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From Washington to Tokyo: A Recap of the 2024 Tokyo Trade Mission

In April 2024, six Washington State board game and TTRPG companies along with the Office of the Secretary of Washington State (OSOS) teamed up for a week-long trade mission to Tokyo that culminated at the Tokyo Game Market. I joined as a representative of the Tabletop Game Alliance (TGA), bringing my experience as a community facilitator to establish new friendships and connections while also experiencing the cultural highlights of Tokyo.

The trade mission consisted of 20 people representing tabletop businesses the TGA trade organization or came from the OSOS. Mission members from the OSOS utilized their expertise in previous trade missions and international business to arrange meetings, offer translation, and assist with navigating this large group around the city. Arranging the trade mission trip required the combined efforts of all members and months of planning. Rulebooks and sell sheets were translated in advance and meeting upon meeting every week ensured that once we arrived in Tokyo, it would be smooth sailing.

Photo op at Tokyo Game Market

The trade mission itself had clear goals for the group: focus on establishing trade for these Washington companies through researching the local market, and reconnecting or establishing business partners and selling their product at the Tokyo Game Market trade show.

Day one started with a breakfast briefing and review of the day’s schedule. Each day had a packed itinerary with time in the evening for personal exploration. The trade mission began with our best business clothes (not your typical Washington business casual mind you) for a trip to the US Embassy in Ginza. A panel of ambassadors presented Japanese consumer behavior and current economic impacts to the region while we shared our experience navigating the rules and regulations to sell games in Japan.

The next stops of the day were more formal business meetings between JETRO, a Japanese government organization who helps companies export their games from Japan, and a business luncheon filled with introductions and conversation between Japanese business owners and some of the ambassadors we met earlier.

Nicole, Andy and Ross at Yellow Submarine

 

On the eve of the convention, we toured and played games at the Arclight offices. We were able to meet Patrick from the international board game team and  others in the office responsible for the many titles Arclight publishes or distributes. Patrick and his team were the hard workers behind the Tokyo Games Market convention, a show that boasts 30,000 attendees over two days and a 2-inch-thick guide that lists all the games and events available during the event.


Molly of Flatout Games enjoying Jelly Jelly Cafe

Outside of formal meetings, we split into groups to visit Akihabara and Shibuya, wards in Tokyo known for their concentration of pop culture and home to many game stores and game cafes unique to Japan. These visits thankfully did not require a suit, and we felt at home browsing stocked game shelves and play spaces in Yellow Submarine, Jelly Jelly Cafe, and DyCE Board Game Cafe, the latter which has a monthly international game night that welcomes Japanese and foreigners to connect over a game.

We gathered lots of photos and retail input by browsing and comparing what familiar games were on these shelves and seeing which Japanese games we had not seen in our Washington game stores. We took note of popular themes (cats, food, and cute critters top the list) packaging size and design, and of course brought some games home to add to the library for additional research. A surprise stop in Shibuya connected us with a coworking building, 404Shibuya, that houses video game companies and digital artists. We also toured the fourth floor that was under development to be an event space complete with a stage, panel rooms, 3 kitchen and dining areas, and even an indoor beer garden for about 2000 people.

The finale of the trade mission brought us to the Tokyo Game Market where the game companies ran demos for attendees with the help of translators who were prepped on the games ahead of the convention.


The TGA and OSOS Washington games booth at Game Market
Hair of the Dog demo at Game Market

While a convention is familiar territory, it was quickly apparent the ways in which we should adjust future demos, sales, and displays for the Japanese audience and the customs of a new trade show.

Fall of Magic by Heart of the Deernicorn at Game Market

Overall, the trade mission in 2024 was a success and the trip was the first of many to Japan for myself as I wanted to continue building up these relationships we made overseas. I attended Tokyo Game Market again this year in 2025 at a much larger venue in the Makuhari Messe Convention Center. I was able to reconnect with Patrick at Arclight and his team and visit some of my favorite Tokyo Game Market booths (and some new ones) to buy their latest titles. My hope in the future is for another trade mission to Tokyo that will build upon what we learned to have even more success for the Washington State tabletop business and creators looking to bring their work into Japan.

(I didn’t even get to the part about the cultural highlights and all the amazing food we had! That unfortunately will have to be in a future article…)

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Taking on Tariffs: The Power of Community Advocacy in the Game Industry

In 2021, my company, TinkerHouse, Inc., encountered what felt like a perfect storm of economic disruptions, all triggered by harmful government policies that disproportionately impacted small businesses—especially those of us within the tabletop gaming community. The trade war instigated during Donald Trump’s first administration didn’t just complicate international commerce; it unleashed a cascading series of crises that tested our resilience in ways we never imagined.

Picture this: The Ever Given blocking the Suez Canal, grinding global shipping routes to a halt; strikes paralyzing operations at the Port of Los Angeles; and an unprecedented shortage of shipping containers in China. Ocean freight costs skyrocketed overnight, soaring from approximately $2,559 per 40-foot container from China to the U.S. East Coast in early 2020, to an eye-watering $12,000 by year’s end—a nearly fivefold increase. For a small business like ours, those numbers didn’t represent inconvenience; they spelled disaster.

Forced into substantial debt just to meet obligations to our Kickstarter backers, TinkerHouse spent the next four years navigating rough financial waters. It wasn’t until January 2025 that we finally glimpsed the horizon again, clawing our way back to financial stability.

Under the Biden administration, we cautiously explored domestic manufacturing alternatives, hoping to avoid further international turbulence. But our optimism was short-lived. Unrealistic minimum orders and sky-high costs from U.S. manufacturers meant bringing production home was simply not viable. Reluctantly, we returned to international production.

Then, with Trump’s return to office, aggressive trade policies reemerged with devastating force. Tariffs surged as high as 145%, hitting us precisely when our financial commitments were already locked in. With nowhere to turn, we had no choice but to continue forward, despite costs that felt impossible to bear.

In the face of these hardships, we found strength through solidarity. Joining forces with fellow publishers—including Jamie Stegmaier from Stonemaier Games—and backed by the Pacific Legal Foundation, we challenged the legality and fairness of these crushing tariffs. Initially, I worried about backlash and repercussions; instead, we discovered a powerful network of support and collective action.

Our journey underscored just how vital organizations like the Tabletop Game Alliance of Washington truly are. Community-driven groups provide crucial advocacy and resources, enabling small businesses like ours to withstand policy shocks and economic upheavals. Alone, we’re vulnerable; together, we’re formidable.

As we approach the completion of our latest production run, the future remains uncertain. Yet our resolve is stronger than ever, bolstered by our community’s unwavering support. Will our efforts bring about the necessary change? Only time will tell. Until then, our commitment to our customers, our industry, and fellow tabletop creators remains steadfast and unshakable.

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Featured New Game Designer: Goblin

A new Tabletop Game Alliance newsletter/blog feature is an effort to shine the TGA spotlight on new and upcoming game designers, developers, publishers and retailers across Washington state. For June’s spotlight, we are pleased to introduce you to Goblin.

Goblin (she/her), a multi-talented trans author, game designer and lore enthusiast, moved to Olympia in 2020.  Goblin has been playing card games and tabletop games for over 15 years. “Since I could pick up a board game I ’ve been playing Candy Land and Hi-Ho Cheerios” Goblin added. However, what inspired her to step into game design primarily was her love of gaming mechanics. “I like looking at a game’s mechanics and wondering, ‘How can I break this?’ I like getting into the nitty gritty, especially on paper. I like knowing how everything works, which makes me a really big pain in Magic the Gathering.”

The game Goblin currently has in development is a fast-paced racing card game she calls “Untitled Racing Card Game” or “Drift” for short. “Drift” is a competitive 2-8 player card game pitting racecar drivers against each other while facing challenges generated from cards played from track, item, and racer decks. The concept of “Drift” is based on a one-shot Goblin GM’d for her friends a few years ago. “Crash Pandas”, a one-page RPG by Grant Howitt, is a game about a group of racoons racing in the underground racing circuit of Los Angeles.

Character cards for “Drift” are elaborate, hilarious, and have interconnected backstories. Each character card contains the character’s name, pronouns, and the year and type of vehicle they drive. Some examples of “Drift” characters include:

“Ms. Olive” (she/her) is an elementary school teacher who started racing because she wasn’t making enough money as a teacher. She drives ‘91 Civic EF. She claims it’s stock, that she’s never had anything done to it, but you know better.

“Dwight” (he/him) drives a 1970 Dodge Charger RT/SE which is based on “Black Ghost”, a legendary 1970 Dodge Challenger RT/SE notorious for dominating Detroit drag races in the 1970’s.

Each character has their own special play ability and stats relevant to their backstory. Stats in “Drift” are Speed, Turn, and Drift. Stats range from 1-3 indicating the number of D6’s to be rolled in various skill checks.

The card decks played in “Drift” include Item, Racer, and Track decks.

Racer Cards are drawn every round into the player’s hand and have instantaneous effects. These effects can be stacked on top of each other resulting in a chain reaction.

Item cards can be attained from the Item Shop deck throughout play. Item cards equip each character with bonus ongoing effects and are not discarded throughout gameplay, unless explicitly stated.

Track cards represent the metaphorical track that the characters are racing on. Track cards are pulled and placed into the shared game play area on every round of play. Players compete against each other to gain either Victory or Cool points by rolling a number of d6 dice (1-3) equal to the relevant stat number on their character card.

“Drift” has been play tested and is currently in prototype phase. Goblin also has several other game and writing projects in development including a Japanese-style fantasy RPG and she is writing a novel. Goblin also spends upwards of four hours weekly volunteering for Hugs Food Pantry – a mutual aid food pantry for queer and trans people experiencing food insecurity. The food pantry is supported by Gabi’s Kids, the charity founded by TGA member Gabi Trautman, owner of Gabi’s Olympic Cards and Comics in Lacey, WA.

 

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Get Ready for Go Play Northwest! July 18-20, 2025

Go Play NW is a small TTRPG and board game convention focused on creating a welcoming atmosphere for playing fun games and making new friends in the Pacific Northwest. Come with your favorite game, your new playtest, or just yourself! We love the weird, wacky, new and old, especially if that’s you!

Learn more about our in-person event on July 18–20, 2025 at Centilia Cultural Center in Seattle, WA at our website: https://goplaynw.org/seattle/

Sound interesting? You can register to become an attending member here: https://goplaynw.org/membership/

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December Newsletter

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NEWSLETTER
December 22, 2023
President’s Update
Welcome to the December newsletter!
This month, and the past few months, my work has been to develop our organization and do my best to make sure folks have the tools, and the resources they need to do their work.
We now have a chair and several members for our Large Enterprise Committee (thanks Pat!). In the coming months we will also be forming other committees representing different categories of members that will in turn elect a representative to serve on the executive board. The goal here is to make sure that the leadership of this organization is well informed by the perspectives of our diverse membership.
This month we’ve got bank accounts to open, a website to launch, and an election to conduct, a membership meeting to plan and a legislative session coming up where there are some real opportunities to have a positive impact on our industry.
Thank you to everyone, but especially the board members, committee chairs, and secretaries who are doing the heavy lifting to create this space for the tabletop community. It is a joy to be among you!
Sincerely,
Ross Cowman
COMMITTEE UPDATES
 
EXECUTIVE
The Executive Board has been working hard on all the legal and foundational items that are required to stand up the organization. The committee also recently met with Shannon Halberstadt, the creative sector lead for the Department of Commerce, to learn about potential opportunities for our members (such as funding, workforce development, and proposals looking for comment).
In addition, Nicole Gunkle dropped by to talk about how businesses can reduce their export-related expenses by applying for an export voucher and asked us to help get the word out about this program.
What we’ve done this month:
  • Articles of Incorporation are complete! We are official!
  • We have acquired an EIN (for tax identification purposes) and it’s been uploaded to our wiki for preservation.
  • Executive Committee received required fiduciary training.
Action items that are in progress:
  • Reviewing and solidifying our organizational bylaws.
  • Working on building out our website.
  • Wiki is available but barebones; working on building out structure.
  • Working on getting our W-9.
EVENTS & TRADE
Some quick updates from us! A light meetup ahead of the Hops with Hobbs event went well. It was a lot of fun to chat and connect! Thanks to everyone who made it out.
There’s a “Day on the Hill” planned for February. Details will be forthcoming as the plan is finalized.
The Japan Game Market is happening May 13-14, 2023! Here are some details on our attendance:
  • We will have a 10 meter squared area
  • 6 companies from Washington will demo in a dedicated display area of “what we make in Washington state”
  • We are preparing a “Trip acceptance” criteria to ensure people chosen for the trip will have the best opportunities and undivided focus on success.
    • A list has been established and we are working with those people/companies to get a confirmed list.
  • Early conversations with Arclight about translation, in a contracting role (likely a paid option, but an established gaming company in Japan)
  • Working on a scheduled event for a “cultural training” at the japanese consulate in Seattle ahead of the trip
  • Attendees will be responsible for:
    • Own airfare to Tokyo and back: $1,200-$1,500 round trip
    • Own room at Asakusa View Hotel: $150-$200 per night
    • Own food (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
    • Local transportation costs to and from the market
    • Shipping own products for sale at the market
  • Step Grants are currently being worked on for the trip. More info about the grants will be in future announcements.
LARGE ENTERPRISE
The Large Enterprise Committee had its first meeting on December 12th. The purpose of this committee is to advocate for, and represent the needs of our larger corporate members. The committee will be meeting monthly and is currently chaired by Patrick Day, with support from Jordan Weisman, and Brian Lewis. The committee is in the early stages of establishing its mission and recruiting new members.
Action items in progress: 
  • Advocating for R&D Tax Credits for publishers
  • Developing a report on the economic benefits of the tabletop industry
  • Help to position Washington State as the global leader of the tabletop industry in the eyes of the public
  • Bring manufacturing to Washington State
LOCAL EVENTS
 
January 5-7
Hilton Bellvue
300 112th Ave SE
Bellevue, WA 98004
GET TICKETS
OrcaCon is a cozy inclusive tabletop games convention with a focus on diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. They highlight marginalized voices in tabletop games, including people of color, the LGBTQ+ community & people with disabilities. They strive to create a welcome and inclusive environment for new and seasoned players. Join us for a weekend of your favorite board games, card games, role playing games, miniatures games, and more!
January 12-14
Bellingham Cruise Terminal
355 Harris Ave
Bellingham, WA 98225
GET TICKETS
CascadeCon® is a convention for serious board game-players and others interested in the hobby of craft board gaming to enjoy one another’s company, play the games you love, try excellent new titles, and make memories with friends and family.
TGA Annual Membership Meeting
February 1st 
211 4th Ave East
Olympia, WA 98501
We are in the early stages of developing the schedule of events for our annual membership meeting. This will likely include a morning breakfast / orientation followed by a Day on the Hill event where members have the opportunity to meet with their state representatives and advocate for the tabletop industry. That afternoon there will also likely be a formal vote for our board of directors followed by some gaming and socializing.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Updates
We make DEI a priority in the work that we do and we are currently attempting to fill roles focused on DEI. As we grow and expand, we are also working to build out our anti-harassment policies. More updates to come on both of these fronts!
Tabletop Game Alliance Resources
Export Costs Reimbursement 
If eligible, a business can get reimbursed for some export costs; this could be a benefit for anyone doing business overseas.  More info about the requirements and how to apply here: