Below is a selection of games that stood out to us while browsing kickstarter.com.
Backing a project can be a great thing, but please do the research on a game before you put money into it. Happy exploring!
Role-Playing Games
Miniatures Games
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I have been keeping an eye on Conan because the game seems like it will be a very wild adventure and has a lot of content (lets’s hope this doesn’t interfere with the shipping and delivery times)
Luckily, a friend of mine will get it and I will get a chance to try it out.
But I wanted to mention another game – a small “meta” game that has caught my eye for quite some time and finally opted to back it –
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/239309591/pretense-a-game-night-social-metagame
It is really cool to have a mini side-game like this one on your game night; be it a tabletop or role-playing one.
Harry,
I’m happy to help. If you decide to try a Kickstarter campaign in the future (or even if you design a game and want to get it out using a differnt method) please let us know!
Either way, happy gaming!
Andy,
Thank you very much for that.
It is great to find a site with people who are like minded and love and understand the same obsession I do. It is even better that people can talk in an atmosphere where people are not likely to troll you about your hobby and give genuine and helpful information.
Thank you again.
Harry,
Yes, normal people can start their own Kickstarter campaign. Companies may as well. It’s one way to get capital upfront to get a game (or most any item/idea) made. Most boardgames in essence use Kickstarter as a preorder system. There are lots of semantics around whether Kickstarter is a store, or people are investors, and what the real legal ramifications are which are really murky. I would say the great majority of boardgame backers view a pledge to Kickstarter as an agreement that they pay $X and they’ll get what they pledged for, similar to a store.
With Kickstarter, you set up pledge levels, where people agree to pay $X to get the reward listed for that tier. If the campaign reaches at least the minimum amount the creator sets at the beginning, then it is successful and the creator is expected to fulfill the pledges.
Kickstarter gets some percentage (it used to be 5% and I’m guessing it still is) as does the payment processing company (it used to be Amazon Payments and they got 5% as well, though Kickstarter has recently changed to a different company. I assume it’s still an extra 5%, or something close).
So if you’re successful, a few weeks after the campaign ends you will get (approximately) 90% of the amount pledged (there may be people who don’t pay or similar issues, though that should all be handled by Kickstarter and the payment company, you don’t have to deal with that end of things). If the campaign is not successful, Kickstarter doesn’t cost you anything. Kickstarter is the fundraising platform, they do not take care of any production or shipping, you need to get all of that lined up on your own. Meeting the funding goal means you the creator are required to get everything made, it does not mean Kickstarter will have any part in getting the game made for you.
About 80% of the way down the page at the following link there are 12 points that should cover much of what you’re interested in.
https://www.kickstarter.com/learn?ref=nav
In theory, if the campaign is successful, you are in some form of contract with the people who pledged and you will have to come through on your promise. I’ll leave it there for now as to avoid the heated discussions that come up regarding campaigns that can’t or won’t fulfill what they’ve promised.
If you have a game ready to go and are looking for upfront cash to produce it, Kickstarter may be for you. I would say boardgaming on Kickstarter is a competitive space with very savvy and often picky buyers. If you go the Kickstarter route, make sure you have everything meticulously prepared. Many backers want to see artwork, rules, sample game play videos, and video reviews. Your price point will be extremely important, with a good number of people comparing the quantity of cards/boards/bits you have in your box to other similarly priced games. You may not have all of these 100% finalized, but the more you’re missing, the less likely you are to fund.
Good luck!
Conan looks awesome, I wasn’t fully excited until I saw the boards, very professional.
I am afraid I don’t know anything yet about kickstarter. Is this a way for us normal folks to maybe get a game made. If the pledge amounts are over the total they need does that mean the game will be made? Looks cool and I am interested. I have been toying with the idea of trying to make a board game for a while (as I am sure most of us who play them have also) and would love to know how this works.
@Account deletion, thanks a lot!
With your explanation, what i have read on several post has come to an understanding, as it is now clear for me they way it will work, as for those comments it should be as you say.
That are good news also for me cause i could not afford to increase my costs for this month, and means that later i would be able to throw some more $ for exp or addon.
And this will allow me to back Trickerion!! 🙂
@Tatxu – you will most likely be charged within an hour of the campaign end for any amount you pledged for.
Many companies (particularly miniatures game publishers) allow you to add additional items during the pledge manager that you didn’t add on for during the campaign, and these additions are paid for during the pledge manager. I’m not backing Conan, so I’m not sure if they’re allowing this… But if they are it’s probably in your best interest to back at only the pledge level amount now and wait for the PM to pay for additions. Pledge managers usually come months after the project has finished, allowing you to spread the pain.
Conan probably will allow this, as that’s how they’ll get your shipping money – a few months before its ready to ship they’ll let backers know to log back in to the pledge manager and pay their shipping bills.
I was trapped by Conan and now Trickerion is tempting me, it is like a song in my head…
Some of the backers here could kindly instruct me on how the end process is for backing? I am trying to get some answers on Kickstarter FAQ, but i am unable.
My basic doubt is: will i be charged in the very moment the project is funded and the campaing is over? Cause,as for my actual backing in Conan:
– I understood that at the end of the campaing i will add the shipping cost to my pledge, but i should be informed before on how much… so?
– There is a ‘Pledge Manager’ i should use to define with add-ons or bountys i want my pledges to be for…
Does all this means that i would have some time (a little at least…) to manage this and take my decisions once the campaing is over??
Get hooked by Trickerion and backed it up….I’m glad that the base game is language independant.
It should have been called Exploding Pile of Caca…
…yeah, I’m elitist.
Easy @Rich…
Nothing nefarious here. The creators didn’t list it as a tabletop game, so it doesn’t come up in our filters.
@Hai – that’s pretty close to what I suggested last week. You managed to state it more eloquently and concisely, of course…
@Rich LOL Does Exploding Kittens really need to be listed if everyone in the world is pledging it?
I am just cuz – but the case does strike me as interesting. +1 for using combined Xbox/Oatmeal/Marvel marketing savvy to make 5 mil but minus several billion points for not having the wherewithal to campaign under Tabletop Game rather than oopsie – Playing Cards.That’s a bit of a miscue – leads me to ponder if they were more interested in creating a phenomena than creating a game from the get-go.
Is it some weird board game elitism that’s led to Exploding Kittens not being listed? It strikes me as odd.
I am also convinced that had it just raised around $30k it would certainly be here.
UGH! After a lovely bit of rest thanks to Black Friday = The Kickstarter Greys – we enter Kickstarter Gold (Jan-March) when cabin fever + a return to disposable income and a rush for Gen Con product blows up the Kick.
I don’t even want to know what The Boy is looking at for a Conan budget as Team Coco just lays the smackdown over everything.
Trickerion: I love you. I want to turn away and scream ‘EURO!’ and hit the nearest fire exit. I can’t. I am spellbound. You look so gaslight. So complex, yet tasty. The price point is a bit high for a standard non-mini fueled game and yet you are a magical box bursting with content…and secrets. (Actually – I was pleasantly surprised by the price point and find it completely reasonable as this is a hefty game comparable to something akin to Dungeon Lords. TRICKERION!!!! *weeps openly*
There’s just too many ‘Have Tos’ on deck for me the moment.
Trickerion
Epic PvP
Heroes Wanted: SoL
TEG which I don’t even necessarily super want but is too good to pass up.
Along with Team Coco shenanigans AND The Sentinels of the Multiverse home site Pre-orders (DO NOT forget about those kiddos!) I fear this week’s Lazy Kickstarter Brunch is going to be more a budget discussion and a few ‘would have been niceys at another time’ are going to get cleaved. 🙁
My Dice Tower Support Pledge may be first to go…
When it comes to hearing about games or having them – I take the selfish road.
@Jim, credit for lighting up Trickerion at least in my case should be awarded to @HaiKulture
I am trying to schedule a tryout with my power gaming group (i have also a social gaming group, and even a family group hehe) using the print and play.
Depending on the success of this game test i will have to recalculate my monthly accounts to scratch somewhere the needed backing for this one… Also worried about final result of Conan: the SGs are becoming crazy for later shipping cost, but i expect that to Spain it should be not so much expensive.
EDITED: 14:55 time hour at Spain, Trickerion 100% funded already, less that 24hrs to 30.000$
Great to see Trickerion doing so well! The previews I’ve seen showcase a lovingly crafted game of significant complexity!
Another project that’s worth your attention is Battle of Durak – an awesome filler card game for just $14: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2132550955/battle-of-durak-battle-card-game
@Tatxu, I hear ya! Trickerion’s art is just fantastic, if the gameplay matches the same level of quality/fun it’s going to be a “must back”!
Oh ****! Trickerion just entered the project today… I am already into Conan, meaning that i think i would no able to support both investments on February…
I am just at this moment checking the game rules, and for those interested in making a try there is a print and play version. I am still checking it, and i think is an almost complete version, or at minimum more than enough to have a taste of how the game feels like.