Games, Playthings and Plush

What’s Gaining (From page 173)

Toy Kingdom said board games have experienced an overall steady increase in sales and popularity over the past several years at their flagship store in North Canton, while at their Medina, Ohio, location, sales have been very steady since opening in November of 2020.

“The trend of family game nights and social gatherings of adults centering around games have been on the increase for several years,” Marks said.

There was also a dramatic uptick in sale of puzzles in 2020, said Marks. “We believe everyone was seeking downtime from screen time - a digital detox - and board games and puzzles helped provide a fun balance to life in 2020,” commented Marks.

The most noticeable trend during the past year, noted Marks, was the shift in demand from complex multiplayer strategy games or more serious tabletop games to two to three person games that may not take as long to play and are a bit more lighthearted. “Classic games were also strong contenders, as buyers looked for that comfort of the tried-and-true games they grew up with and wanted to share with their families,” commented Marks.

Marks has seen a shift to the younger demographic where puzzles are concerned. The highest demand is