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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@Taxtu I completely got the gist of your statement about MYTH and don’t think you have any reason to apologize. Kickstarter is all about cardboard market speculation and we all have our own reasons why or why not we choose to back – to sing praises at the top of our voices in support or shoot dark daggers from our eyes.
MYTH was a beautiful product and a generous first campaign. I didn’t back it – The Boy did – but we both eagerly awaited it last holiday. It was indeed beautiful when it arrived. My toes twitched as I sorted it. And we played it and had fun despite a swiss cheese rulebook and much house ruling. And they are making amends and significantly retooling and offering the ‘physical patch’ extremely cheap. But for awhile they were reeeeeeeeeally silent and tip-toey skimmed the rim of the MYTH hole until it started to cut into their MERCS campaign.
There are companies I will back without a second thought: Level 99, Greater Than, Dice Hate Me, Evil Hat because they have proven themselves to me both in campaign running and product.
There are others I avoid by choice like C’MON. (Unfortunately, The Boy is a member of the Cult of the Cool Nots). I think their games are pretty, but not always good. Their campaigns are rife with overt marketing psychology. I had someone scream in my face like I was besmirching the plastic messiah when I pointed out that unlocking a ‘free’ zombie mini as a stretch goal that comes with the side purchase of a regular ‘survivor’ is illusory generosity and empty stretch goaling. But more power to them – as they are some of the most successful campaigns on the Kick – just not my cup of tea.
@Paladin, i wanted only to put an example of a KS i finally decided not to get into and the reasons why, did not intend to make a bad review.
In fact while i have played some quick ones with my retail copy, i have also stand at the game discussion page there is a very good game behind the mistakes, totally different from any other dungeon crawl and with incredible mechanics.
The game will be highly improved with the actual KS: i have also ready check the new version rules and they are very good and clear now, as you say replacement of cards, structured play (i like adventuring a lot as a innovative mechanic aslo for a Dungeon Crawler) and all in great variety.
My try was to example different kind of SGs: the ones which improve the base product against the ones which gives freebies. Each one has his pros and cons, and i like more the first ones (but also backed Conan and as said most probably i would make similar opinion than to Myth campaing, someboy here to share my fears?).
Finally my opinion, again every company can make things as he likes and the final decision is for each purchaser, this kind of campaing rushing to add goodies or freebies increases the risk of forgetting the quality of the base product.
Once more, time will say, this is valid also for Conan in which day by day i am losing confidence…
Again just talking about different types of KS, not blaming MegaCon. No for nothing i did my homework to fix and gather my friends, MYTH is a great game i am happy to have in my collection.
@Taxtu: MegaCon has clearly offered their apologies and admitted that the original Myth core game release was rushed and somewhat incomplete.
They are offering replacements for all of the core game cards AT COST for $6 plus shipping in this project. It speaks volumes to their integrity and willingness to learn from mistakes.
I’ve got six types of monsters and eight classes to choose from, and I love every session that we get this game to the table. You’ve got the option to get in on that same MOUNTAIN of fun with one of the current add-ons, that’s allowing people that missed the original to complete their collection.
But, to each his own. At this moment 3,168 people are supporting Journeyman and eagerly awaiting the MASSIVE amount of miniatures and freebies offered alongside the COMPLETELY OPTIONAL add-ons. While you’re welcome to skip it, it’s pretty clear that MegaCon is doing plenty of things right.
@provincialguardian
I am quite new at KS (just backed now ATT and it would be my third one, after Blood Rage and Conan, but i read a lot here and follow some other previous KS before finally taking the decision on getting into it.
Basically i dedide taking the asumption that i am paying more than i would pay in retail (later explanation) so i balance what i would get as reward for my increased cost. And of course make a little research for the guarantee and real quality of the product.
I am paying more cause:
– It is a pay in advance (a great advance, months or years!), i spend the money now i will not have my product until quite some time, so i am taking this money from inmediate purchases i could make.
– Shipping fees: are expensive as for my experience, taking in account that i am in Spain. But if i would wait for online importation retailers on my conuntry i would buy this products almost shipping free in comparison.
So, the deal is that i am assuming both this cost, what i would have that i will not waiting for retail?
I recently decided to not support KS projects with oversized costs in addons and lot of stuff as SG and little or none improvement of the base game:
Trickerion, i could not get into economically at that moment, but for me is a very good example of a KS in which the SGs are improving the base game and not only adding stuff.
Myth, i have been recently quite dissapointed in the way they manage the product (i am not saying it is bad, but i decided it is not for me) I bought the retail version, and got a game that needed a lot of fixing, including substitution of ALL the cards included in it, due to mistakes, rules not clear etc… As recently the have launch the new KS i checked the first one: as they are doing now they added lot of addons, SG stuff… but sorry, you launched and unfinished untested product… And even more, not being in the KS at first meaned that even fixing the game as a homework, i would quickly get bored of killing the same enemies… cause i do not get all the SGs minis and purchasing later is too expensive.
I do not like this kind of KS in which retail is so penalized, at the end the target of the backing is to allow a company to put a product on the market… a good product.
Now hoping all this does not happen on Conan, in which i am feeling also that the game mechanics were far from being almost defined when the KS ended
It’s interesting reading everyone’s comments. I find myself, at times getting drawn into the KS hype that a new game offers. The prospect of being on the front line of a new game with tantalizing backer rewards can be very exciting. The question that I keep coming back to is whether most of these games (not including offerings from established companies) would have ever been published w/o KS. I realize that there are a few examples of highly successful games that no doubt would have been successful otherwise. What I keep landing on is if all the waiting, backer rewards, and receiving the first copies of a game are actually worth it?
No doubt that everyone arrives at this decision from a different perspective, and I will always respect that. I just wonder if it is worth the risk and wait? If the game is going to be successful, it is going to pass the consumer test. Just wondering how the rest of you weigh in on this?
I’m backing Dragoon right now, and at some point today I need to decide whether I want Above & Below. I mean, I know that I want it – but as it stands, it’s doing plenty well, so I might as well wait for it to hit retail instead of tying up dollars ahead of time.
2nd edition + expansion of ATT for me for sure!
i would like to pledge into some others… but considering also shipping fees of my liked games to EU on KS my wallet only stands one a month…
I think Castle Assault, Valeria, and Best Treehouse Ever deserve a look.
@ Paladin : I’ve got the same feeling, I was backing 1 game here and there but for the last month it’s going crazy…lots of games playable solo(I mean a lot)..some french version avalaible…and some under 50 buck
I backed:
– Far Space Fundry…I hope it reaches the minimum pledge level
– Burgle Bros…I’m glad getting the cardboard tiles and I hope that it reaches the custom meeples reward
– Above in Bellow…not playable solo but I love storytelling games
– Ancient Terrible Thing expansion
– Thunderbirds…It’s expensive but it’s a coop game by Matt Leacock (love his games), it can play solo and has a french version
I’m still undecided for:
– Mistfall…because it can play solo but right it look similar Assault on Doomrock
– Lord of the Ice Garden… waiting for the Solo Variant reward to be unlocked and a reduced shipping fees (to Canada it’s 50% of the game price). I’m sad that I might miss this one
– Castle Assault
– Battleborn Legacy
– Cave Pilot
– Train Heist…love the theme, it’s a coop game and it’s from Canada
– TrainMaker
It makes me feel great to pledge for Kickstarter games but I will be happier when I’ll receive any games I pledge for…
I’m also backing burgle bros! Looks like a fun game.
I’ve caught the kickstarter bug, so I am also backing Bottom of the 9th. I love baseball, and I love 2 player games. Watched a few games; this one is right up my alley. Also excited that Imperial Harvest met all of the character stretch goals, looks like a fun game!
I am backing Burgle Bros. There is a print and play along with decent reviews that show you how to play. It looks fun.
In case y’all missed my rambling Discussion comment, please check out Far Space Foundry.
I’m backing WAY too many projects right now, but FSF is my favorite — and that’s coming from a hardcore Myth fan boy.
Any fan of gritty fantasy RPGs should check out Shadow of the Demon Lord by my good friend Rob Schwalb. He’s one of the best creative minds in the RPG industry for both story and mechanics. The system is designed for single/one-shot 2 – 4 hour sessions.
Vault Wars looks to be a HUGE amount of fun for a pledge of just $20. Essentially a tabletop version of the Storage Wars TV show with fantasy theming.
Man, that is a LOT of games! I think I’m going to go back Mistfall – seems like a potentially fun solo offering.
Sorry we’re a day late on this – I had no internet access yesterday