Kickstarter has been a revelation for many industries, including the board game world. Thanks to this innovative concept, independent board game developers no longer need to choose between selling their idea or letting it rot in a cupboard. They can get the funding they need to turn their dream into a reality, all thanks to the power of community.
Of course, as with all Kickstarter campaigns, you can’t expect to receive backers just because you’ve asked for them. You’ll need to have a fully formed concept (not just an idea). You can think of Kickstarter as being almost the final hurdle before you can launch your product to the public.
In this post, we’ll run through some key tips that’ll help increase the likelihood that your board game Kickstarter campaign is a success.
Battle Test Your Game
As we said above, Kickstarter isn’t the place for board games that are still in the ideas stage. It’s for board games that are in the ready for production stage. You need money to produce real-world copies of your board game, and that’s it.
As such, your board game should be fully formed and ready for launch. You should have battle-tested your game with friends, family, and anyone who’s willing to play to ensure that all the kinks have been ironed out. If you wouldn’t make any adjustments to the game and it’s genuinely fun/creative/brilliant, then it’s ready for Kickstarter.
Make it Appealing
Of course, just because you’ve put your board game on Kickstarter, that doesn’t mean that people will automatically back it. One or two might, but you won’t get enough backers to reach your target (unless you’re really lucky, that is). Why? Because there are plenty of board games on Kickstarter. You’ll need to give backers a reason to choose yours over another that’s on the site. The quality of the game will help, but it’s also essential to include high-quality photos and videos of the game to help bring it to life. This isn’t something that you can do with your iPhone; for the videos, work with a board game video production company. For the images, recruit a professional photographer to take some high-quality snaps.
Ultimately, the goal isn’t just to make your board game sound good, but also to look good.
Offer a Variety of Rewards
You’d like to think that people would back your Kickstarter campaign just because they love the idea of your board game. That’s not the case. They’ll back it because they love it and they want to own it one day. Offering a variety of rewards can ensure that you attract as many people as possible. For instance, you could offer a basic package, which offers the game at a discounted rate; a medium package which includes a copy of the game; and the top package, which includes multiple copies of the game, customized accessories, and so forth.
Beyond these tips, it’s all about hoping that your campaign resonates with the public. Good luck!
