Can this game maker figure out Trump’s China tariffs before they sink him?

Looking ahead

Linden’s concerns ultimately go beyond getting his game off the ground. The company where he works his day job is also facing headwinds from the tariffs. Should something happen to it or his role there, Linden fears he won’t be able to successfully transition into another field in what has been a gradually weakening labor market.

“I don’t have the work experience to change careers very easily, so I’ve had a lot of fear over what happens if these tariffs put the toy company out of business,” he said. “And then if they put the new game out of business, I don’t have a lot of marketable skills outside of the toy industry, and I can’t imagine people are going to be hiring like crazy anytime soon.”

Linden said he has no objection to making the game in the United States and has even begun taking orders for a version that is American-made — though at a $5 higher price point.

Linden said matching Chinese quality is significantly more expensive and more logistically complicated. He said he must string together disparate parts of the manufacturing process in the U.S. that, in China, tend to be under the same roof, or at least closely coordinated.

In Linden’s experience, consumers who like to talk about “buying American” tend to ultimately choose the option that provides the most bang for their buck, wherever it happens to be made.

Linden said a recent visit to another specialty toy fair showed his concerns about the state of the overall industry are widespread.

“It felt kind of spooky,” he said in a follow-up email. “I think everyone in the business is aware of impending price increases, but almost no one was willing to talk about it. This uncertainty has a lot of people stuck in limbo waiting to read what the morning news will bring.”

Linden said he hopes that by the end of the summer, “something will change,” or at least there will be clarity about the final tariff number.