Adam Davis Fernsby, born in London in 1989, it’s a pretty different journalist to the rest of the guild in the UK. His specialization? Board games! He writes, researches, and comments on the ever-evolving gaming scene across the British Islands and Europe.
Why board games are booming again
According to Fernsby, the comeback of board games in Europe was a long process. He insists it is not nostalgia or people wanting to relive their childhoods. “We’ve been living in hyper-digital environments for so long that now we’re looking forward to tangible experiences,” he explains.
He pointed to the cafés in Berlin, Vienna, and Madrid, where people queue to try new releases. These venues are packed not with teenagers, but with twenty- and thirty-somethings, young professionals exhausted by their screens and looking for socializing. In Germany, the trend is especially noticeable, with Spiel des Jahres winners displayed alongside bestsellers in bookshops.
However, Fernsby doesn’t see the boom as a rejection of technology. He notes that digital platforms like Tabletopia are playing a role in making board games more accessible, creating hybrid communities where players meet online and then gather offline. The digital world is, in fact, fueling the analog one.
A new wave of creativity
A few games are leading this surge, but the old ones aren’t the main factor. “Monopoly and Risk are still around, but the heartbeat of the industry today is in modern Eurogames,” he explains. “Catan, Carcassonne, and Ticket to Ride are the gateway games that open the doors to a wider audience, but the design scene has exploded far beyond those staples”, he adds. Nowadays, games like Pandemic can exist, when just twenty years ago would be inconceivable. Furthermore, cooperative games are thriving, as players seem to enjoy the feeling of working together as a team to solve an issue.
When asked about the kinds of games driving this surge, Fernsby laughs and shakes his head at the idea that classics like Monopoly or Risk are the main attraction. “Honestly, those are still around, but the heartbeat of the industry today is in modern Eurogames,” he says.
The evolution of storytelling is also helping newer titles to succeed. Games like Gloomhaven or Arkham Horror bring cinematic depth, blending narrative arcs and strategic mechanics. “You could argue these games are interactive novels with dice and tokens,” he suggests. According to the British journalist, this creative shift is attracting people who wouldn’t consider themselves “gamers” in the traditional sense.
A cultural bridge across Europe
For Fernsby, board games are one of the few cultural products that can cross borders without issue. “Films and music can fail if there are enough cultural differences, as they rely heavily on languages. However, that’s not the case for games, you only need to understand the mechanics, which is great for the European public, with more than 200 languages in the continent”, he explains.
However, there are differences between countries in their distribution. In the UK, for example, independent shops are the main entry point. In Germany, publishers like Kosmos are doing the heavy-lifting, and in Spain and Italy that role is being carried by festivals and small design collectives. “Every country has its own flavor, but the common thread is how games bring people together”, he says.
Fernsby stresses that even though national cultures differ, the act of sitting down at a table levels the field. “You can have a lawyer from Paris and a student from Warsaw playing the same game, laughing at the same ridiculous dice rolls. That’s cultural connection at its simplest.”
What’s next?
When asked about the future of board games in Europe, Fernsby resists the temptation to make bold predictions. Still, he shares a few observations. First, he believes hybrid formats (games that connect physical components with digital apps) will become more common. “But I don’t think cardboard will disappear. There’s something ritualistic about shuffling cards or moving wooden pieces that can’t be digitized.”
Second, he sees education as a frontier. Teachers across Europe are experimenting with board games to teach history, economics, or teamwork. “It’s edutainment done right, because it doesn’t feel forced,” he adds.
Finally, he expects diversity in game design to keep growing. With more women and creators from different cultural backgrounds entering the field, the stories told through games are broadening. “The future of board games is less about mechanics and more about voices,” Fernsby concludes.
