Designed in collaboration with child development specialists and tested in schools and community settings for screen-free fun, each game is designed to be a maximum of 30 minutes and packed with entertaining content. The first releases from asmodee Kids will include My First Unlock!® launching September, followed by Splendor Kids® in October 2025, and Dixit Kids® in January 2026.

Thomas Koegler, CEO of asmodee said: “Board games are more than just entertainment. And while we are keeping the fun at the core of the experience, because that’s what kids are seeking, they also get to develop focus, adaptability, and emotional skills. asmodee Kids means that children and parents can enjoy our most iconic games together.” 

“We’re so excited to inspire the next generation of players,” said Benoit Forget, Head of asmodee Kids. “We’re building an engaging, developmentally appropriate entry point into the board game universe, one that will foster creativity, social connection and life-long play.”

New research finds cognitive and social board game benefits for children and teenagers

The news comes as scientific research from Game in Lab, asmodee’s research funding program, reveals that playing board games may lead to cognitive and social benefits for children.

Supported by asmodee, Game in Lab found through several research papers that:

• A single board game session could help boost teenagers' focus: Older teenagers who played fast-paced games like Dobble®/Spot-It® saw an improvement in attention 8% greater than those who watched videos (Dr Léa Martinez, 2023).
• Board games may help younger children with reading and maths: Regular game sessions at school were linked to a 10% improvement in reading skills and a 17% boost in arithmetic for children aged 6-12 (Pr. Moya-Higueras, 2019 to 2023).
• Playing games brings social benefits too: For children with attention disorders, behaviour issues dropped down to 34% and all children saw a 17% improvement in self-control (Pr. Moya-Higueras et al, 2019 to 2023). 

Micha Le Bourhis, Head of Sustainability at asmodee commented: “After seven years supporting scientific research into play, we’re now seeing clear evidence of its impact, deepening our understanding of the positive role games can play in cognitive development. It’s a step forward in recognising how play contributes to both individual growth and collective well-being.

ENDS

About Game in Lab 

Game in Lab is a program co-created by asmodee and Innovation Factory, a French non-profit association specializing in collective, intelligence-based innovation. Game in Lab supports scientific knowledge and community exchanges. The organization animates a network of transdisciplinary scholars and game professionals and provides financial funding to research projects and PhDs. Game in Lab’s mission is to promote research into board games, to encourage the dissemination of scientific knowledge to game professionals and the general public, and to lead a mixed community of scientists, professionals, and board game enthusiasts.