Board games can be a great source of entertainment and one we rediscovered as the pandemic hit. These games provided us with a much-needed distraction from reality and a dose of good fun for the whole family.
No longer just dusty boxes in our closets, these games are now trending big time. We’ve looked into some fascinating board game statistics to get you back in business.
Let’s choose our favourite game piece, roll the dice, and get started!
Top 10 Board Game Statistics for 2024 Along With Some Noteworthy Facts
- Two Canadian board game enthusiasts invented Trivial Pursuit.
- The success of Trivial Pursuit inspired many Canadians to create board games.
- Monopoly almost didn’t make it to production.
- Canadians’ favourite game to play over the holidays is Monopoly.
- The oldest board game dates back to Ancient Mesopotamia.
- The board game market enjoyed plenty of growth in 2020.
- According to board game statistics from Canada, two wealthy Canadians created Yahtzee.
- Crokinole is Ontario-born.
- The first Checkers tournament in Ottawa took place in the late 1800s.
- Hasbro had its best year in over ten years.
Fascinating Board Game Facts
Board games have been around much longer than you may have realized. For example, Monopoly has been in production for nearly a century.
If you’re curious to know when Monopoly first appeared, as well as which board game is the oldest, pass go!…and check out the section below.
1. The oldest board game dates back to Ancient Mesopotamia.
(British Museum)
You might be surprised to learn that the oldest playable board game is 4,600 years old, dating back to Ancient Mesopotamia.
Do you enjoy reading board game history and facts? Then you may find it interesting that an astronomer created the rules for the first game in 177BC. The game is called “The Royal Game of Ur,” and you can still play it today.
2. Monopoly almost didn’t make it to production.
(Time)
Monopoly is one of the most popular board games in the world! However, it almost didn’t make it to production, as many critics thought it was too long and complicated.
According to board game popularity statistics, it has been a top-seller for many decades. Hasbro, the current producer of the game, claims that since 1935 over 275 million copies have been sold.
3. Pandemic is also a popular board game that’s all the craze.
(The Hamilton Spectator)
Considering the challenges and hardships that we’ve recently faced, this game hits a bit too close to home for many people. Yet, the public is crazy about Pandemic.
Amazon board game stats rate it just behind Monopoly and Clue. It’s not your typical game in that you and the other players aren’t competing against each other; instead, you’re working together to stop a deadly disease from spreading.
4. Monopoly is Canadians’ favourite game to play over the holidays.
(Narcity)
According to board game statistics for Canada, 49% of Canadians who took part in a survey by Ruby Fortune stated that Monopoly was their favourite game to play during the holidays. Scrabble took the second spot, with 38% of those surveyed saying it was their game of choice.
Board Game Random Facts for Canadian Players
Did you know that you can purchase a customized Monopoly game with street names and landmarks from your town? In this section, you’ll find facts about cities that have their personalized version, popular games invented by Canadians, as well as some intriguing random board game facts.
5. Ontario is the province with the most doll, toy, and game manufacturing facilities.
(Statista)
According to data from December 2020, there were 35 doll, toy, and game manufacturing establishments in Ontario, followed by Quebec (31) and British Columbia (13). Furthermore, board game statistics in 2020 indicated that there are a total of 91 Canadian doll, toy, and game manufacturing establishments.
6.Two Canadian board game enthusiasts invented Trivial Pursuit.
(Canada’s History)
A couple of Canadians decided to turn their adoration into a business back in the 1980s.
Chris Hanney and Scott Abbott were playing Scrabble when they realized that a few of the letters were missing. Frustrated by wasting $11 on an incomplete game, they decided to make their own game and cash in on the profits. They conceived the main idea for their new game (Trivial Pursuit) in just 45 minutes.
7. The first Checkers tournament in Ottawa took place in the late 1800s.
(Ottawa CityNews) (MoneyInc)
According to the global board game market statistics, Checkers is the second-highest selling board game. Tournaments took place as far back as the19th century. Ottawa’s first Checkers tournament was in 1877, and it involved 26 players.
8. Hyper-localized Canadian versions of Monopoly are in production.
(CBC)
Outset Media Games is producing versions of Monopoly based on small towns and cities in Canada.
These custom games are called “Prince Albert-opoly,” and over 40 Canadian cities have their rendition. Board game sales statistics by Outset Media Games rate it as one of their fastest-selling board games—with 400 copies sold within the first two weeks.
9. If you live in British Columbia, you’ll love the Burnaby-opoly.
(Vancouver Is Awesome)
Through their partnership with Walmart, Outset Media Games created Burnaby-opoly, which features Burnaby’s most famous landmarks.
This game allows you to travel around the board and see landmarks such as Burnaby Public Library, Deer Lake Park, the Amazing Brentwood shopping mall, and more.
10. Many Canadians attempted to invent board games after the success of Trivial Pursuit.
(CBC)
If you’re looking for some fun board game facts, you may be surprised to learn that Canadians have created a wide variety of board games.
In the late 1980s, Canada “had more game inventors per capita” than any other country. One of the lesser-known titles is “Shaman,” a trivia game about Indigenous peoples.
11. Crokinole is Ontario-born.
(Canada’s History)
Crokinole is a derivative of the French word croquignole, which means to flick something with your finger. It’s thought that the Crokinole board dates back to 1876 when Eckhardt Wettlaufer created it as a birthday gift for his son.
Board Game Sales From 2020
Due to global restrictions and lockdowns, it’s easy to understand why board game sales skyrocketed in 2020. Continue reading to find out which Netflix series helped boost the chess industry, along with other board game statistics and sales info.
12. Hasbro had their best year in over ten years.
(Statista)
Hasbro is one of the largest toy and game manufacturers in the world. They’ve maintained their popularity due to the production of board games such as Trivial Pursuit, Risk, Cluedo, Monopoly, and more.
Some board game sales statistics for 2020 indicate that Hasbro had over $6.6 million in sales and saw their highest net revenue within the last 14 years.
13. A popular Netflix show boosted chessboard sales by over 200%.
(The New York Times) (BookNet Canada)
eBay statistics and board game trends indicate that since the release of “The Queen’s Gambit” on Netflix in October 2020, chessboard sales on eBay increased by 215%.
The popularity of the show and the game increased Canadian book sales by 75% in the first two weeks of the show’s release.
14. The board game market enjoyed massive gains in 2020.
(DW)
The pandemic managed to help some industries, and the board game industry was one of them. According to board game industry statistics, the market grew 20% in 2020 as people searched for new ways to “detox” from their electronic devices.
However, not all board games did well. Typically, the more traditional and more popular board games sold better and faster. The Canadian toy and entertainment company Spin Master registered a 25% growth in the US.
15. Montreal businesses saw a rise in board game sales.
(CBC)
According to Montreal board game store statistics from 2020 and 2021, sales increased to the point where store owners could hardly keep up with demand.
Due to postal service and lockdown concerns, customers made their Christmas purchases much earlier and utilized online shopping. Along with a considerable rise in board game sales, puzzles and sports cards were the other hot holiday items.
Other Interesting Board Game Facts
It may seem unbelievable that a board game could inspire a university course, but that happened. Learn more about how the board game Pandemic inspired a university course, as well as who came up with the game Yahtzee.
16. Pandemic (the board game) inspired a Canadian university course.
(Saltwire)
Board game performance statistics show that the aptly named game Pandemic became hugely popular in 2020. It even inspired a teacher at the Dalhousie University to create a new course.
Associate professor Robert Huish designed a new class using similar elements and rules of the game. Professor Huish hopes that through research and collaboration, the students will learn to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and future pandemics.
17. According to board game statistics from Canada, two wealthy Canadians created Yahtzee.
(Yahtzee Online)
Yahtzee is often considered the “grandfather of all modern dice games.” A wealthy Canadian couple whose names are unknown created the classic game to entertain friends on their yacht in 1954.
However, board game trivia facts tell us that Edwin S. Lowe bought the rights to the “yacht game” in 1956. The classic game, now owned by Hasbro, has total worldwide sales of over US$50 million.
18. Nova Scotians go to great lengths to win a board game.
(Narcity)
Out of all the Canadians, none are as competitive as Nova Scotians! According to Canadian board game statistics, they are the most likely to argue and shout at their opponents.
If you’re looking to play a chilled-out game, New Brunswickers are your safest bet.
Conclusion
After a year of lockdowns and uncertainty, it’s not surprising that many Canadians found comfort in playing board games. Similarly, some people grabbed their controllers and got lost in video game consoles, such as Nintendo.
As the world continues to heal, many people choose to work from home, so maybe we can expect the numbers for the board game statistics in 2022 to continue to rise. We hope that you enjoyed learning about the games and trends mentioned above as much as we did. Please comment below to let us know what your favourite games are.
FAQ
How much is the board game industry worth?
The COVID-19 pandemic was undoubtedly great for the board game industry, as more and more people had to stay home and figure out ways to entertain themselves.
The industry’s estimated value was nearly $16 billion in 2019. It’s expected to continue growing up to 2025.
(Pipe Candy)
How big is the board game industry?
Estimated at nearly $16 billion in 2019 and growing at a 9% CAGR, we can see that the global board game industry is booming. The largest market was North America, valued at $5.3 billion in 2019.
(Pipe Candy)
What’s the highest-grossing board game of all time?
Chess is the highest-grossing board game of all time. Nearly 3 million copies a year are sold in the US alone. The North American chess market will likely reach a value of $49 million in 2022.
Considering that it dates back to 1200 AD, it’s not surprising that this game is still incredibly popular today.
(MoneyInc)
What board game is most popular?
Chess is once again on top of this list, with Checkers and Backgammon not far behind.
Furthermore, sales soared due to the Netflix series “The Queen’s Gambit,” which centers around a chess prodigy. Because of it, more and more people are buying chess boards and learning to play the game.
(MoneyInc) (The New York Times)
What is the most difficult board game in the world?
The most challenging board game to master is Go. It’s a two-player strategy game that dates back to the Zhou dynasty.
The goal is to occupy the most territory on the board to collect the most points. It’s extremely difficult because there are endless moves and formations. According to board game statistics, a professional Go game can last for two days!
(Casino) (US Go)
Sources:
- American Go Association
- BookNet Canada
- Canada’s History
- Casino
- CBC
- CBC
- CBC
- DW
- MoneyInc
- Narcity
- Ottawa CityNews
- PipeCandy
- Saltwire
- Statista
- Statista
- The British Museum
- The Hamilton Spectator
- The New York Times
- Time
- Vancouver Is Awesome
- YahtzeeOnline
Ema Bliznovska
Ema is an ESL teacher (who is highly curious about technology in education) and a content writer. She enjoys writing on all sorts of subjects and she loves a good challenge. When she’s not working, you can find her reading a mystery thriller or watching “Shutter Island” for the umpteenth time.
