Publishing lessons

Last week, new tariffs were announced, and I asked what can we do, introduced new ways to calculate MSRP, and urged people to support each other. But today, I want to talk about something bigger—something more complex than just rising prices.

Because while tariffs are a financial blow, the real risk lies not in what they cost, but the destruction they may bring.

And the most devastating consequence of all? We risk losing the very thing that’s driven the industry forward—innovation.

What are tariffs?

A tariff is a tax paid when importing goods into a country. If I manufacture a game in China for $10, and the US applies a 100% tariff, I now owe an extra $10 to bring that product into the country. That cost is paid by the importer—usually the publisher—and passed down the chain to distributors, retailers, and customers.

A short note on prices

Let’s be clear: Yes, prices will go up. Board games are luxury items, and fewer people will buy them when they cost more. That’s already happening and will destroy businesses.

But the price increase isn’t the only threat here.

The real threat comes when one country removes a domino from the chain—and the rest begin to fall.

History matters

To understand the danger, we need to look back.

Not long ago, the board game world was split. You had Euro games, born in Germany—abstract, strategic, low-conflict. And you had Ameritrash, largely from the US—bold, thematic, narrative-driven.

For a long time, these styles evolved separately. But eventually, something wonderful happened: they crossed borders—and today, you rarely hear the terms at all.

Catan and Carcassonne made their way out of Europe. Games like Arkham Horror and Twilight Imperium brought American flair abroad. And what followed was a golden age of board games, with beautiful, thinky, immersive experiences that pulled from the best of both worlds.

That evolution happened because the industry was global.

And it only continues if we keep it that way.

What if we moved manufacturing to the US?

Right now, most modern board games are made in China—where specialised equipment, expert teams, and high-volume production make the games we love possible.

But what if tomorrow, manufacturing shifted entirely to the US?

Let’s assume, for the sake of argument, that the infrastructure magically appears. The tools, the machines, the trained workers—all ready.

Here’s what happens next:

For many publishers, the US accounts for 50% of global sales (60–70% of English sales). That leaves half of all games still needing to be shipped elsewhere: Europe, Australia, Asia, and beyond. So freight shipping still happens on a large scale—and manufacturing costs have gone up dramatically.

To mitigate the increased manufacturing costs in the US, maybe publishers set up two print runs—one in the US, one elsewhere, perhaps still China. Now we have:

• Increased tooling costs (doubled for things like miniatures or unique components)
• Inconsistent quality between factories
• Complicated replacements and logistics
• Limited print runs for expansions and promos, possibly making them unviable
• Smaller volumes = higher prices
• Split runs = higher risks
• Tooling twice = enormous upfront costs
• Inconsistencies = headaches for customer service – Perhaps you are gifted the EU expansion for your US print game and the cards don’t shuffle together.

And that’s just the beginning.

The ripple effect

Now zoom out.

If Chinese factories lose a major portion of their clients, many will close. These aren’t faceless operations—they’re teams of people, skilled professionals who’ve worked alongside publishers for decades, building the production pipelines we depend on.

The companies that remain will raise prices to survive. Global publishers will have fewer options. Logistics companies currently handling ocean freight between China and the US may collapse, making it harder to get the now US made games to the rest of the world.

Fulfilment centres in the US may suffer as non-US publishers exit the market. Prices go up. Volume goes down. And businesses begin to fail.

Distributors—who rely on volume and margin—start closing. Retailers lose access to games or can’t justify the costs. Publishers are left with only one path: selling direct.

But without fulfilment partners, even that becomes a challenge.

And what about innovation?

Innovation thrives in ecosystems—when great ideas, tools, and teams come together across borders. If we fracture the industry into regional silos, we lose that shared knowledge.

Print runs shrink. Risky ideas vanish. Ambitious production becomes too expensive. Creativity fades. And the appetite for experimentation disappears.

Will someone take a chance on a bizarre new mechanism? On a game packed with oddly shaped components? On a design that breaks the mould?

Probably not.

Because in a fractured world, the margin for creativity disappears.

That’s how innovation dies: Not with a bang, but with a slow, quiet fade.

It’s not just America

It’s worth remembering: this isn’t just about the US. It’s about the entire world.

Games are designed in Germany, published in the UK, funded on US platforms, manufactured in China, shipped globally, and played everywhere.

If every region begins to build its own isolated industry, everything suffers.

Creativity will decline. Quality will become inconsistent. Costs will soar. And in the long run, our shared love of board games will pay the price.

Collaboration is the answer

Board games got to where they are today because we worked together.

Catan doesn’t exist without Klaus Teuber. But it also doesn’t become a global phenomenon without English-language publishers, international logistics, and retailers all over the world.

The same goes for Wingspan, Root, The Isle of Cats, and the hundreds of amazing games we all enjoy.

We need the right people doing the right jobs:

• A designer in France
• A manufacturer in China
• A fulfilment centre in Australia
• A distributor in the US
• A customer in Canada

If each one tries to do it all, everything suffers.

I’m a big fan of Itten Games, a small Japanese publisher that makes delightful, clever dexterity games. Should I now expect them to manufacture in the EU and US? Should their games be penalised because they weren’t made there? That’s not just impractical—it’s unfair.

We’re at our best when we collaborate. When we share knowledge, resources, and opportunities. When we focus on how to work together—not just where we work from.

Final thoughts

Tariffs are a challenge. But moving away from global cooperation isn’t the answer.

The short-term gain of local manufacturing could lead to long-term devastation across the industry. It’s not just about cost—it’s about sustainability. It’s about community. It’s about innovation.

Let’s not tear that apart.

Because board games aren’t about borders.

They’re about bringing people together.