ICv2 Reports Disappointing Year For Hobby Games Channel: TTRPGs Down, D&D Declines 30%

According to ICv2, 2023 was a tough year for hobby game sales. The US and Canada market increased by just 1%, which was less than the rate of inflation, growing from $2.86 billion in 2022 to $2.89 billion in 2023.

The hobby game sales channel is defined as specialist game and card stores--it doesn't include Amazon, direct sales, etc. It does include Kickstarter.

Top Hobby Channel TTRPGs (2023)

1. Dungeons & Dragons (WotC)
2. Pathfinder (Paizo)
3. Cyberpunk Red (R. Talsorian)
4. World of Darkness (Renegade Game Studios)
5. Starfinder (Paizo)
6. Warhammer 40K (Cubicle 7)
7. Marvel Multiverse Roleplaying (Marvel)
8. Kobold 5E Books (Kobold Press)
9. Call of Cthulhu (Chaosium)
10. Pirate Borg (Free League)

The only two categories to grow in 2023 were collectibles and miniatures. All other categories--board games, card games, and roleplaying games--were down. ICv2 reports a 30% hobby store sales decline for Dungeons & Dragons specifically, citing the impending new edition and lackluster movie performance, and the tail end of a pandemic-fuelled high; they also report that while the OGL crisis of last year impacted some lifestyle gamers, newer players as a whole were oblivious to the situation. The other important element ICv2 mentioned was D&D's increasing move to digital, which impacted retail sales.

Older D&D players, says ICv2, are also migrating to other games, with Pathfinder as one of the major beneficiaries.

The last 6 years has seen much larger growth rates--partly fuelled by the pandemic--ranging from 10% to 30%. 2022 saw a 7% growth over 2021. Despite the small increase, 2023 represents the 15th year of growth for the overall market. ICv2 does predict a market decline in 2024, though.

ICv2 conducts periodical surveys and speaks to publishers, distributors, and retailers, along with publicly available company information and Kickstarter data.

 

[Warpiglet-7]

There are multiple sources of variance in sales. Yes, the pandemic was a thing. Yes, the economy. Yes, the brand loyalty/game familiarity matters. Yes, it was a well liked product with wide appeal.

There are necessarily going to be situational changes. That sales would slow is all but inevitable. I think the new edition/revision’s timing is predicated on expected slowing.

If the slowdown is dramatic and lasting then that starts to be more meaningful. I am curious about what 5.5 does over a significant period of time.

 

[TheSword]

Totally cool!

I’m pretty much the exact opposite - to me there is simply nothing like playing in person, and online play is a distant second at best. Honestly, if online playing was my only option, I suspect I might stop playing …

BUT, these are all personal opinions / preference so neither is right … just how we each feel

Probably should get on topic though

I thought the same way until Covid hit.

Now I love it and it lets me play a hell of a lot more TTRPG than I could before now the TT is VTT

 

[Queer Venger]

Online gaming is the answer. Endless supply of good players.

Old school, prefer in person, a different (and better) sense of connection & engagement

 

[Queer Venger]

I am right with you. Online is great if you need it but nothing is better than an in person game with friends.

precisely

 

[Jd Smith1]

Old school, prefer in person, a different (and better) sense of connection & engagement

I started in 1979. I vastly prefer online, with its physical comforts and the ability to get a full table of high quality, motivated, and punctual players. I've never been one who viewed the hobby as a social interaction.

 

[Morrus]

As much as I would love to believe these numbers (both the good and the bad) the fact is sales numbers in the industry are very incomplete as the vast majority of companies don’t share any sales data.

They're not getting them from publishers. They're getting them from retailers and distributors, who do share the data. You can't sell into the hobby channel without going through retailers and distributors.

 

[SteveC]

I run a game every other week and play in one each week. The only way that could happen at this point in my life is online. Pretty much all of the players are married with kids, and one of the games is in Tacoma, while I'm in Wisconsin. As much as I'd like to play in person, I'm really having online gaming grow on me.

 

[TheSword]

I run a game every other week and play in one each week. The only way that could happen at this point in my life is online. Pretty much all of the players are married with kids, and one of the games is in Tacoma, while I'm in Wisconsin. As much as I'd like to play in person, I'm really having online gaming grow on me.

There are some other upsides as well.

• Rules automation
• Rules availability
• Less distraction
• More tools (NPC portraits, beautiful maps, dynamic lighting, journals, shared character sheets etc)
• Prepared adventures

I love face to face, but online definitely ain’t a chore for me. It is easier to DM in many ways.

 

[SteveC]

There are some other upsides as well.

The upside that I don't talk about with my friends too much is that if I have really good snacks or beverages, I get to have them all to myself. Yes, the Tacoma people don't get any Spotted Cow. (That's a very specific reference that's tongue-in-cheek but specific to Wisconsin).

 

[MacDhomnuill]

They're not getting them from publishers. They're getting them from retailers and distributors, who do share the data. You can't sell into the hobby channel without going through retailers and distributors.

I was unclear, the problem is we don’t see anything like a whole picture here. Publishers sell a large volume through their own web stores, digital through drive thru or DDB. Those are the sales numbers I don’t think are getting captured in an accurate way.