From Tokyo to São Paulo, board games bring people together. But they're not just about fun — they're cultural artifacts. They show how we socialize, strategize, and connect. From strategy-heavy to fast-paced party games, the board game industry has grown explosively in recent years. But how has it evolved? What do our favorite games say about us? And how did global events like the pandemic shape the way we play?
In this project, we explore the evolution of board games in 2019, 2022, and 2025 across genres, countries, and player behaviors through interactive data visualizations powered by BoardGameGeek data.
The Global Favorites
We begin our journey with the games that left their mark around the world. In 2019, 2022, and 2025, different titles rose to the top, each reflecting how and what people played during that time.
Select a year and flip the cards to see which games stood out, and why they became favorites. You can see the title, rating (out of 10), complexity (on a scale of 5, with higher numbers indicating greater difficulty), recommended number of players, and year of publication.
Shifting Play
Genre Rankings Over Time
Now that we have seen which games stood out, let's explore how different board game categories rose and fell between 2019 and 2025. The data reveals some subtle (and surprising) shifts in player preferences. Hover over each point to see the exact proportion value.
Game Design Trends
Not only did category preferences change, but board games also evolved in other ways. Games, on average, became less complex. The recommended number of players dropped. Solo play options grew — likely a response to pandemic-era isolation — while age suitability remained almost unchanged.
These trends hint at a shift toward flexibility and accessibility. Use the selector below to explore these changes year by year and see how player preferences have shaped game design over time.
World Tour
These broader trends tell part of the story, but geography adds another layer. Board games are a universal language, but every region speaks it a little differently. This interactive map lets you explore how board game tastes, complexity, and player preferences vary around the world.
Now that we've seen which countries are most active in the board game scene, let's go one level deeper: how complex are the games they tend to love?
The Winning Formula
We've looked at favorites, trends, and regional quirks, but what makes a game stand out across the board? In other words, what qualities consistently define the most beloved games, regardless of year or geography?
In this final section, we explore which features are most correlated with high ratings. Is it complexity? Solo play options? Shorter playtimes?
This chart visualizes how various game attributes relate to average ratings, revealing which features tend to be linked with higher player satisfaction.
Complexity & Connection: these are the threads that weave through the games we love. As play patterns shift across time and borders, one truth holds steady: great games don't just entertain. They adapt, invite, and reflect the people around them. The story of board games isn't static. It's constantly being rewritten, one move at a time.