Want some family fun? Try new games with a generational twist.

By Jessica Hall

New versions of classic games also help older adults through bigger cards with larger font sizes

There's more to playing games than simply having fun. It's a way to bring generations together, tackle loneliness and improve cognitive function.

Ageless Innovation, which partners with toy giant Hasbro (HAS), is reimagining classic games to make them easier to use for older adults and more appealing for intergenerational play. This year, it introduced three board games and expects to bring three to five games to market each year.

The first games to be created under the agreement are the Game of Life Generations, Scrabble Bingo and Trivial Pursuit Generations.

"Play is an underutilized element in tackling loneliness, isolation and in providing Alzheimer's and dementia care," said Ageless Innovation co-founder and CEO Ted Fischer. "Fun, joy and play are all underestimated. We want people to be engaged because it's fun, not because it's good for them."

Fischer first joined Hasbro in 2015 to lead a new team to find new, untapped markets for games. That team, which focused on health and wellness, was spun off from the toy giant in 2018 as Ageless Innovation and is now a Hasbro licensee.

A year ago, Hasbro approached Ageless Innovation about reimagining games for older adults, Fischer said.

"We have a great business opportunity," Fischer said, as 10,000 people turn 65 every day. "I know very, very few market dynamics and opportunities that are this exciting."

The move comes as sales of games and puzzles have surged during the pandemic as people spent more time at home, according to Christopher Byrne, an independent toy-industry analyst known as the Toy Guy.

"Since the pandemic, people are playing games as family entertainment - it's a relatively inexpensive way to interact and have some fun," Byrne said.

In the U.S., sales of games and puzzles surged to $3.5 billion in 2022, up from $2.2 billion in 2019, according to the NPD Group.

The Game of Life Generations features five generations with different life paths, as well as humorous cultural references appropriate for the different generations, from clipping coupons to side hustles.

Trivial Pursuit Generations features bigger, easier-to-handle cards with bigger font sizes, as well as 1,500 new questions targeting different generations. An additional deck is dedicated to personal trivia, where players can bond while sharing personal memories.

Finally, Scrabble Bingo is a three-in-one game that offers traditional Scrabble, as well as two new ways to play - Scrabble Bingo and Scrabble Pass. For the classic Scrabble game, the tile pieces are bigger and three-dimensional to make them easier to handle and see.

Of the three, Trivial Pursuit Generations has been the bestseller as rabid trivia buffs scoop up the new version, Fischer said.

"Having the different generations together in Trivia Pursuit takes the distancing out of the game. If you asked me only about movies from the 1940s, I wouldn't be able to play. But ask me about my generation's movies and I am happy to play," Byrne said. "This version makes it possible for everyone to play and everyone to have more fun."

Byrne said he sees the Ageless Innovation versions being "viable products," and doesn't expect their sales to cannibalize the sales of the original games - or move the needle on the overall industry's sales figures.

Tackling loneliness

The reimagined games build on Ageless Innovation's existing collection of Joy for All products, which includes a line of animatronic companion pets, as well as card games designed to spark conversations and encourage intergenerational connections.

The battery-operated pets, which exhibit lifelike mannerisms, help with loneliness and isolation and are even covered by Medicare and Medicaid. The pets cost less than $140 and more than 700,000 of the battery-powered animals have been sold, Fischer estimated.

"Ten to 15 years ago, this wouldn't be considered by [the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services]," Fischer said. "But there's more awareness about loneliness and isolation now."

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy in May declared loneliness is an "epidemic" that costs billions and leads to bad health outcomes and even death. Murthy said 17% of adults over 65 are socially isolated, and a recent survey by AARP suggests that number may actually be worse - with 32% of adults 50 and older reporting feeling lonely or isolated "often or always."

From the archives (May 2023): Loneliness is as deadly as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, says the surgeon general

Ageless Innovation is collaborating with AARP on an initiative called Reach Out and Play to sponsor play dates in different cities to encourage people of all generations to get out, socialize and simply play games.

AARP found that "playful activities such as board gaming can be helpful in creating meaningful connections with others." In its survey, 65% of adults 50 and older said that playing board games is a great way for them to connect with others.

One study in the Journals of Gerontology found that people who play games score better in cognitive tests in their 70s, while another study in the British Medical Journal showed board-game players have a 15% lower risk of dementia than non-players.

Ageless Innovation develops its products by bringing in real older adults for focus groups, research and ideas.

"We make no product without input from older adults. We don't assume we know anything," Fischer said. "We listen to their needs and create what older adults tell us they want."

As far as future products, Fischer said Hasbro's deep toy and game bench could feed years of development.

"We have a huge catalog to choose from," Fischer said. "I don't see an end or a limit of what we can do."

-Jessica Hall

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12-02-23 0908ET

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