Take the example of Meredith Placko, CEO of Steve Jackson Games, the company behind titles like Munchkin. “Some individuals inquire, ‘Why not produce in the US?’ I wish that were feasible,” she expressed. “However, the infrastructure necessary for large-scale board game manufacturing—specialty dice production, die-cutting, custom plastic and wood parts—simply isn’t adequately available here yet. I’ve sought quotes. I’ve had discussions with factories. Even with the right intentions, the machinery, workforce, and timelines are just not there.”
But you might argue, a pack of cards shouldn’t be too challenging to achieve. And indeed, it is. Yet, CAH informs me that the drawbacks of US production for its game remain considerable.
“We attempted to diversify our suppliers by collaborating with a US factory a few years back, but they turned out to be twice as costly, three times slower, and of significantly poorer quality—around 20 percent of the games were unsellable due to production mistakes,” a company spokesperson stated.
While printing card games in the US is indeed possible, CAH creates other items as well and would rather partner with a single manufacturer capable of managing everything. Newer CAH titles like Head Trip feature “wooden tokens and a round folding board,” while another game called Tales “includes a bound book and 20 tiny matchboxes filled with prompts.”
Ultimately, it’s not merely a matter of finances. It’s also about connections and confidence. CAH has “worked with the same factory in China since 2010, and they’ve expanded with us from a small entity to a large operation,” I was informed. “They deliver excellent work, we appreciate them, and we feel a moral duty to support them amidst Trump’s madness.”
(If you wish to create Cards Against Humanity in the US, you can always download the complimentary game files [PDF] and print it independently. Be advised, it is quite lewd!)
Board and card games are certainly not one of the core components of the US economy, but delving into the complexities of game production does shed light on intricate matters surrounding globalization and manufacturing that are frequently oversimplified into catchy phrases.
