If you thought board games were a thing of the past - think again.

According to NPD Group Inc, US sales of board games are on the rise. In fact, the entire toy industry is experiencing a bump. And we can't help but wonder if it's because many of our favourite games and playthings from the past are reinventing themselves with a high-tech twist. 

For instance, at Toy Fair New York, Mattel Games unveiled a new way for families to play Pictionary. It debuted Pictionary Air, a  spin on the classic drawing game. It still splits players into two teams, but then it ditches the paper pad or white board for an oversized light-up pen. 

Pictionary Air adds a high-tech twist to the classic drawing game image 2
Pictionary Air

Players use this stylus of sorts to  “draw” or “illustrate” their word in thin air, and then their drawing is simultaneously sent to their mobile device or a TV screen via Chromecast or AirPlay for all the players to see. It doesn't require any data use once downloaded, too. 

Other features include multiple gameplay modes, which allow players to customise the experience with time limits and so on. There's also recording options that let player video capture drawings and save them for easy social sharing. Everything else about the game is the same.

Pictionary Air launches in Target from 1 June for $20 (£15).