My first game is at its last stage of play testing and I'm starting to think about how to fund my first print run. I haven't decided for certain to go for crowd funding instead of trying to find a publisher, but it looks like the simplest solution right now. I'm located in Sweden and learnt only recently that I can't run a kickstarter campaign from here. I've been looking for other crowd-funding services and indiegogo seems like my best option. But they dont have the same amount of board games that kickstarter has. Do you have any suggestions for me? Is indiegogo good or is there something better out there?
Crowd funding in Europe
Sun, 03/09/2014 - 15:38
Sun, 03/09/2014 - 18:49
#1
The Game Crafter (TGC)
TGC used Indiegogo for their 1st campaign which was for Shrink Wrapping of their games. They needed to buy a new machine for that purpose and wanted people to contribute towards the purchase of said machine.
It went very well and the rewards were very interesting. I personally funded the project by investing $50.00 (Featured Article Supporter). I got $75,000 crafter points (used mainly for advertising) and one article that can be published.
The campaign was very successful. You can check it out at:
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/shrink-wrapping-for-all-tabletop-games...
But people that I have spoken to say that Kickstaters' get MORE backers than other crowd funding sources. There are OTHER options for people interested in Kickstarter also...
Mon, 03/10/2014 - 15:56
#2
Indiegogo is ok for europe -
Indiegogo is ok for europe - there are also a few others, you have to google them. But they all lack the same: reach. Kickstarter is the only crowd funding platform with a decent reach. this is because they have been around that long already and they are quite renown.
And you have to remember that those platforms don't do the marketing for your project - you have to do that by yourself (a big mistake many project creators do).
its just stupid to put a project up and hope that someone will pledge for it "out of the blue". you have to advertise your project like hell to attract as many people to it as possible.
Personally, I would save some money and create high quality components to order a copy for my friends and myself from a print-on-demand service like game crafter instead of using a crowd funding platform to fund a print run. sounds too crazy in my ears (fund a niche project that targets a niche audience through a niche platform). but thats just my 2 cents!
Mon, 03/10/2014 - 16:49
#3
I agree with the "local
I agree with the "local grassroots" campaign strategy, however if you want the game to have more than local success, you will need to extend your reach somehow.
If you have a nice prototype available, why not send copies to the dozens of online game reviewers? If you're on The Game Crafter, I think there was a way to have your game submitted for review. It's one of the shipping options, I think.
The reason you may want to do this prior to an indiegogo or other campaign is because in order to be successful you can draw on these previous reviews for marketing materials: articles, videos, quotes, "let's play" sessions, and so on. All of these assets can be used to extend the reach of your game's campaign and help it earn a greater measure of success simply due to an "authoritative voice" saying something about the game.
Good luck and success to you, whatever route you take. :)
I appreciate all of these opinions. I've been looking at the game crafter but it only seem to offer quite generic components which wouldn't work for my game. My game uses a modular game board consisting of connected hexagons (like the terrain tiles in clash of cultures). I don't think you can do that on gamecrafter?
I actually have a few friends here in Sweden who are American citizens. Would it be possible to have one of them be the formally responsible for the kickstarter campaign, while I'm the one who runs it in practice? Or would this go against kickstarter's regulations?