In just two months, the US has escalated its tariffs on goods imported from China more than tenfold, with the board game industry having been impacted rather significantly. At time of writing the levies stand at an effective 145%, leaving countless businesses, including many board game companies, reeling under the sudden financial weight. In the confusion and desperation, the publisher of one of the best board games, Spirit Island, has begun to shutter its services.
Consistently featured high up in fan rankings since its release, Spirit Island has enjoyed several expansions over the years, including a standalone game Horizons of Spirit Island. Sadly its publisher Greater Than Games announced last week that it would be suspending "all new projects," noting that it had undergone a "reduction in staff in response to ongoing economic pressures resulting from the international tariff crisis." That means interruptions for current projects, and more layoffs in the wake of the sudden levy changes.
To get a fuller picture, I decided to reach out to Spirit Island designer R. Eric Reuss to understand the severity of the situation, and what it might mean for the future of what many consider to be one of the best cooperative board games around. In the early hours, I received an email from Reuss that serves to illustrate the economical whiplash the US-China trade war has exacted on so many in the industry.
"I'm afraid I'm still so much in the middle of the situation that the only perspective I can offer is what I put on my site," says Reuss.
We've already been witness to board game experts like Wingspan's Jamey Stegmaier airing their opinions on the sudden, and frankly devastating tariff hikes. Now, in the first post on his official blog in a year, Reuss goes into some detail around what the tariffs could mean for Spirit Island.
"This is a tragedy, and my heart goes out to all the >G folks who’ve been laid off; they’re excellent people and have been great to work with." Aside from a note that he's personally doing ok despite everything, and a hint at some very strong feelings about the layoffs which Reuss deliclines to lay out fully, the post goes on to say that Spirit Island is in no way done for. "I’m certainly not done with the game, so don’t worry about it vanishing into the ether."
Reuss ends his comments with a call to action that mirrors the sentiments of board game designers and publishers world-round: "US residents, please tell your elected representatives and the White House how terrible the tariffs are."
As for the game's publisher, the original announcement also notes that as of now any games currently in stock on the Greater Than Games site will still be available to order, and that "Goods in the current catalog will still be produced as needed." However, there's still no updates around how the company will be dealing with current crowdfunding projects and pre-ordered products. The post simply says "Updates will be made at a later date for customers who ordered upcoming products."
It feels as if designers and developers need our support more than ever, so you can check out which games we'd recommend trying with our guide to the best adult board games, or the best 2-player board games.
