A new edition ofGloomhavencould see significant delays due to recent tariffs imposed on Chinese goods. In late 2023, Cephalofair Games raised over $5 million to produce new product, including a new edition of its best-selling gameGloomhaven. Like many other board games, production was handled primarily in China, with an anticipated release set for later this year. However, therecent trade war between the US and Chinahas thrownGloomhaven’s future in doubt, along with many other tabletop games.
In a recent interview withPolygon,Gloomhavenmaker Cephalofair Games officials explained the effects of recent tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on goods manufactured in China, with chief operating officer Price Johnson saying: “145…245….500% — at this pointwe are past the point of being able to realistically make U.S. import or sales viable.” Johnson continued: “The message we are receiving right now from Washington DC is that we should not be planning on making [any] U.S. sales this year.Or at least we shouldn’t expect when that [might] resume.”
How Chinese Tariffs Impact Board Games
Gloomhaven Costs Rose By Nearly $3 Million
In a segment on CNN (viaJohnson’s Facebook profile), Cephalofair explained how the tariffs impacted their business. Approximately 60,000 copies of the new version ofGloomhavenare under production, originally made at a cost of $20. However, with the current 245% tariff imposed on imported goods, the total cost rises to $69. To bring over the new edition ofGloomhavento the US,Cephalofair is now looking at a $4.14 million bill as opposed to just $1.2 million.
On its website,Cephalofairremained committed to the release of its new edition, although they were unsure how the company would be moving forward. “Ultimately, we take our obligation of delivering on crowdfunding projects very seriously and have a track record of delivering (development delays aside) 100% of our projects to date,” the company’s statement reads.“Currently, our top priority is to uphold that promise and track record by protecting your backer investment to the best of our abilities- fighting as hard as we can against obstacles, interference, and sometimes the occasional global pandemic or trade war.”
Our Take: Tariffs Could Kill The Board Game Industry
Games Like Gloomhaven Could Disappear if Tariffs Continue
The reality is that tariffs could have a massive impact on the entire board game industry, which heavily relies on cheap manufacturing costs abroad to keep prices down. Even if board game makers did find a suitable alternative to make future games,there are too many games currently in production that are impacted by these tariffs.There are many publishers with projects in major jeopardy, which could mean fewer games like Gloomhaven and, more importantly, fewer game publishers as companies potentially go under.
