The beginning is a dangerous game: the board game market may exceed 41 billion rubles in 2026.

In Russia, the demand for board games has increased by 2.7 times since the pandemic of 2020. In 2026, it may increase by 12% compared to the previous year. The Council for the Development of Electronic Commerce of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation predicts market growth to 41,2 billion rubles. The increase in interest in board games is associated with a changing audience: adults are increasingly becoming interested in them. However, in 2027, experts expect a slowdown in market growth. It will be affected by the rise in prices of products and competition with other leisure activities.

How the board game market is changing

By the end of 2025, the volume of the legal board game market is estimated at 36.8 billion rubles, 15% more than a year earlier, according to a study by the Council for the Development of Electronic Commerce of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation (available to Izvestia). In general, the market has grown 2.7 times since 2020, demonstrating annual growth. In 2026, its volume may reach 41.2 billion rubles. According to the authors of the study, the industry remains positive, but "its growth rate is gradually returning to normal."

Photo: IZVESTIA/Eduard Kornienko

Marketplaces have become the main sales channel, accounting for 70% of board game purchases in 2026. Until a few years ago, customers mostly chose offline stores or their own online stores of manufacturers and sellers. For comparison, in January–May 2021, online sales accounted for 43% of purchases. Thus, in a few years, online platforms have turned from an additional sales channel into the main one.

Board games have become a mature category on marketplaces, the Wildberries press service noted. At the same time, Izvestia was told that in the first half of the year, the bulk of sales fell on children's board games: in physical terms, they were bought by 6% more than in the same period of 2025. The share of 18+ games in total sales remains small, but the turnover of these products increased by 4%.

Another notable trend was the reduction in the turnover of specialized retail, the council said. According to the results of the first half of 2025 (more recent data is not available), the turnover of specialized sellers decreased by 16%, the number of transactions decreased by 23%, while the average receipt increased by 9%.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Eduard Kornienko

The average receipt on marketplaces is noticeably lower than in specialty stores. In 2025, the average cost of an order on online platforms was 813 rubles, 4% less than a year earlier. In specialized retail, this figure reached 2156-2272 rubles. At the same time, according to the council's research, prices for one of the publishers' own products increased by 10-12% over the year.

Izvestia has sent inquiries to major Russian manufacturers and sellers of board games.

The market is growing, but it is waiting for a slowdown

Experts interviewed by Izvestia agree that the main driver of the board game market is a change in the audience. According to Ekaterina Kosareva, managing partner of VMT Consult, the ratio of sales of children's and adult games is 1:4. She attributes this trend to the pandemic, when many people spent more time at home and gathered at board games. At the same time, demand for anti-cafes is growing in large cities, where companies come to play together.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Eduard Kornienko

The growing interest from the adult audience is also confirmed by Mikhail Burmistrov, CEO of INFOLine Analytics. In his opinion, board games have become a familiar way for many to spend time with friends or family. At the same time, they can be played repeatedly, so such leisure is relatively inexpensive.

According to the results of a Strategy Partners study, the transition from a children's to an adult audience is a global trend. According to analysts, from 2010 to 2020, the share of children's games in the global circulation decreased by 8 percentage points to 2%. At the same time, the share of family games designed for adults and children increased by 7 percentage points and reached 23%. The strategy games segment showed the largest increase: 14 percentage points, up to 28% of the total circulation.

In the mass segment, games for companies with simple rules and short games are most in demand, experts say. There is a continuing interest in detective, family, and party games. In addition, according to Ekaterina Kosareva, adaptations of famous board games for franchises and fandoms are popular. For example, "Monopoly" with characters from popular TV series.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Polina Violet

— Import substitution is another trend. A significant part of the game production has been localized, which also supports demand," the expert noted.

The proliferation of counterfeit products remains one of the main constraints on the market. According to Mikhail Burmistrov, illegal copies increase price competition and can take away sales from copyright holders. So, the original game can cost 990 rubles, while its counterfeit copy is only 370. The council estimates the total value of counterfeit board games on digital platforms for 2025 at 2 billion rubles.

The board game market has been growing over the past seven years, including since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. However, experts agree that the growth rate will slow down in 2027. According to Ekaterina Kosareva, the dynamics will be affected by an increase in the price of games due to an increase in production costs, a small influx of new customers, a high proportion of counterfeit goods and competition with other leisure activities.