Those familiar with crowdfunding platforms are likely aware of Kickstarter. It is a widely popular place where many different projects can receive attention and funding. In fact, a lot of Kickstarter projects of note have been in the realms of videogames and tabletop gaming. Examples include Dark Souls: The Board Game, a success that has led to developer Steamforged Games leading other notable projects, and the rise of other novelties such as Pandasaurus' Skate Summer. In fact, if certain Kickstarter reports are to be believed, it might mark a consistent trend.
The Kickstarter reports I'll be citing comes from a blog post by Thomas Bidaux. Bidaux is the CEO of ICO Partners, a UK-based games marketing and communications agency. He has had a long career in this business, his work spanning multiple different outlets like Pocket Gamer and Gamasutra. ICO Partners itself has also partnered and consulted with many big name franchises like Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering.
As for Bidaux's findings, they show steady growth. First, Bidaux showed two bar graphs. The first showing how many tabletop projects went live on Kickstarter, the second one showing those projects' overall success in terms of money raised. While the first chart shows a steady trend of more projects going live from 2011 to the present, what is particularly of note is what the second chart reveals. It can be inferred that, on average, those Kickstarter projects were successful with steady year-on-year growth. The most notable increase was from 2019 to 2020, marking a 33% increase in money raised, about a net increase of $60 million. Going from 2020 to 2021, that growth has only increased, albeit by 13%.
Generally, this Kickstarter report means that, for a niche industry like tabletop gaming, this shows sustainable and consistent interest. Usually when such a major increase in growth is raised, companies worry about opting in, fearing a loss of investment from a bubble about to burst. But to quote Bidaux, "Many professionals I have talked took are very afraid of a bubble, and the platform becoming less reliable to finance their projects, but 2021 is not showing this sort of signs." Considering that Kickstarter has also garnered healthy competition from other platforms like Gamefound, it seems that this part of the industry will only grow and expand further.
