You would think the complete return of large family gatherings this Christmas without the shadow of the Omicron variant would mean love-ins all round.
However, it appears nothing could be further from the truth as, egged on by TV shows such as the BBC’s new hit The Traitors, guests threaten to become obsessed with identifying murderers and cheats.
While enthusiasm for lockdown pursuits such as baking waned as life returned to normal Britons are still hooked on board games.
Toy experts say new “escape room in a box” titles – where players work together to solve clues and puzzles – have put a fresh spin on classics such as Cluedo, while titles linked to popular TV shows and films, such as Squid Game and Jaws, are also capturing people’s imagination.
Sales of murder mystery and escape room games are up by a quarter in John Lewis, which says overall games sales in December are running 8% up on last year. Sounds Fishy, a party game that requires expert bluffing, is one of the big sellers along with Escape Room Game, Mars Edition, the department store said.
Mars Edition gives players an hour to secure a seat on the last shuttle leaving Earth as an asteroid hurtles towards the planet. However, one reviewer knocks off a star because you need your thinking cap on and “no wine in hand” to succeed, which is a big ask on Christmas Day.
Kerry Nicholls, a gift buyer for John Lewis, said that after three years of lockdown the strong sales picture showed its customers were “looking forward to a traditional Christmas”, adding: “Gathering round a board game with family and friends is part of the festive season our customers clearly cherish.”
Back in 2019, Britons spent £340m a year on board games but sales soared during the pandemic. Frédérique Tutt, an analyst at the market researchers NPD, said Covid created a “bubble” but that current sales suggested even if they could not match lockdown highs board games had emerged in stronger shape. “We are still buying more games today than before Covid,” she said.
Despite all the new board games on retailers’ shelves, sales data from the consumer analysts NPD demonstrates the staying power of old favourites, with Uno this year’s top-seller, followed by Dobble, Monopoly, the Rubik’s Cube and Jenga.
A quarter of annual toy sales are rung up in December but the industry has not been immune to cost of living pressures, with like-for-like toy inflation close to 7%.
Analysts say parents are buying fewer low-priced toys this Christmas and putting the cash towards more expensive toys that would last longer.
