Board games conjure up images of a bygone era, the annual Christmas Monopoly tournament or family holidays spent playing Snakes & Ladders. But in 2013 more money was raised on Kickstarter for tabletop games than video games. How has the digital world instigated nostalgia for the past?

If they think about gaming, most people would conjure images of Playstations, Xboxes, Nintendo consoles and PCs. But after a rapid rise in popularity, mobile gaming could be set to overtake console and PC gaming as the 'core' market for the gaming industry.

The gaming landscape is changing. While blockbuster titles likeGTAandCall of Dutythrive, smaller companies are making waves. Telltale Games has launched award winning games based on current TV shows. But what is it that’s making ‘episodic’ gaming so popular?

Japan has long been a country synonymous with gaming. Since Nintendo popularised video games in the 1980s and Sony pushed the market forward with its PlayStation consoles, Japan has been at the epicentre of gaming culture. But now its lust for video games appears to be mellowing.