Abstract

Despite competition from computer and video games, board games have traditionally enjoyed great popularity in Germany. Every year, around 350 new games appear on the market, and over the years, board games and puzzles have come to form the largest segment of the German toy/game market. In 2006, German companies earned 400 million Euros in profit from games (this ran contrary to the trend in other countries). As journalist Wolf Schmidt aptly put it, “it’s the mixture of fleeing reality and hominess, of escapism and sociability that makes board games so successful in Germany.” Additionally, board games allow for social interaction within the framework of a set of rules, and this certainly plays a role in their success as well. The picture shows a young family in Rodgau playing the classic German game, “Mensch ärgere dich nicht“ [“Don’t Get Upset, Man”]. 

A Young Family Plays “Mensch ärgere dich nicht” (November 27, 2005)

  • Heiko Wolfraum

Source

Source: picture-alliance/ dpa (c) dpa - Report