Tabletop Games are all the rage on Kickstarter right now. They are frequently featured in CrowdCrux lists of rapidly funded projects (like this one!). These games have become even more exciting and common on the platform since 3D-printing has made it easier for just about anyone to make their own professional looking miniatures. Many creators of Tabletop Games that are successful on Kickstarter return to the platform to launch more games, and enjoy the engaged community of backers who love them.
In a CrowdCrux interview Alex Lim, who raised over $8,000 on Kickstarter for Martial Arts: The Trading Card Game, shared some advice on what he learned. His first try at crowdfunding in January 2013 failed when he canceled the campaign, but Alex persisted and reached his goal the second time around just two months later:
“[W]e found that finding your industry’s online community and really getting involved with them is super important. Don’t just spam your idea, but also ask for advice and give your opinions and suggestions to others as well. We learned a lot from our first attempt that we could share this with others who were just starting their campaigns.”
As it turns out, there are a lot of hobbyist forums and blogs online that are specifically dedicated to Tabletop Games – and many of them have categories specific to Kickstarter! Below are 7 places to promote your Tabletop Game Kickstarter online:
1. BoardGameGeek
BoardGameGeek is a forum dedicated to things like board games, RPGs, and video games. They have a list on their site called “2014 Kickstarter Board Game Projects,” and other Kickstarter-related posts. The website has a lot of different options for finding what you want, and also acts as a marketplace where users can trade and sell games. Their forum also allows you to find gaming groups by location.
2. Tabletop Gaming News
Tabletop Gaming News is a website that features different news and information on games. They have a crowdfunding category where they post information about new tabletop games that launch on Kickstarter.
3. Board Game Authority
Board Game Authority is a site that reviews board games, including those from Kickstarter. They also do things like podcasts and interviews with creators. Their site seems to get a lot of traffic. It’s organized, and easy to navigate.
4. Kickstarter.com Games Fan
Kickstarter.com Games Fan is a Facebook community that allows backers of Kickstarter games to interact. The page currently has 1.3K+ likes and frequently post about new game projects.
5. Across The Board Games
Across the Board Games is a blog that reviews board games and produces other related content. The site has a section for Kickstarter Updates.
6. Board Games – Kickstarter
Board Games is a Google+ community that has a Kickstarter category. Their slogan is, “Like a fine wine, it’s what’s in the box that counts.” The community as a whole has over 12K members.
7. Meetup – Board Games
If you search for Board Games Meetup groups you will find that there are tons across the world. There are over 2,000 groups in 50 countries with over 500,000 members – that is a lot of board game enthusiasts!
Conclusion
Taking advantage of existing communities online that are interested in tabletop gaming should make promoting your project easier. By going to the source and approaching these sites you might be able to get interviews and other exposure that will help attract more backers.
Remember, don’t spam! If you post in a forum and people interact with you, answer their questions and treat them like a potential backer or customer. It will make it more likely that they will want to help you spread the word!
For more tips on marketing your project, check out this article or learn from other creators by downloading our eBook.
Keep in mind that these are not the only places where you can promote your Tabletop Game Kickstarter online – there are also groups/publications specific to crowdfunding, like Crowdfunding Forum and CrowdfundingPR (companion site), where creators across different platforms and categories get together to discuss and promote their projects.
What places have we left out?
Let us know in a comment below!
