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Finally kickstarting

I've got the business license, made business banking account, website. The whole 9 yards. It's Orc con in cali. I'm here and I began the kickstarter before I left. This post will either be an alter to my success or a monument to my failure. I got sick to my stomach on the way here, worrying. I hope beyond all hope I succeed.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1226277438/tile-pile-a-dexterity-me...

Comments

Awesome!

Well, good luck to you, sir. I will be there demo'ing my game as well (a card game called "Conquest at Kismet") this weekend, except I've already signed to a game studio to publish.

I had considered Kickstarter, but my friends (that have had experience with KS) mentioned it was like creating and maintaining a business (to which your post confirms). To be honest, I'm not a business person, but you seem to have it down!

I'll definitely look for you this weekend.

45k seems really ambitious

45k seems really ambitious but good luck. Also, I enjoyed some of the advice offered in this thread although I can't say how much applies to your project.

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1314899/lessonsobservations-my-failed-k...

My first thought is to ditch the bell and find a less expensive way to trigger who finishes.

Are the rules available anywhere? I watched the video and it looks like a player is given a card with a word on it and has to find the specific letter chips to spell it out.

Are there any other variants? Personally , I think I would find it much more fun spell out what I want with the length or category of the word being the limitation. And maybe make certain letters worth more points than others. For example, have a category like "politics" and players race to spell out a word ("senate") that meets that criteria. You get extra points for finishing early (first person to complete a word matching that category gets a bonus, 2nd person a less valuable bonus card, etc) but longer words get more points as well. Perhaps a sand timer instead of a bell?

Anyway, just some thoughts if you end up modifying the rules at some point.

I'll see you there,

I'll see you there, Mouse.

The bell is a definitive answer to who finished first. Ties happened a lot ending with a "who finished first" discussion. The ding really drives home that the round has ended and it's also satisfying to the ringer. My only other option I could think of is each player has a plastic coaster of sorts and slams it down in the center of the table.

Your idea is nice but completely rewrites my game. I got away from scrabble scoring to separate my game from scrabble as much as possible. Also, it's kiiiinda too late to change anything seeing as I'm kickstarting it now. lol. thanks though.

Ok, instead of letters being

Ok, instead of letters being worth more points like scrabble, you could have longer words worth more points. 3 letter words= 3 points, 4 letter=6 points, 5 letter=10 points (i.e., pyramid scoring). No need for a big overhaul in this case assuming you make changes down the road (hope it funds regardless).

I disagree on the bell point since you could simply have a card that someone grabs first and cards are less expensive than bells. :-) Plus bells are a little annoying IMO to be honest. You could still have a sand-timer so players still have to finish within a certain time limit (but players who finish before others get a bonus). I like this because it's not an all-or-nothing racing kind of scoring. A player might not be fast (like grandma) but can get a decent score if they spell out a long word in three minutes or whatever.

Another benefit of categories is that you don't have to worry about IP issues. So I assume you can't have a card like "Spiderman" for copyright infringement. However card that says "a super hero" leaves it up to the players to spell out and I think this avoids infringement.

NewbieDesigner wrote:45k

NewbieDesigner wrote:
45k seems really ambitious but good luck. Also, I enjoyed some of the advice offered in this thread although I can't say how much applies to your project. My first thought is to ditch the bell and find a less expensive way to trigger who finishes.

That is a really good thread. Thanks for pointing it out. I also agree about the bell. Not only is it a costly component, but it adds significant shipping weight. I also wonder if the inevitable dinging sounds from the package could delay transit time. I know that sounds weird, but we used to manufacture dog collars and had to stop including complimentary dog treats when shipping overseas because they drove the drug sniffing dogs wild, resulting in shipping delays while the packages were inspected. People are touchy these days about oblong boxes that occasionally ding. :)

One thing I noted about the KS is that although the presentation video is polished, it doesn't actually sell the KS. From what I've seen, people like their Kickstarter videos like they like their divine revelations. They want to be addressed directly by the creator, which you do . . . way down at the bottom of the page (what the hell happened to that door behind you?). The video with you speaking and actual people playing the game, that sells the product. The projects I've seen with gimmick videos consistently fare poorly. Entertaining as they may be, nobody is backing this for your video production skills, so the '50s shtick is as relevant as you demonstrating your cake baking or kung fu skills.

"Pit your children with their small, quick hands against adults with their larger, less dexterous hands." Kind of a misnomer. Size doesn't equate to dexterity, particularly since kids are still developing their fine motor skills. They are also at a disadvantage in terms of vocabulary. When writing copy for a game like this that facilitates play between adults and children, you want to emphasize the developmental properties, not competition between age groups. Focus on how parents can have a fun time helping their children. Your game fits the needs of speech, developmental, and occupational therapists. Marketed properly, that group alone could fund its production.

Move "How your money is spent" down into the risks and challenges section. The focus is too much on money, not enough on the actual game, which will make backers feel uneasy. It feels like you are anxious about production, not passionate about your product.

How to Play should precede the discussion of game components. I never watch the KS videos when deciding whether or not to back. If someone can't explain their game in writing with flawless spelling and sterling grammar on the KS page then they have no chance in hell of writing a good rulebook.

Nobody cares about the original components being wood. You can delete that entire paragraph. We gamer-types all know that people prototype and that there are problems with those prototypes. However, people who don't understand that concept, which include the more casual game player that you are targeting, are going to hone in on the problems with your materials and wonder if similar issues will arise with the plastics. Discussing prototypes is what you do in the updates section.

If the bulk of your cost are those plastic tiles and you are retailing at $40 then you need a better supplier. Letter tiles retail for as little as .05 each -- that's retail, not wholesale -- so adding massive production costs to reinvent the wheel by making custom round tiles may be hurting your chances of funding. Then again, you don't indicate exactly what the backer will receive. How many counters? How many cards? Tokens? Does it come in a box, a bag, a taxidermist walrus? Most importantly, are the letters going to be engraved or printed onto the tiles?

"Cards are cards." Not so! Allow me to translate what you have written: "Although I am publishing a game, I do not understand enough to give details about the game cards. I am depending on the printer in China to decide these matters." How many pounds is the stock? Glossy or matte finish? Give details. They matter.

"Should this kickstarter project become funded, a stretch goal will be created to make custom poker chips for Tile Pile." You are saying that you haven't bothered to create stretch goals because you don't really expect the project to fund. The whole point of stretch goals is to lay them out ahead of time to tantalize backers. Vague, wishy-washy statements are confidence killers, especially when you are cavalierly suggesting a potential stretch goal that would drastically influence production costs, shipping weight, etc.

Bulk out your Risks and challenges statement. Anymore, this section is essential. It should reflect your mission statement, your business plan, ideology, experience, whatever you can bring to the table. Mention the cons you've demoed at, consumer reactions. There is nothing that inspires confidence.

0 Backed - First Created

I think another problem identified by another fellow designer is that you have backed 0 other Kickstarters and this is your first project.

People are looking to contribute to projects which the author is somehow *involved* with the Kickstarter community.

Take "Exploding Kittens", Ellan Lee backed 145 Kickstarter projects... He was contributing towards the success of other people's endeavors. And then he decided to launch his OWN Kickstarter which has been insanely backed... The top project ever backed!

Who knew: "Exploding Kittens" is the IN-THING?!?!

BUT I think your video is cool... You've done a lot to help promote your game. The only thing is the questionable ending to your video: "I don't have kids..." It's a little bit strange IMHO.

questccg wrote:Take

questccg wrote:
Take "Exploding Kittens", Ellan Lee backed 145 Kickstarter projects... He was contributing towards the success of other people's endeavors. And then he decided to launch his OWN Kickstarter which has been insanely backed... The top project ever backed!

I strongly disagree. It is widely known that Exploding Kittens only took off like that solely because of Matthew Inman's involvement. His 3,175,965 Facebook likes influenced things far more than Ellan Lee backing a Desktop Jellyfish Tank in 2011. The Oatmeal gets four million unique visitors a month and Inman is earning 500k annually from the site, most of that from merchandising. The majority of the backers are either new to KS or have only backed a small number of projects themselves. Most will never back another game on KS. Ellan Lee's involvement in the KS community doesn't matter one bit to them. I doubt they even care if the game is good.

This isn't too different from Amanda Palmer's KS in 2012. There are countless KS projects started by talentless hacks looking to produce a music album, but this particular hack is also Neil Gaiman's wife, so she brought in 1.2 mil in a KS category dominated by failure. Even C-list celebrities will do well on KS if they have loyal fans and name recognition. How many projects you've backed is fairly meaningless.

Good luck!

You've received some very good input from others...one thing I'll mention as a former KS creator is that communication is key. While you don't want to inundate your Backers' e-mail inbox with daily Updates, keep them abreast of the latest information on the project. Also, if you haven't done so, check out James Mathe's information and Jamey Stegmaier's blog:

http://stonemaiergames.com/kickstarter/

As to whether or not one should be a Backer before launching, there's a bit of a difference of opinion above, but I'll say that my experience, especially having backed a number of projects and reading the comments over at BGG, "0 Backed First Created" is a comment which sends up signals to those who might consider your project. None of us who have posted on this thread are national web-celebrities or married to famous authors, so I believe that both the Exploding Kittens and the Gaiman's wife projects serve as outliers on any serious analysis of Kickstarter projects. As always, YMMV.

Cheers,
Joe

Whole heatedly Agree w/ Joe (AKA: The Professor)

The Stone Maier Games information on KS and Hitchhikers information from James Mathe is VERY important (IMO).

Buzz creation is huge and it's something that I am struggling in creating, having a huge following like those from Exploding Kittens is the key, but getting there is a challenge.

I wish you success, and consider BGG and groups on FB/Tumblr/Twitter to enhance your message's delivery.

(Edited to put in link below for BUZZ Creation)
http://www.jamesmathe.com/the-enlightened-path-to-virtual-popularity/

Even if all of the

Even if all of the "generating buzz" advice was done, I'm just not sure the components and gameplay are sufficient even at a much lower funding level like 10k. The gameplay seems isolated to young kids and I'm just not seeing how this will find an audience on Kickstarter. Personally, I would cancel the project and perhaps come up with some new ideas such as injecting a creative aspect into the game where players get to spell things instead of frantically rushing to find something that is more stressful than fun for many people. Plus a memory aspect is a big turn-off to many gamers.

Video

questccg wrote:
BUT I think your video is cool... You've done a lot to help promote your game. The only thing is the questionable ending to your video: "I don't have kids..." It's a little bit strange IMHO.

I almost always dislike the little short film kickstarter videos. I'm here to learn about the game, not to watch a student film with bad jokes. I also wonder why it's so popular for kickstarter videos to focus so much on the bio of the creator, but maybe other people want to know this kind of stuff?

The video for exploding kittens is great for a kickstarter. They start by grabbing your attention with game art, showing off a few exciting things about their game to hook you. They introduce themselves for just a few seconds before jumping into an overview of the game. You want your video to tell a story? Let the description of your game be the story.

Thanks everyone for the

Thanks everyone for the feedback. Now to address everything I can. (From my phone, on the trip home from work)

Unfortunately, the game's design can't/won't be changed. The suggestions to gameplay and scoring have all been tried in previous iterations and this is the culmination. (3 Rounds of 3 sets. Words get longer each round. Players search for their word which are all the same length.) Newbiedesigner, I would love to have you play it. Granted, it IS simple, you might enjoy it, but if you have your mind made up then it will be an un-enjoyable game no matter what.

The page itself: you'd rather have my talking head as the title video than the skit? (which explains the game through the announcer's voice) if so, I can respect that. I actually like flash with a quick overview of rules and a little gameplay. Which is why I did it like I did. (I also wanted morbid humor at the end. I couldn't bring myself to do a sappy, thumbs up and a smile end.) Ghostbusters is selling like hotcakes without ANY explanation of gameplay. its getting by on figures, name, and possibly publisher name. (Kickstarter is now a gamestop pre-order system with promos but I digress). The cards are cards was because they are/should always be, good quality. The only time I've had bad quality cards was Monty Python Fluxx. Honestly, I really should have jazzed everything up. When selling the car, make everything look good, even the air freshener. I needed hype and buzz: 2 things i have no idea on how to do aside from having a (pseudo)celebrity play it for youtube or pass out copies of the game, which I don't have, to reviewers. Having a friend or "a friend" hype it on reddit was a suggestion from your link, eberhart. Neutral evil, but you gotta do what you gotta do. I actually have ads running on bgg right now but that's after my game launched. No pre-launch hype or buzz.

COST: I am using panda GM to publish. Of all the other publishers, they're the only ones to respond and quote me. The tile letters will be laser etched and the tooling alone is 7-8k. Also, the minimum number of copies is 1,500. OUTRAGEOUS! (I know) So that translates to the overall kickstarter amount as well. Wood letter tiles are ugly, make people compare my game to scrabble, the edges HURT when playing, and stain from oils and dirt on your hands and table from constant handling. The bell is a big problem as you've all stated. I guess a card would work, but I'm sure it will get damaged as people reach for it. I wanted to use a plastic Staples "easy" button as it may be cheaper. Maybe a rubber coaster which people can slam there hand on? I'm open to any ideas. All the kids at the recent convention praised the bell without prompt. I'm just sad that I would have to use garbage components just to satisfy a consumer's desire to get a lot for very little. If you guys know of any manufacturer which you or someone you know has worked with I am 100% willing to talk to them, explore my options and get a quote.

I'll be reading that stonemaier link when I get the chance.

What real-time, flip-a-tile

What real-time, flip-a-tile games have you played? Two off hand that come to mind and are fun include Mondo and Galaxy Trucker. Granted, these are more complex but that is the market these days. Flipping over scattered tiles to spell a word is way too luck dependent, and to the extent it relies on memory, is no fun to those with weaker memories. The only way I could see this project succeeding at a lower funding level is coming up with a way players can form words on their own as opposed to a prescribed words. In other words, creativity is the key element that is missing.

Evil ColSanders wrote:The

Evil ColSanders wrote:
The page itself: you'd rather have my talking head as the title video than the skit? (which explains the game through the announcer's voice) if so, I can respect that. I actually like flash with a quick overview of rules and a little gameplay. Which is why I did it like I did. (I also wanted morbid humor at the end. I couldn't bring myself to do a sappy, thumbs up and a smile end.) Ghostbusters is selling like hotcakes without ANY explanation of gameplay. its getting by on figures, name, and possibly publisher name.

Why would you even draw a comparison to Ghostbusters? Your game isn't even in the same ballpark. A licensed product that is a KS staffer pick by an established company that can do no wrong after their masterful PR move with Doom That Came To Atlantic City. They could sell boxes of bull poo and turn a profit, which Cards Against Humanity actually did do, making 180k on 30k boxes of Black Friday poop at $6 a pop. You need to do things differently, because you have no name recognition, no public goodwill, no proven track record. You are the little guy. Here is a project that shares your tier, except they are doing everything right: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ironmaus/bring-your-own-book-the-ga...

Here is an example of guaranteed failure: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/115501031/travoom-travel-and-vacati...

You are somewhere in between those two, mostly because you are selling the game without selling yourself like the people in the former example. I think you have a fundamental misunderstanding about what consumers want out of KS. I believe that you should be entertaining all suggestions, whether its for marketing or design, not for this run but in anticipation of the relaunch.

Evil ColSanders wrote:
The cards are cards was because they are/should always be, good quality. The only time I've had bad quality cards was Monty Python Fluxx.

Again, rhetoric, slightly better because it somewhat demonstrates a commitment to quality, but "good quality" is meaningless and subjective. To me, good quality is linen-embossed 110#+ acid free cardstock. According to a poll by Stonemaier Games, 87% of the market has similar tastes. What inspires confidence is people seeing how the project creator has details like these worked out ahead of time -- that he isn't some schlemiel who doesn't even know to consider these things ahead of time.

Evil ColSanders wrote:
Honestly, I really should have jazzed everything up. When selling the car, make everything look good, even the air freshener. I needed hype and buzz: 2 things i have no idea on how to do aside from having a (pseudo)celebrity play it for youtube or pass out copies of the game, which I don't have, to reviewers.

It's not a matter of 'jazzing it up.' You have to address the basics. At present, you are talking about putting an air freshener in a 1980 Ford Fiesta. Build the better vehicle for conveying your product to the consumer before worrying about racing stripes and spoilers. Hype and buzz starts months before the KS, not during it. Plenty of people here willing to guide you through that if you relaunch.

Evil ColSanders wrote:
Also, the minimum number of copies is 1,500. OUTRAGEOUS! (I know) So that translates to the overall kickstarter amount as well. Wood letter tiles are ugly, make people compare my game to scrabble, the edges HURT when playing, and stain from oils and dirt on your hands and table from constant handling. The bell is a big problem as you've all stated.

The costs and quantities are actually quite reasonable. The problem is that you are paying tooling fees for small runs, which doesn't give you any benefit for economy of scale. Why you don't just use the square plastic letter tiles that I'd mentioned (I had neglected to mention them being plastic) still baffles me. As a lifelong Scrabble player, you aren't going to convince me that the wooden tiles are ugly, that they hurt, or even that they get stained. My mother's copy has been in regular use for fifty years or so, and the tiles look fine. Probably because we do the odd spot of hand washing. Tile related injury has never been an issue either, even with Scrabble Rebus, which is as fun as spending the day with Dave Coulier (not very). The square tiles are going to be easier to flip than round ones and far cheaper to source considering that no custom engraving is necessary.

You aren't using garbage components to satisfy the consumer. What you are doing is keeping the cost low so that people will be willing to invest their money in an unknown product by an untested designer. If you don't want to sell-out with this game then crowdfund a more cost effective game to build your reputation and do this as your follow-up. Alternately, forget crowdfunding and do this as a super premium artisan game to that rarefied segment of society that wants the most out of their tile flipping games. Realistically, you are going to keep this game cheap because it fits the "throw-away" niche market. It is the style of game that gets a few plays and then ends up at Goodwill, which isn't to say that I haven't found some rockin' games at the thrift store (scored a copy of Animal Upon Animal at the local Catholic shop). It's that most people aren't collectors, and the only hope for a game like this is mass market, which is defined by its short attention span. Forget about Scrabble comparisons. Words With Friends has the Scrabble clone market cornered.

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