Jonathan Silva and his team at WS Game Company undertook a mission to produce a 100% American-made Monopoly game ahead of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The project quickly became a "colossal headache," as Silva considered canceling due to prohibitive costs and manufacturing hurdles. The company discovered that U.S. manufacturing options are extremely limited, with a like-for-like Chinese version being better quality, cheaper, and faster to market. Despite persevering, WS Game ended up just shy of 100% American-made. The first 2,500 copies of the Monopoly Americana Edition, featuring properties named after U.S. landmarks, hit shelves in June, four months later than expected. Delays to the second half of the 5,000-unit order until August were caused by difficulties making the game tray. WS Game initially projected a 20% cost increase over Chinese production but instead faced a premium of around 100%. Higher labor and materials costs, combined with the lack of U.S. factories specializing in intricate wooden components, contributed to the price gap. The company, based in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, with 25 employees, sells about one million high-end games annually. WS Game has deep relationships with Chinese factories and has produced games for Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn.

The experience highlights the challenges of shifting production to the U.S. after decades of working with Chinese partners. WS Game's father, Dana Silva, and co-founder Michael Doyle launched the company in 2000 to design games for Hasbro. Their first licensed products were built-in Scrabble and Monopoly tables. In 2009, Hasbro asked Silva and Doyle to create a line of classic games for Restoration Hardware, pioneering their Vintage Bookshelf line.