Tabletop games' popularity holds up as people seek off-screen connections, Asmodee CEO says

(Specifies wording in paragraph 2 to clarify Asmodee publishes and distributes board games.)

By Vera Dvorakova

Nov 13 (Reuters) - Demand for tabletop games is holding strong as people seek ways to play together in person, Asmodee CEO Thomas Koegler told Reuters ahead of the busy end-of-year shopping season.

Sweden-based Asmodee publishes and distributes many globally known board games such as Catan, Ticket to Ride and Carcassonne. It also distributes trading card games from other publishers, including Pokémon, Hasbro's Magic: The Gathering and Bandai Namco's One Piece trading card games.

"What's clear is that our industry benefits from very strong sociological dynamics of spending time with your loved ones," Koegler said in an interview on Friday.

He expects game nights to remain a popular Saturday plan, especially over Christmas, when darker weather makes games more appealing. The end-of-year holidays are a key sales season for game and toy companies.

Board games have gained popularity among 16- to 25-year-olds, who are now putting them "at the heart" of their social life, Koegler said. An international barometer compiled by Asmodee and Kantar in 2026 showed that 74% of the so-called "Gen Z" thought that in-person experiences were more important than digital ones.

Koegler also pointed to rising attendance at trade events such as Spiel Essen and Gen Con, and hobby stores engaging local player communities, as two indicators that Asmodee's efforts to engage players through in-person events were working.

"We see increasing of sales (in hobby stores), which means an increase in sell-out from them, because they are this nexus of local communities," Koegler said.

ORGANIZED PLAY SUPPORTS TRADING CARD GAMES

Organized play also holds a strong place in the success of trading card games, a category that Koegler has previously described as extremely strong and lasting.

"All the events are packed because people really engage," he said.

The Netherlands' largest board game event Spellenspektakel, which also hosts Europe's biggest trading card game event CardCon, reported 33,000 visitors at its 2026 edition on November 7-8, with a sold-out first day.

Asmodee's sales grew 18.4% in the board game category and 51.6% in trading card games during its most recent quarter that ended in September.

Hasbro's earnings were also boosted by its flagship trading card game Magic: The Gathering ahead of the holiday season.

(Reporting by Vera Dvorakova in Gdansk, editing by Milla Nissi-Prussak)