Honestly not sure if I should post this here or a tariff thread. I’ve gone through my outstanding board game pledges at kickstarter, game found, etc. and found all the current statements on tariffs.
Moving ahead as planned: 2
Collected extra tariff money: .5
Holding orders hoping things get better: 1.5
Far enough out nothing for now: 1
US production so tariffs not huge issue: 1
South Tigris expansions - expected this summer and still moving ahead as planned
Above and Below Haunted edition - production complete and shipping soon. No changes for tariffs. Created a digital file print and play only mini expansion. Asking people to consider buying that as all money will go to the tariffs. Might be one of the most creative attempted solutions that I have seen. I at least bought the expansion file and added some extra as a tariff tip.
Clans of Caledonia expansion - expected early summer. Asked for extra money from US backers in March. Now says increasing tariffs are way too much. Paused shipping from China for everyone while they wait to see what US does next
Dead Reckoning expansion - expected June / July. Shipping from China soon. They are holding all US orders in a warehouse in China hoping for change in the tariffs soon. Rest of world still on schedule.
Speakeasy - expected in the fall. No updates on tariffs yet other than they are watching and hoping things change.
Earthborne Rangers - Expected soon. Environmental-focused company that does as much local production as possible. A few parts that could not be made in the US already imported. Rest of US orders production is in the US so no tariff problems right now.
I haven’t tracked it as closely. I have very few outstanding campaigns these days. In Europe I have assumed I will be less affected–unless of course campaigns fold as a whole. But I haven’t seen any news that any of my campaigns are going that route.
20 Strong – Chip Theory. I think I saw news that they are of course unhappy but will not ask for additional money.
Casinopolis – as a pure cardgame company I’ve been assuming that Button Shy could be printing in the US… also this one is still way out.
Leviathan Wilds – stated they will not charge money for US deliveries but.. that may change as they are a small “scrappy” (their words) company.
Earthborne Rangers expansions – see above. I’ve originally backed them in the first place because of their ideas about producing games locally.
Oath Expansion – since I backed “second hand” via Crowdfinder I have been lazy in reading updates. I heard that Leder stated they are going to eat the additional cost themselves.
Neon Hope – only just backed this. It’s a German production though I am assuming they will be printing in China but it’s a new campaign post-tariff shenanigans, they hopefully factored this in as much as they could already.
Non crowdfunding preorders:
Die Macher – German publisher is likely not hugely affected
Compile – my preorder of this still hasn’t arrived. I am afraid the German translation of it by Pegasus will hit the shelves before I get my copy. I should know better. Greater Than Games has always had trouble getting their stock to Germany somehow. I didn’t know a translation was coming. I should have been more patient.
I have a few more non-game crowdfunders but most of these are already on ships or even docked so it shouldn’t be too much of an issue at this time.
April is usually Kickstarter Fulfillment Season, but this year, the only ones I had hopes for don’t look like they’re going to come through; oddly enough, neither seem to be, immediately, due to the tariff situation.
Merchant’s Cove: Master Craft – publisher declared bankruptcy, but US inventory is on-site at QML. I may have a chance to pay extra shipping to receive the products, who knows
Ratcatcher 2.0 Update Pack (via Drop Bears Kickstarter campaign) – publisher said product was at QML months ago, but has gone radio silent after a post explaining that the company is practically broke, but still claims to have sorted out the QML invoices.
[All-Aboard Games: Wave 6] Ur: 1830 BC & 18BE: Railways in the Coal Dust – pre-order. No update from AAG since February; project is behind schedule and now I’m sure there’s even less of a rush to even start printing.
Chicago 1875: City of the Big Shoulders Upgrade Pack – US shipping will be delayed due to the ongoing tariff uncertainty, originally due to arrive July 2025
Looks like all I have backed at the moment is the TMNT Unmatched Adventures game, though I was intending to back Restoration’s next Unmatched project that is forthcoming. A lot will depend on the state of affairs once it launches.
I’m tempted by the War of Whispers expansion as well, and might just do $1 to get access to the pledge manager once it opens so I can decide what to do then.
Honestly, I could do without every project updating me about their response to the tariffs. Unless they’re about to fulfill, there’s just no way to have a definite plan and so that’s basically all any of them can say.
I understand that a lot of backers a) have way fewer projects and b) don’t pay very much attention, though.
Given that a bunch of people are probably asking the creators about tariffs or even if they aren’t, silence quickly grows into suspicion and baseless speculation and accusations, I think it is prudent for creators to put out a message regarding the tariffs even if that message is, “We don’t know yet.”
Since the only thing I’m waiting on is a PDF of an RPG (not a physical book), it won’t affect me, but I can certainly understand backers of a physical book (and accessories) getting a little jumpy.
A few of the ones I mentioned in my round up were not from official posts but replies to comments asking, often the same company reply pasted in multiple responses to questions. Seems to me it would be easier to make one top level post than keeping answering over and over.
Nor from me. But unfortunately however much information is helpfully displayed in all the obvious places anyone can think of, large numbers of people will completely fail to read it and continue to ask the questions the helpfully displayed information would have answered for them.
One nice touch that creators could do is when they send out an update on tariffs or other frequently asked question, they could put it in the FAQ section. Kickstarter has one, but I don’t know of other platforms.
'* I do not exclude myself from this generalization.
I just want to revisit this. I was bitter that I paid ~$90 USD for Innovation and then saw it for ~$50 at US retailers. I made a grumpy comment in the campaign.
I’m used to Matagot’s responses (Look at all the value you are getting! We gave you 5 plastic minis for the extra $30 we charged you!) or Lone Shark’s (We’ll talk to the retailers right away and maybe get them to bring their prices into line with what we charged you!). I’m not used to Asmadi’s response - “Yeah, I see that. It makes me said. I don’t think the industry can survive at that pricing model. I don’t know what they are doing.”
I had all my business school answers for that but then this weekend it was announced that Boardlandia is shuttering. They’re my favorite retailer. Yes, the tariffs don’t help but that was a nail in the coffin, not the coffin itself.
Sometimes it really is a race to the bottom and survival means skating so close to the edge that it won’t take much.
We’ve seen Coolstuffinc get out of board games. Boardlandia is gone. Miniature Market was dying and was sold (I don’t know if the new owners are reviving it or if it is also gasping along).
I don’t know. Maybe a card game is supposed to cost $90. Maybe that’s what it takes for everyone in the supply chain to survive.
They were my favorite online retailer as well. I’m so sad to hear this news.
At least the physical location is independent and will still be there… my in-laws are from that area and still have a house there; I was up there last summer but didn’t get a chance to check out the FLGS location… hopefully they are still going strong.
