International Games Week is November 3–9 this year.
2017
Year that International Games Week (IGW) was established. The week grew out of National Games Day and aims to raise awareness among publishers and the public of games and gaming in libraries.
2,000
Approximate number of libraries that register to participate in IGW each year.
54
Number of countries and territories, representing all seven continents, that have participated in IGW since its inception.
200
Number of games that companies must donate to libraries in order to become an official sponsor of IGW.
176 million
Number of Minecraft copies sold since its debut 10 years ago. According to PC Gamer, some in the gaming industry speculate that Minecraft has overtaken Tetris as the bestselling videogame of all time.
90%
Percentage of teens who say they play videogames on a computer, game console, or cellphone, according to a 2018 Pew Research Center survey.
324
Number of murder scenarios possible in the classic mystery board game Clue. The game—which features nine rooms, six weapons, and six colorfully named suspects, including Colonel Mustard and Miss Scarlet—celebrates its 70th anniversary this year.
1948
Year that Eleanor Abbott—a retired schoolteacher who was recovering from polio—invented Candy Land. She wanted to create a fun fantasy world for young polio patients while they were in the hospital. A year later, Milton Bradley began publishing the board game.
$3 million
Largest payout for a single player in an e-sports tournament, which was awarded to Kyle Giersdorf at the first Fortnite World Cup on July 28.
13
Number of words in the official Scrabble dictionary that are impossible to play, even with the use of blank tiles. To name a few: knickknack, senselessnesses, and pizzazz.
