Fight Tariffs by Shopping: Sales on Board Games, Card Games & RPGs

First, I’m going to talk a bit about tariffs, what’s going on in the board game industry, and why now is a good time to be putting some money back into game publisher’s hands. If you’re not interested in this discussion and you want to just skip ahead and see all the sales we’ve rounded up you can CLICK HERE.

Note: This article was originally published in May 2025, and the sale information below was last updated on June 21st, 2025. The specific deals listed are very likely no longer active. We’re leaving this up as a snapshot of how publishers responded to the tariff situation at the time, and as a way to browse which companies were running sales back then.

So if you’re into hobby gaming you are probably already aware, tariffs, the tax paid by US businesses to import goods made elsewhere into the county, have been in a state of flux. As a hobby game, the truth is the majority of the games you love and play are manufactured in China. They might be dreamt up, designed and marketed in North America, but the odds are they aren’t printed there. There are plenty of articles out there explaining why printing is the USA isn’t really a feasible option, and how the increased tariffs are affecting board game publishers.

If you want to do a deep dive, here’s a few links:

• Tariffs: Rolling Dice Against American Game Publishers, Catalyst Game Labs
• The Cost of Cardboard: How Tariffs Will Impact Board Game Publishers and Designers, Cardboard Edison
• 90-day tariff truce, delays from Asmodee’s Studios, the latest from CNBC and more, Spikeybits
• Board game designer suing the Trump administration reacts to lowered tariffs against China (interview with Jamey Stegmaier of Stonemaier Games)
• California board game company moves to get products out of China with tariffs set to drop (interview with Price Johnson of Cephalofair Games)
• On Board Games Episode 562 The Tariff Show, interview with Marc Specter from Grand Gamers Guild

UPDATED to add links to a few newer articles:

• Board game industry doomsday delayed as trade court blocks Trump tariffs, Wargamer
• As Trump Moves Tariff Pieces Around the Board, Tabletop Games Face Calamity, CNET
• Tabletop makers push back against tariffs with honesty and direct political action, Rascal News
• Going Analog Episode 151, interview with founder of North Star Games, Dominic Crapuchettes
• Trump’s Tariffs: Why Switching to U.S.-Made Isn’t Just a Cost Problem, Wall Street Journal

Yes, the tariffs on imports from China have currently been reduced from 145% to “just” 30%. The thing to keep in mind is that this is 30% more than was being charged on games previously. Many publishers have games that they have already paid to be produced that are waiting to be imported to the States. Not only are they looking at a import fees that are 30% more than they anticipated when originally ordering these games, but there is also a rush of shipping containers. The current rate of 30% was announced as a “90 day pause”, so everyone, not just board game publishers, is trying to hurry up and ship their existing product ASAP. Without getting into too far into the nitty gritty details, shipping containers (which get filled up with stuff heading to the states, like board games) are bid on and right now there is a bidding war that is driving shipping costs up to the sort of prices that companies saw at the height of the pandemic.

(Update to add the tariffs were briefly ruled as illegal, and then reinstated one day later. Truly the only constant here is that things are in a state of flux and it’s impossible for publishers to plan ahead.)

We’ve been asking around, and the consensus seems to be that one of the best things that folks that love this hobby can do to help ensure that their favourite game publishers make it through this mess is to go shopping. Buying direct from a publisher is the best way to get them the influx of cash that they need right now to keep operating.

The truth is most publishers are small, independent, businesses. They aren’t big corporations. They don’t have the extra money sitting there to be able to pay to get their current products out of China. They need to find ways to get an influx of cash to be able to keep going and for many that seems to be by putting some or all of their existing inventory on sale.

If you want to look at it from the other side of the table, there are plenty of selfish reasons why this is a good time to go board game shopping. If there is a game you really want, one you’ve been thinking of getting, you should probably pick it up ASAP. There is no guarantee of current titles continuing to be printed, or of stock being readily available, and I think it’s a safe bet to say that we are going to see MSRPs on board games going up, pretty much across the board. Plus Christmas shopping this year is likely to get weird folks. I know I’m saying this in May, but you might want to start picking up those special gift purchases now.

We’ve been keeping a lookout and whenever we find a publisher that is having a sale we’re adding it to this list. Unless otherwise noted, these deals are intended for folks who live in the US. When a deal refers to free shipping it means Free Shipping to a US address (and likely is limited to the contiguous United States).

I’ve also been rounding up individual publisher’s response to the tariffs, with links to statements they’ve put out. So basically what you have below is a list of publishers with tariff statements and/or with online sales currently going on, as of when I originally published this post on May 19th. (Updated to be current as of June 21st).

Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. We get a small commission when people use these links and there is no additional cost to you.

CLICK ON A PUBLISHER TO JUMP TO THAT SECTION

25th Century Games

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Diatoms, Green Team Wins, Hamster Roll, Donut Shop, and more.

Here’s a link to the sale on at 25th Century Games.

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Academy Games

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Reality Shift, Mare Nostrum Empires, 1812 The Invasion of Canada, Agents of Mayhem, Freedom The Underground Railroad, and more.

Academy Games has select items on sale in their webstore.

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Arcane Wonders

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Dubious, Mezen, Furnace, Ito, Mother of Frankenstein, Foundations of Rome, and more.

Arcane Wonders has a few items on their site on sale right now, but there’s no landing page you need to scroll through their shop to spot them. Discounted items we spotted include Smartphone Inc., Dubious, Mage War Core set and expansions, Picture Perfect upgrades, and more.

Here is link to where you can read a newsletter they sent out where they address the tariff situation (Note: the sale referenced in this newsletter ended on April 30th, however they do still have many items marked down in their online store).

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Bezier Games

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Castles of Mad King Ludwig, Suburbia, Rebel Princess, Cat in the Box, Werewolf, Xylotar, and more.

Bezier made an announcement that because of the tariff situation they’ve decided to delay the launch of their Maglev Metro Kickstarter campaign (Maglev Metro Maps: Volume 2). (Updated to say this is no longer true, Maglev Metro expansion Kickstarter is currently live.)

They have a couple bundle deals and some promos that are marked down, but not a real sale per say. They have also stated that their 2025 releases have already arrived in the US and the MSRP on those games will not be affected by the tariffs.

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Bitewing Games (AllPlay)

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Zoo Vadis, Cascadero, Trailblazers, Spectral, Hot Lead, and more.

No sale, but they have put out a message in response to the tariffs.

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Board & Dice Games

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Tiletum, Side Quest: Nemesis, Windmill Valley, Teotihuacan: City of Gods, Nucleum, and more.

Board & Dice has big Summer Sale on right now, with games marked down by up to 97% off!

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Brotherwise Games

Brotherwise Games is offering a Dungeon Kart Bundle for 25% off.

They addressed the tariff situation, specifically how it relates to the fulfillment of their Cosmere Roleplaying Game Kickstarter, in this update.

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Catalyst Game Labs

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Shadowrun, BattleTech, The Duke, and more.

Catalyst Game Labs published an article in response to the tariffs.

Update: New article addressing why prices go up even when tariffs go down.

They do have a sale section on their site, though many of these items have been on sale since the holiday shopping season.

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Cephalofair Games

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Gloomhaven, Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion, Frosthaven, and more.

Cephalofair is not having a sale. They have, however, published several statements about the tariffs. Their COO, Price Johnson, has been outspoken in the media, featured on CNN among other interviews.

Update: They had originally made a statement saying that shipping to the US was on pause. However, on May 21st they announced that U.S. ocean freight for Gloomhaven (Second Edition) has been booked. There’s a full Q&A on their Backerkit page that goes into the affects of the tariffs and how they are dealing with them for this specific release.

Update: This Gloomhaven Backerkit Update from the beginning of June goes into detail on how they are currently handling the tariff situation, including layoffs and wage reductions.

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Cobblestone Games

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Builders of Blankenburg, The Acts, Quatermain: Deck Building Adventures, and more.

Cobblestone Games has everything on their site marked down.

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Czech Games Edition

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Codenames, Lost Ruins of Arnak, Galaxy Trucker, Starship Captains, Letter Jam, Sanctum, and more.

CGE has announced that when their current US supply of SETI runs out the price will be increasing by $10 (for US sales only).

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Doctor Finn’s Games

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Biblios, Herbaceous, Nanga Parbat, Sunset Over Water, Cosmic Run, and more.

Doctor Finn’s Games has made the choice to step away from selling physical games. Their remaining inventory is being discounted. Their Sell It All Sale has morphed once again and is now a bundle deal of 7 games for $50.

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Drawlab

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: When I Dream, Mystic Scrolls, Fired Up, TacTiki, and more.

Drawlab has a sale on in their webstore.

They’ve also announced that they are now selling custom merch as a way to try and raise funds to cover additional tariff costs.

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Eagle-Gryphon Games

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Age of Steam, Vinhos, Brass, Kanban, On Mars, The Gallerist, House of Fado, and more.

Eagle-Gryphon has a large sale section on their website.

Eagle-Gryphon made a statement regarding tariffs within their recent Age of Steam expansion Kickstarter, which said that (if needed when shipping time arrives) they intend to implement a minor tariff surcharge and absorb any remaining costs.

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Envy Born Games

Envy Born Games is having a sale on their Amazon storefront. These games are sold and shipped directly from Envy Born Games. They are offering 5% off any 2 games, 10% off on any 3 games and 20% off if you grab all 4 of their available titles. The discount appears when you put the items in your cart.

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Floodgate Games

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Sagrada, Decorum, Skyrockets: Festival of Fire, Landmarks, Fog of Love, and more.

Floodgate Games is having a sale. They are also offering free shipping in the US on orders over $39.

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Gap Closer Games

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Illiterati and Rival Restaurants,

In response to the tariff situation, Gap Closer Games has launched a sticker shop.

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GMT

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Twilight Struggle, Dominant Species, Commands & Colors, Combat Commander, and more.

GMT Games made a statement about the tariff situation in their April newsletter, which you can read here. In that newsletter they state that they are trying to increase cash flow to be able to weather this chaotic time, and to that end they were offering a 25% off discount on all in stock games currently sitting in their warehouse. That sale has now ended. In their June newsletter, Gene Billingsley, the founder of GMT Games, mentions his deep appreciation for the funds they managed to raise via this sale.

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Grand Gamers Guild

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Endeavor: Deep Sea, Roll Camera!, The Artemis Project, Inferno, Endangered, Gorinto, and more.

Marc Specter, the owner of Grand Gamers Guild, was interviewed about the tariff situation in episode 562 of On Board Games.

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Greater Than Games

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Spirit Island, Sentinels of the Multiverse, Compile: Main 1, Lazer Ryderz, Legends of Sleepy Hollow, and more.

Greater Than Games has effectively ceased to exist as a game publisher. The team that runs Greater Than Games has been drastically reduced. Their parent company, Flat River Group, is continuing to sell Greater Than Games titles, will still be fulfilling upcoming releases, and has said they will continue to print new copies of existing games.

There is a sale on at the Greater Than Games webstore, with items marked down up to 75% off.

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Japanime Games

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Oshi Push, Sushi Boat, Cowboy Bebop Space Serenade, Tanto Cuore, Heart of Crown, Dragon Pets, and more.

Japanime Games has posted a response to the tariff situation.

They also have a sales section on their website, with select games marked down up to 50% off.

Free shipping when you spend a minimum of $75.

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Jellyfish Game Studios

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Vamp on the Batwalk and Crop Circle Champions

Jellyfish Game Studios is having a sale on both their own titles and “games we love” that they carry from other publishers.

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KOSMOS

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: The Crew, Cascadia, Targi, Lost Cities, EXIT: The Game series of escape room in a box games, Catch the Moon, and more.

KOSMOS has a small clearance section on their site, which includes several board games. These games are marked down, and then there’s a special code to give you an additional discount. If you use the code WELOVESTEM, you get buy one get one for 50% off on already reduced sale items. They are also offering free shipping on orders of $40 or more.

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Leder Games

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Root, Arcs, Fort, Vast, Ahoy, and more.

Leder Games has published a response to the tariff situation.

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Modiphius

Modiphius is changing warehouses and is having a big moving sale.

Over on DriveThru, Modiphius has reduced the pricing on select Star Trek Adventures and John Carter of Mars titles:

• 50% off Star Trek Adventures
• 50% off John Carter of Mars

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Paizo

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Pathfinder, Starfinder, Pathfinder Adventure Card Game, Munchkin: Starfinder, and more.

Paizo has launched a big Summer of Adventure Sale with deals on both Pathfinder and Starfinder adventure paths, adventures and other modules.

They also have a list of other current deals including a shipping discount and subscription services which you can find HERE.

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Pandasaurus Games

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Sea Salt & Paper, Machi Koro, Dinosaur World, The Fox Experiment, Courtisans, and more.

Pandasaurus is having a sale.

They have also posted several times in response to the tariff situation (article#1, article #2, article #3).

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Puzzling Pursuits

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Blackbrim: 1876, La Famiglia, The Fifth Column, and more.

Puzzling Pursuits has a couple of deals going on.

• Get 30% off when you buy 2 more more boxed games! Plus, get free US Shipping when you spend $60 or more.

• Save $50 and get FREE US shipping when you buy The Blackbrim Trilogy all in one go.

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Ravensburger

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Villainous, Carpe Diem, The Castles of Burgundy, Labyrinth, Horrified, Disney Lorcana, and more.

Ravensburger is having a Summer Sale with up to 35% off on select items. They are also offering Free Ground Shipping on orders over $55.

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Red Raven Games

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Sleeping Gods, Above and Below, Creature Caravan, City of Iron, Near and Far, and more.

Red Raven Games is having a sale.

They have made statements about the tariffs on their recent Gamefound projects, Six Sojourns and Above and Below: Haunted. They’ve said they are soaking the additional costs for Above and Below: Haunted, but are also selling a digital print and play expansion to try and recoup some of what they are spending.

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Renegade Game Studios

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Clank!, Paladins of the Western Kingdom, Raiders of the North Sea, Bargain Quest, Crusaders: They Will Be Done, and more.

Renegade is having a Spring Cleaning Sale! With up to 90% off on select games.

They also have a deal on for this week where if you the buy the Adventures in Equestria Core Box you get two expansions for free (a $60 value, they show up automatically in your cart).

Another current deal: order any 2 books from the same RPG line and get four character journals for free.

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Restoration Games

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Unmatched, Return to Dark Tower, Thunder Road Vendetta, Crossbows & Catapults, and more.

Restoration Games made a statement about the impact of the tariffs. Their president, Justin Jacobson, also did a special interview episode with the Secret Cabal to discus the tariff situation.

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Rock Manor Games

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Set A Watch, Lawyer Up, Seas of Havoc, and more.

Rock Manor Games is having a sale.

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Runaway Parade Games

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Fire Tower, Smug Owls, and more.

Runaway Parade Games were interviewed by WBUR (Boston’s NPR news station) about the impact of tariffs on their business.

They are also having a sale, with select items on their site marked down.

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Skybound Games

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: No Context, Pirate Tails, Kiss the Goblin, Contra Banter, and more.

Skybound Games is having a sale. Stuff is seriously discounted, like games for $5.

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Solis Game Studio

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Space Lion, Pocket Paragons, and more.

Solis Game Studio is having sale with a bunch of discounted bundle deals.

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Steve Jackson Games

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Munchkin, Car Wars, Ogre, Deadly Doodles, and more.

Steve Jackson Games published a statement on the impact of tariffs.

UPDATE: They have released a blog post explaining how their prices will be going up and why (if you say tariffs, you got it in one guess).

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Stonemaier Games

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Wingspan, Scythe, Tapestry, Viticulture, Rolling Realms, and more.

Stonemaier Games has made several statements about the tariff situation:

• Tariff Update: Legality, Lobbying, and Local Stores
• Questions, Answers, and More Questions About Tariffs
• How Can We Fix This Together? (Tariffs, Manufacturing, and a Solution)
• We Are Suing the President
• The Math of Tariffs
• The Darkest Timeline

Jamey Stegmaier, the owner of Stonemaier Games, has been vocal in the media on this topic and has been featured in dozens of news articles (here’s link to a few: Business Insider, CNN, New York Times, Spectrum News, WBUR, Board All The Time podcast interview).

Stonemaier Games has a sale section on their website.

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Thunderworks Games

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Cartographers, Roll Player, Emerald Skulls, Citizens of the Spark, Stonespine Architects, and more.

Thunderworks Games is having a sale.

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Ultra PRO

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: The Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth Card Game, Geek Out, Ship Show, and more, (plus tons of game accessories, card sleeves, etc).

Ultra Pro is having a Spring Cleaning Sale, which includes up to 60% off on several board game titles. They also have a small clearance section on their site. Plus you can get an extra 5% off when you use our special code BELLHOP.

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Van Ryder Games

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Final Girl, Detective, Hostage Negotiator, and more.

Van Ryder Games has published a statement about the tariffs and how they are raising prices on their games.

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Weird Giraffe Games

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Big Easy Busking, Gift of Tulips, Studies in Sorcery, Fire in the Library, and more.

Weird Giraffe Games is having a sale.

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Wise Wizard Games

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Star Realms, Hero Realms, Sorcerer, Kapow! and more.

Wise Wizard Games issued a statement in response to the tariff situation.

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Wiz Kids

Some games you might recognize from this publisher: Star Trek Frontiers, Attack Wing, HeroClix, Tales of the Arthurian Knights, Mage Knight, and more.

Wizkids has select titles on sale.

They are also running a separate 20% off promotion for Arthurian Knights.

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