Coronavirus has adversely affected many industries across the world, but surprisingly, there are some industries that have seen a spurt of growth in these testing times. The board game and dice industry is one such industry that has shown good growth in the past few months. Boardgame and dice supply have not been impacted negatively by the pandemic and the resulting economic crisis.
With people across countries spending more time at home, the demand for board games has gone up. Board games have always been a great way to spend quality time with family and friends. However, not many are aware that board games can also help develop critical thinking skills and improve concentration levels in both kids and adults. In fact, during these tough times when kids are forced to spend a lot of time indoors, board games are a good way for them to stay away from mobile phones and television and engage in something more fruitful.
The demand for board games is expected to grow further in the coming years. Talk to any custom dice manufacturer and they will tell you that they are flooded with orders.
In 2019, the global board games market stood at an estimated $13.1 billion. The market is expected to grow by a CAGR of about 9 percent during 2019-2025. According to the recent Google trends data, the number of searches for the term ‘board game’ was the highest recorded in history (since 2004). This is great news for both game inventors and custom dice manufacturers. If anyone has a great board game idea in mind, this is probably the best time to execute it.
North America is the largest market for board games with an estimated worth of $4.4 billion in 2019. The biggest market in the region is the United States. The second-largest board game market in the world is Europe. The European board game market is expected to reach $4 billion in 2023 with a CAGR of 6 percent. Within Asia, China and Japan are the largest markets for board games with India being a close third with high adoption rates.
The Chinese playing cards and board games market was valued at $583.8 million in 2018. It is projected to grow to $1,675.4 million by 2025 with a CAGR of 16.3% during the period 2018 to 2025. Board games account for approximately two-thirds of the Chinese playing cards and board games market and it is projected to grow at a CAGR of 19.2% over the next few years.
Dice and games have been inseparable for ages. With the board game industry growing rapidly, the dice manufacturing industry is also seeing a boom. Whether the game uses standard dice or custom dice, they play a critical role in bringing randomness and some uncertainty to the game outcome. You cannot predict the outcome when you roll a dice.
When we talk of board games, we broadly refer to other types of games as well such as dice games, tabletop role-playing games, tile-based games, and strategy games. Some of the most popular board games include game pieces, chessboards, cards, dice, figurines, and several other accessories based on the plot and complexity of the game.
Most board/table games use dice of some kind. The simplest of board games use simple dice and probably a few tokens. These games usually don’t require a lot of strategy or thinking. The more complicated games require more complex dice, cards, and tokens.
New game development is usually a long drawn process that starts with a game company purchasing or licensing a new game from independent inventors. In some cases, the companies develop the games in-house as well, but it is usually not the case. It normally starts with the inventor pitching their game idea to the game company. The prototypes may undergo tests and a lot of changes before the game company actually approves them.
Once the game company has licensed the game, they start the artwork and graphic design. The company may undertake the production of some components in house and may outsource some more specialized activities to external vendors.
Most game companies rely on game manufacturers or custom dice manufacturers to bring their game ideas to life. The game companies share their 3D drawings and prototypes with the manufacturers along with the design specifications. The custom dice manufacturer then provides a quote based on the design and material requirements. Once the quote is accepted, the custom dice manufacturer would usually send a sample to the game owner for approval after which the production process starts. The game is then sold through distributors or directly through mass-market retailers.
Owing to globalization, a game designer sitting in one corner of the world can have their game or dice manufactured in another corner of the world. Over the years, China has emerged as a leading manufacturer of board games, dice, and game miniatures.
With the development of new games, you need new types of dice that have different shapes, sizes, and material compositions. If you are looking for a custom dice manufacturer that can produce game dice that meet the highest industry standards and offers the most competitive rates, please get in touch with the Top Imprint team.
