-
Belfast is the most board game-obsessed city in the UK, with a monthly average of 225 searches for games per 10k people.
-
Chess is the most popular board game in the UK, earning 550k searches every month.
From Monopoly to Cluedo, board games are a long-standing tradition bringing friends and families together across the UK. But which cities are the true board game capitals of the nation, and which games are the most popular?
New research from the entertainment experts at VSO reveals the UK cities home to the biggest game lovers, as well as the most popular board games according to search volume.
Belfast is the most board game-obsessed city in the UK, with a monthly average of 225 searches for games per 10k people
Topping the list is Belfast, where searches for popular games average 225 per 10k people each month. The most popular game of all in Belfast is Chess, which sees an average of 5,400 searches per month.
The second most board game-obsessed city is Manchester. Games receive a monthly average of 207 searches per 10k people in this northern city, with chess once again topping the leaderboard. This is followed by Leeds, Glasgow and Birmingham.
Rank |
City |
Total monthly searches per 10,000 people |
1 |
Belfast |
225 |
2 |
Manchester |
207 |
3 |
Leeds |
158 |
4 |
Glasgow |
139 |
5 |
Birmingham |
129 |
6 |
Edinburgh |
125 |
7 |
London |
122 |
8 |
Wolverhampton |
119 |
9 |
Milton Keynes |
111 |
10 |
Bristol |
110 |
Chess is the most popular board game in the UK, with 550k searches every month
When it comes to Brits’ favourite board game, Chess takes the crown. The classic strategy game, which dates back as far as the 15th century, receives an average of 550k searches per month — which is over 480k more than the second-most popular game, Cards Against Humanity.
Despite not being around as long as many other games on the list, Cards Against Humanity (which came out in 2011) earned second place, with 60.5k searches each month on average. The fill-in-the-blanks party game is particularly popular in London, where residents search for it an average of 8,100 times per month.
Rank |
Board Game |
Avg. monthly searches in the UK |
1 |
Chess |
550,000 |
2 |
Cards Against Humanity |
60,500 |
3 |
Charades |
18,100 |
4 |
Monopoly |
6,600 |
Mouse Trap |
6,600 |
|
Risk |
6,600 |
|
5 |
5 Second Rule |
5,400 |
6 |
Cluedo |
4,400 |
7 |
Snakes and Ladders |
3,600 |
Game of Life |
3,600 |
|
8 |
Battleship, Guess Who & Perfection |
1,900 |
Guess Who |
1,900 |
|
Perfection |
1,900 |
|
9 |
Articulate |
1,600 |
Ghost Castle |
1,600 |
|
10 |
Draughts |
1,000 |
Checkers |
1,000 |
|
Diplomacy |
1,000 |
In third place is Charades, with 18.1k searches per month on average, followed by Monopoly, Mouse Trap and Risk with 6,600 searches.
Help keep news FREE for our readers
Supporting your local community newspaper/online news outlet is crucial now more than ever. If you believe in independent journalism, then consider making a valuable contribution by making a one-time or monthly donation. We operate in rural areas where providing unbiased news can be challenging. Read More About Supporting The West Wales Chronicle