It's not uncommon for Kickstarter projects to have release dates that get pushed back, and pushed back, and pushed back. Note: Kickstarter exclusives that don't affect gameplay are fine.įacebook Twitter Reddit Messenger WhatsApp Copy Link 3. They're left with a lesser game that's missing gameplay components. Not to mention that anyone who enters the board gaming hobby at a later time-long after the Kickstarter has ended-misses out on those exclusives through no fault of their own. It's not like the creator will never be able to print those cards or manufacture those pieces, is it? It's manipulative in a "Buy now before it's too late!" sense, and it's all due to artificial scarcity. These limited-time "offers" prey on the FOMO of board gamers, who may feel compelled to collect everything to maximize gameplay value-and we all know how much overlap there is between avid board gamers and collectors. Often times, these special bonuses are sold as "never to be available again." And it's worst when those bonuses affect actual gameplay, such as in the case of limited edition cards. If you pledge X amount, you only get the base game if you pledge X+Y amount, you get the base game and some cool swag if you pledge X+Y+Z amount, you get exclusive Kickstarter-only bonuses. I'm talking about Kickstarter exclusives. It's not a uniquely Kickstarter phenomenon-just look at video game microtransactions-but the design of Kickstarter's tiered rewards system seems to encourage it. There's something about the Kickstarter experience that tempts creators to milk their supporters for as much cash as possible.
User reviews are important in this day and age. This is the same reason why I don't pre-order games or buy Early Access games. Or maybe the creator really did intend for the game to be what they initially promised, but the design goes through several revisions after you've already pledged, so what you chose to back isn't what you receive in the end.īecause Kickstarter games aren't available to the public, reviews may be sparse or non-existent-and if there are any reviews, they could be highly suspect since reviewers often have a vested interest in maintaining quid-pro-quo relationships. The rulebook might be impossible to parse. The component pieces might be sourced from bottom-shelf manufacturers. The gameplay may not actually be what was described in the campaign description. Once pledged, you never know what you're going to get. There's a lot of crap to sift through, which makes pledging to any particular campaign a huge gamble. But most Kickstarter board games are on Kickstarter for a reason. Kickstarter has lowered the barrier to entry so much that many projects, if they actually ship at all, end up being subpar in quality-whether that quality is in gameplay, component pieces, customer service, or whatever else.Īre there occasional homeruns? Sure, I won't deny that. That is, after all, one of the main draws to using Kickstarter in the first place-being able to crowdfund something new.īut that also means that these projects don't go through the same rigorous testing that established publishers demand before they approve something for retail distribution. Game Quality Is UnknownĪ lot of Kickstarter projects are independently published. Here are several reasons why I will never back a Kickstarter board game, or any crowdfunded board game campaign. I've used it a few times in the past to support a handful of indie video games, but I've regretted it each and every time.Īs it turns out, the risks are real: when someone asks you to front an investment and promises something in return, there are plenty of things that can go wrong between the moment you pledge and the expected receipt of promised rewards.Īnd from what I've seen on Kickstarter and heard from people around the board gaming community, board games appear riskier to participate in than other kinds of crowdfunded projects.
Let's put it on record: I'm no fan of Kickstarter.
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