3 Interesting Web Apps for Crowdfunders – Stonemaier Games

3 Interesting Web Apps for Crowdfunders

Recently I was introduced to three interesting (and very different) web applications that my fellow creators might be interested in, so I thought I’d give them a brief overview here.

Boardgamedata.com

This is a brilliant new website that serves as a nice complement to Kicktraq (the sites aren’t related in any way). Sure, the focus is on games, but I think any creator could gain value from the research tools, which allow you to look at a broad swath of campaigns based on various filters.

You can also look at specific projects (see example on the screenshot below) to get all important data on a single page. I have a feeling I’ve just barely touched upon the utility of this site, and I look forward to learning more from it in the future.

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King Pledger

Have you ever wanted to back a project with a lot of add-ons, but you had difficulty calculating your exact pledge? I first spotted King Pledger on the latest Zombicide campaign. It took me a minute to realize that it was just a calculator, not a way to place a pledge, but once I figured that out, I realized how awesome it is.

As you can see on the screenshot below, King Pledger makes it easy for you to select all the add-ons they want, then it presents your total pledge, which you’ll enter on Kickstarter. I think it also saves that information so you can re-enter it when you get the reward survey. This is a fantastic tool for creators and backers.

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Massdrop

 

I overestimated Massdrop’s value and had a very bad experience with them. Originally when I heard about the concept, I thought it sounded cool, but what I’ve since learned about the site from firsthand experience has really changed that viewpoint.

Bonus for tabletop game creators: Tabletopia is currently funding a really awesome system that allows people to test out your games online during the Kickstarter campaign (or play the “full” version later). It doesn’t require any programming knowledge, and it’s meant to simulate the experience of playing the actual game. I’ve tested out the beta, and it’s awesome.

Also read: 15 Indispensable Tools for Every Kickstarter Creator and Entrepreneur

What do you think about these applications? Have you discovered any new sites that other creators should know about?

9 Comments on “3 Interesting Web Apps for Crowdfunders

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  1. Oh, cool. Mass Drop seems to be an automated version of a specific auction type that I’ve seen a couple of times but can never remember what it’s called…

    …And have never seen in a game.

  2. If Tabletopia works as advertised it’s going to be an incredible asset to game designers. I currently spend time making a digital prototype of every serious idea for a game that I have, because the time saved in terms of playtesting and iteration is tremendous. Even a simple (physical) prototype takes the better part of a day to assemble, between updating files, getting them printed, cutting and assembling, and so on. With a digital version all it takes is a few tweaks in a spreadsheet and the game is immediately ready to test again (with setup being instant, which is also huge).

    On top of that Tabletopia also looks amazing visually. As I am sure anyone who has brought a game to playtesters knows the more polished the prototype is visually the more excited people are to play it, leading to a much more positive experience for both playtesters and creator.

  3. Thanks for the write-up about BoardGameData Jamey! KingPledger and MassDrop both seem quite interesting – I look forward to checking them out.

  4. I just backed Tabletopia. What a fantastic idea and from what I can see the implementation looks slick. This may be a Kickstarter game-changer.

  5. As a creator, it’d be super neat if Kickstarter let you handle shipping in a similar way to Massdrop. There’s a difference between sending a few packages to Germany, for example, and having enough backers to do German-based fulfilment Germany. if you price for US-based fulfilment, you might scare away price-driven backers, and if you price for German-based you might really hurt on cost if you only get 20 or so backers.

    1. That’s a really neat idea. I actually think the equilibrium point is pretty low (even just sending a few cartons–10 or so games–to a fulfillment center in Germany or the EU is more cost effective per unit than shipping each one from the US), but I see what you’re saying. It would definitely encourage backers in different countries to drum up support within those countries.

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