Below is a selection of games that stood out to us while browsing kickstarter.com.
The list is ordered by the time they have left for funding. All the info (% funded, $ pledged, days to go) is dynamic and will update each time you come back to this article.
In the comments section below, feel free to mention other board games on kickstarter that aren’t in this list.
Sept 28th, the day things changed.
I’ll preface this by saying that I’ve become a fan of Story Realms 🙂 If you have any interest in the game, definitely check out the print and play materials on the bottom of their main kickstarter page. It’s all hi-res, so once you print everything out (which I did earlier this week) they make for one of the best “print-and-play” prototypes I’ve seen.
I was also happy to see they posted gameplay videos of the game in action with parents and 1st graders. click here to go to the videos >
I have backed a few projects on Kickstarter. I have done research and read up on the games and the goals that they had set and I then checked out reviews or the rules. Then I judged their stretch goals and decided whether they were worth becoming involved for or if they had just tacked on stuff that should have come with the game to begin with.
To date I have backed 4 successful campaigns, and I have received two of the 4 games, the other two are not through production yet. I have been satisfied with my experience but I do my research before I commit any of my money especially with a pay first in order to maybe get something eventually sort of system like Kickstarter.
I would caution people about getting involved with too many projects or projects with high dollar investments required. It seems too risky when even in their terms it doesn’t specify that the project will necessarily result in the finished product.
Also many of the games are brand new and while they might sound cool and have a tremendous Kickstarter page with videos, reviews, etc that doesn’t garrantee that the game itself will be a fun or engaging game. It is kind of a pay first, get a game kind of approach, and I avoid that in my local store, if I can’t first try a game or read reviews on a gaming site like this one then I am less likely to pay my money.
Like the look of the update this week!!
@Randy Newnham
No offense to you or your game (Story Realms is one that looks legitimately good) but I am not sure Game Salute and Springboard give me any additional confidence.
First off, I am not entirely certain who they are or what gives them any credibility. My limited research on them didn’t turn up anything that gave me that assurance.
Second of all, assuming they are reputable (which I am sure they are sincere in their efforts), games I have followed that have been approved by them have been a mixed bag. So trying to piece together different games they supported did not seem to make a game any more “worthy” – some seemed like broken games, some didn’t get funded (or even close), and the ones I decided to back had nothing to do with them anyway.
So not necessarily a knock against what they are trying to do, but to me they just haven’t “proven themselves.”
My best advice lines up with what Randy said as far as doing your own research and making sure the rulebook is there. Designing a game is “free” (as in they can make up playtest copies relatively cheap so a game should at least be in final development when it gets to kickstarter) so anything that asks for money to design it, I would stay away from. Also follow your gaming buddies that you trust as that way more people have vetted it out).
Disclaimer: I am a member of a studio with a game on Kickstarter (Story Realms).
I can respect some people’s hesitancy towards backing Kickstarter games. What I would recommend is first checking to see if they post the rules of the game. That’s a big one. If there are no rules, there is absolutely no way of knowing what you’re going to get. Although, to be fair, if an industry professional is up there and says he’s going to create something (like Monte Cook’s Numenera), a solid reputation can be a good guarantee.
Another thing to consider is whether or not the project has been vetted outside of the game studio. Story Realms is approved by Game Salute’s Springboard program, has received vetting by professionals and the project is being managed by Game Salute. In this model, Game Salute’s reputation is behind it, and is offering help and guidance to the studio. You can be sure Springboard approved games don’t get to KS unless Game Salute deems them ready.
BTW, looking forward to Jim’s article on Kickstarter Do’s and Don’ts!
coltsfan76 I replied to an email from Jim and ‘named some names’. I think his idea of an article is a good one and will probably hold off naming names for now. But a word to wise “Don’t swim with sharks.”
BTW – Introduced Vanuatu to my Sat gaming group today. I think it will be hit. Hope you get your copy soon. Solid game.
Love the new articles on KS! Keep up the great work
So, Eagle & Gryphon Games are now KS-ing Railways of North America!
Supposed to include a Canada mapboard and rules for the long-awaited transcontinental game (linking Eastern USA base game with Western USA, Mexico if you want, and, apparently, even Canada map). I know people have mixed feelings about major, established companies using KS, but I can’t pass this one up. Thoughts?
Very interesting comments, I’ve just recently backed a few projects for the first time on kickstarter… I’m planning to write an article that is a guide and/or a do’s and dont’s for gamers thinking of pledging money towards a project. Please email me (my email is on the contact us page) with your experiences good or bad, tips for knowing which projects are red flags and how to find the gems amidst everything else. This will also help me as I create these recommendation articles so that I can avoid red flag projects as well. Thanks!
Name names, BC Indy. It would save us some headache and give us better info. I know who the shady guy is and don’t trust him. Ever. But I backed another game “just to see” – the group that has put out two successful projects, I do trust at the moment but personally only backed one, on the fence about this one.
The others I am not sure about. The biggest problem with Kickstarter is everything looks shiny and new and we gravitate towards them. But there is very little proof how good the actual game is. That is why I only commit to reprints and those with a solid reputation without hesitancy. The rest I question and try to error on the side of caution.
On IndieGoGo (a French version of KS), I am still waiting for my copy of Vanuatu. The designer/publisher has made a real mess of things, disappearing for months at a time with no news. He has had his account frozen on IGG multiple times now. He will never get a dime of my money again.
I have mixed feelings when I look at these games. Without naming names at least one of them is a reboot of a failed KS campaign, one is a horribly broken game design with pretty good art, one is from a group that has had 2 previously successfully funded projects but has not delivered either of them to date, and one is by a person who has had many shady business dealings in game industry before. I have backed some Kickstarter projects and most have been good but not great.
When I look at one that is tempting but I am not sure about, I refer back to this project update (no I was not one of the backers).Here is what can happen:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1820893788/katalyka/posts/239764
Gosh darnit! I keep trying to avoid the Kickstarter black hole. But, those rewards are so tempting… grrrrrr.
I’m backing ‘Mars Needs Mechanics’ and ‘Damage Report‘ (you forgot that one), but I’ll check out some of these others. Thanks!
EDIT: I’m backing ‘Viticulture’ instead of ‘Damage Report’. Choosing between the two, I went with ‘Viticulture’.
Nice new setup. Good work.
Also delighted to see that Story Realms has just today got past its $45k stretch goal, giving us a new adventure, which means that the next stretch is just round the corner with some extra cards (including kit cards, which I’m really looking forward to). Oh, and they have their first $1k backer, which is awesome!
Interested in City of Iron and maybe the New Science (though I just heard about it earlier today).
Clap clap clap
Brilliant!
Well done, keep up the great work.
Looks great! I really like the dynamic part, and I think this is an awesome addition to the site. Looks like some great games coming out, and there are a couple on here that I hadn’t seen. I’ll have to do some investigating…
Agreed, this is great – Thanks! Now… to resist getting each one…
Wow this is awesome!!!
I’m so glad this is going to become a recurring feature!
It’s exciting to see so many neat independent games getting funded. I hope to have a successful kickstarter someday.