Near the end of last January, the Kickstarter campaign for the Altered TCG went live. It promoted a novel take on TCG design and raised more than $1 million within its first day. That campaign has now concluded with over $6.7 million, making it the most funded TCG ever on the crowdfunding platform.
The Altered TCG Campaign's Success
According to its campaign page, the Altered TCG campaign concluded with €6,213,305, completely dwarfing its initial goal of €50,000. Converted to US Dollars, that means this campaign raised $6,726,679.
The campaign update post celebrating this affair was understandably joyous. A simple screenshot of Equinox's developers holding giant letters and numbers expressing thanks to their backers. As for the campaign's promo image, it states that the campaign is the most funded Kickstarter TCG ever.
After doing some digging, it is clear that Equinox's claim is irrefutable. While there have been successful TCG campaigns on Kickstarter, they haven't reached the same numbers. Examples include BlightBreed with $99,626 funded, Elestrals which raised $1,470,355, and Sorcery: Contested Realms which ended with $3,530,785.
Part of the Altered TCG campaign's success can be attributed to its radical approach to card ownership. If you own a copy of a card, you can freely and legally print additional copies through a marketplace app. Just pay the shipping cost. In addition, printing rights to that card can be traded to other players through the app.
This is a major departure from the conventional TCG model. If you wanted a copy of a card, you had to buy it from a pack or secondhand. It is a model many hobby stores have relied on for years, currying engagement and commerce with their avid playerbase.
While it is unclear if this major model change will be sustainable for Altered TCG, it is undeniable the concept has appealed to thousands of players. It is a question that will be answered once this new TCG reaches retail stores in August 2024.
