{"id":34123,"date":"2025-05-19T04:32:07","date_gmt":"2025-05-19T04:32:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/herotime1.com\/?p=34123"},"modified":"2025-10-03T06:47:48","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T06:47:48","slug":"how-to-avoid-a-failed-kickstarter-campaign-for-your-board-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/herotime1.com\/academy\/marketing\/how-to-avoid-a-failed-kickstarter-campaign-for-your-board-game\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Avoid a Failed Kickstarter Campaign for Your Board Game"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Launching a board game on Kickstarter can be one of the most exciting and nerve-wracking experiences for any game designer. You\u2019ve spent months, maybe even years, developing your game, playtesting, refining, and dreaming about sharing it with the world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

But when it comes time to actually launch your campaign to the public, the unfortunate truth is that many creators see their campaigns struggle or even fail entirely.<\/span><\/p>

The harsh reality of crowdfunding is that most campaigns don\u2019t reach their targets. Making this unpleasant reality even worse is the fact that most failed campaigns don\u2019t even come close to reaching their goals.<\/span><\/p>

According to data published by Statista<\/span><\/a>, the overwhelming majority of unsuccessful Kickstarters generate less than 20% of their funding goals. In other words, these projects don\u2019t even raise enough to be close to viable for manufacturing and distribution.<\/span><\/p>

As a game creator, this can feel really worrying. No one wants to invest the huge amounts of time required for a crowdfunding campaign only to have it fall short of their goals.<\/span><\/p>

However, there is good news in what seems like a tough situation. While success on Kickstarter or Gamefound definitely isn\u2019t guaranteed, there are clear patterns that separate the campaigns that succeed from those that don\u2019t.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

We\u2019ve identified these signs and patterns in some of the many successful game crowdfunding campaigns we\u2019ve assisted with as a board game manufacturer.<\/span><\/p>

It\u2019s also true that the earlier you start preparing, the more of these patterns you can put to work for your game to increase your odds of success with crowdfunding. Most Kickstarter mistakes are very avoidable, and planning ahead is by far the best way to avoid them successfully.<\/span><\/p>

Below, we\u2019ll take a look at the key reasons why board game crowdfunding campaigns fail, as well as what you can do differently to increase your game\u2019s chances of being a crowdfunding success story.<\/span><\/p>

The goal is to help you avoid putting in effort without rewards. Success with crowdfunding is very, <\/span>very<\/span><\/i> possible — we\u2019ve seen it first hand — and if you can approach your campaign with realistic expectations and a solid plan, you have a high chance of getting it.<\/span><\/p>

Let\u2019s get started by looking at why some crowdfunding campaigns fail and what it can teach us about the process.<\/span><\/p>

Why Do Board Game Crowdfunding Campaigns Fail?<\/span><\/h2>

Jamey from Stonemaier Games <\/span>published a great list<\/span><\/a> in 2021 outlining the major reasons why Kickstarter campaigns fail. His insights are very accurate, and we recommend going over this list before you launch to understand what often contributes to a failed campaign.<\/span><\/p>

The key reasons are:<\/span><\/p>

  1. People don\u2019t want your product (e.g. lack of interest in your specific game)<\/span><\/li>
  2. Your price is too high<\/span><\/li>
  3. Your art and graphic design aren\u2019t impactful<\/span><\/li>
  4. The game isn\u2019t properly marketed (this is a big one we see very often)<\/span><\/li>
  5. Lack of trust in your product and\/or team<\/span><\/li>
  6. Lack of community before and during your campaign<\/span><\/li>
  7. Bad timing (sometimes due to unfortunate luck) or a rushed campaign<\/span><\/li>
  8. People don\u2019t understand what your game is about or how it works<\/span><\/li>
  9. No feeling of urgency to motivate people to back your game<\/span><\/li>
  10. Lacking compassion and inclusion (e.g. alienating your audience)<\/span><\/li><\/ol>

    We recommend going over this post and making a list of these common sources of failure as a way to audit your campaign for potential issues. Criticizing your own product is harsh, and you probably won\u2019t feel good during the process, especially if you notice flaws in your approach.<\/span><\/p>

    However, this is a very powerful way to spot red flags early in the process of preparing for your campaign, and the insights you notice can be very, very valuable for helping you improve and increase your chances of success.<\/span><\/p>

    Remember that succeeding with crowdfunding is 50% doing things right, and another 50% <\/span>not doing things wrong<\/b>. If you spot something wrong early, you can fix it easier before you invest more of your time and energy into your campaign.<\/span><\/p>

    How to Avoid a Failed Kickstarter Campaign<\/span><\/h2>

    Validate Your Game Before You Launch<\/span><\/h3>

    When you launch your campaign on Kickstarter, your goal is to create an emotional connection with your backers. This is what builds trust and inspires people to back your game. Your game is not yet available and people are taking a risk by supporting you, so you need to build a strong connection to motivate them to feel confident taking this risk.<\/span><\/p>

    One of the harshest truths in crowdfunding is that a great-looking campaign can fall flat if your game idea itself doesn\u2019t resonate with your target audience of backers. This is why it\u2019s so important to validate your game with honest feedback before you ever start working on your campaign page or marketing.<\/span><\/p>

    This feedback can come through blind playtesting, pitching your game at conventions or local meetups, and observing how players respond when you\u2019re not there to explain the game to them.<\/span><\/p>

    While feedback from your friends can also be very valuable, remember that they are already emotionally attached to you and don\u2019t necessarily reflect what the public, who don\u2019t yet know you, are going to think and feel about your game.<\/span><\/p>

    You can also test demand by offering a free print-and-play version of your game, or a Tabletop Simulator demo, then tracking how many people download it or play it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

    If the response to your game is lukewarm, it may be a sign that your game needs some further development before it\u2019s ready to show to the public.<\/span><\/p>

    Validating early can save you enormous amounts of time, money, and heartache later on. The difference between a successful game and an average one is huge, so investing time here to truly validate your game concept and refine it into something people respond to strongly is very much worth it.<\/span><\/p>

    Build Your Audience Months Before You Launch Your Campaign<\/span><\/h3>

    One of the most common myths about Kickstarter is that the platform itself will bring you enough backers for your project to succeed. Not reliably true! While Kickstarter can expose your project to new audiences and help you get in front of backers, the reality is that successful campaigns bring their own supporters to Kickstarter.<\/span><\/p>

    Audience building is a key pre-launch step that needs to start months before your campaign goes live. You can start by collecting emails from interested players using landing pages or lead magnets, e.g. as a free print-and-play version, exclusive artwork, or behind-the-scenes content that\u2019s related to your game.<\/span><\/p>

    The goal is to build and nurture a community of people who are already excited about your game and emotionally invested in its success by the time you launch. This audience will become your early backers and your biggest supporters, and the momentum these people create will drive the Kickstarter algorithm to show your game to as many people as possible.<\/span><\/p>

    The first 48 hours are very important for Kickstarter, as early success drives the algorithm and can signal to Kickstarter your campaign has potential, creating a feedback loop that gives you more and more visibility.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

    Create a Compelling Story & Hook for Your Game<\/span><\/h3>

    A Kickstarter page is your opportunity to tell a story that excites and connects with your backers emotionally. Your campaign page needs to clearly answer three key questions:<\/span><\/p>