Public Support for Board Games as Culture

78.6% of Spaniards consider board games an important part of culture, according to a sectoral study commissioned for the 15th anniversary of the Festival Dau de Barcelona. The findings, presented on Thursday 12th November 2026 at the festival’s professional congress, show that 62.3% of respondents played a board game in the past year, with 34.5% playing at least once a month. Among younger adults aged 18 to 24, monthly play rises to 60.7%, more than double the national average. Households with children also report higher engagement, with 60.9% playing monthly compared to 26.8% in homes without minors.

Social and Educational Benefits

The study identifies shared time and digital disconnection as key motivations. 60.1% of players say they play to spend time with family or friends, while 39.8% cite escaping screens. A further 91% agree that board games help reduce screen time, and around 90% recognise their role in fostering intergenerational interaction, learning, and quality time. Anna López, director of the Dau festival, told 3CatInfo that gaming is "a cultural tool that needs to be championed because it is not fully recognized." She highlighted its educational value and potential to strengthen social bonds.

Gaming has benefits in terms of education, in terms of sharing quality family time, and disconnecting from screens.

Demand for Policy Recognition

Despite broad public support, board games are not classified as cultural goods under current Spanish policy. They remain excluded from the Bono Cultural Joven, which covers books, music, and video games but not physical games. The sector argues this is inconsistent, given that 66.7% of survey respondents said they would likely use a cultural voucher to buy board games. Eleven publishers, including Devir, Tranjis Games, and Asmodee, have jointly called for legal recognition of board games as cultural products. They seek a reduction in VAT from the current 21%, applied under the toy category, to 10%, aligning with books and other cultural items.

Festival Dau: A Hub for Play and Industry

The Dau festival runs from Friday 13th to Sunday 15th November 2026 at Fabra i Coats, a cultural centre in Barcelona’s Sant Andreu district. Spanning 10,500 square metres, the event features 11 thematic areas, including spaces for role-playing games, historical recreations on giant boards, and beginner zones offering free play and instruction. 64 publishers, 6 gaming clubs, and 15 cultural associations are participating. The festival also serves as a professional meeting point for designers, illustrators, and publishers to exchange ideas and form alliances. This year’s honorary award will go to Oriol Comas, a lifelong advocate for gaming culture. He founded Barcelona’s public board game lending service and donated his personal collection of over 4,000 games to the city’s libraries.

Sources: 3Cat, Ajuntament de Barcelona, elplural.com.