data, Statista also provides exclusive data via the platform, which is collect ...
, the tabletop game industry had an estimated market of approximately 7.2 billion U.S. dollars in 2017 and is expected to increase by 4.8 billion U.S. dollars within the next 6 years.
Since most of the game play requires offline meetings players may choose to participate via meetups or through a variety of tabletop exhibitions held around the world, which are supported by both game designers and players. Some individuals involved in the tabletop industry focus on collecting valuable game cards, games, or pieces, as they see the value of cards as far higher that its original production and sales cost. This mixture of individuals makes up a market structure that can give the board game market a variety of opportunities.
Classification of games
Tabletop games are occasionally referred to as board games, but are not limited to games that require a game board to play.
These games are typically based on strategy, randomness, or a combination of both.
Games that are traditionally described as tabletop games includes
board game
A board game is a type of tabletop game that involves small objects () that are placed and moved in particular ways on a specially designed patterned game board, potentially including other components, e.g. dice. The earliest known uses of the ...
s,
card game
A card game is any game that uses playing cards as the primary device with which the game is played, whether the cards are of a traditional design or specifically created for the game (proprietary). Countless card games exist, including famil ...
s,
dice game
Dice games are games that use or incorporate one or more dice as their sole or central component, usually as a random device.
The following are games which largely, if not entirely, depend on dice:
Collectible dice games
Patterned after the su ...
s,
paper and pencil games,
tabletop role-playing game
A tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG or TRPG), also known as a pen-and-paper role-playing game, is a kind of role-playing game (RPG) in which the participants describe their characters' actions through speech and sometimes movements. Participants d ...
s,
strategy game
A strategy game or strategic game is a game in which the players' uncoerced, and often autonomous, decision-making skills have a high significance in determining the outcome. Almost all strategy games require internal decision tree-style think ...
s, and
tile-based game
A tile-based game is a game that uses tiles as one of the fundamental elements of play. Traditional tile-based games use small tiles as playing pieces for gambling or entertainment games. Some board games use tiles to create their board, giv ...
s.
These types of games typically include chessboards, game pieces, figurines, cards, dice, and a variety of other accessories that vary according to the complexity of the game involved.
Chess
Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...
is frequently cited as a classic example of a two-player board game. Desktop games can be oriented to one or more people at the same time and the number of players varies depending on the size and rules of the game.
Process
According to author and game inventor Brian Tinsman, the average tabletop game company does not create their own games but instead purchase or license them from independent inventors. These inventors will pitch their games to potential buyers after coming up with a game idea and running the prototype through several test groups and revisions.
If the pitch is successful the game will be run through a publisher's art department, which will work on the game's art and graphic design while the game is refined and made ready for the production team, who will select the physical game materials and prep artwork to be run through the machines used to print the game.
After this the game is typically sent to distributors, who will sell the game to mass market retailers and specialty/hobby shops. If a publisher is very large they may choose to distribute the games without using a distributor.
Many North American companies use factories in China to produce their games,
which can make
tariff
A tariff or import tax is a duty (tax), duty imposed by a national Government, government, customs territory, or supranational union on imports of goods and is paid by the importer. Exceptionally, an export tax may be levied on exports of goods ...
s or laws on Chinese imports of great importance to companies.
Tinsman states that for game inventors there are four major markets for tabletop games: mass market, hobby games, American specialty games, and European games. Mass market games are ones marketed to the general public, whereas hobby games are aimed at a more specific market and mostly fall into three categories: role-playing games, miniatures games, and trading card games.
American specialty games are made up of games that would not fall into the prior two categories while the European game market is primarily made up of games put out by German companies, most of which are not translated into English or brought over to the United States.
Select vendors
There are
thousands of board game publishers around the world, here is a selection of a few of the largest.
Asmodee Editions (Group)
Asmodee is a French publisher of board games, card games and role-playing games that was founded in 1995. As of 2019 the company has 11 development studios, 11 distribution business units, and over 750 employees worldwide. Tabletop games released by Asmodee include
Catan
''Catan'', previously known as ''The Settlers of Catan'' or simply ''Settlers'', is a multiplayer board game designed by Klaus Teuber. It was first published in 1995 in Germany by Franckh-Kosmos Verlag (Kosmos) as ''Die Siedler von Catan'' (). ...
,
Star Wars: X-Wing,
Ticket to Ride Ticket to Ride may refer to:
Games
* ''Ticket to Ride'' (board game), a rail-themed Eurogame by Alan R. Moon
** ''Ticket to Ride'' (video game), its digital adaptation
** '' Ticket to Ride: The Card Game'', a simplified spin-off
Music
* ''Tick ...
,
Arkham Horror
''Arkham Horror'' is a cooperative adventure board game designed by Richard Launius, originally published in 1987 by Chaosium. The game is based on Chaosium's roleplaying game ''Call of Cthulhu'', which is set in the Cthulhu Mythos of H. P. L ...
and
Pandemic
A pandemic ( ) is an epidemic of an infectious disease that has a sudden increase in cases and spreads across a large region, for instance multiple continents or worldwide, affecting a substantial number of individuals. Widespread endemic (epi ...
.
Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro, Inc. (; a syllabic abbreviation of its original name, Hassenfeld Brothers) is an American multinational corporation, multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment holding company founded on December 6, 1923 by Henry, Hillel and Herma ...
is a global play and entertainment company that has its corporate headquarters in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The majority of its products are manufactured in East Asia. Products released by Hasbro include
MONOPOLY
A monopoly (from Greek language, Greek and ) is a market in which one person or company is the only supplier of a particular good or service. A monopoly is characterized by a lack of economic Competition (economics), competition to produce ...
,
MAGIC: THE GATHERING ,and the
D&D series.
Mattel
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational corporation, multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company headquartered in El Segundo, California. Founded in Los Angeles by Harold Matson and the husband-and-wife duo of Ruth Handler, ...
is an American multinational toy manufacturing company founded in 1945 with headquarters in El Segundo, California.
Ravensburger
Ravensburger
Ravensburger AG is a German game, puzzle and toy company, publishing house, and market leader in the jigsaw puzzle market.
History
The company was founded by Otto Robert Maier in Ravensburg, a town in Upper Swabia in southern Germany. He began ...
AG is a German game and toy company and publishing house. The company is known for games such as their puzzles games series.
Board games
A board game is a tabletop game that involves counters or
pieces moved or placed on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Some games are based on pure
strategy
Strategy (from Greek στρατηγία ''stratēgia'', "troop leadership; office of general, command, generalship") is a general plan to achieve one or more long-term or overall goals under conditions of uncertainty. In the sense of the " a ...
, but many contain an element of
chance
Chance may refer to:
Mathematics
* In mathematics, likelihood of something (by way of the likelihood function or probability density function)
* ''Chance'' (statistics magazine)
Places
* Chance, Kentucky, US
* Chance, Maryland, US
* Chanc ...
; and some are purely chance, with no element of skill.
While the board gaming market is estimated to be smaller than that for
video games
A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
, it has also experienced significant growth from the late 1990s.
A 2012 article in ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' described board games as "making a comeback". Another from 2014 gave an estimate that put the growth of the board game market at "between 25% and 40% annually" since 2010, and described the current time as the "golden era for board games".
The rise in board game popularity has been attributed to quality improvement (more elegant
mechanics
Mechanics () is the area of physics concerned with the relationships between force, matter, and motion among Physical object, physical objects. Forces applied to objects may result in Displacement (vector), displacements, which are changes of ...
, , artwork, and graphics) as well as increased availability thanks to sales through the Internet.
A 1991 estimate for the global board game market was over $1.2 billion.
A 2001 estimate for the United States "board games and puzzle" market gave a value of under $400 million, and for United Kingdom, of about £50 million. A 2009 estimate for the Korean market was put at 800 million won, and another estimate for the American board game market for the same year was at about $800 million. A 2011 estimate for the Chinese board game market was at over 10 billion
yuan. (Some estimates may split board games from
collectible card, miniature and role-playing games; for example another 2014 estimate distinguishing board games from other types of hobby games gave the estimate for the U.S. and Canada market at only $75 million, with the total size of what it defined as the hobby game market at over $700 million, with a 2015 estimate suggesting a value of almost $900 million) A 2013 estimate put the size of the German toy market at 2.7 billion euros (out of which, the board games and puzzle market is worth about 375 million euros), and Polish markets, at 2 billion and 280 million
zlotys, respectively. Per capita, in 2009 Germany was considered to be the best market, with the highest number of games sold per individual.
Gaming conventions

Gaming conventions are large gatherings centered on various types of games, which can include tabletop games. These conventions can range in size from small single day exhibitions to large multi-day events. Tabletop gaming conventions typically provide venues for players to conduct exhibitor activities or test board games that have not yet been released. Game conventions can often be divided into two categories: small conventions or large conventions. Small conventions are most frequently attended by local people and have between 200 and 5,000 attendees. They are often focused on bringing people together to play games and can lack showrooms. Large conventions can draw attendees from all over the country or globe and can accommodate between 15,000 and 200,000 people. There are several hundred gaming conventions around the world each year.
Conventions typically have a dealer's room or hall where attendees can purchase games from sellers. Attendees can also purchase directly from the publisher, a feature that is most common at larger conventions. Some conventions also feature a large event hall where participants can sign up to play specific games or participate in competitions.
Select tabletop gaming conventions
*
BGG CON (& BGG SPRING) in Dallas, TX
*
UK Games Expo
UK Games Expo (UKGE) is a Gaming convention, tabletop-game convention and trade fair held at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) and the Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Birmingham Metropole.
UK Games Expo (UKGE) is the largest Hobby Games Conv ...
in Birmingham, UK
*
Origins Game Fair
Origins Game Fair is an annual gaming convention that was first held in 1975. Since 1996, it has been held in Columbus, Ohio at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Origins is run by the Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA). Origins was cha ...
in Columbus, OH
*
Gen Con
Gen Con is the largest tabletop game convention in North America by both attendance and number of events. It features traditional pen-and-paper, board, and card games, including role-playing games, miniatures wargames, live action role-playing ...
in Indianapolis, Indiana
*
Essen Spiel in Essen, Germany
*
PAX Unplugged in Philadelphia, PA
References
{{Industries
Tabletop games