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Playing for Keeps

Board games prove their staying power with stronger sales and greater consumer interest

By Pamela Brill -- Gifts and Dec, 3/1/2010 12:00:00 AM

Like a roll of the dice, earning profitable margins in the toy business these days can feel like it's up to chance. But if there's one category that doesn't have to rely on Lady Lucky to gain a strong footing, it's board games.

Anita Frazier, toy industry analyst for The NPD Group of Port Washington, N.Y., recently dubbed the category “one of the more resilient for the toy industry in recent years.” Board games earned more than $1.1 billion in sales last year, accounting for 5 percent of total industry sales. With family game night becoming a regular institution, retailers are keeping an eye on emerging trends as manufacturers come to the table with increasingly innovative offerings.

The top bananas

A retailer's clientele and location plays a large part in determining which game trends are taking shape, shopkeepers say. “Our store tends to skew a little bit younger, and our game section adheres to that,” explains Sheri Gurock of Magic Beans in Boston. Right now, she is seeing a great demand for preschool games that engage parents as well as they do their kids. “Best sellers like Blokus and Bananagrams are both so successful because they appeal to such a wide age range,” she says.

At Education Station in Montgomery, N.Y., owner Kelly Pluchino sees a big push toward educational titles that emphasize sight words, numbers, letters and sounds, along with brainteaser games. “I have a tutoring center at our facility so many educational games fly off our shelves,” she tells Playthings, noting that perennial favorite Bingo continues to be popular.

But back to Bananagrams. If there's one undeniable game favorite as of late, it's it. The cleverly packaged word game from the Providence, R.I.-based company of the same name “sells like crazy,” says Elaine Hackney of Boing JP's Toy Shop in Jamaica Plains, Mass. “We love it.” At Imagination Village in Concord, N.H., the game is consistently the store's best seller, while at Playmatters in Pepper Pike, Ohio, and Brilliant Sky Toys & Books in Lansing, Mich., also say they sell their fair share.

The European influence

When more European-style games started appearing on store shelves, some retailers began noticing great interest in the more sophisticated type of game play it affords—especially with high school and college kids. “Designer board games like Settlers of Catan are definitely increasing in popularity,” says Tom England of Dancing Bear Toys and Gifts in Frederick, Md., adding: “We have more customers requesting specific board games by name.”

“The Settlers of Catan style games are fantastic—if you have the right market,” advises Laura Miller of Imagination Village. But because a neighboring shop is devoted to gaming, she opted not to take the plunge into that particular sub-category at her store.

Michael Ziegenhagen of Playmatters decided to explore the Euro game trend, albeit a bit cautiously. Having stocked Settlers for the first time last holiday season, sales for the game earned a “moderate response. The category is a tricky one,” he tells Playthings. “Identifying emerging titles is a big commitment. Failure rate is high, yet a best seller can generate a long ride and excellent sales.”

If anything, the explosion of European games appears to have superseded the genre of licensed games, especially for the specialty retailer. “My feeling is that as soon as many of the licensed games are published, the fad has passed,” says Miller. “We put our energy into selecting games that the family will play for years.”

In Canada, retailer Duane Schreiner of Gracie & Gruff Fine Toys in Calgary, Alberta, sees a similar trend. “In our stores, the European games always have greater appeal than licensed games, but we are also very close to several mass merchants who aggressively promote and discount licensed games,” he tells Playthings.

The game's the thing

Responding in kind, many toy manufacturers are focusing more on game play than on centering a game on a hot property or character. “Licensed products seem to have a limited shelf life,” says Rena Nathanson, second banana at Bananagrams UK. “They are often impulse buys and the game play is usually not that strong because developers are trying to capture a moment in time as opposed to creating a classic game with good playability.”

The Settlers craze may have, in fact, settled down as well. “It appears more people are willing to try European-style games,” says Buffalo Games' president Paul Dedrick. “However, that segment of the industry is still relatively small in comparison to the family and party games segment. Perhaps the bigger trend is not within the games genre, but in the game industry as a whole.” He points to the economy's role in shaping current play patterns.

“Recessions have a tendency to refocus people on their families and simple, inexpensive entertainment options like board games,” Dedrick tells Playthings. “Many of the classic games you see on the market today hit their stride during recessions when more and more Americans re-discovered board games…they provide a lot of value and enjoyment for little money.”

Tony Mag, president of Mindtwister USA, is also noticing a significant demand for board games in general. “Though America has yet to truly embrace many of the complex Euro-style games, board games are showing greater appeal as families attempt to 'unplug' and spend valuable time together,” he tells Playthings. “Social interaction, strategy, abstract thought and just plain old fun are offered in abundance by board games, and with increased popularity will come a thirst for more diverse titles than Americans are used to seeing, as well as new and engaging styles of play.”

Tami Murphy, marketing manager of The Haywire Group, concurs: “It seems like consumers are interested in something that the whole family can play—be it licensed games or not. The hot games seem to be games that are appropriate for all ages, can be played over and over, and offered at a reasonable price point.”

Game play with a purpose

With a greater focus on social interaction, game makers are enticing buyers with new titles that will appeal to a broad demographic of players.

From Buffalo Games comes Truth Be Told, a party game for ages 14 and up designed to get players talking—and laughing—when they see how well they know their friends. Players must pose answers to questions like “My favorite snack is…” and try to guess the correct response. “We pre-launched in six select markets in Q4 and exceeded our goals by 150 percent,” enthuses Dedrick.

Bananagrams is producing the latest fruits of its labor—this time as pears and apples. Outfitted in a green pear-shaped cloth pouch, Pairs in Pears invites players ages 6 and up to make pairs of connecting words in matching patterns. With Appletters, domino fans ages 6 and up can connect letters in place of dots. As they take turns, players help build a connected grid and a word worm grows. “Both games have had a terrific response— and look wonderful in a fruit bowl,” says Nathanson.

Mindtwister will build upon the success of its Pentago brand with a multi-player version. “We're very excited about it, as it may be the only time that there is an introduction of a new style of Pentago that also lives up to the original in a very big way,” says Mag. He notes that the game's designers outdid themselves by twisting the game blocks to create a new wave action. The company is also releasing a new Michael Richie card game this spring, Seven Card Samurai.

The Haywire Group is posed for a “record-breaking” year as it gears up to deliver three Guinness World Records branded games: a board game featuring 750 questions and activities; a quick play edition with over 200 activities and questions; and a 300-piece puzzle that, when completed, reveals hidden fun facts about Guinness World record holders. Rounding out the new titles are Outnumbered, billed as a “fast thinkin' dice rollin' challenging game of smarts,” and Rock Stars, which enables aspiring singers to become on-stage performers.

Putting an unusual twist on sumo wrestling is Sumo Ham Slam, the first of nine new titles from Gamewright. In this game, players must knock their opponent out of the ring to become the grand champion. Other notables in the new line are Forbidden Island, which takes players on a series of adventures while collecting treasures. According to product development and marketing manager Jason Schneider, pre-release buzz has been “huge, mostly due to inventor Matt Leacock's notoriety among the gaming community.” Also receiving significant buzz is Rory's Story Cubes, a portable story generator based around a set of nine dice covered in simple icons from which players spin tales. “It is one of the most requested items from our 2010 line,” Schneider tells Playthings.

Retailers roll up their sleeves

When it comes to testing out their latest selections, many retailers are playing games—quite literally. Ziegenhagen of Playmatters hosts a game night for his employees in his home once or twice a year. “It's a great way for everyone to play and learn the games in a festive environment with food and drink,” he tells Playthings. His store also holds game nights at their local library for area teens.

At Education Station, samples of games are always out for kids and parents to play. “Often we have a game located by the front register…and we also pick a Game of the Day and put it on sale for that day only,” says Pluchino.

Also doing game demos is Dancing Bear Toys and Gifts, where many games are open on tables. “Our employees know the games and love to teach customers how to play,” England tells Playthings. He also talks up new games via social networking and e-mail updates. His store is hoping to partner with a local arts organization for game nights and plans to invite a local game inventor for a special in-store event.

“We alternate the games we give 'face space' to on the shelves,” says Samuel Cox of My Favorite Toys in Carbondale, Ill. Last December, he brought some games to a local early morning television show for a demonstration that helped boost sales.

Sometimes, a straightforward sale held at the right time of year can also do the trick. Boing! JP's Toy Shop recently hosted a successful games month that offered 30 percent off a second game after purchasing one. “We often do things like this in the midst of winter,” owner Elaine Hackney tells Playthings.

Of course, it always helps retailers to get a boost from their suppliers, be it via merchandising or POP materials or taking advantage of complete packages dedicated to game night. “Our philosophy is that in this business, things will always change,” says Buffalo Games' Dedrick. “We continue to listen to our retailers and take into consideration what opportunities may help drive foot traffic and, ultimately, sales. If we can create a kit or demo pack to help 'seal the deal,' then it's a win-win for us all.”

Toy Fair A to Z: Winning Moves

For 2010, Winning Moves offers a selection of Classic Editions of famous game titles, as well as original family and children's designs. Its Classic Edition line includes Monopoly and Clue, faithful reproductions of the multi-generational favorites featuring original designs, components and game play. It also issues a 30th anniversary collector's edition of the Rubik's Cube made out of wood.

Winning Move's family line adds Cir*Kis, a game that challenges players to outwit their opponents by placing shapes strategically on a circular game board; Take A Chance, a card and dice game in which players look to parlay their turns into big payoffs; Too Bad (pictured), a game in which dice-shaped pawns determine players' moves—or set back others; and 25 Random Things About Me, based on the Facebook craze, in which players try to match facts to their opponents. New for kids is Jack And The Beanstalk, in which players race to be first up and back down the beanstalk with treasure intact.

2010 card games include Clue The Card Game Mystery At Sea, a version of the whodunit game that's set on a yacht; and Pit Jr., which has players collect favorite foods.

'80s Favorite Goes Back to School

School is cool, thanks to the latest twist on Rubik's Cube. The favorite puzzle game from the 1980s has found a new home—in classrooms across the country.

In celebration of the cube's 30th anniversary comes the You CAN Do the Rubik's Cube initiative , which is being promoted in schools, camps and after-school programs across the country to help kids better understand geometry, algebra and other branches of mathematics. As part of this endeavor, educators are being supplied with lesson plans in memorization, sequencing and other mathematical concepts that incorporate the cube. Geometry principles such as area, perimeter, volume, angles, algorithms and enumeration are also addressed.

To date, the You CAN Do the Rubik's Cube program is used as an education tool and confidence booster in thousands of K-12 schools in 48 states across the U.S., and in more than 100 Boys & Girls Clubs of America and YMCA after-school programs.

With the launch of the new You CAN Do the Rubik's Cube “Competition Guide,” a number of schools are hosting regional competitions that test kids' cube skills. In New York, an after-school program in the Bronx that's managed by the New York City Parks and Recreation Department holds competitions throughout the winter, with a final tournament set for June 10.

Kids even have an opportunity to extend their cube playing at home by sharing their experience online with other “cubists” on Facebook, YouTube and YouCanDotheCube.com.

The “You CAN Do The Rubik's Cube” solution kits are available to schools, camps and after-school programs, and contain 12 Rubik's Cubes, 12 solution guides, an instructional DVD, cube sign-out sheets, posters, stickers, and award certificates for puzzle solvers. For more information, visit www.YouCanDoTheCube.com.—PB

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