It's Not All Fun and Games This Christmas, as 2 in 3 Family Games Will End in Argument, According to Research by MADE.COM

News provided by

MADE.COM

20 Dec, 2019, 08:00 GMT

  • 88% of Brits play games on Christmas Day, for an average of four hours.
  • The average Brit will spend up to £40 on games this Christmas season
  • 1 in 3 Brits (29%) admit to being the most competitive member of the family
  • Despite this, 57% of people believe that games bring the family together
  • Survey by MADE.com reveals family games insights ahead of the festive season

LONDON, Dec. 20, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Christmas is the best time to play games with the family, according to over one third (34%) of Brits, and with Christmas on the horizon, research released today by online design brand, MADE.COM, reveals that consumers are expected to spend an estimated £1.4 billion on games this festive season.

MADE.COM has combined both skill and style, releasing a design led game offering in time for gifting season. The collection includes family classics from chess to four-in-a-row, in trend led monochrome acrylic.

The average Brit will spend Christmas Day with 6 people and will play games for four hours. For some competition lovers (13%), Christmas Day will bring with it upwards of 8 hours of family games. It's not all fun and games, however, with some reporting to leaving celebrations as early as 2pm on Christmas Day, due to the friendly competition descending into argument.

While board games are praised for bringing the family together by 57% of the population, two thirds (64%) report to games ending in argument, and even worse, some even claim to have broken up with a partner over a game gone wrong.

Not all love is lost, though, as children still reign supreme and adults are willing to let them win in order to keep them happy. 61% of Brits claim that they would let a child win even where they could beat them, and Edinburgh is the kindest UK city at 71%.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, one of the most commonly cited causes of family games' controversy is cheating. 1 in 10 (10%) claim that cheating has caused arguments in the past, and in extreme incidences, some even admit to it escalating to violence.

While children are considered the most likely to cheat by 1 in 4 (24%), some 43% of adults confess that they themselves have cheated in order to win, and 12% of these claim to have never been caught. But despite the damning statistics it's clear that we're not all a nation of cheats, with 1 in 5 (17%) arguing that "cheats just cheat themselves."

Men are more likely to cheat at family games, with over half (51%) confessing to cheating in order to win compared to only one third (35%) of women, and regionally, Londoners are the most likely (57%).

It also seems that Brits across the board are competitive in nature, with over half (54%) of respondents admitting that they would end a game early in order to avoid losing. 1 in 3 people (29%) claim to be the most competitive member of the family, and 15% play games simply because they "love to win."

Others opt to play games because they offer a rare opportunity to escape our screens, an essential given that 85% of Brits feel they spend too much time on technology and 15% are in need of a digital detox.

Considering over two thirds (68%) of Brits play games at least most weeks, it seems that the benefits of family games far outweigh their potential to cause controversy.

One third (32%) of adults claim that some of their best childhood memories were "playing games with their family," and looking ahead, MADE expects that many more memories will be made over a game or two this festive season.

"As a design brand, we're constantly looking to expand our lifestyle catalogue into new and exciting categories," notes Ruth Wassermann, Design Director at MADE.COM. "I'm a big fan of a healthy competition, and this research clearly shows I'm not alone in that. MADE games are a great way for us to introduce a little fun into the home, without compromising on our ethos of affordable, high-end design."

Top reasons for playing family games:

  1. It brings the family together 57%
  2. They can be enjoyed by all ages 47%
  3. It's a great way to teach kids valuable life skills 24%
  4. They're great for mental health 19%
  5. They help me destress from the pressures of everyday life 19%
  6. I love winning 15%

Further regional breakdowns available on request.

Images downloadable here: https://we.tl/t-FeRzXSN44U

Survey of 1,500 respondents carried out by Ginger Comms in October 2019

Contact:
Claudia Martin
press@made.com