No.3946
Analog (Non-Digital) Games Market in Japan: Key Research Findings 2025
Growth of Analog Games Market Driven by Ongoing Popularity of Trading Card Games and Table Games
Yano Research Institute (the President, Takashi Mizukoshi) has conducted a survey on the domestic analog (non-digital) games market and found out the major product trends, market player trends, and future outlook.
Market Overview
The analog (non-digital) games market grew by 23.7% year over year in FY2023, reaching 148.8 billion yen, based on the domestic shipment value of analog game manufacturers and publishers. In terms of market composition, trading card games dominate the market, accounting for 89.9%. Table games represent only 5.1% and other analog games comprise 5.0%. The overall market expansion was largely driven by the trading card game segment, which recorded an impressive 26.1% year-over-year growth.
In the last few years, the trading card games market has been led largely by Pokémon Trading Card Games*1. Additionally, the ONE PIECE Card Games*1, released in July 2022 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the ONE PIECE manga serialization, gained significant traction and further fueled market growth.
By contrast, table games and other analog games market had been declining, as demand tapered off following the end of stay-at-home consumption during the pandemic. Nonetheless, the market rebounded in FY2023, supported by the easing of activity restrictions—following the reclassification of COVI-19 as a Class 5 infectious disease)—which led to increased exhibitor and visitor attendance at events such as fanzine markets and trade shows.
Noteworthy Topics
Total Number of Commercial Game Releases Decline in 2023 Due to Fewer Translated Games
The total number of commercial analog games*2, which had been increasing through 2022, declined in 2023 due to a reduction in the number of translated games*3, while the number of domestically developed games remained unchanged.
Over the past few years, the analog games market has expanded, driven by an influx of new market entrants and an increase in product releases across both domestic and translated games. However, this expansion also resulted in excess inventory. In response to the oversupply, some manufacturers and publishers reduced the number of new releases. Furthermore, the number of translated games declined as the cost of importing overseas-developed titles rose sharply due to unfavorable exchange rate movements.
Future Outlook
The size of analog games market in FY2024 is expected to rise by 6.7% year-on-year to 158.7 billion yen (based on the domestic shipment value of analog game manufacturers and publishers).
The trading car games segment has been driven by the strong sales of Pokémon TCG *1 and ONE PIECE Card Games *1, as well as by the launch of new trading card games based on famous Intellectual Properties (IPs) like Dragon Ball *1 and Detective Conan *1 .
The table games segment was driven by an increase in the number of events (such as doujinshi [fanzine] fairs and exhibitions) as well as participants per these events. The relocation and expansion of Japan's largest analog game event, Game Market, has also boosted the number of exhibitors and guests. The new venue has generated more opportunities for creators of indie games (doujin games) *4 to produce and sell their works.
*1. Pokémon Trading Card Games (TCG) is the trademark of Nintendo. ONE PIECE Card Games and Dragon Ball are the trademarks of Shueisha Inc. Meitantei Conan (Detective Conan/Case Closed) is the trademark of Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions Co., Ltd.
*2. Commercial games are the games that are officially released by analog game manufacturers and publishers.
*3. Translated games are the games manufactured overseas that are localized for sales in Japan.
*4. Indie games (doujin games) are self-published games created by fans of other games.
Research Outline
2.Research Object： Businesses related to analog (non-digital) games, industry associations, game designers, subject matter experts, etc.
3.Research Methogology： Face-to-face interviews by our expert researchers (including online interviews), survey via telephone and email, questionnaire, and literature research.
What is the Analog (Non-Digital) Game Market?
In the market report, the analog (non-digital, non-powered) game market encompasses all games that do not require powered platforms like computers. The term is used to distinguish from “digital (powered) games” like video games, smartphone games, and online games played via the internet.
The analog games are categorized into six groups: (i) table games [board games, card games, dice games, and word games with identifiable game publisher], (ii) traditional games [board games, card games, dice games, and word games without identifiable game publisher], (iii) tabletop simulation games, (iv) tabletop role-playing games [TRPG, murder mystery games, etc.], (v) trading card games [collectible card games such as Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh!], and (xi) other analog games. The market size is calculated for three segments, the (1) table games (i), (2) other analog games (total of ii, iii, iv, xi) and (3) trading card games (v), based on the domestic shipment value of analog game manufacturers and publishers.
＜Products and Services in the Market＞
Analog games (table games, traditional games, simulation games, role-playing games, trading card games, and other analog games)
Published Report
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