For decades, adulthood has been defined as the moment when the game ends. Work, routine, stability and seriousness made up the structural script. But the report “KidultOS: Adulthood 2.0”, by We Are Family Iberia, reveals that play, beyond a childhood concession, is an identity, emotional and social language that adults increasingly integrate into their daily lives with naturalness and pride. 

The phenomenon of so-called kidults – adults who consume universes previously associated with childhood, such as toys, figures, video games or collectibles – has become a group of global influence. In Spain they already represent 29% of the toy market; in the world, about a quarter of annual spending in this category. What emerged as a nostalgic gesture has become an entire cultural infrastructure, in the words of the agency’s CEO, Borja López-Niclós: “KidultOS is not a trend, it is a cultural operating system that redefines how brands connect, create and grow.” 

The analysis, based on its own studies and sources such as Circana, the Spanish Association of Toy Manufacturers or Mattel, maintains that understanding this phenomenon is understanding the profound transformation of adult life: its psychology, its rituals, its aspirations and its new economies of well-being, community and design.

From the post-COVID effect to the transgenerational narrative

The rise of kidults It emerges from an intersection of sociocultural forces that have intensified over the past five years. The pandemic acted as a catalyst, because during confinements, building, collecting or dedicating hours to a hobby became an emotional mechanism for regulating stress. And now in 2025, 68% of consumers report that playing or collecting helps them reduce daily stress. This practice is no longer occasional and has been integrated as a well-being ritual. 

At the same time, transgenerational licenses have consolidated a new shared language. Universes such as Disney, Pokémon, Barbie, Star Wars, Marvel or Sesame Workshop have accompanied several generations and today connect parents, children and young adults on a common narrative ground. Dressing an icon, displaying a figure or building a set is no longer nostalgia, but cultural identity. 

The psychological dimension of the phenomenon is key. In a context of anxiety and digital overexposure, the game offers pause. Completing a collection, assembling a complex model or recovering an object from the nineties creates emotional order amidst the noise.

The new family and economic architectures also influence the phenomenon. Single-person households and couples without children allocate a greater budget to personal enjoyment,

Furthermore, social media has amplified this identity. TikTok, YouTube and Reddit have turned gaming into a visible, shared and legitimized practice. The unboxing, the speed build or the organized showcase are displayed as an extension of the self, so that the private hobby is transformed into a kind of community passport.

A growing global market driven by adults

Between January and June 2025, the 12 G12 markets grew by 7% in toy sales ($27.5 billion), with advances in units (+4%) and average price (+3%). This resilience is explained by the adult segment which, according to Kadence, represents approximately a quarter of the global market: about 9 billion annually. 

Added to this is the rise of licensing. In 2024, global retail of licensed products reached $369.6 billion, 3.7% more than the previous year. The ten largest companies concentrate 208 billion, a sign of the institutional power of IPs as transversal cultural drivers. 

And while the United States maintains the volume, Asia sets the creative pulse. Japan is experiencing a boom in adult collecting with Gundam or Pokémon, and China and Korea export the aesthetic cute luxury that mixes sophistication, tenderness and aspirational design. In Europe, the United Kingdom and France stand out as poles of growth in adult spending on toys, art and immersive experiences. 
In Asia Pacific, the smart toy market could reach $6.183 billion by 2030, driven by consumers seeking tactile, technological and immersive experiences. 

The report highlights that Spain is one of the countries where children are growing most strongly. In 2024, the overall toy market fell 2.7%, but the adult segment rose 22%. Almost one in three purchases is driven by people over 18 years of age. 

Licenses already represent 33.6% of the national market, with an increase of 3.4%. And retail has responded by creating specific areas for adults, themed showcases and exclusive 18+ launches that merge aesthetics, display and emotional value. In a country with low birth rates, adult consumption has become a strategic driver for brands. 

The ecosystem kidol: from toy to lifestyle

The phenomenon has ceased to be a product category and has become a cultural fabric that transcends sectors. What began as a gesture of isolated nostalgia has expanded to form a lifestyle that unites design, identity, well-being and community. The toy is, therefore, the gateway to a broader aesthetic and emotional universe.

The most revealing detail is that adult consumption of toys, collectibles or gaming is not experienced as a suspension of maturity, but as a complement to it. The building sets intended for the 18+ audience, from Lego models to Nanoblocks or Mecha kits, they function as domestic sculptures carefully integrated into the living room or office. They are objects that tell the story of the universe from which they come and that of whoever decides to exhibit them, so the relationship with them is deliberate and deeply emotional.

Around him, collecting is experiencing a golden age. Bandai figures, premium Hot Toys series, special Pokémon lines or limited editions of classic franchises become cultural pieces that combine craftsmanship, memory and symbolic status.

And fashion has followed a parallel path. In 2024, the fashion licensing It grew by 8.1% and reached 9.3% of the total share within global licenses. Collaborations between big houses and pop universes, such as Disney with Zara, Sega with Gucci or Studio Ghibli with Loewe, are legitimate expressions of adult identity. And dressing Mickey, Sonic or Totoro is a sophisticated way of expressing stylized nostalgia, aesthetic affinity and emotional memory. The phenomenon is sustained because the adult consumer values ​​the design, the quality of the material and the narrative that the collaboration proposes.

Retail has understood this logic and has begun to transform its physical infrastructure and stores increasingly function as stages. 47% of European consumers declare they prefer spaces with interactive or gamified elements, and the data explains why the flagships of brands such as Lego or Disney have established themselves as tourist destinations. Likewise, themed cafes, contemporary arcades or bars with video game aesthetics have become spaces for adult socialization. Two Bit Circus in Los Angeles, The Sandbox in London or venues such as Krypton Bar and Nakama Café in Spain function as cultural platforms where retrofuturistic aesthetics, gaming and nostalgia are integrated into the same experience.

Even tourism, the report notes, has been transformed by “kidult logic.” Franchise theme parks, licensed cafes – such as the Pokémon Café or the Barbie Dreamhouse Experience – and immersive experiences have redefined contemporary luxury. Far from being children’s entertainment, they are culturally aspirational experiences in which traveling to discover a narrative universe is no longer considered an eccentric gesture, but rather a legitimate way of building identity and community.

Wellbeing is also part of this ecosystem. Skincare brands that integrate character licenses, slow-building sets designed to reduce stress, mindful puzzles or gamified routines confirm that self-care and play have converged into the same ritual.

As a whole, the ecosystem kidult describes a cultural paradigm shift: adults consume universes, seek emotional states and collect for expression.

An emotional architecture that organizes the meaning of the game

The report delves into the emotional root of the phenomenon and synthesizes it into four central forces: well-being, growth, connection and expression. They are the four vectors that explain why play occupies such a significant place in adult life. And it works as emotional regulation, cognitive stimulation, community bond and as an identity platform.

From this combination emerge the fourteen personalities kidult identified by We Are Family Iberia, a map that orders a series of observed behaviors:

• Fantasy Explorers expand imaginary universes
• Wellness Players integrate the game as a sensory break
• Skill Seekers seek mastery and precision
• The Memory Makers recover universes from their childhood from contemporary aesthetics
• Rebel Makers customize objects to turn them into art
• The Social Sparklers experience the game as a collective celebration
• Joy Riders seek immediate relief
• Passion Assets Collectors treat figures or cards as cultural and financial heritage
• Bridge Builders use the game as a generational bridge
• Competitors are achievement-oriented
• Curiosity Explorers seek constant novelty
• Caregivers use the game as a companion
• World Builders create physical or digital universes
• Meta Players reflect through the game, integrating it as a philosophical or emotional tool

From emotional discovery to community fidelity

The behavior of children describes a non-linear journey, but a circular one. The report calls it the “Kidult Fandom Journey” and highlights that its process always begins with emotion, not necessity.

Discovery happens in networks. 72% of consumers found their latest purchase on TikTok, Instagram or YouTube, and they did so through fan content: an unboxing, a speed buildan organized display case, a haul or a narrative recreation.
When the object captures your interest, a research process begins that focuses on history and authenticity. 61% look for the narrative behind the product: its edition, purpose, rarity or its link to the franchise.

The purchase, although highly digitalized, maintains an emotional dimension in the physical space. 35% of toy spending in Spain is already online, but stores continue to be the place where desire is validated through exhibition and where the object acquires symbolic weight.
Recommendation and loyalty complete the cycle. 58% of consumers have shared content related to their purchase in the last six months. And seven out of ten repeat within the same IP when they feel that the community represents them. Then, the process restarts.

Ageless Brands: the new strategic category

In this context, the report proposes a decisive figure: the Ageless Brands. They are brands that do not age or appeal to a specific age, but rather to a transversal emotion. Lego, Pokémon, Disney, SEGA or Marvel function as cultural structures that support belonging:

• Lego would be situated in the territory of flow and creative mastery
• Pokémon combines social play, progress and curated nostalgia
• Disney reformulates emotional memory through fashion and design
• Sega keeps the vintage gamer imagination alive from the sophistication of luxury
• Marvel articulates curatorial-oriented collecting, where each figure is a fragment of a broader narrative

Thus, the future of this trend is not in isolated objects, but in narrative ecosystems and authenticity as a new form of loyalty, so working with communities instead of audiences and designing meaningful conversations will be key to earning the attention of consumers.