A new leisure trend is providing an alternative to pubs and bars for young people whose alcohol consumption has been declining for years.

Competitive socialising takes the centuries-old idea of mixing food with games (think medieval banquets) and amplifies it. Options range from reinvented versions of bowling, board games, darts, ping pong, shuffleboard, table football, mini golf, cricket, to axe-throwing, escape rooms and virtual reality bars. The common denominator is fun, immersive social experiences served with high quality food and drinks in eye-catching, Instagrammable interiors.

According to market research analysts from Mintel UK, a quarter of people surveyed about their leisure activities in autumn 2022 said they recently played a social entertainment game. And analysts predict that competitive socialising will remain popular despite ongoing economic uncertainty.

Millennials and Generation Z are driving the trend. Not only are they drinking less, they are spending less on commodities and more on experiences.

Competitive socialising venues have the potential to fill empty stores and drive footfall back to the high street. My soon-to-be-published study of the UK’s social board gaming scene revealed just how much this sector contributes to local communities.

Unique leisure experiences do not just create personal memories, they are also the social currency of digital capitalism. Research has shown that being able to impress others with our nights out, holiday trips and festival visits is just as important as the actual quality of these activities.

After months of COVID-19 lockdowns, being offline is the new luxury. The thirst for multisensory fun and in-person social interaction makes competitive socialising increasingly appealing not only to young professionals but also to families and corporate clients looking for fresh team-building ideas.

Reviving local business scenes

Between June 2021 and September 2022, I visited 24 social board gaming venues in six regions of England and interviewed 50 people who own, organise and attend them. I was initially trying to find out what draws people to analogue games in a digital age and why they choose to play them outside the home.

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