So I'm only a month away from my rescheduled Kickstarter beginning date. I've send several review copies out, including Father Geek and Man vs Meeple. Advertising has been the hardest part of it all. I still feel I'm not doing enough. I'll be at Strategicon, showing off the game at a booth. I'm hoping to create a bigger mailing list while I'm there.
I've signed up for the Indie Game Alliance (IGA) and even paid for PRO service. I still need a video for the page. Thankfully, I don't think I'll need the help of my friends for it. (Scheduling conflicts) The big problem is time. Working away from home doesn't allow me to devote the time I want to the project. I even bought a laptop just to get what I can, done.
Here's a preview of the Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1226277438/1853141462?ref=347884&to...
Feedback would be appreciated. I have to take pictures of what components I DO have, for sure. The video, of course. I was also going to make a slideshow gif of people playing the game. Any and all ideas to get the word out are welcome. I'm sweating in anticipation of the release.
Comments
This game is more than a metaphor for KS, and deserves success
(Perspective note to others: I've played this game multiple times, and that insight also limits my ability to see the pitch from a disinterested point of view.)
(General back of brain/abstract/emote comment: you're dealing with archetypes and familiar tropes and mechanics which can lead to immediate comfort of familiarity--and the blah feeling of generic product.)
Bullet points or highlights: Especially the low barrier to entry Deck customization.
It's a brawl in a tight space! Graphic design and language should suggest this.
The risks and challenges is wonderfully honest and straightforward. That could work for you or against you.
You've tested, tweaked this everywhere. Give us a greater suggestion of the game's history and depth. We need a greater feeling of the sweat equity.
Should some of the lower pledges be add-ons?
Have you considered a $15 or so print and play level?
Your text passages are informative, but flat. I will be happy to tweak, edit, etc. via messaging. Flavor need not be wordy.
Hops.
logistics of lots of pledge levels
I think you have slightly too many pledge levels, especially on the low end.
You might actually LOSE money on some of the lower pledge levels. Having a low pledge level is good – just make sure you don't sink your project by committing to unprofitable product.
Printing and mailing character buttons might cost you more than all the $5 pledges.
A game playmate is an great upgrade, but it seems like you are printing 2 different mats. Does your manufacturer allow you to do that cost effectively if you produce an even split.
I'd also consider bundling your higher tiers so you essentially have 4 pledge levels instead of your current 8 - going down to just a basic and a deluxe version
$1 – Supporter, no reward
$15 - Artisan - art related reward (playmat or prints or something)
$40 - Adventurer Solo- game
$60 - Adventurer Brawl - game + minis and playmat
I agree with John...
I just wanted to add as an ADD-ON ... allow people to purchase the 2nd mat for an "EXTRA" cost... And therefore pad your orders with some extra profit as a result of buying BOTH mats.
Something like ADD-ON alternative mat = $8 USD.
Keep it as lean and mean as John suggests. For Artisan, only send prints.
Therefore we both suggest removing the "buttons" for $5.00... Like John said, you are more likely to lose money on this low-end pledge due to the cost of shipping said "buttons".
The Artisan will be less expensive since you are mailing a LETTER (Kraft Envelope). I would simply add that you should put in a "cardboard sheet" to ensure that the prints don't get bent. The thicker the sheet the better.
For your other rewards for the game, I would DROP the price by $1. So $39 and $59... This is psychological, and it means LESS than $40 and $60. Studies have shown that people are more motivated to purchase products that are priced ending in "9". I learnt this from OLG (my published).
$1 – Supporter, no reward
$15 - Artisan - 5x prints + cardboard (to avoid folding)
$39 - Adventurer Solo - game
$59 - Adventurer Brawl - game + minis and playmat
ADD-ONs
$+8 - Alternate playmat (for collectors or Solo pledges)
My other comment is $30k USD goal is much TOO HIGH.
As a first time creator, you will be lucky to get 250-300 backers. That means about $18k TOPS (300 x $59).
A more realistic goal would be $12k (300 x $39).
You should find a manufacturer with a MOQ of 500 units.
A couple suggestions are:
Quality Playing Cards & Games (sales@customizedplayingcards.com). (http://www.qpcgames.com)
BangWee Games (http://www.bangweegames.com)
LongPack Games (http://www.longpackgames.com)
Your first time production should be closest to 500 units. I'm not kidding with you, I'm being realistic.
Some considerations about the KS page:
Don't explain how to "play" the game in text. Too verbose. Provide a LINK to a rulebook or rulesheet which people can read IF they want to.
No reviewers is a bad sign. You need people to play and review your game. You'll need at the minimum one Video review and one Text review (article).
"What's in the Box" comes BEFORE "How to play". People will determine the value of the game based on it's content. So you want to establish that all of the cards they are getting (OVER 250 cards!!!)...
Stretch goals should be "prettier". Maybe make these into images with LOCKS... Like most people do. I'm just saying it would look MUCH BETTER.
For now that's what I have as "advice" for you... These are all things you should be strongly thinking about.
The last suggestion, is when you ASK for "Quote" you should do the following: Start with the "Core" game and then add onto the game, the play mat and the miniatures.
So it's like two (2) products but the SAME BOX. This will make your order be more flexible and all "BOXES" count towards the 500 MOQ and the mat + minis are extra (above and beyond). Think of it a process: first they make the box, then the add the minis and mat (for $59 pledges). For solo version all they do is make the box (no minis and no mat)...
Wishing you success... with this KS effort.
Cheers!
Almost forgot...
You're going to also need "Social Goals". These are goals that you reach by SHARING the campaign on Facebook. It's VERY IMPORTANT you do this, otherwise you may only reach 100-150 backers. But remember you must be able to OFFER something to ALL "backer who buy the game" (so Solo backers at minimum).
If you want to see a campaign that did this EFFECTIVELY, I would suggest you take a look at Andrew Harmon's "Portals and Prophets" Kickstarter.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/andrewharmon/portals-and-prophets-t...
You'll also want to have someone who is priming the comment section of your campaign. Engage discussions about your game, gaming in general, design, etc. Anything to get more comments to help boost your Kicktraq ranking and hopefully reach the Top 25 Hotness ranking.
The other things is to watch religiously Kicktraq's performance and HOPE for no days with 0 backers... Having good Social Goals will HELP THIS. And offering people something in return ... will overall help the image of your product and the interest levels of other people.
Best!
Honestly, the people above
Honestly, the people above have captured 90% or more of my comments, so I'll try to add something new:
1. I personally am wary of having "Diverse Art" as a stretch goal. It makes me feel that the art is not diverse (ie bland) if the stretch goal isn't made. Just letting you know that if I saw that, I probably wouldn't back it for that reason.
2. Comment #1 said, I really like your art for the Game Banner/Logo. The characters are illustrated well with popping colors, sharp contract, and sufficient details. If you need to "upgrade" the art as a stretch goal, maybe be more specific as to what the stretch goal provides.
3. To reiterate above, because it is very important and one of the easiest issues to fix, is that the text is flat. I recommend having 3-4 writers/editors look at it and give you direction on how to make the text more exciting and draw the reader in.
4. Similar to #3, ditch the "How to play" via text section. Instead, use graphics to SHOW how easy it is. The most tedious way to learn a game is to read a bunch of text, so try to minimize text in your KS page.
5. This can't be understated. $30k is TOO HIGH for your goal. You should definitely be under $20k, especially since you are a new publisher with no successful track record.
Too HIGH of a GOAL!
I personally feel that AT MOST, his funding goal should be $15k!
Even that's high, where $10k is low and $12k is somewhere in the middle.
I am concerned with his MOQ is probably 1,000 game sets and that is much too high for a first time creator. You need to be prepared to get under 500 backers. I'm not trying to be negative, we've got proof if you search KS and look at the campaigns that just "meet" their funding goals for first time creators. We're not being "a-holes" saying you game is not good enough, it's got nothing to do with your game.
It has everything to do with how MANY people you can get to back your game. You have no reviews, so hardly anyone knows of your game. It's not on any hotness list (think BGG)... not that I have seen.
So you have to PREPARE for the lower end of backers. Which is between 100 to 300 backers. That requires you to choose a manufacturer that can produce a MOQ of 500 units. Forget dreaming about 1,000 units... If it happens then smaller volume quotes will also quote you for 1,000 and 1,500 units too... So you can be prepared if by some miracle everyone flocks to your game.
But you got to be REALISTIC too. And plan to be SUCCESSFUL even at the lower levels. Your goal should be: "Get as many gamers I can to back my game - so that my game is 'out-there' in the public!"
Cheers.
The person above is dead wrong!
Sure you need to advertise here and there, but you definitely don’t need all that stuff to get a successful kickstarter. The motto I follow is: “Don’t be a dick when advertising”. That basically reminds me not to push the updates.
I do my updates slowly and steadily and only comment a whole lot if I have too.
That’s my advice.
Take it or leave it.
Super-Tooned
Elliot Brooks
Twin Eagle Graphics
Independent Game Studio
P.S. Silly QuestCCG, you don’t need to push updates to get views. It’s called being good, not annoying.
Aweome!
Good call everyone. I'll be trimming the fat on stretch goals. Mats are being made by a good friend of mine (owner of gamematz) so I can make as many as needed. I was looking to wingo and a few other places and they all want 1000, so the is goal is based off of 1000 copies plus cargo, warehouse, etc. I'll move around everything, add some flowery words and add the reviews as well. I don't know how to set up add-ons so I made everything a pledge combination. Guess I have to do more research.
I really appreciate all the great insight you've all given me!
About ADD-ONS
First what you need to do is:
Put a place on the KS page before "Stretch Goals" about ADD-ONS to backer pledges. For example $+8 USD for additional mat, $+15 USD for Miniatures (the amounts are just examples).
You tell backers to ADD the amount of the ADD-ONS they want by ADDING it to their pledge level. So say I choose $39 (Solo game) + 1 Game Mat ($+8) = $47 USD.
Next when people fill out their survey, I'd recommend you use BackerKit (BK) to do the logic of fulfilling the rewards. In BackerKit you'll be able to configure ADD-ONS and then when backers (after the campaign is successful) log on to BK, they can confirm their pledge and choose the ADD-ONS they want.
So how it works is that people pledge HIGHER than the "reward" amount. And then afterwards they "spend" that money in BK to tell YOU, what they want to do with the extra money they've invested in your game.
Check out "BackerKit". I think it you subscribe and create your account before the end of your KS, you save 50% of the setup fee which is $199... (so only $99). You may want to CHAT with Kickstarter and ASK if they can allow you to customize your survey...
I was not involved in this aspect of the KS campaign. So I'm not familiar with how it works. We used BK too... So 5% of funds raised for "extras" went to BK.
Anyway contact KS and ask them how their survey works (again not sure). Like yourself, I was not involved in this part of the process... I'm just telling you how we did it... It may be possible using KS survey only... that IDK... Cheers.
Burning the midnight oil.
I have to get up for work in 2 1/2 hours. I've been working on the video for about 7 hours on the 1 day I have off from work. (I'm working 3 hours away from home right now.)
I have the page updated, so hopefully it looks and feels better than it has before. The logistics are scaring me. The last thing I need is to go bankrupt because someone told me "I should do this".
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1226277438/1853141462?ref=347884&to...
The video isn't "finished". The text needs to be slowed down at the end and I have to make a video saying something about the game. All the text is going to have voice over work done to it as well. I still need to finish the add-on part, even though I still have no idea how add-ons work. I did some research and all it tells me is how "it's a great way to make additional revenue" but not how to create orders and fulfill them on the creator's side.
I have 1 review up now and 3 more on the way.
1) The goal is too high,
1) The goal is too high, mate.
I know you've done your math and it's a realistic goal, but that's just the truth of it.
2) See if you can cut out some components and move them to SGs.
3) I don't believe that a set of 5 minis is worth the hassle for $10 pledge increase. Let's assume you end up making 1K copies. Sculpting will cost you around 1K, mold will cost you another 3-5K at least.
Most importantly, it's super hard to sell minis, unless you already have those sculpts. The first question you will be asked will be "Can I see the sculpts for those miniatures"?
4) Don't show all your stretchgoals. Reveal them one at a time and start with really small amount for your very first one. Like 1 or 2K.
You have to make sure that you unlock a stretchgoal every 1-2 days at the start of your campaign.
The way it is now, they might actually harm your project, instead of helping it, if your backers get a feeling that the next stretcgoal (or the one they want) is unattainable.
I might have more things to add, but these are the first which came to mind.
Not trying to discourage you, just a friendly warning. We've just restarted our first failed campaign.
Specific this time: What's in the box? photo.
It looks scant: even people who have some grasp of small print-run economics and/or read the list contents might immediately think "That's all I get for forty bucks?" Spread things out, give us a hint of how many of those cards are custom, unique: perhaps create a fan pattern for each standee--and have them surround the playmat rather than sit on it.
The claustrophobia is a fun part of the gameplay--they'll get that when they watch the video, but you don't want it to look scant.
Video
I think that the video is great, for what it is. Good graphics, music, effects, etc. I personally like a video of game-play, showing the components and rules (briefly). Perhaps, when time allows, a second video could be posted. It could be longer, because it isn't the initial draw, and it could go into more details showing the actual game.Either way, good luck with the project, I will be watching!
-Austin
I know this is bare bones
I know this is bare bones like you said so I can only comment on what I saw. I was going to comment on the editing in the video and having voice over but I see you already commented on that here. Voice over is key because it will let viewers concentrate on looking at the art rather than reading everything. On top of making the copy a bit more exciting to read like some have already suggested, I noticed some grammatical errors as well. Double and triple check that stuff and get other people to as well. Quickly I noticed "Traps effect" should be affect. "What's About Add-Ons" should be What. "The are one of the highest" should be They.
I would also think about your stretch goals. They don't feel exciting enough to encourage people to back the game. I'm sure pictures would help but most Kickstarters I've backed start with upgrades to components or extra game play elements. Think about ways to add more unique content to the game. Additional and Exclusive art just seems extremely vague. And a comic of a property no one knows about isn't all that enticing. And again, maybe seeing pictures of the proposed add-ons might change my mind. Because overall there aren't enough visuals. It says there are 252 cards but we only see maybe half a dozen of them.
Overall, if your goal is to do a 1000 unit run, it seems like you are rushing this to KS. Especially since you admit you don't know anything about how to include add-ons. Is there a reason you have to launch next month. Would some more time researching not help you in the long run? I also agree with those saying you need to do a smaller run. The $40 price point seems steep for what the game is.
Lastly, as a visual artist myself, the art and graphic design are a bit generic. Art is what immediately draws many potential backers, including myself, to your page and I'm not sure the art you have will do the trick. When I browse the Tabletop section of KS, I tend to not even look at pages whose initial image doesn't catch my eye with its art and design. I'd love to hear other people's opinions on the artwork because maybe it's just me seeing as art is extremely subjective.
I'm curious to know how much you have playtested and blind playtested this game? Without seeing a majority of the cards or a gameplay video it's hard to imagine how this plays. What kind of feedback were you getting from your last playtests that made you confident it was ready to publish?
As a first time designer myself I can only imagine the anticipation you are feeling. I wish you all the luck in the world and hopefully some of the feedback here will make your project stronger.
Thank you for catching the
Thank you for catching the errors. I was up all night working on it as I've said. It was suggested on my last blog post that I put up stretch goals. You're telling me to hide them, so I shall. I'm sorry that the stretch goals nor artwork interest you. Perhaps the gameplay will make up for it. In depth explanation of gameplay shouldn't be in your main video. It should be an elevator pitch.
My game has been developed over 3 years and playtested 2 1/2 years. It has evolved so much since it's conception, even as recently as October of 2017. A lot of great ideas have been added from playtester input. The game has been ready; I just keep adding to it.
Art and miniatures are expensive. I've spent over 1k on the art and minis. Do you, the consumer, want more art? Well then buy my game. I can't keep shelling out money for a game no one is going to buy. I've spent all the money I want to spend to produce a base game. Bare minimum. Stretch goals aren't for consumers to get a bunch of free stuff. Stretch goals are to UPGRADE the game to what the creator envisioned/wants it to be.
It has to launch Feb because it was supposed to launch November because it was supposed launch july. Also, I told all my reviewers the date was Feb 2nd.
Just because i dont know about how add-ons are added onto your initial purchase doesnt mean I'm rushing things or too green to consider KS right now. I don't have maya nor know how to use it, so I can't show off my minis nor pose them. I can show you screenshots my artist has sent me, but that doesn't look nice on a Kickstarter page, now does it?
Sorry if this came off a little angry. I thank you and respect all your suggestions and opinions.
You are right!
@Raymond you make an excellent point. It's all about UX. "User eXperience"...
And if you IMPROVE upon the "base game" ... then the goal is to improve on the UX. As you put it, it's not ALWAYS about getting a bunch of FREE stuff... But believe me (picture this), if you are at 2/3 of your goal and in the last 48 hours of your campaign and your game is "not so expensive" and "offering a bunch of FREE stuff"... You may get a SURGE of last minute backers.
And I know this from experience. We had 10 Social/Stretch Goals. And in the last 48 hours we did almost as good as the first 48 hours... Just because we were offering great value.
People were predicting $30k and we ended up get $42.5k. For us, that was a big difference...
So focus on UX... And remember that your goal is FUNDING! Extras are there to entice more backers to come on board.
Evil ColSanders wrote:I can't
Why not pitch to a publisher then?
At the moment, it's generally expected that 95% of your game is ready to go to print at the time you launch your kickstarter.
It's virtually impossible to do without investing substantial funds (especially with a game with 3 sheets of cards and minis).
I`m by no means a "pro" at this, I've only ran 3 KS campaigns - 2 of them funded and 1 have failed. But to me this campaign doesn't look like one ready to launch on 2nd of February.
You can still contact the reviewers and ask them to move the publication forward. Heck, even if you have paid for promotion on BGG they can move it for you. There's no such thing as "I have to launch on day X". You really don't.
I see that you are getting really defensive. I get that. I've been in your shoes. So I won't comment further than this. If you'll feel like you need any feedback, please PM me.
Hope the feedback helps
You're welcome about catching the mistakes. Sometimes I think I should have gone into copy editing instead of animation. LOL And no worries about being defensive. This is your baby and it's obvious you've worked really hard at it. But of course you have to be ready for constructive criticism when you put yourself out there like you did, which is commendable. And this is definitely the right place to do it. So I had to give my honest opinions because sugar coating wouldn't help you at all. It's like playtester feedback. You shouldn't sound defensive to their critiques because it discourages further discussion and you might miss out on some valuable feedback. Take all the good and the bad feedback and then separate the wheat from the chaff to find the critiques that will lead you to positive solutions. We don't have all the background info on your process of creating your game, but hopefully some people here have given you some wheat :)
I've only been backing games on Kickstarter for a year, but my gut feeling is that you will have an uphill battle getting this funded due to some of the reasons other commenters have given. That's not to say your game may not be great. But the page needs quite a bit of work to show potential backers that it is great and worth owning.
Price of art?
You mention you spent $1000 on art and minis. I'm curious to know what you paid per illustration. As far as I know, illustrations on average cost $50 a piece which to me always sounds low unless the artist is really fast and can do each piece in 2-3 hours. But anyways, if I assume that is the average then you'd only get a maximum of 20 pieces of art for a grand. But you also said the 1K included minis which cost quite a bit too. And I personally know what 3D modeling should cost since I'm an animator by trade. But for argument's sake I'll stick to 20 pieces of art and you can correct me if I'm way off. But it's hard to imagine a 252 card deck, as well as a board, a rule book, and box only having 20 illustrations.
A don't get me wrong, $1000 is a lot of money to most of us, but I imagine most games that successfully get funded have much larger investments to produce. I have never tried producing a finished game so someone can correct me if I am wrong. But if I plan to KS the game I'm designing, I know I'll have to spend much more than a grand to produce a finished game that will get backers on KS. Personally I'm leaning towards pitching to publishers due to exactly the risk in the cost of paying to produce a close to finished game and running a KS campaign. I'm with ElKbold in wondering why not pitch it to publishers.
ElKobold wrote:Why not pitch
While it is true I'm getting defensive, it's because I'm being given criticism without solution or resolution as I've said. A lot of designers here have given good advice. Even "lower your funded goal" is helpful even if not explained.
Re price of art
The characters rans about 30-50 as you said. The artifacts ran from 5 to 20. The box art was over 100. The dungeon tiles were around 40.
Also factor in all the other artists I commissioned to draw my characters, artifacts, and tiles, looking for the artist that was "right" for the job. I went through 3 artists before I found the one I wanted. Then, that artist didn't do "items only" so I had to go through more artists.
I had 1 artist make 3d models and rig them for about 140 each? I need Maya to pose them and opening them in blender doesn't load the bones. So now I have to either by maya just to pose them or hire someone to add bones in blender.
Anyway, That's besides the point. All in all, I spent over 1 grand in art and Minis. Also, my main artist is really slow. So I want to make sure people want art before he starts because it's going to take a while.
Evil ColSanders wrote: While
I'm taking this from playtesting etiquette but generally you tell the designer where you feel the flaws are and let them decide how to best address the issues. But I get that you are asking for advice here and some people have given concrete advice.
-streamlining the number of pledge levels
-using add-ons for play mat
-removing buttons as a pledge reward
-finding a way to drop the price
-make the text more interesting to read
-fixing grammatical issues
-editing the video. Including a bit of game play in it
-being more specific on what the art stretch goals are
-adding component upgrade stretch goals
-including more illustrations or photos. Show more of the art.
-spending money on more appealing art
-placing What's in the Box first
-using social stretch goals
And that's just after a quick glance at the thread. If you have more specific questions about people's critiques then just ask for more specific advice regarding their points rather than getting frustrated. Seems like enough people here are willing to take their time to give their 2 cents.
Evil ColSanders wrote:Anyway,
What do you mean by you want to make sure people want art? Are you talking about prints separate from the game? Or are you talking about art that should be part of the game already?
You got some deal for those 3D models. Modeling and rigging 5 characters isn't a quick job. If the artist wanted to make $15/hour he/she would have had to finish the job in 6 regular work days. That's like a little over a day per character. Anyways, I have Maya at home and I'd be happy to take a look at the rigs and see if I could pose them for you. I've been animating for 12 years so if the rigs are good, posing a few characters shouldn't take too long. Let me know if I can help out.
Manufacturing MOQ
I know I sent you a PM concerning this... But I just want you to realize how important it is to get a more realistic MOQ. For those who don't know, it stands for "Minimum Order Quantity". And I know you are basing it on a MOQ of 1,000 units because you told me.
If I was you, and I'm not ... so this is just my opinion, I would contact QPC, BangWee and LongPack. And get quotes for 500, 1000 and 1500 (or 2000).
The reason for this is that it will drop your Funding Goal from $20k to maybe $12k - $15k. We all hope to get more and use Stretch/Social Goals to do so.
Why? That seems to be the question. The answer is two (2) parts:
1. $20k for a project by a relatively unknown (or at least unsuccessful) designer is HIGH. Upward limit should be $15k. Sometime people just assess the amount of money you are looking for and compare it to your KS page and say: "No." Now if MOST people visit this page and see $20k ... That might be high ... and they might just say "No." WITHOUT giving you the chance to WATCH your video or READ your pitch. Maybe $16k would be okay... $20k is a perception thing.
2. $40 USD for you game is (sorry) a bit high too. Maybe I would price it lower at around $32 USD. Again this is my "perception". If you lower your funding goal, you may get away with $40 USD. But know that you might get people that will complain about the price. Compromise would be about $35 USD.
Here is some realistic math for you:
A> $35 USD/game x 500 backers = $17,500 USD.
B> That is LESS than $20,000 USD.
But if you go with $40 USD/game x 500 backers = $20,000 USD.
However you need to be prepared for LESS than 500.
C> $35 USD/game x 400 backers = $14,000 USD.
And now you see why I was saying $12k - $15k funding goal.
If you choose to remain at $40 USD/game x 400 = $16,000 USD.
My opinion is both the Funding Goal and Price points are a bit high. Why is this an issue??? If more people perceive this, they will not back the game. Offering a more competitive price point and lower funding goal may give a more "confident" feel to your campaign.
To be real honest with you... If I could KS something for $5,000 USD I would. But so far all my games cost far more than this (3x)...
Again this is just my opinion... I'm not saying that I am "correct"... I'm just showing you a more "frugal" approach -- making the campaign look less price-oriented and more fund-oriented.
You shouldn't be "sweating" a KS. You should be "ready" to answer questions, and try to drum the KS forwards. As the Creator -- you'll be the one who should be in charge of making the campaign INTERESTING.
One last example before I end this TL;DR Post.
Andrew Harmon ("Portals and Prophets") did something real cool with his social goal. Although they were only FB shares ... what he did very effectively is INCLUDE backers in VOTES for what "cards" YOU (the backer) wanted to add.
That was sheer genius ... because it gave backers a reason to FOLLOW the campaign from beginning to end.
Anyway TL;DR ... Best of luck(?!) with your KS.
Cheers!
Two more specific suggestions based on earlier advice.
While it is true I'm getting defensive, it's because I'm being given criticism without solution or resolution as I've said. A lot of designers here have given good advice. Even "lower your funded goal" is helpful even if not explained.
1. Rather than how to play, or perhaps above it, highlight the game's strengths: The customized and customizable decks, the quick setup time, the depth and replayability...whatever's in your elevator pitch.
2. It's a game with few components, few reviews--but a whole lot of time invested in it. Show that: even if it's a collage of convention and unpub logos and dates, let us customer know about your sweat equity (I think that's the correct term) to give you the credibility you need, especially as an unknown.
Evil ColSanders wrote:While
While it is true I'm getting defensive, it's because I'm being given criticism without solution or resolution as I've said.
A lot of designers here have given good advice. Even "lower your funded goal" is helpful even if not explained.
Well... that was an advice by me, actually. I`m really not sure that it's a good idea to attack people giving you feedback (whatever form it might take) ;) I`m not your enemy.
Speaking of which, this is another useful skill to learn - responding to feedback (any feedback) in a non-defensive way. Backer comments can be really frustrating sometimes. But you will have to stay calm and professional in order to not antagonize your supporters.
Looking at this thread, I have my doubts if you can do this.
Reason why I`m suggesting to postpone the launch is because the page doesn't look like it will attract 40K goal and you won't be able to fix the missing bits in a week.
As for how long you should postpone it for, well, for as long as needed to have a campaign page that will sell your game.
Most importantly, you need to find a graphic designer to do the campaign page for you. In its current form it won't sell.
It is rather transparent that you were doing it by yourself. And while the effort is admirable, I think I won't be wrong to assume you are not a graphic designer by trade. And the look of the pages shows it.
So the potential backer takes a look at the page and assumes everything in the game will have the same level of polish as the campaign page.
I would also ask the same graphic designer to help you out with the card layout. The artwork you have is not exceptional, but it works. But I think the graphic design drags it down.
You need to have much more than 3 reviews. Contact small size (2-5K subscribers) channels. Send 40 emails if you need to. Get at least 10 of them to post about your game.
The reason why you need those reviews is not just to tick a box on the "there's a video on the page". This is how you can get free exposure (well, minus the cost of the prototypes and postage).
From where the number 252 comes from? Have you contacted the manufacturer? How many cards will they fit on one sheet? How many decks (from the manufacturing point of view) you will have? It is possible that by having 252 cards instead of 240 you are paying the same as if you had 360.
Cut the number of cards in your game to have them all fit on one sheet. It will probably be somewhere around 110-120. Move everything else to the stretchgoals.
Use this difference to lower both your basic pledge amount and your goal.
I would cut the miniatures pledge. It's your first project and the minis are a rabbit hole. You won't believe me if I`ll tell you how may things can go wrong there and by how much it can delay your delivery.
If you absolutely must, move those minis to the stretchgoals.
252 comes from the amount of
252 comes from the amount of cards which fit on a sheet. All companies, big and small which I have dealt with, use the same card sheet numbers. I wouldn't know how to go about getting a graphic designer to spice up my page to look professional. That's going to be a lot more searching and more time for for this person I may or may not find in time. In the mean time, I'm going to be looking at other board game kickstarters and try to emulate what they did/are doing.
I'm unsure e-mailing 40 reviewers would be helpful without a game for them to play and review. Maybe I pay them to bs or do a shout out about the game? I honestly don't know what I would put in the e-mail or what to ask for. I bought a few copies to send to reviewers and have a few left. Choosing who gets a game is tough.
I sent away for some quotes from 2 of your suggestions. I'm going to get an updated quote from 2 of my original choices.
I'll be pushing back the kickstarter for a month. I think in that time, I can get the video done and add flourish to the page. I'll definitely be taking you up on that offer to mess with the files. I'll be sending one tomorrow.
Thanks again, everyone. This has all been really helpful.
Evil ColSanders wrote:252
Are they small sized cards?
For example @Ludofact they fit ~120 poker-sized cards on one sheet and they pack them in two shrink-wrapped decks.
I imagine different manufacturers might have different standards. That's why I recommend to have this sorted and confirmed before you launch.
Miniatures
I’m “Davis & Daughters” from the Kickstarter page.. have to agree about the miniatures. If they’re not a requirement for your game, leave them out.
ElKobold wrote: I would cut
If you absolutely must, move those minis to the stretchgoals.
I completely agree that the minis should be stretch goals. They can easily start as cardboard standees. Making them minis would be an exciting stretch for the backers to achieve. They have to look great though so I hope the modeler did an excellent job.
This is great advice as well. I meant to mention this in one of my comments and forgot to. Having a separate graphic designer and illustrator is important. It's quite a different skill set than illustration. If you are postponing a month then I'm sure you can find a suitable graphic designer to edit the card layout and help you with the KS page. But of course that's gonna cost you. People shouldn't judge a book by it's cover but KS backers sure do. A page that doesn't look professionally polished is easily passed on and you want people checking out the entire campaign.
I just got a notice that this
I just got a notice that this went live!
Good luck!
(edit: one of your video review links isn't live)
Thanks! (They haven't allowed
Thanks!
(They haven't allowed it to go live yet. It will be up shortly.)