Category Overview - Games & Puzzles

Holding all the cards

The dynamic and rapidly expanding global games and puzzles market sector has demonstrated remarkable resilience and growth potential across diverse demographic segments and challenging economic conditions. Encompassing traditional board games, card games and jigsaw puzzles, and - increasingly - hybrid physical-digital gaming experiences that bridge traditional and modern play patterns, this market has evolved from a predominantly seasonal category to a year-round consumer staple valued at over $20b globally. Toy World speaks to a number of leading suppliers about how the land lies as we head into Q4 and what there is to play for.

In recent years, the Games & Puzzles sector has been buoyed by shifting consumer behaviours toward experiential entertainment, the rise of "gamification" in educational and corporate training contexts, and the growing recognition of games and puzzles as tools for cognitive development and social engagement. As always, Toy World has taken the time to engage with a raft of suppliers and retailers to find out how the landscape is looking from their respective sides of the table.

Several topics came up time and time again during conversations: growing demand for pick-up-and-play card games and party games with simple rules and small, portable boxes, the expanding adult gaming demographic (which reflects the growing Kidult demographic across the wider industry), an increased focus on family-friendly alternatives to screen time and keen pricing that's getting games and puzzles into the hands of families everywhere, no matter their budgets.

Data from the UK suggests younger adults are shunning pubs in favour of evenings at home. While this is obviously bad news for the local boozer, it's good news for games and puzzles suppliers such as Tomy, which has set itself the goal of doubling its Games business by 2029 (either through in-house development or acquisitions). Mary Wood, the company's managing director - Europe, tells us that adult Gen Zers seem to be spending less time drinking in pubs, and more time enjoying games nights at home or in games cafés. Much of this mindset is arguably a hangover (pun intended) from the pandemic, when people realised it was possible to enjoy a cheap and inclusive night in with their family or flatmates, and while game sales certainly aren't what they were mid-Covid, the renewed enthusiasm for at-home gaming has persisted.

Stewart Middleton of VR Distribution, a specialist games distributor, notes that while titles with longer gameplay time and more complex themes had been the most popular pre-2021, the influx of new party game fans turned things on its head. Now, the sector is all about quick-to-learn games with a short play time. Some of this is undoubtedly also a reflection of our time-poor society, in which entertainment downtime must be balanced against spending time with the kids, cooking, exercise, commuting, work, housekeeping and myriad other 21st-century tasks. There appears to be a real uplift in sales of games that take only 15-20 minutes or so to play, such as A Gentle Rain, which is now available from Zatu Distribution, Asmodee's Brick Like This! (its latest collaboration with The Lego Group) and Abstractable, Gibsons' latest party game. Even traditional playing cards are enjoying something of a resurgence. Cartamundi's phenomenally popular Bicycle brand, which this year has already welcomed Disney's Daisy Duck, Toy Story, Guns N' Roses, AC/DC and Jujutsu Kaisen decks, remains a go to for card game fans who prefer the flexibility of their own (beautiful) deck. Later releases will further cater to fans of licensed properties, with Disney's Coco, Cats & Dogs, and Goofy joining the line-up alongside My Hero Academia next month.

Licensed games are having a moment, reflecting the strength of the wider licensing sector. At the younger end of the age scale, Bluey is delighting pre-schoolers and their families and is set to benefit from a raft of game releases this year. "The ever-growing global popularity of Bluey is something we've really leant into and through our master toy partnership, we've been able to inject our signature Moose Toys innovation and playfulness into our Bluey games range," enthuses Logan Stone, vice president of Marketing and Brand Strategy (UK & EU) at Moose Toys. "We've taken iconic moments and beloved episodes from the show and recreated them as a game for pre-schoolers and parents to relive in real life. This year we launched Bluey Hide and Seek, inspired by the series episode, which was a sell-out success in spring as a result of a viral social media campaign using authentic content of little Bluey fans playing the game together. Blending the phenomenon of Bluey with fun, interactive gameplay has been a winning formula." Asmodee would agree, we're sure, poised as it is to launch Dobble Bluey this year.

Vivid Goliath has seen significant success with the Murdle (Goliath's first launch connected to a publishing brand) and Scream board games, Tomy is launching Logo Disney for autumn/winter, and University Games' Mark Jones highlights key licensed brands such as Dog Man, Roald Dahl and The Very Hungry Caterpillar as standout performers this year, while TV classic Bullseye - a nostalgic brand that's poised to make a major comeback this year - is new to the company's portfolio for 2025.

"Bullseye will be a firm favourite under the Christmas tree this year, tapping into the popular darts trend and making a great gift: especially for us harder-to-buy-for men," says Mark. "It's a nostalgic, entertaining game that brings the whole family together."

Hasbro's Tim Maas, EMEA Marketing lead, tells Toy World the company has enjoyed great success with licensed Monopoly collaborations including Monopoly Harry Potter, Monopoly Stitch and Monopoly Pokémon. Bespoke gameplay and components make each game far more than a 'label slap', turning them into a must-have for fans of the properties. By way of example, he explains: "In Monopoly Harry Potter players are sorted into houses, collect or lose House Points and move around the board using the Hogwarts Express."

While even licensed versions of classic games still often lean heavily towards traditional gameplay, living in the 21st century means tech is increasingly making its mark on the sector. Consumers frequently expect an app, website or digital content to support gameplay, and suppliers are catering to that demand. Goliath has recently launched a dedicated development studio in Poland with market-leading credentials, which will transform its iconic games titles - such as Sequence and Triominos - into portable, digital experiences that connect fans across continents, time zones and create communities. Emma Weber, senior Marketing and Licensing director, Vivid Goliath, comments: "In addition, with the acquisition of Lucky Duck last year - the company behind industry leading and award-winning digital hybrid games such as Chronicles of Crime - we are delving deeper into the digital hybrid gaming sector, taking board game players into a virtual world via an app that unlocks a deeper gaming and storytelling experience."

Tim at Hasbro says the company looks for meaningful digital integrations that enhance the game experience and maintain the social interaction loved by consumers. Designed with Gen Alpha in mind, Monopoly App Banking seamlessly integrates smartphones and tablets into the classic Monopoly experience; and the app speeds up the game by managing bank transactions, reducing playtime to about half of the traditional game (perfect for those families watching the clock). With features like scanning bank and property cards to make payments, mirroring real-life digital transactions, this version is more familiar and accessible to younger players than the one their parents will have grown up playing. Additionally, the app includes mini games that add extra fun to auctions, transactions and more.

"We've also launched the Jenga app, which brings a new dimension to the game by deciding how the next block is removed," Tim adds. "The app builds on the anticipation and fun by challenging players to remove blocks blindfolded or with their thumbs only."

Tomy is expecting big things from The Human Controller, which blends physical gameplay with an app through which players - wearing a physical headset that blocks their vision and vibrates to convey commands - are controlled during deceptively simple tasks, with hilarious consequences. Mary Wood tells us the game targets the burgeoning kidult sector and sits within its Party Games segment, which marks relatively new territory for the company. She says: "I've been really impressed with the marketing plan that the team at Tomy have put together -- this product benefits from very good distribution, has visibility in catalogues and on FSDUs, the digital assets are spot on, the marketing plan is really appropriate for the audience - and the investment is there too."

While some companies are choosing to engage players via apps, others are working tech into their games in subtler, screen-free ways. While Moose's core play pattern remains physical play, the company is also exploring hybrid formats that enhance, not replace, the tactile gaming experience through interactivity and electronics. According to Logan Stone, Flipslide - which challenges kids to flip to find the colour and slide to match the lights - is a great example of this ethos in action: the highly engaging physical gameplay is enhanced through lights and sounds to add drama, pace and competition.

Tech is even influencing the staunchly traditional puzzle sector. Clementoni recently unveiled its Metamorphic Art Collection – Stranger Things, which leverages heptachrome print and RGB Art technology to turn the completed puzzle into three different images depending on the light projected by the red, blue and green LEDs in the frame. Bringing something truly new and innovative to the sector, this just might turn the world of puzzling upside down.

Of course, the majority of games and puzzles remain screen- and tech-free, which University Games says its research and feedback indicate are still important to families and parents. "Consumers are looking for real-world connection, and traditional games such as Perudo, Who's in the Bag and Don't Say It still perform strongly at retail," says Mark Jones. By listening closely to what our audience wants and what sells off the shelf, we remain confident that hands-on, screen-free play has lasting value in people's lives."

He continues: "Our target demographics continue to evolve as our product portfolio spans a wide spectrum, from pre-school and children's educational games to family, adult and sporting gifts, games and puzzles. Over the past two years, we've seen an increased demand for inclusive, easy-to-learn games that encourage quality time, learning through play and cross-generational engagement. This shift has been especially notable among young families and adult social gamers, both of whom are seeking games that are quick to pick up but rich in interaction and replay value. As a global team, University Games has established its key and core audiences within each product category and this guides not only our new product development programme, but also our marketing strategies. Regardless of the demographic, we have six core values that remain central: all-play formats, accessibility and ease of entry are just a few of the pillars that you will find embedded within our products."

When researching this piece, a number of contributors went to great lengths to highlight the unique challenges and opportunities that come with marketing games and puzzles. Spin Master now focuses on two core games pillars: family games that foster cross-generational bonding and strategic games and puzzles that engage players from childhood to kidult. Richard Dickson, general manager UK & ROI, tells Toy World the company has witnessed continued fragmentation in media consumption and shifting preferences across age groups, regions and formats. In response, Spin Master has prioritised a data-driven social strategy, developed with a leading digital agency, centred on producing 100x more content. This high-volume approach, Richard says, allows rapid testing across cohorts, formats and channels to quickly identify what resonates.

He adds: "As a result, we've refined our messaging and optimised our channel mix in real time. Supported by a diversified media strategy and strong retail partnerships, this ensures our brands stay relevant, inspiring and globally irresistible."

Social media is also extremely important for VR Distribution. According to Stewart Middleton, TikTok - now reportedly being used by almost 40% of the UK population - is a key platform when it comes to getting games in front of a wide audience, quickly. On the flipside, high social media consumption has meant that consumers' attention spans have reduced, meaning videos need to be short and highly engaging within just the first few seconds. "Influencer wise, our most successful launch last year involved a random family from Leicester. They did an amazing video of them playing the game, which went viral and drove a lot of sales (and money for them too)."

"Over the past 12 months, we've seen that jumping on social media trends and getting games to market as quickly as physically possible has been vital," Stewart adds, when asked his views on concept testing and the likelihood of success. "Speed to market is a massive part of this: you need very switched-on, hardworking game developers who can create content and/or gameplay in just a matter of days. Getting a game produced and shipped while the online trend is still gaining momentum is the perfect situation, but it's very hard to achieve - and to predict how long the trend will last. Working in a traditional way, with focus groups and concept testing with consumers etc., is such a long and expensive route - although obviously it's fine if you have a big hit on your hands."

Despite having had more than its share of big hits over the years, Tomy's Mary Wood, interestingly, says product testing is one of her bugbears - much to the frustration of her team. Having witnessed many products test well but fail to perform at retail, she now always challenges the validity of carrying out testing. "Testing can give a feel-good factor, but it never reflects the real buying environment, where so many factors are at play at that moment when a consumer makes a buying decision," she notes.

Mary also explains that while linear TV still has its place in reaching certain demographics at certain times of the year, it's nonetheless getting much harder to reach audiences in the many channels they now occupy. Tomy's marketing team works with agencies such as Generation Media (among others), relying on its expertise to guide its decision making. "While all the data points towards digital and social media growing, it's hard to measure and does not necessarily translate to sales," Mary says, adding that there is always a need for a good dose of experience and practical thinking. "Given the amount of media messages any one individual receives during a day, it's hard to stand out. For that reason, we recognise the importance of investing in FSDUs, catalogues and a strong online presence, so consumers can find our products when they are thinking about buying games, whether they have seen an advert or not."

A number of the retailers we spoke to for this month's Games & Puzzles focused Talking Shop said demo product was one of the most appreciated things a supplier could offer and really helps secure in-store sales. It's easy to see why: it's hard to adequately explain within just an on-pack paragraph or two (or even a few sentences) how a game is played and why it's fun, and many consumers are wary of spending on a product if they aren't sure whether or not they'll enjoy - or even understand - it. Watching a game being played, or playing it yourself, before having to part with your hard-earned cash, can mitigate any concerns and the frustration that sometimes comes with unpacking a game, only to discover the rules take 30 minutes to read and three hours to fully understand. If not already doing so, suppliers should consider seeding demo product at key retail partners with the capacity and flair to show it off in-store.

Spin Master's Richard Dickson says the company is elevating engagement by "meeting fans where their passion lives", whether that's face-to-face at conventions such as Spiel Essen (the world's largest and most popular gaming fair) and Gen Con (the largest tabletop game convention in North America), through live competitive events such as Rubik's Speed cubing events. It also aims to drive shoppers to its retail partners via targeted social campaigns. "These activations create memorable touchpoints that bridge discovery and purchase, ensuring our games are top of mind when consumers make buying decisions," he says. "By combining in-person events and digital marketing efforts, we're helping retailers not only attract more foot traffic but also foster deeper connections with customers, ultimately supporting stronger sales and brand loyalty in the games category."

Events have also become much more prominent in the puzzling scene, thanks to the rise of the new sport of Speed Puzzling. Puzzles are no longer simply about mindful escapism from the chaos of everyday life by slowly piecing together a jigsaw puzzle over a cup of tea - for some, the joy lies in the sheer speed at which they can complete their puzzle. Out of this hobby have sprung global competitive events such as the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship, which takes place in Valladolid, Spain, every September. Puzzle specialist Ravensburger has become a headline sponsor of these events, producing exclusive puzzles for both the Singles and Pairs events that are kept top secret until the timer starts on the day. It's also launched a Speedy Puzzle range, which includes a Disney Stitch and Pokémon edition, for beginners to enjoy at home.

Speaking of Pokémon, it would be remiss not to touch upon (and not for the first time this year) the continued performance of the trading card game, which our contributors have variously described as "insane", "crazy" and "the talk of the industry". With securing stock an ongoing challenge, despite the best efforts of distributor Asmodee, and scalpers forcing retailers to remove online purchase options and limit in-store sales, consumers are embracing other TCG titles including Fantasy Flight Games' Star Wars Unlimited (also available through Asmodee), Ravensburger's Disney Lorcana and Hasbro's Magic: The Gathering. At some point, Pokémon-mania has to ease off a bit - but with 2026 marking the franchise's 30th anniversary, it's likely we'll see the hype carry on for a while yet.

Overall, the Games & Puzzles sector continues to demonstrate its strength, even in the face of changing consumer demands and retail environments. At the same time as the shift toward quick-play formats, expanding adult demographics and strategic licensing partnerships are delivering authentic brand experiences, tech and digital integration is offering opportunities for enhanced gameplay - but screen-free, social interaction remains central to success. And with trading card games maintaining their momentum, and new competitive formats such as Speed Puzzling creating additional consumer touchpoints, the sector enjoys an enviable position with multiple pathways to exploit as it heads into Q4 and beyond.

Over the following pages, Toy World takes a look at the raft of game and puzzle releases hitting shelves (and tables) this year, and catches up with suppliers and retailers alike to find out their thoughts on this ever-evolving sector, what they're excited about for the coming months, and why the latest releases are worth keeping an eye on.