So I recently attended the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) Marketplace & Academy, which took place in Charlotte earlier this month. While it wasn’t nearly as overwhelming as its northeastern counterpart, February’s North American International Toy Fair, it was still a great place to spot new developments in toys and games, especially the latter.
Here are some of the more interesting trends we saw in tabletop games:
For retailers, the perfect game is one with wide demographic appeal.
More than one toy store owner was on the lookout for games that anybody could pick up and play. One reason is the large percentage of customers looking for an “umbrella” gift, something they could comfortably give to a grandchild, a niece, a nephew, a friend’s kid for their birthday, etc.
These also tend to be the types of games that multiple generations can play together, thanks to fairly accessible rules. Some of our favorites in this category included Box ‘N Balls, which was in its prototype stage at the Fat Brain Toys booth, and features eight wooden boxes of different sizes. The games themselves involve bouncing and shooting, which tend to be more skill- than strength-based.
There was also Tag the Art Game, which lets players collaborate to create works of art through prompts to paint, draw, and more. While the age range is 7 and up, the game’s inventor, Mollie Thonneson, told us grown-ups have also played it in a party setting.
Indie games are becoming more mainstream.
This year’s ASTRA show had no shortage of indie game companies. Along with individual game makers with their own booths, there were publishers such as Breaking Games LLC, which represents a number of independent designers, on-hand trying to make the biggest splash possible.
Since they tend to lack the advantage of major licenses or venerable brands, meeting specialty retailers face-to-face makes a lot of sense. However, Shari Spiro, president of Breaking Games (the parent company of which, AdMagic, represents Cards Against Humanity, a pretty big indie game brand), said these conversations also help them better understand retailers’ needs, as far as promotions and in-store support.
Spiro also pointed out that their designers’ royalties are based on Breaking Games’ ability to get their games into stores. As such, by dealing directly with retail buyers, they can help provide them with more income.
“Our responsibility to them is something we take very seriously,” she says.
“Gamer”-type games are making their case.
Publishers of hard-core, or very rules-heavy, games are also making in-roads into traditional toy stores. Companies such as Iello Games view their main audience as Y Generation parents who grew up with video games, and now want to connect offline with their kids. The company has been bringing over European titles that engage exactly this type of enthusiast–ones that have more rules than many of the games found on this side of the pond (though compared to the traditional fare from these companies, they might actually qualify as rules-light).
Sara Erickson, sales and organized play manager at Iello Games, sees a space in the market for strategy games appropriate for a younger audience.
“That’s why the toy stores need to get on board,” she says. “Parents who love strategy games form a habit of going to the toy stores, and then one day, their child is 6 and can play games with a bit more meat. But where are these strategy games for 6-year-olds?”
Similar to Spiro, Erickson said the goal of conversations with retailers is helping them figure out the best way to sell their product. “It’s a lot of effort to learn how to play and/or sell strategy games, so as a game publisher, we need to offer them more support,” she says.
Additional reporting by Kari Love.
For more commentary from Phil, check back often. Views expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Toy Book as a whole. We hope that you will share your comments and feedback below. Until next time!
