Board Game Crowdfunding Sites in 2026

Board game crowdfunding lets you collect the money for your print run from backers before the game is made. Seven crowdfunding sites matter for games. Three are built for tabletop games: Gamefound, GameOnTabletop and BackerKit. Kickstarter is a general site with the biggest tabletop audience, and Indiegogo, Ulule and Verkami serve wider or regional audiences.

Fees are now close: most crowdfunding platforms take a 5% platform fee plus payment processing of about 3% to 5%. So the choice comes down to audience, tools and region. This guide to crowdfunding for games compares Kickstarter and the main Kickstarter alternatives, with each site's strengths and drawbacks, then shows how to fund a board game campaign: the goal, the backers you need, and what comes after.

The Sites at a Glance

• Kickstarter: the largest audience; a general site with a huge tabletop category.
• Gamefound: built for tabletop games, with a strong pledge manager. It also runs Indiegogo since 2025.
• BackerKit: a pledge manager that now runs its own crowdfunding, popular with tabletop creators.
• Indiegogo: a general site, now on Gamefound's system.
• GameOnTabletop: a small site only for tabletop games.
• Ulule: a European site, strong in France.
• Verkami: a Spanish site for creative projects.

Fees change, so check each site's current rates before you budget.

Kickstarter: The Biggest Crowdfunding Site for Board Games

Kickstarter is the best-known crowdfunding platform in the world. Launched in 2009, it has become almost a synonym for crowdfunding. Creators of everything from gadgets to films use it, and tabletop games are one of its biggest categories.

Its reach is its biggest asset: millions of backers, and many of them come back to back game after game. Its all-or-nothing model means you only receive the money if you reach your goal, which encourages realistic goals and active promotion. Exploding Kittens raised over USD 8.7 million there, and Frosthaven nearly USD 13 million.

Fees and funding model:

• Platform fee: 5% of the money raised
• Payment processing: about 3% to 5% per pledge
• Funding model: all-or-nothing

Pros:

• Massive global audience
• Proven track record with high-profile successes
• Strong community of repeat backers

Cons:

• High competition, because so many games launch there
• A general site, so its own tools for add-ons and shipping are simpler than a tabletop site

Gamefound: The Specialist Site for Tabletop Games

Gamefound is a crowdfunding site made only for tabletop games. It began as a pledge manager built by the team behind Awaken Realms, and grew into a full crowdfunding platform. Awaken Realms runs its own campaigns there, such as ISS Vanguard, which raised millions.

Its focus on tabletop games sets it apart. It is designed around what game creators need: late pledges, add-ons, shipping set-up and pledge management in one place. Its audience is smaller than Kickstarter’s but focused on board games. In 2025 Gamefound bought Indiegogo, so a Gamefound campaign can also reach Indiegogo’s visitors.

To see how Gamefound compares with Kickstarter in detail, read Kickstarter vs Gamefound.

Fees and funding model:

• Platform fee: 5% of the money raised
• Payment processing: charged on top
• Funding model: all-or-nothing

Pros:

• Made for tabletop games
• Advanced pledge management tools
• An enthusiast board game community

Cons:

• Smaller audience than Kickstarter
• Less brand recognition outside tabletop gaming

BackerKit: The Pledge Manager That Became a Crowdfunding Site

BackerKit is best known as a pledge manager: the tool many campaigns use after Kickstarter to collect addresses, sell add-ons and charge shipping. In 2023 it launched its own crowdfunding platform, which is popular with tabletop creators.

Its strength is managing pledges: add-ons and shipping run in one place, with no third-party tools. It also offers pre-launch pages to build excitement before your campaign starts.

Fees and funding model:

• Platform fee: 5% of the money raised
• Payment processing: about 3% per pledge
• Funding model: all-or-nothing

Pros:

• The best-known pledge management tools
• Pre-launch pages built in
• One system from campaign to shipping

Cons:

• A smaller audience than Kickstarter
• Fewer backers browse it to discover new games

Indiegogo: The General Crowdfunding Site, Now Run by Gamefound

Indiegogo, launched in 2008, is one of the oldest crowdfunding sites. It hosts every kind of project, mostly gadgets and technology. Gamefound bought it in 2025, and Indiegogo now runs on Gamefound’s system.

For years its stand-out feature was flexible funding: you kept the money even if you missed your goal. New campaigns now use fixed, all-or-nothing funding, like Kickstarter. It suits games aimed at a broad, non-hobby audience, and it offers wide European payment options.

Fees and funding model:

• Platform fee: 5% of the money raised
• Payment processing: charged on top
• Funding model: all-or-nothing (fixed) for new campaigns

Pros:

• A broad, general audience
• Global reach and wide payment options
• Connected to Gamefound’s tabletop audience

Cons:

• Less focused on board games than the tabletop sites
• Its game community is smaller than Kickstarter’s

GameOnTabletop: The Niche Site for Tabletop Creators

GameOnTabletop is a small crowdfunding site only for tabletop games. It grew out of a French platform and went global, and it offers tools beyond crowdfunding: an online shop, order management and digital fulfilment.

For creators who want a site that understands tabletop games from start to finish, it is a focused choice. It hosts a small share of tabletop campaigns each year.

Fees and funding model:

• Platform fee: about 5% (2024 figure; check the current rate)
• Payment processing: varies
• Funding model: all-or-nothing

Pros:

• Only tabletop games
• Tools for selling after the campaign
• Strong creator support

Cons:

• A small audience
• Little brand recognition outside tabletop gaming

Ulule: The European Crowdfunding Site

Ulule is a French crowdfunding site for creative projects of every kind, including board games. Its audience is mostly in France and the rest of Europe.

It is a good fit if your main market is French-speaking or European. It is known for supporting ethical and sustainable projects, but it accepts all creative projects. Since April 2025, backers pay a small service fee on each pledge.

Fees and funding model:

• Platform fee: a commission on the money raised (check the current rate)
• Service fee: paid by backers since April 2025
• Funding model: all-or-nothing

Pros:

• A strong European, especially French, community
• Support for ethical and sustainable projects
• A growing community of like-minded backers

Cons:

• Less reach outside Europe
• A smaller tabletop audience than the big sites

Verkami: The Spanish Crowdfunding Site for Creative Projects

Verkami is a Spanish crowdfunding site for creative projects, including board games. It has a strong following in Spain and the Spanish-speaking world.

It suits creators with a strong artistic vision who target Spanish-speaking players. It is simple to use and has a loyal, if small, audience.

Fees and funding model:

• Platform fee: about 5% (2024 figure; check the current rate)
• Payment processing: varies
• Funding model: all-or-nothing

Pros:

• Strong support for creative projects
• A dedicated following in Spanish-speaking countries
• A simple, friendly interface

Cons:

• Limited reach outside Spanish-speaking regions
• A smaller audience than the global sites

How to Choose a Crowdfunding Site

The right site is the one where your players already are. Ask four questions:

1. Who are your players? Hobby gamers browse Kickstarter and Gamefound; a mass-market party game may find more buyers on a general site.
2. Where are they? Ulule and Verkami are strongest in France and Spain.
3. How complex is your campaign? Many add-ons, stretch goals and shipping zones need strong pledge tools, which the tabletop sites offer.
4. Where is your own audience? Your followers will back you on any site, so pick the one that makes it easy for them.

How to Set Your Funding Goal

Set a lean funding goal: only what you need to make the game and get it to your main warehouse. For example, if 500 games cost USD 10 each, production is USD 5,000. Freight to a warehouse in your main market might add USD 1,000. Your goal is then USD 6,000.

Leave out sunk costs, the money you have already spent on design, art, the campaign page and video. You spend it whether the campaign succeeds or not. Leaving it out makes the goal easier to reach, and reaching it means you can at least make and deliver the game. A buffer of 5% to 10% covers platform fees, refunds and small freight changes.

How Many Backers You Need

Divide the goal by the price of your game. At a USD 45 game and a USD 6,000 goal, you need about 133 backers.

Aim to reach the goal on the first day, or at least within 48 hours. Sites promote campaigns that fund fast, which brings more backers. To get 133 backers on day one:

• About 15% of the people who follow your campaign page back it, so you need about 890 followers.
• About 6% of email subscribers back it.
• Fewer than 1% of social media followers back it.
• In a good campaign, ads cost about USD 2 to 3 per new follower. At about 15% conversion, each backer won through ads costs roughly USD 20.

For more on building that audience, read our crowdfunding fundamentals.

After the Campaign

After the campaign, a pledge manager collects addresses, sells add-ons and charges shipping. Then the games are made and sent to backers. Our guide to Kickstarter fulfillment explains how to get each game to its backer, including straight from China.

Crowdfunding Sites Compared

All seven sites use all-or-nothing funding for new campaigns: you are paid only if you reach your goal. Here are the key differences side by side.

Fees change, so check each site before you budget.

Conclusion

Each crowdfunding site serves a different creator. Kickstarter has the largest audience. Gamefound, BackerKit and GameOnTabletop are built around tabletop games and their pledge tools. Indiegogo reaches a general audience, Ulule a European one, and Verkami a Spanish-speaking one. The best choice depends on your game, your players and your own audience, more than on the fee.