📈 Market Trends
The global board and card game market is showing a rapid growth trend driven by the popularity of the Internet and mobile devices. With the popularity of smartphones and tablets, more and more players can play games through mobile devices anytime and anywhere. This not only expands the user base, but also provides game developers with more room for innovation.
In 2023, the market size of China's board and card game industry will reach 102.74 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 18.6%, accounting for 34.7% of the total revenue of China's game market. This growth is mainly affected by the epidemic. Mahjong parlors, chess and card rooms and other crowd gathering places are generally closed across the country. Online chess and card games have become the first choice for many people.
The digital transformation of board and card games is a key factor in their rise in the global market. The growth of online platforms provides features such as online battles, social interaction, and global leaderboards, increasing player engagement and stickiness. The popularity of mobile terminals allows players to play chess and card games anytime and anywhere, further promoting the spread and popularity of chess and card games.
The rapid growth of the global card and board game market also benefits from the rise of emerging markets. The economies of emerging markets such as Asia, Africa and Latin America are developing rapidly, and the number of mobile Internet users has increased significantly, providing a broad space for the promotion of card and board games. The strong demand for emerging forms of entertainment in these markets has brought new opportunities for the development of card and board games.
In addition, product innovation and operational optimization of board and card games continue to improve user experience and satisfaction, attracting more new and old users. Seize the opportunities of new technologies such as 5G and cloud games to improve the picture quality, fluency and interactivity of board and card games, and enhance users’ immersion and loyalty.
🌍Major Emerging Markets
The Middle East and North Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia are predicted to be the fastest growing markets in the world, with huge development potential. According to Newzoo's forecast, from 2019 to 2024, the compound growth rate of the Middle East and North Africa and Latin America will be 1.6 times the global average, while the growth rate of Southeast Asia will be 1.4 times the global average.
In the Middle East, the trend of game categories has not changed much, but games with strong social attributes have become more popular. Arabic users like a simple and clear game experience, and the operation form needs to be as simple as possible. Card drawing and other forms are not popular in the Middle East.
The Latin American market is characterized by high in-app purchase revenue and high user willingness to pay. In 2023, Latin American mobile game in-app purchase revenue is expected to exceed US$1.3 billion. Arcade mobile games are quite popular in Latin America. From January to May 2023, nearly 27% of the total downloads of Latin American mobile games came from this category.
Strategy games represented by "Clash of Clans" are the mobile game genre with the highest revenue in the Latin American market. Chinese strategy mobile games also occupy a place in Latin America, with revenue continuing to grow in the past three years. Garena's shooting mobile game "Free Fire" ranked first in both the download list and the in-app purchase revenue list from January to May 2023, with Latin America contributing 33% of the total downloads and 27% of the total revenue.
Brazil is the largest market for mobile games in Latin America and the third largest mobile game download market in the world. In 2022, Brazilian mobile game downloads exceeded 4.5 billion, with revenue of nearly US$550 million. Tencent’s “Honor of Kings” topped the local free list soon after it was launched in Brazil, and also ranked among the top 12 best-selling games.
The Southeast Asian market also shows strong growth momentum. According to data from MeetGames, mobile game downloads increased slightly year-on-year in the first half of 2023, with more than 60% of the increase in players coming from emerging markets such as Latin America, Southeast Asia, India and the Middle East.
The rapid economic recovery of emerging markets has provided broad development space for the board and card game industry. The nominal GDP growth rates of countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Malaysia, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt all exceeded 10%, driving the growth of the overall market.
📊 Market demand
Board and card games attract a wide range of player groups, ranging from young people to the elderly. Classic games such as chess, bridge, and Go have deep cultural and historical roots in many countries, and therefore have a large number of loyal players around the world.
With the accelerated pace of people's lives, board and card games provide a relaxing way of entertainment, suitable for relaxing in a short period of time. Whether it is during work breaks or family gatherings, board and card games have become an important way for people to relax and socialize.
The demand for card and board games in overseas markets is increasingly diversified. From traditional chess, Go, and mahjong to modern poker, Texas Hold'em, etc., there are a wide variety of games that meet the needs of players with different cultural backgrounds and interests. This diversification not only attracts a large number of new players, but also increases player loyalty and engagement.
In 2023, the number of users in China's board and card game industry will reach 680 million, an increase of 3.4% from 2022, accounting for 72.3% of the total number of game users in China. The age distribution of users of chess and card games is relatively wide. Players between the ages of 20 and 40 account for 70% of the total number of chess and card game users. They can be said to be the core force of chess and card games.
The gender distribution of users of chess and card games is relatively balanced, with the proportions of male and female players being 52% and 48% respectively. Compared with other types of games, chess and card games are more able to attract the participation of female users. The geographical distribution of users is also relatively even, with users in first-tier cities, second-tier cities, third-tier cities and fourth-tier cities and below accounting for 22%, 25%, 26% and 27% respectively.
🚀 Growth Drivers
The implementation of social isolation measures around the world has greatly boosted the growth of the card and board game market. During the epidemic, many people were forced to stay at home and look for new ways to entertain themselves. Board games have quickly become people's first choice as an activity that can both kill time and interact with others. This trend is reflected globally, but is particularly evident in emerging markets.
The popularity of mobile devices is another important factor driving the growth of the card and board games market. The widespread use of smartphones and tablets allows players to play chess and card games anytime and anywhere. The development and promotion of mobile applications have made the spread and popularization of board and card games easier and more convenient. More and more chess and card game platforms are emerging, providing functions such as online battles, social interaction, and global rankings, increasing player participation and stickiness.
The increase in Internet penetration is also one of the key factors driving the growth of the card and board game market. The increase in the number of Internet users around the world, especially in emerging markets, has greatly contributed to the popularity of card and board games. Data shows that from 2012 to 2017, the global Internet penetration rate increased by 15% as a whole, and the same rate of growth was completed in the three years from 2019 to 2021. This growth trend was especially obvious during the epidemic, when many new users quickly connected to the Internet, bringing new growth points to the board and card game market.
The rapid economic recovery in emerging markets has also provided strong support for the growth of the card and board game market. Since 2022, the nominal GDP growth rates of countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Malaysia, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia and Egypt have exceeded 10%, driving the growth of the overall market. The economic recovery in these countries has not only increased the purchasing power of consumers, but also increased their demand for entertainment and leisure activities, further promoting the development of the board and card game market.
💡 Development Opportunities
The rapid economic recovery in emerging markets and the increase in the young population have provided broad development space for the board and card game industry. The rapid economic development in Asia, Africa, Latin America and other regions and the substantial increase in the number of mobile Internet users have provided a broad space for the promotion of chess and card games.
Southeast Asia, India and other regions have huge market potential. User demand for game content is gradually increasing, and the number of downloads it brings has far exceeded that of some mature markets. The Southeast Asian market is regarded as an untapped treasure land. In 2017, the number of gamers in Southeast Asia was close to 200 million, and annual game revenue grew at a compound growth rate of nearly 30%.
The increase in the young population is also an important factor driving the development of the card and board game industry. In emerging markets, young people have strong demand for new forms of entertainment, which has brought new opportunities for the development of card and board games. Especially in India, gambling games occupy an important position in the mobile game market, and Indian players' loyalty to gambling games makes them the main driver of market growth.
In addition, with the popularity of smart terminals and mobile payments, card and board games have been widely spread and developed rapidly around the world. China's mobile chess and card games have ushered in rapid development. Although competition in the domestic market is fierce, the potential of the international market is being magnified, becoming a new direction for major domestic manufacturers.
Overall, the rapid economic recovery in emerging markets and the increase in the young population have provided broad development space for the board and card game industry. Through strategies such as digital transformation, diversified game types, online platforms and social interaction, card and board games have shown strong growth momentum globally.
⚔️Challenge and Competition
Although the global board and card game market shows huge growth potential in emerging markets, it also faces fierce competition and the challenge of localized operations. In 2022, the elimination rate of new games will be about 1/3, and market competition will only increase. The barriers to entry in emerging markets are becoming higher and higher, and game manufacturers need to carry out all-round localization in terms of language and culture, art style, event operations, compliance, services, etc.
In the Middle East market, once only
Domestic games need to be simply "reskinned" to make profits, but this approach is no longer effective. The market has entered the "strong localization" stage. Arabic-speaking users like a simple and clear game experience. Operational forms such as card drawing are not popular in the Middle East. Game manufacturers need to carry out all-round localization in terms of language culture, art style, event operations, compliance, services, etc.
After years of market education, game users in the Southeast Asian market have evolved from "game novices". Some popular categories, such as MOBA and shooting, have become head-solidified. If new products want to enter this market, they need to face more stringent user requirements for innovation and localization. Mutong Technology's "Mobile Legends: Bang Bang" has remained popular since its launch in 2016, and has remained in the Top 10 free games in Indonesia and the Philippines for the past year.
The situation in Latin America is quite similar. Brazil is the largest mobile game market in Latin America and the third largest mobile game download market in the world. In 2022, Brazilian mobile game downloads exceeded 4.5 billion, with revenue of nearly US$550 million. The success of Tencent’s “Honor of Kings” in the Brazilian market is precisely due to its localization strategy of “deeply cultivating Brazil and then radiating”.
In addition, the localization of the payment process is also a major challenge faced by game manufacturers. The immaturity of payment infrastructure and financial supervision in emerging markets, as well as the instability caused by frequent policy changes, have all caused difficulties and obstacles for game manufacturers to go overseas to seek gold. Game manufacturers going overseas for the first time are advised to arrange payment as soon as possible and choose a formal, legal, industry-endorsed, and licensed payment platform to ensure the safety and compliance of funds.
📈 Future Prospects
With the advancement of technology and the maturity of the market, the prospects of the global card and board game industry in emerging markets are optimistic. The popularization of 5G technology and the development of cloud games have made the experience of board and card games smoother and more high-definition, further enhancing users’ immersion and loyalty.
The application of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies will also further enhance the immersion of games and provide players with a richer and more diverse gaming experience. These technological innovations will become an important driving force for the development of the global board and card game market.
Emerging markets such as Asia, Africa and Latin America are experiencing rapid economic development and a substantial increase in the number of mobile Internet users, providing a broad space for the promotion of card and board games. The strong demand for emerging forms of entertainment in these markets has brought new opportunities for the development of card and board games.
In addition, the diversified gameplay and optimization of social functions of board and card games around the world have also enhanced the interaction and connection between users, and improved the social attributes and user stickiness of the game. These factors jointly promote the rapid development of the global board and card game market.
Overall, with the development of digitalization and mobility, as well as the application of new technologies such as AI and VR, card and board games will continue to attract more players, expand new markets, and Continuously innovate to provide players with richer and more diverse gaming experiences.
