Introduction
Board Games on Kickstarter are game projects funded by the online platform, Kickstarter. They provide opportunities for individuals and game studios to bring their creations to life in the form of physical items such as board games and card decks. These games often have interesting concepts that have been carefully thought out by their creators, and they offer a chance for fans, hobbyists, and budding inventors alike to get involved in something new and exciting. By backing these projects, you ensure that they will come to fruition, while also getting unique rewards such as exclusive promotional items or even early access to the product. It’s an opportunity to be part of something really special ” supporting independent creatives with your money, showing how much you care about their work.
Examples of Notable Board Game Projects on Kickstarter
Exploding Kittens ” The brainchild of Elan Lee, Shane Small andMatthew Inman, Exploding Kittens has become one of the most popular board game projects on Kickstarter. Launched in January 2015, the game skyrocketed to fame with its clever mixture of tongue-in-cheek humor and strategy. It reached a staggering $878,418 in funding by its end time!
The Rivals for Catan ” This brilliant take on Settlers of Catan was launched to Kickstarter in 2012. It stayed lucrative throughout its time on the site and reached an impressive sum of just over $1 million at completion. What made this board game stand out is its unique design, which incorporates elements from multiple European card games into one. Players can claim victory by collecting the most resource cards or achieve a majority through their settlement’s power.
Wasteland Express Delivery Services ” Wasteland Express Delivery Services was released on Kickstarter to much success in 2015 by Pandasaurus Games. It focused around two opposing factions racing for control of delivery routes across wasteland terrain that assents into turns as intense as vehicular combat! Its brilliance comes from real-time action combined with pick-up-and-play mechanics that reward speed and efficiency in trading resources.
Tiny Epic Galaxies ” Tiny Epic Galaxies is a strategy game created byScott Almes for Gamelyn Games and funded by more than 23,000 people four years ago on crowdfunding platform Kickstarter. With superbly crafted components and cards, it didn’t take long for this game to gain immense popularity among board gamers all over the world! Players compete against each other while cultivating planets and tapping into special powers in order to establish the most powerful intergalactic empire. Players try to earn victory points while zipping around the galaxies collecting sweet rewards along the way. A must play experience!
Benefits of Board Games Funded by Kickstarter
One of the key benefits of board games funded by Kickstarter is the sheer amount of support they can receive from enthusiastic backers. Through Kickstarter’s platform, game designers are able to effectively crowdfunding their boardgame ideas and rally enough interest to successfully fund the design, production, distribution, and marketing process. By pooling funds with dedicated supporters of the project, a designer can create larger-scale projects than they could normally afford on their own.
Another major benefit of crowdfunding board games on Kickstarter is that it can bring attention”and money”to undiscovered or small-scale game creators. Before entrepreneurs pitch their product to investors or established publishing companies, they may use crowdfunding as an incubator for their idea to see if there really is an audience for pumping in resources for it. In this case, game creators can validate their concept before needing access to more substantial resources such as capital or manufacturing facilities (or even staff).
Finally, having passionate fans directly support a board game gives an immediate indication that those behind the project are motivated and efficient. This data can help build credibility within larger development industries and provide more leverage when looking for additional support after launching a successful Kickstarter campaign.
Popular Categories of Board Games on Kickstarter
One of the most popular board game categories on Kickstarter are card games. This type of game oftentimes relies more heavily on strategy than luck, and can provide an engaging play experience for players looking to puzzle out how best to utilize their cards in order to defeat their opponents. Popular card game examples include deckbuilding strategy games like Terraforming Mars, abstracts such as Splendor, and highly themed adventure card games like Gloomhaven.
Another popular category on Kickstarter are Euro-style board games which often feature intricate mechanics and a deep strategic focus while having some elements of luck. Examples of this type of game are Caylus, Ticket To Ride and Stone Age. These types of games tend to reward players who have taken the time to fully comprehend all its mechanics as they often provide a unique play every time you try them.
A third popular category of board games on Kickstarter is dice games or roll-and-write style games. These types of games may rely more heavily on luck then euro-style ones, but they can still provide an entertaining experience if players accept it for what it is ” a fun, lighthearted alternative to heavier fantasy-type boardgames. Popular dice rolling titles include Roll Player and Cthulhu Dice, while well-known roll-and-write titles include Kingsburg and Welcome To…
Finally, one form which has risen in popularity lately are cooperative boardgames; popular titles including titles like Forbidden Island and Zombiecide serve as examples here. Cooperative boardgames allows all players to work together towards a common goal (against the game itself) lending them an atmosphere which allows for team work in both success and failures; giving encouragement way as needed without “shaming” players who made mistakes usually connected with roleplaying style or negotiating type activities between antagonists styles common with strategic multiplayer titles of old.
Strategies for Getting Your Board Games Funded on Kickstarter
1. Research: It’s essential to first carry out thorough research on board games currently on Kickstarter and what approaches have proved successful. Looking at existing projects can also provide inspiration for your own game idea and help determine pricing, number of pieces, and other factors to make a competitive product.
2. Quality Design: Putting in the time to create a great looking game with original art, engaging mechanics, and interesting themes is key for gaining traction on Kickstarter. Give backers an experience they cannot find anywhere else and make sure it stands out from similar products.
3. Reaching Out: Trying to get potential backers engaged prior to launching is crucial for any project’s success. Engage the community by sharing ideas, building relationships, and networking with others in the same space. Joining forums and actively participating in conversations is one way to build connections with people who might be interested in backing your board game.
4. Creating Content: Developing quality content that attracts attention is critical when it comes to marketing your project on social media or a blog page. Create posts that are eye-catching while highlighting aspects of your product that makes it unique! Infographics, pictures or videos featuring gameplay or scene set-ups can show potential backers what makes the game worth funding!
5. Set Goals & Stay Organized: Define achievable goals for each step of preproduction as well as production itself in order to foster transparency about the timeline for development and delivery post-Kickstarter campaign launch. Staying organized helps ensure that you stay on top of tasks like fulfilling backer rewards as quickly as possible in order to maintain word-of-mouth activity among supporters who have backed the product
Essential Resources for Board Games on Kickstarter
Board game Kickstarter campaigns can be a great way to fund the development of a new game. To ensure success, however, there are certain resources that board game developers and Kickstarter organizers should make use of. Research is key; creators should look into successful and failed board games from previous Kickstarters, as well as learn from their peers who have gone through this process. Additionally, attending conventions or gaming events that showcase newly released games can provide a lot of valuable feedback for further development.
Creators should also utilize online communities such as Reddit and BoardGameGeek in order to gain knowledge on how to make the most out of their campaign. They can get advice on best practices for marketing their product, discuss any existing issues with it, and get general feedback regarding their project. Additionally, they can interface with potential backers directly by hosting Ask Me Anything (AMA) sessions or posting regularly in forums related to their work.
Another great resource is crowdfunding strategy guides like Kickstarter Secrets. These resources provide invaluable advice on how to create an effective campaign page; everything from designing a attractive visuals to writing compelling game descriptions and setting appropriate funding goals are covered within these guides. Moreover, they also include tips on which platforms to use for promotion purposes so that prospective buyers know about your project before it even launches on Kickstarter itself. Finally, creators should take some time to familiarize themselves with all of the rules and regulations that come along with running a Kickstarter campaign in order to avoid any legal issues down the road.
Developers should also consider utilizing video content creation sites such as YouTube or Vimeo in order to promote their project further. By creating interviews with members of the development team or providing gameplay videos showcasing the awesome features contained within the board game, viewers will have a better understanding what exactly is unique about it relative other products currently available on the market today. Furthermore, streaming sites like Twitch allow creators to host playthroughs where others can watch experts play through their games live before support them and helping them reach their goal more quickly!
Conclusion
The impact of board games funded by Kickstarter has been significant. As a platform, Kickstarter has provided thousands of board game designers and entrepreneurs with the opportunity to bring their ideas to life, with more ambitious projects becoming possible due to higher funding amounts. Because of this, the industry as a whole has seen an enormous increase in the number of innovative new games being released every year. Kickstarter has also had a vast effect on how people purchase these games; no longer do customers need to commit large sums of money before seeing the product, as they can support projects from their inception. This new approach to crowdfunding has undoubtedly led to more daring titles, creating unique experiences and stimulating diversity. Thanks to the success of board games on Kickstarter, gaming enthusiasts have experienced far richer and interactive playing experiences than ever before.
I love playing all kinds of games – from classics like Monopoly to modern favourites like Ticket to Ride.
I created this blog as a way to share my love of board games with others, and provide information on the latest releases and news in the industry.
