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Magpie Games’ upcoming tabletop game Avatar Legends has had unprecedented success, and it’s not even out yet. The game, based on the universe of Avatar: The Last Airbender, broke records as the highest-funded tabletop RPG on Kickstarter, a number that was probably not hurt by the wildly popular IP. However, it seems that the production of the game has hit a snag due to the nationwide cardboard shortage in the US.
Magpie Games sent out a message to backers this week letting them know about “potential challenges.” The success of the campaign means that the current cardboard shortage puts a strain on the game’s printers. Magpie Games did not offer specific delays, but did say that it may be difficult to keep to the game’s original schedule due to the lack of cardboard.
Cardboard use has exploded as online shopping increased in the past year, and the increased demand turned into a shortage in January of 2021. In addition, recycling from paper-heavy locations like schools and offices largely stopped, limiting the amount of recovered material that could be pulped to create cardboard. Add to this the fact that many recycling centers are either closed temporarily or operating at reduced capacity out of concern for workers’ health and safety. Since cardboard is made from around 75% recycled material, reduced pulp directly limits the cardboard supply, leading to the current shortage.
Magpie Games’ claim that “there may not be enough cardboard in the United States to print these books” is likely exaggerated. After all, while Avatar Legends is record-breaking for a Tabletop RPG on Kickstarter, other books have larger runs. However, many printers are feeling the cardboard shortage squeeze, and the printer used by Magpie Games seems to be one of them. The Kickstarter-as-preorder paradigm might also contribute to the issue, since the initial run is determined by the unprecedented Kickstarter numbers, rather than a set number of books.
Another looming issue is how this cardboard shortage may affect indie game developers. While Magpie Games isn’t as big as some of the tabletop publishing monsters like Wizards of the Coast or Paizo, they still are an established company working with a well-known IP. Indie game developers have none of those benefits, so they may be hit by the cardboard shortage especially hard.