In order to monetize your board game idea successfully, you must first understand what your gamers expect from your games and how much they are willing to spend. By understanding the players’ behavior and preferences, you can tailor your monetization strategy to meet their needs. In this blog post, we will explore the five best approaches to monetizing your board game idea, enabling you to optimize the potential of your app and achieve financial success.

What is game monetization? 

Game monetization is the process of making money from games. It involves various ways that game developers employ to generate revenue from their games. 

Developing a high-quality game takes significant time, expertise, and resources. So, you have to ensure the game is profitable enough to cover your game development cost.  Your main goal then? To generate revenue through the game. Some games turn out to be highly profitable from the moment they are launched, whereas others take years to bloom. Some also fail right after launch. 

All this depends not just on the quality of the game but also on how game app developers handle monetization from the start. There are many methods to monetize board game ideas, and it’s essential to find the most effective one in order to sustain your business and maximize profits. 

How to Monetize Your Board Game Idea?

In-App Ads 

In-app ads are one of the most popular ways to make money. This model has proven to be quite effective for developers. While users enjoy the game for free, the developers generate revenue from the mobile ads that show up in the game. 

Whenever a player views an ad, you make money. And when they interact with an ad, you make even more! Developers at our game development company select the most appropriate ads that smoothly integrate with the flow of a game. 

There are various types of ads, like rewarded, playable, banner and interstitial ads. Each type has its distinct advantages that enable you to strike a balance between visibility as well as user experience. Our developers carefully consider where to place ads within your game, making sure the players don’t feel bombarded by them and ensuring good user engagement and retention rates.  

In-app purchases 

The rise of in-app purchases is a significant trend in the gaming industry in the past few years. This monetization approach generates more revenue than all other models. This model allows players to download and play the game for free but charges for additional game features or content. These can be one-time purchases, like a new character skin or unlocking new levels, or they can be recurring subscriptions that unlock premium features or exclusive content.  

The in-app purchase approach lets publishers generate income from a larger audience, including those who are not willing to pay for the game upfront. This provides a wide range of content and experiences, providing players with more reasons to keep coming back. 

In order to successfully implement this model, our board game development team strategizes the pricing carefully. Generally, it is most effective to offer both expensive and inexpensive items. Time-limited offers and bundles are other great options. 

Paid games 

Paid games are the traditional game monetization model. In this model, players pay once to install an app and use all its features. There is no additional cost or in-app purchase. You earn revenue from the sale of your board game app. This model appeals to players willing to pay once for the complete experience. Since there is only one way to monetize, our developers employ effective game marketing strategies and focus on store conversions. 

This approach to monetizing board game ideas is a tricky one, as the game can only be monetized if it offers something special and has little or no competition. A large number of players are used to ‘engagement first, purchase later’ behavior. However, when the brand is well-established and associated with high standards, this model is great for games with a strong brand following or a substantial marketing budget.

Subscription

The subscription model is another successful monetization board game idea that every game development company utilizes to increase revenue. We all know Netflix, Amazon Prime and Spotify have one thing in common: a subscription model. To continue using their service, you must pay a monthly fee. The same goes for video games. In games, subscriptions are similar to in-app purchases. This model allows players to make regular payments to access exclusive content, features, or ad-free experiences during predetermined subscription periods. 

One of the popular subscription models is the battle pass. Here, players have the opportunity to take part in exclusive game levels that are available for a limited time.

Hybrid model

Players have varied interests, so relying on a single approach will yield less effective results. For example, some gamers generate revenue through in-app purchases; another group drives revenue by paying for ads, while others pay for a subscription. 

The mixed monetization model is a method where multiple monetization methods are combined to maximize revenue. The most common combinations include in-app purchases and advertisements, subscriptions with in-app purchases and combinations of all three. 

This model provides flexibility, diversifies revenue streams and caters to different user segments. When implementing this approach, a seamless integration of different models is essential to avoid any negative influence on the user experience.

These are some of the ways of monetizing your custom board game idea successfully. If you want to pick the best model, collaborate with a game development company that has the experience and expertise to guide you. As a top game development company, Logic Simplified has extensive experience in creating games of various genres for different budgets according to the client’s requirements and needs. Partner with us to build your dream game with lucrative game monetization models. For any suggestions or queries, contact us or drop us an email at enquiry@logicsimplified.com.

The board games market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 10% during the period 2018-2024.

Source: Report Linker

1. COVID-19, the virus 

With the coronavirus hitting our lives and then the followed stay at home orders were reasons good enough to resurrect the popularity of board games. The lockdown post the pandemic made people’s life boring and made them crave for social connection for which many turned to board games. It was perceived as a great way to release stress so people started playing such games remotely. 

2. All kinds of stress management 

Heard of the phrase “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. Yes, there is truth to it. Life can be boring at times and with work, there should also be some leisure time. There is a need for friends and family to spare some time to bond and spend quality time together. But how? With COVID-19 and other precautionary norms over our head? Fret not, because digital media has more ways than you know to keep you connected with fun-filled board games that you can play in the comfort of your house whilst maintaining social distancing. They make an enjoyable experience. Did you know, Endorphins, the “happy hormone” is released when you play games which also improves conscious and unconscious mind functions. If only that was it, but playing board games also helps improve blood circulation and maintain blood pressure. 

3. Social media and social networking

The Internet and social media have helped build the craze for online multiplayer board games by bringing the world together on a platform. The sales are increasing year after year. Around the world, with digital expansion, buying board games online has become the norm these days. Ludo, Chess, Scrabble, and Monopoly being some of the most popular board games that are played.

4. They make us feel nostalgic

If you go back to the days when you were young and when smartphones did not exist, everyone of us will remember board games being a part of those times. Those were the times when engaging board games were the most widely played indoor game and we all loved spending time with our family and friends chatting and playing. So, yes we started playing these old fashioned games when we were kids and it’s pretty obvious that they make us all very nostalgic and are preferred by many. People already seem to be aware of the rules and the game and it comes as an easy activity to them for fun.  In other terms, these games are quite relatable.

5. Targets not one but all

There is not a particular section of people that board games target unlike other genres. These games have easy rules to follow and are hence played by all - kids, teens, adults, and the elderly population. The young crowd has always been into gaming and made use of it to kill boredom, but now a time has come when it is just not the millennials but also the Gen X, the baby boomers, and the silent generation who are enthralled by board games.

6. Brings people together and allows them to bond

A fun fact about board games is that they are not played alone but with others. They bring people together and strengthen relationships. They kill loneliness too by letting you connect with people.

7. Competitive fun

Who doesn’t like some good competition now and then? And board games for sure bring out the competitive side of us as they by design divide us.

8. Former popularity contributes too

Games have been popular for a long time and the overwhelming craze for board games is spurring the board games market. Well, people are understanding that it has become necessary and it is refreshing to step back from the hustle of our day to day lives, and enjoy gaming with others or alone. This means people are looking to be involved in engaging activities and playing board games is one of them. It wouldn’t be wrong to say it’s popularity also contributes in making such games more popular.

According to Statista, the global market value of board games, alternatively known as tabletop games, was estimated to be around 7.2 billion U.S. dollars in 2017 and was forecast to reach a value of 12 billion U.S. dollars by 2023.

Source: Statista

9. Board games bring along multitude of options on the table

People are confined to their houses because of the pandemic and the variety in complexity and genre and types of board games has given people options to deal with the boredom. 

10. Bringing technology and board games together

Were all those reasons already not enough? That now board game developers thought of incorporating technology into their products to better the player’s experience. One such example being

applications which make these games more available and add to the experience by guiding the user through the setup and teaching them how to play. Game app developers are combining technology and board games to make game development, funding, marketing and selling easier and better which has made board games all the more interesting. NFC and bluetooth technology, Augmented Reality, 3D printing, and other such technologies are contributing to the swift progression in the experience of playing board games.

11. Learning capabilities

Multiplayer board games are entertaining and at the same time develop our mental and cognitive functioning. There are many options in board games that are created to motivate learning different skills that include counting, reading, and reasoning. Other than that, patience and learning to follow rules, enhancing focus, teamwork are also on the list.

Board games have created their own buzz in the gaming industry and calling them a success would be an understatement. Big game development companies are competing to build games and their better versions to give the players an exceptional experience. One such company is Logic Simplified, a multiplayer board game development company in Dehradun that holds game designers and developers who are capable of producing creative and unique games in both dimensions - 2D and 3D. They are well versed with different techniques that go into making a game that stands out and is compatible across various platforms. Not just that but most importantly they ensure that the games developed by them are entertaining that will make them popular. Share your thoughts, enquiries and suggestions by writing to us at enquiry@logicsimplfied.com, and we will get back to you shortly to provide you with ultimate gaming solutions.

The virus and the lockdown that followed have had adverse effects on people’s lives, some businesses are becoming successful, and others are struggling to outlast the competitive market. Industries are witnessing odd times and are introducing business continuity plans to get through this rough patch. Travel and hospitality industries are the worst hit. On the other hand, the gaming industry has somehow managed to remain afloat in these times of crisis, considering the challenges the global pandemic has brought along. In the middle of everything, the gaming business has remained popular even during these times. However, all the promotional and consumer events have been canceled or postponed due to the pandemic. There are important gaming events canceled, game launches delayed, and game companies are afraid of what uncertainty they could face in the near future, but it still is not bad for them compared to other industries.

“Based on GSD's data for the period of March 16 to March 22, there were 2.74 million games downloaded across the EMEA region, representing a 53% increase over the previous week. The longer a country has been in lockdown, the more sales increase; Italy, which introduced extensive containment measures on March 9, saw a 175% climb in digital sales.”

From being popular to now trending

The social distancing due to the COVID-19 triggered people to look for ways to stall time, and online games have been a great way to be entertained and build human interaction at the same time, predominantly online board games. The digital media has given people ways to stay social while maintaining social distancing. Concept board games that are available online build a sense of togetherness that people are trying to keep alive at these uncertain times when it is suggested that they maintain distance and avoid physical contact.

Ultimate Ludo Board Game

Ludo is the most popular game in India. Logic Simplified, a game development company in Dehradun, digitized and developed a fun multiplayer board game for a client known as Ultimate Ludo. A more advanced version of traditional ludo games with some added gameplay functionalities. The game has different Game Modes (Classic, Quick, or Master). It’s highlighting features and the lurking nostalgia that people experience make it so hard to resist.

People now avoid going outdoors as much as possible, and as said earlier, online games, especially board games, have become quite entertaining for people of all ages. Ultimate Ludo is prevalent amongst gaming enthusiasts. Digitization has made it possible for these gamers to play the game anywhere, at any time, and compete with other players such as their friends and relatives around the world. The designers and developers have kept the look and feel simple and disparate to give the user’s an immersive experience. The cross-functionality feature makes the game available to various people using different kinds of devices with versatile operating systems. It is a game that’s based on 75% Skill and 25% luck. 

What makes Ultimate Ludo stand apart from its other digital adaptations of the traditional Ludo is that it sticks to the standard rules that people around the world are used to and make the game competitive and fun.

The craze that demanded for more

Multiplayer board game development involves creating, designing, developing, funding, producing, and marketing a board game. Board games fall into one of the many categories of Tabletop games and are games based on strategy, randomness, or combination of both. You will see eye to eye when I say board games are the most popular amongst people, and this growing appetite has driven to bring improvements in the quality of this game. Elegant mechanics, components, artwork, and graphics have been enhanced for better performance and improved user experience.

The internet is stacked with options for board game apps for your phone, along with digital recreations of your long lost favorite board games. And, playing these games with your friends can be a stress-buster and help you survive the boredom at home. There are various board games ranging from casual to competitive. And, the want for choices doesn’t end here. The audience wants choices to match their preferences, which can be a long list.

To meet the growing demands, board game app developers present globally have worked from remote areas on the improvements of older versions and creation of newer ones, parallelly evaluating all the probable impacts the uncalled-for situation will have on the gaming business. Developers have been using the quarantine to build board games based on Coronavirus to educate and entertain where the game’s objective is to kill the virus, learn to practice social distancing. One of the games is also called social distancing itself. Another one was called Bhag Corona (Run Corona) built by Akram Tari and Anushree Warade, and there are many more to name.

With the trending hashtag #PlayApartTogether and initiatives like “Stay at Home, Stay Safe,” the game development outsourcing companies is also helping spread awareness on social distancing and sanitary measures for COVID-19. 

In the name of Mental health 

Taking care of one's mental health becomes all the more critical at a time when people are spending so much time alone and idle. Sports participation promotes good health, combats stress with the fight-or-flight response as it does in video games or board games. Having said that, scientific research has noted that playing board games like chess, ludo, carrom, scrabble, checkers, etc. have benefits of cerebral training. In recent times, there has been an immense observable change in the social lives of people - within their families and outside. Stress and frustration due to being caught up at home and not being able to step out have encouraged people to get involved in activities. And, playing board games online is an excellent way for families to spend time together and battle stress. It is also a great way for children to learn to follow the rules, build concentration, improve health education by stimulating players' interests and motivation. This cooperative learning enhances creativity, deep learning, and enhances teamwork skills by provoking children's thoughts and creativity. 

"The board game, like Monopoly or chess, are games that everyone can take part in, said Ashlet Priore, a second-year Dietrich School student majoring in English Literature and political science. Adding to that, they require the least of technical knowledge, and as they have minimum rules.

To conclude on the escalating demand for online board games, I would like to give a shout-out to the board game developers of Logic Simplified, who produce intense, customer-focused digital board games. Our multiplayer board game development team has the potential to meet different dimensions of a client's provoking thoughts and ideas, providing the best game development services one could ask for. They are capable of developing games that are engaging, entertaining, and compulsive in both 2D as well as in 3D and for iOS and Android platforms to make sure the gamers have an immersive experience. The game designers and developers hold expertise in AI development and reliable networking server/protocol that ensures large concurrent players for multiplayer and single-player games as they understand how valuable games have become for people in this challenging time.

Note: The list is based on the information recently revealed by NPD (an American market research company) and is only for the United States games market. Also, the list is for YTD ending February 2020.

Here are Top 10 Best Selling Games of the Year so far

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is an action RPG game published by Bandai Namco.  Inspired from Dragon Ball Z sagas, Kakarot is a high-quality Dragon Ball adaptation that tests your combat skills and surprises you with story moments never seen before in any of the previous Dragon Ball video games. This game was released on January 17, 2020, for  Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Epic boss battles across vast battlefields with destructible environments are catchy in the game, along with the storyline that keeps players engaged. Relive the life of Goku and other Dragon Ball Z characters as you fish, fly, eat, train, and battle to level up your power and rise to the challenge. Of all the video games released in 2020 so far, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is the only one currently on the list, with over 1.5 million copies sold in just its first week of release. 

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is a first person shooter (FPS) game that was released in October 2019 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The game was the 16th overall in the series of Call of duty, but the first to support cross-platform multiplayer and cross-platform progression. The FPS game, which was published by Activision and developed by Infinity Ward, follows a storyline in which a CIA officer and British forces team up to combat against Russians forces to save the fictional country of Urzikstan from invasion. Although the game got some criticism over the handling of the campaign's subject matter, it managed to generate a staggering $600mn within three days of its release and is still among the top 10 grossing video games of 2020.

NBA 2K20

NBA 2K20 is a basketball simulation game based on the National Basketball Association (NBA). This game is the first in NBA 2K series to include all twelve teams from the WNBA. The game was released in on September 6, 2019, for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It also came out on Google Stadia on November 19. NBA 2k20, which was published by 2K and developed by Visual Concepts, became the best-selling game of 2019 during its first month on the shelves. It was later dethroned by Call of Duty in October 2019.

Grand Theft Auto V

Grand Theft Auto V, an action-adventure game published by  Rockstar Games, was released in 2013 for PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One and Microsoft Windows. The video game still rocks the gaming charts with over 120 million copies sold so far. Rockstar’s epic gangland adventure offers a vast, beautiful open-world environment to players to commit crimes (in a fictional world obviously) and use their skills to evade authorities. Grand Theft Auto V, which is also supported online with regular updates, is rated very high on its engaging narrative, anarchic humour and several sub-quests, side-missions and secrets. The December 2019 NPD report also established Grand Theft Auto V as the best selling game of the decade.

Madden NFL 20

Madden NFL 20 is another sports game that made headlines for being one of the best selling games in 2019. Madden 20, published by Electronic Arts and developed by  EA Tiburon, is a football video game that simulates National Football League (NFL). Madden 20 was released in August 2019 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows. Unfortunately, no information is available on the revenue and number of copies sold of Madden NFL 20 so far, but NPD’s analysis currently puts it among the top five best selling games of 2020. 

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

This video game sets you in Stars Wars universe, with action-adventure ensured. Players take the role of  Jedi Padawan who fights with his lightsaber to kill slain enemies and improve his abilities to move further in the game. Follow Jedi as he completes his training, masters his lightsaber skills and develops new powerful Force to toss back rocket launchers. Stars Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, which was released on November 15, 2019, and published by  Electronic Arts, had sold eight million copies by the end of January 2020. This new 3rd person action-adventure title from Respawn Entertainment got favourable views from critics and seems deserving to be one of the best selling games of 2020.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

The eighth in the Mario Kart series, this new game lets you participate in kart racing, with 42 characters to choose from. The Inkling Girl and Inkling Boy from Splatoon are the new additions as playing characters to Mario Kart 8, along with a new battle mode, “Renegade Roundup”.  The Nintendo Switch game was released in 2017 and had sold more than 22 million copies worldwide by the end of 2019. The success of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe made it the system’s best selling game ever and it is still played by millions around the globe. 

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a crossover fighting game, published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. The fifth in the Super Smash Bros. series, this game comes with a big gamut of game modes, including a campaign for single-player and multiplayer versus modes. Adding more playable characters to the previous version, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate takes the roster to over 40. Developed by Bandai Namco, the game was released worldwide on December 7, 2018. As of September 2019, the game had already sold nearly 16 million copies worldwide and became the best selling fighting game ever released.

Ring Fit Adventure

Ring Fit Adventure is an RPG game that allows players to convert their real-world actions into in-game movements to battle against a bodybuilding dragon and his minions. The game comes with two accessories (Ring-Con and Leg Strap) and these are must to play the game as your interactions would be tracked by the motion controls. You jog, sprint, high knee and even make some yoga poses to level up and unlock more exercises to cause even more potent damage. Developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch, the game was released worldwide on October 18, 2019. For the number of copies sold, the game touched the over-two-million mark by the end of 2019. 

Minecraft

Having sold more than 176 million copies worldwide and surpassing 1984’s Tetris, Minecraft is the best-selling video game of all time, with over 112 million monthly active players by 2019. The sandbox game was developed by Mojang and released worldwide in November 2011. Microsoft purchased Mojang and the ownership of the Minecraft intellectual property for US$2.5 billion in 2014 and has ported the game to various platforms since then. By default, the game is a person first shooter, but you can also choose the option to play from the third-person perspective. The gameplay involves mining and placing 3D objects, such as dirt, stone, ores, tree trunks, water, and lava, to build things.

With this, we have come to an end of the top 10 best selling video games of 2020 so far. The global list may vary slightly as the data provided by NPD was mostly for the US gaming market. The video game industry is expected to grow over $180bn by 2021, which means game businesses will only bolster their coffer going forward, be it for mobile phones, consoles and PCs. The new revolutionizing technologies, including AR, VR and AI, will also add to the impetus the gaming industry is witnessing for the past few years. For all the dreamers and visionaries who want to build on their game development ideas, Logic Simplified is a go-to game studio even to build from the ground up. We provide Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning game development services as well to bring the smart factor in your game and keep players highly engaged. Game development is in our DNA, and we have already served various happy clients from different cultures world over. You may visit our website to learn about the range of game development services we offer or get in touch with us for any sort of game-related query by writing to us at enquiry@logicsimplified.com.