3 Ways to Rekindle Kickstarter Buzz Upon Release – Stonemaier Games

3 Ways to Rekindle Kickstarter Buzz Upon Release

One of the great oddities of Kickstarter and crowdfunding is that there’s often far more buzz for a game during the campaign than when the game is released to backers.

For example, if you look at the current BGG Hotness, you’ll see 5 games currently being crowdfunded, 7 fully released games that were never crowdfunded, and only 2 games that were crowdfunded in the past (Tiny Epic Dungeons and Spirit Island, the latter of which delivered to backers years ago).

Our upcoming game, Libertalia: Winds of Galecrest, is also on the hotness list. Our method is to produce a game, ship it to fulfillment centers, and then announce the game. That begins the process of what we hope will be a series of attention spikes every few weeks: early reviews (that’s where we are now), preorder (March 2), delivery (mid-March), more reviews, retail release date (probably late April), more reviews, convention presence via play-and-win, then eventually the one-year anniversary.

But I completely understand why many creators use crowdfunding to bring their games to life, and despite the big gap in time between the project and the release, I want to share some methods for rekindling that Kickstarter buzz when you deliver to backers.

It’s been a while since I wrote my post about releasing with a boom, not a whimper, so when this topic came up with a friend in the industry (Jason Brooks at Brookspun Games) who is in the process of delivering his first Kickstarted game, Legacies, I asked if Jason was using any new methods for bringing the buzz back to his game.

Here’s what Jason shared (the following 3 sections are in his own words):

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Pre-launch activities – There are a couple of things I did leading up to the launch to bring Legacies back into the conversation beyond just my backer updates

  • How to Play video – I worked with Jon Gets Games to create a How to Play video for Legacies that went live ~2 months before delivery
  • Early preview/review videos – I sent the handful of advance copies I received via air freight to reviewers who diligently (and regularly) reached out to me between the KS funding and delivery seeking an opportunity to review Legacies. I appreciated their proactive, recurring interest AND the fact that they had good sized audiences. I did make a mistake with this approach, however, in that 1/2 of those were from Europe so I had to pay high costs to air freight the game from me AND I don’t have a cost effective way to sell copies to those who expressed new interest in Legacies based on those reviews in the EU. That was a missed opportunity for me, but I have been encouraging those lost leads to sign up for my newsletter (see below).
  • Website enhancement – I hired an independent web developer, Yentl Love, to create a new website for brookspungames.com, including a supporting Shopify store. The new version is a huge improvement from the old WordPress version that I struggled to keep up with on my own. The store will be the primary place I sell excess games of Legacies from this print run (as I only had a couple of dozen retailers back it). I recognize as a first time publisher the US distributor model is a tough nut to crack, so direct web sales seemed the way to go.

Basic at-launch activities – These are the standard activities I’m planning as the games start to make their way to backers.

  • Increased KS update frequency – I’m increasing frequency of my KS updates from every 4-5 weeks to every 2-3 weeks through completion of delivery. I’m also featuring some “what to expect” sections and trying to get ahead of FAQs with the next planned updates.
  • BGG Ads – I’m planning to launch BGG Ads, both through site banners AND through the Gone Cardboard e-mail. I chose the “Now Available” tag for all of the images to distinguish it from the KS ads that often show up on BGG. I was inspired by Jamey’s Netflix blog post from a few months ago which talked about the fact that different people react to (and therefore SEE) different images in their Netflix list of programs to watch.
  • Newsletter – I’m aligning my next newsletter launch for the time Legacies starts to deliver. I know there are a number of subscribers who didn’t back the campaign, but were waiting for Legacies to be released before choosing to act
  • Additional reviewers – I’m planning to send more review copies domestically to keep fresh content coming online for Legacies as delivery starts to taper off, especially since a couple of other big titles are delivering just ahead of me (e.g., Return to the Dark Tower & Merchants of the Dark Road) and I recognize KS backers may have a lot of “new games” to choose from. One side note about my review copies: When sending them, I’ve always included a customized full-color letter on cardstock so when the reviewer opens the box they get a personal touch.  Several of the reviewers have commented on the extra touch and I believe it has helped them take me a bit more seriously as a first-time publisher.

Unique at-launch activities – Here are the two relatively unique things that I’ve chosen to include at launch.

  • Leaderboard – I will be creating a Leaderboard on my website to capture (and share out) results from reported plays of Legacies with the option for people to include their initials/name/country. I will set up a Google Form (Jamey has something similar for Tapestry) which I’ll encourage players to complete to record their scores and see their OWN fame reflected. Once a month I’ll update a leaderboard on my website showing the top scores for each character (and whether they started aboveboard or underhanded). The goal of this is 2-fold: (1) to let people know how their scores stack up with others who played with the same characters and (2) to gather data to help me make any adjustments necessary for the expansion I’m working on for Legacies. I’m also planning to reference this in the BGG forums to try to drive cross-traffic. One thing I’m considering is sending a free item (extra set of coins or neoprene mat) to the person at the top of each leaderboard at the end of the year (or some other time that seems appropriate – like just prior to my next KS release), but recognized I need to not position it as a contest otherwise there are legal considerations I need to take into account (or that people may be more likely to report false scores to win something).
  • Call-to-action: Immortalized – Through my KS update (and other forums like BGG, Facebook) I’m going to ask players to post photos of their plays, but specifically of their player mat (and successors) – showcasing the lineage that resulted in their total fame. A small number of backers pledged at higher rate to be included as a Successor image in Legacies.  While those backers will see their card in their copy of Legacies, I want them to see (and recognize) that their card is being used by many OTHER players and helping to shape their game result. With this call-to-action, I plan to collect images that players share of their Halls of Successors and put together a collage of actual games where those who were immortalized came into play. Fast forward a few months and I’ll be able to send those backers an extra keepsake for having taken such a huge chance on Legacies by backing at that Immortalization level.

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I really like the variety of methods Jason is implementing to rekindle the Kickstarter buzz for Legacies. I’m particularly intrigued by the leaderboard concept, and now I want to try that with Libertalia too. What do you think of Jason’s ideas, and how have you seen other creators rekindle buzz for their games upon release?

Also read:

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21 Comments on “3 Ways to Rekindle Kickstarter Buzz Upon Release

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  1. Speaking from the consumer side, I have mixed feelings about the current state on board gaming “FOMO” which to me is leading to the initial situation you are describing (basically, the hotness jumping quickly from one kickstarter to another, and some games not getting any attention anymore once their kickstarter has delivered)

    On the one hand, Board Gaming is really expanding as a hobby, and this gives us consumer more choice, more games that potentially match our tastes, and it raises the bar overall, which is great.

    On the other hand, I kind of feel sad that a game I just pledged for last year isn’t even being talked about anymore. It potentially means less chance for expansions, less “homebrew” content from fans who will now jump to the next hot thing, less friends who want to play that game because they moved on (“hmmmpf, Scythe? I don’t care that you bought that game 2 months ago, that game is so 2018, dude”), etc…

    Hopefully your suggestions to keep games “hot” longer will help in that direction. I used to despise FFG for their live card games’ business model which imply buying more content on a regular basis, but I have to admit it means the game stays relevant much longer, which is great.

    1. Somewhat ironically, I’m expecting to teach Scythe tomorrow to a group of people who heard I had a copy and immediately said they should play it…

  2. 1) Jason is a great guy, and I am excited to watch his continued success – and I love his thoughtful approach to this.

    2) This topic has been on my mind recently – Dave Salisbury over at The Quantum Retailer had a really interesting blog post on Monday talking about the waterfall of consumers (what he calls the cognoscenti, hobbyists, and casual hobbyists), and the challenge that publishers face transcending from one level of consumer to the next broader. The example he used was Mind MGMT which is just finishing up its second round on KS.

    3) I love the ways Jason listed to build hype and mobilize his fans to get their games to the table. I think a next hurdle to evergreen status is a sustained retail presence (with some exceptions). I would love your perspective (maybe an idea for follow up article) – on getting your games not just into retail but getting your games featured and demoed at hobby stores and game cafes. Things like providing standing displays, promo playtest copies, retail focused marketing, quick play materials, etc.

  3. I don’t mean to disrespect but something in the post just doesn’t sit well with me. I think it’s a little strange that Mr. Brooks felt the need to identify his independent web developer as BIPOC, as if skin color is the defining characteristic about the person. Does that person wish to be labeled like that in this post, or was that included to somehow show Mr. Brooks as being more virtuous, despite his game appearing to lack much diversity? Personally speaking, I wouldn’t say “my black financial adviser”, I would just say “my financial adviser” when I describe someone I work with, no matter what their skin color. All that said, when it comes to promoting more diversity and inclusiveness, maybe include more BIPOC in the actual game (especially on the cover) rather than throwing some arbitrary label on someone you did business with, which to some might be offensive. Just my two cents, but optics matter.

    1. Ben: I considered dropping that during my edit. But I think a huge part of improving diversity in the tabletop game industry is actively seeking, including, and hiring those who are underrepresented and marginalized–not just featuring different skin tones among characters in the game (that’s important too, but I think money speaks even louder). I don’t think it’s arbitrary at all; rather, I think it shows that Jason is putting his money towards diversity, hopefully inspiring others to do the same. As you said, optics matter, hence why Jason’s specificity regarding diversity in this post matters. I hear you, Ben, and this is just my two cents as someone who is also working towards the same goal of improving diversity and inclusion in the tabletop community/industry.

      1. Thanks for the response Jamey, I agree with everything you just stated and I am glad Mr. Brooks is trying to have more diversity in his business. I guess the point I was trying to make is if there could be a better way to identify and promote the web developer he utilized, rather than only stating the person was BIPOC? The way the post was written read more like Mr. Brooks was simply patting himself on the back (which is fine) rather than really trying to promote the actual web developer, which is the true goal right? Is just stating you hired a BIPOC web developer just a way to mark a check box that you’re promoting diversity? That part of the post seemed shoe-horned in there rather than achieving the true intended purpose. Again, totally my opinion and I’m in no way stating Mr. Brooks isn’t genuine, but I think it’s important to make sure we’re not just trying to jump through a hoop, when the actual game, Legacies, doesn’t seem to have the same kind of messaging.

        1. I agree that it would be great to highlight the web developer specifically, so I’ve asked Jason for their information. I don’t agree that Jason included that information to pat himself on the back (see my previous comment), nor do I agree that the Legacies game itself isn’t embracing diversity, though: See the images on the above post and the 2 women on the box art and several characters of unknown ethnicity.

          1. Thanks Jamey! I appreciate your willingness to engage in conversation about this important topic. For the record, I in no way want this to be viewed as an attack on Mr. Brooks as he seems to be genuine and have the best of intentions. Also, my familiarity with his game is limited so there may be more aspects that I’m missing than just the initial overview. Thanks again and keep up the good work!

        2. Very fair point, Ben. I’m certain I could have stated that better. In some of the Kickstarter forums and other platforms about Legacies, there have been good conversations about diversity in the game and how there was intentionality behind a lot of the choices of reference art and inspiration for characters and successors to celebrate diversity. I’m still learning the best way to communicate intentionality of decisions – including who I partner with. I feel like every time I personally read a post about someone being intentional it serves as a reminder to me that I can do more with my actions and choices. By stating that sentence the way I did, I was hoping it could serve as a reminder for others on areas they can make a difference.

          1. Just to close the loop on this, I should have asked for the developer’s name up front. While I still don’t think it’s an issue for Jason to show in the post that he actively sought a BIPOC web developer–rather, I think that’s great–given that I’ve now included the developer’s name and website in the post, I’ve removed the mention of her ethnicity.

          2. Hi Jason. Thanks for your reply. If you see my last post to Jamey, I definitely wanted to clarify that I firmly believe you have the best intentions and I definitely did not want to bash your game. It actually looks interesting and I’m intrigued to learn more about it. I think we definitely share the same values and I appreciate the work you’re doing!

          3. Thank you both Ben & Jamey. I agree we’re aligned AND the conversation led to a better outcome because there is now a link to her site.

  4. Thanks so much for sharing, Jamey! I’m happy to field any questions about which of these items seem to be working (vs. which have less impact) as they play out over the coming weeks.

  5. I think it’s worth mentioning that Mind MGMT was on The Hotness list before it’s new Kickstarter launched. It originally kickstarted back in April of 2020. Shut Up and Sit Down got it onto The Hotness, and only then did they launch a second Kickstarter.

  6. Just a quick note: Tiny Epic Dungeons is just now delivering. The Kickstarter was last year. I’m sure it doesn’t change your conclusions/thoughts.

      1. I like the idea of a leaderboard (I’m quite competitive at board games), but I’m not sure if it’s a good idea if it’s self reported AND you want to use the data to adjust for balance in the future. Even if poeple didn’t include fake games, it would mean you would only get data from games where players got high(er) scores (or at least the data would be skewed this way).

        A way to mitigate is by asking for more information to be submitted. Such as for Libertalia, what characters they had in their ship at end of game.

        1. Definitely! Libertalia isn’t asymmetric, so the data wouldn’t be used for balancing at all, just for a fun leaderboard.

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