Talking Shop

Thinking outside the box

Toy World finds out what’s selling in the Games & Puzzles category, how suppliers are supporting retailers and how customers are being encouraged to visit their local stores.

George Read - Firestorm Games, Gloucester

Our current best-sellers include the classic board game Catan, and the slightly more modern Mysterium, which launched in 2024. Both are from Asmodee. Mysterium is a Cluedo-esque game in which someone has been murdered, and the players are trying to find out who did it. The ghost of the victim can’t talk so has to use art cards to communicate with the players. It’s a very cool game and well worth looking out for. Mysterium taps into the demand for anything spooky or gothic, and the ongoing trend towards murder-mystery games and spiritualism. Here in Gloucester we have plenty of that going on, so the game is naturally very popular among people from the area.

Asmodee and Bliss Distribution are two of our biggest and best suppliers. They’re consistent, reliable and always deliver on time, while also working hard to keep us up to date on what’s coming down the pipe. When it comes to our approach to retail, my motto is: “Community first, profit second.” We keep a very healthy amount of stock here and offer a really wide range of games, as if people want to visit the store, and see what’s on the shelves, that breadth of stock is what will keep them coming back for more. This branch only opened in April but it’s going really well and we’re getting some great reviews on Google.

I think a lot more people are leaning towards board games now, as the video game market continues to suffer the impact of inflation on RRPs. Consumers increasingly want games and models; there’s so much more in the way of community. It’s social and connected. Players are putting down their phones to enjoy those elements of gaming, which is a real boon for the sector.

Mark Green  - The Yorkshire Jigsaw Store, York

At the moment, Jumbo’s Wasgij is one of our best-selling brands, but to be honest, any new or just launched puzzle sells well, irrespective of the theme or artwork. Believe it or not, some manufacturers began releasing their Christmas puzzles in the height of summer - and they’re already selling out. The Ravensburger Santa’s Steam Train Grotto, which is a limited edition, has been flying off the shelves, along with this year’s Christmas Puzzle Advent Calendar. With anything limited edition, that element of scarcity drives demand, and numbered series appeal to puzzlers who like to keep their collections complete. To those who’ve been collecting since day one, that’s very important.

This category is staunchly traditional, but newer introductions like puzzle advent calendars are growing in popularity. We started out with Eurographics calendars but have introduced them from Wasjig and Ravensburger now too – they are both brands that are popular with customers and they sell through well. I think this reflects a wider trend among consumers for calendars that aren’t just the usual chocolate ones. Although obviously very seasonal, these offer an ideal annual gifting option for true puzzle fans.

Speed puzzling is a relatively new phenomenon, but our customer demographic still tends to buy puzzles for leisure and enjoyment, as opposed to trying to complete them as quickly as possible. This is perhaps because the majority of our customer base is more mature, and it doesn’t matter if it takes them a week (or a month) to complete a scene. Speed puzzling seems to appeal to younger puzzlers, and I’m aware of the world championships held in Spain. Ravensburger is the main sponsor and produces puzzles especially for the solo and team competitors. It’s an area to keep an eye on.

Over the years, we’ve forged great relationships with reps at all the major puzzle suppliers. We really appreciate the continuity that comes with working with the same rep over time. At Jumbo, for example, we have a really strong relationship with the team; our contacts keep us up to date on upcoming releases and are there to assist with any issues that arise. At Gibsons, we have a dedicated account manager, with most orders now going through an online portal. This means we can place orders outside of working hours if needed, which is handy - and it means we’ve got the best of both worlds.

Brendan Will - Will’s Toy Shop, Aberdeen

One of our biggest sellers at the moment is a game called Slide, from Gigamic Games. It’s a card game, nice and easy to demo in just 5-10 minutes, and simple for players to master too. Pick-up-andplayability is a core purchasing factor for consumers this year. Although it’s a tile-laying board game, Akropolis, from Asmodee, is similarly simple to learn and play (and so good!). Landing somewhere between Monopoly and Ticket to Ride - and with less danger of board-flipping and family falling outs - Akropolis doesn’t take too long to demo either; it’s easy for me to grab a group of customers and show it off instore.

Big Potato Games is a great supplier. The team really helps us out with demo support, giving us plenty of access to games for use in the shop. When consumers see how to play a game, and understand that the rules aren’t complex, it can really help secure a sale.

Our organised play zone is going from strength to strength. Our most recent Pokémon League event drew in 22 players which is excellent considering it’s only been running less than a year. As well as Pokémon, we now run play events for Magic: The Gathering, One Piece, Disney Lorcana and Star Wars Unlimited – all games that are still pretty new to us, but all proving popular even though it’s early days. Magic and Star Wars appear to be the standouts; I’m having to keep a close eye on the events calendar to avoid organised play clashes with other gaming stores in the area.

Pokémon is a really interesting trading card game in the sense that demand is significantly outstripping stock availability. At some point I anticipate that it’ll swing the other way, and stock levels will outstrip demand. With that in mind, we’re focusing on building the strength of our league events, offering weekly organised play for committed fans that will still be there even when sales slow. Next year is the 30th anniversary of Pokémon so any slowdown probably won’t kick in until 2027, by which point our organised play programme will be well bedded in.

Les Cannon - Argosy Toys, Essex

During the summer holidays, Dobble has been one of our biggest sellers, particularly Dobble Waterproof which is perfect for trips to the beach. We’ve also sold plenty of family-friendly games from Big Potato: Colourbrain, Herd Mentality, Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, etc. Ghost Blitz is another Big Potato game we’ve seen success with this year; we really like that one, it’s a great game – a bit like Dobble, but with wooden figures. Classic games are still as popular as ever too, such as Battleships, Monopoly, Kerplunk, Frustration, Scrabble and Uno.

Big Potato develops some of the quirkiest, most colourful “wackaging” on the market. It instantly catches your eye when it’s on a shelf, and the puns on the boxes are always very amusing too. The games make people stop and take notice. We also sell significant amounts of games from Orchard Toys for the younger generation. It’s such a popular brand with parents and grandparents, so we stock a large selection in-store year-round and give it plenty of space. The packaging is colourful and it’s very easy to shop, too: the age ratings are right on the front of the box and the rules and learning outcomes are totally clear. I’d also like to highlight KandyToys, which offers very affordably priced versions of some of the world's most iconic games, and also makes travel versions for as little as £2.99, which are perfect for parents in need of quick and cheap ways to keep the kids entertained on holiday or while travelling. We also carry a very extensive range of Pokémon, which remains hugely popular.

As a retailer, we are known for the way we engage with our customers. We’re one of very few indie toy stores to be listed on Trip Advisor, because we’re a true destination shop. Our approach is to be chatty and friendly, always on hand to help without ever being pushy. We’ll always show customers what they’d like to see and that includes demoing games.

In the Games & Puzzles category, you’re always going to see a split between traditional and modern styles. You’d think that by now, every household in the UK would have its own Scrabble, Rummikub or Monopoly set, but we still see huge numbers of all three selling each year. Top Trumps sells in good numbers too. Gibsons puzzles are popular with older consumers thanks to their traditional scenes and themes, while Ravensburger puzzles are a hit with many younger people, being that bit more modern and tapping into major licences a lot of the time. I’m always happy to see things evolve and change; there are games Big Potato produced two or three years ago that it doesn’t offer any more, because it’s had to make room for the new stuff. I’ve no problem with that whatsoever; change is good.

Anthony Lown - Wargames Workshop, Milton Keynes

Trading card games, such as Pokémon, Disney Lorcana, One Piece, Magic: The Gathering and Star Wars Unlimited, are - and always will be - one of the most popular types of games out there, in large part due to their collectability in addition to the gameplay. Pokémon is crazy at the moment; the collectability is through the roof, and the online resale market has resulted in some bad behaviour from scalpers, so we’re limiting the numbers people can buy from us. Not only does that mean we don’t really suffer with scalpers, but it also ensures our loyal customers can get their hands on what they want. In board games, we see such a huge spread of best-sellers it’s hard to pick any title out in particular, but consumers seem to be leaning towards party games as well as high-end, complex strategy games requiring a significant skill level.

Asmodee is our biggest supplier. The team is supportive: we can phone them at any time with questions and queries and they’re very forthcoming with the information we need. Asmodee also supports us with demo stock for new launches, where possible. But it’s the TCG suppliers that really come through on competition prizes and stock for giveaways, especially when we’re running tournaments.

I see collectible card games increasing in popularity even more over the coming year. More and more consumers are now picking them up to play as a family, so they’re muscling in on board games in that respect. The companies behind these games are also driving this category evolution by shifting their focus towards card games and away from board games.

Wargames Workshop is very fortunate in that everyone who works here is a specialist in a particular part of the Games sector, be that TCGs, strategy board gaming, wargaming and miniatures and so on. If a customer has a question, they can usually get a detailed answer from someone there and then – and if they can’t, then we have someone we can call. You can’t teach that; I can show someone how to use the till system, how to serve a customer, how to stock a shelf, but I can’t teach them knowledge about gaming. That has to come from passion. We’re keen to share that passion and build communities in which people can have fun. Of course, we’re a business and we’re here to make money - but our primary focus is still that instore customer experience.

Emily Scaysbrook - Hoyles of Oxford

WWe’re in a very touristy area, so in the summer we have a lot of visitors and students coming in and buying playing cards. We stock a wide range of the premium, high-end Bicycle and Theory11 playing cards, which sell incredibly well. This year, we’ve seen a drop in sales of big-box board games, with the focus shifting towards smaller, quick-to-play games. Oink Games has a great range of these, with titles such as Scout – like all its games - being only a little bigger than a regular pack of cards. They retail for around £10-£20 RRP so although they’re not that cheap, they pack a lot into a small package that can be thrown in a bag and taken to the beach or beer garden. They’re quick to learn too. Kariba is another title which our customers love, with a very similar small format to Scout.

Hachette Boardgames is also always a pleasure to work with, and the team is so enthusiastic.

Hachette is a go-to at trade shows because the team’s energy is infectious; I’ll happily spend an hour on the stand just learning all the new games.

Last year, we started setting up monthly in-store chess puzzles. There’s one that’s a little easier and more accessible, and one that’s much harder and more complex. It’s been unbelievably popular with tourists and students alike; some will spend an hour sitting at a table, trying to work out how to get checkmate in two moves, for example. Customers tell us they love the fact we offer traditional games, such as chess, backgammon, mahjong and Go, alongside more modern games. Hoyles is both an exciting and nostalgic store, and our customers respond to the product mix really well. By offering such a wide range of games, we capture consumers across all generations. We also stock vintage board games such as Totalopy, Blast Off and Stratego, which go down really well with older consumers. Indie board games from smaller studios, and the dice sets that go along with them, have been selling well. It’s been lovely to see how successful the indie RPG scene has been this year. We obviously stock Pokémon too, which has been insane this year - to the point we took it off the website to combat scalpers and ensure our loyal shoppers can get their hands on it.

Competition from eCommerce remains a challenge for our business, so we choose to focus on our in-store experience. Our footfall is high, even though we are located at the quieter end of the city centre, and following the success of our chess puzzles, we’re planning more demoing, perhaps also some Speed Cube time trials. We’ve just started working with local indie pubs on chess and backgammon nights. Our website, which we’re currently redesigning and relaunching, will soon include an events page covering the local area – not just the ones we’re holding. Whatever we can do to make the local experience better, we’ll happily share. All our storage is on site, so if it’s on the website it’s also available in-store, and vice versa. Customers can buy online and collect in-store, even order in-store and get it shipped home. We recently had an American customer who bought a high-end Go set. We’re shipping it to the US for him, so it will be there when he gets home. I love that we can offer that joined up customer experience.

Finally, we have a mobile number linked to our website, which customers can call for advice. They can video call us and we’ll take them on a tour around the shop to show them what’s available.