If you're reading this page, we guess you're interested in buying one of our games that is currently on Kickstarter. If that's the case, thanks so much! We know that Kickstarter can be an alien place for board gamers who buy their games via traditional stores, so in this article we're going to explain why we use this platform to launch some of our games.
What is Kickstarter?
First things first: Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform for creative projects. Kickstarter, and other crowdfunding platforms like Gamefound and Backerkit, and are well-established in the board game industry as sites launch new games to early supporters, AKA backers. In return for your - the backer's - up front financial backing, you receive a reward. In our case, this would be a board game. If you'd like to read more about Kickstarter in their own words, you can do so here.
Why do Birdwood Games use Kickstarter?
Our business started with Kickstarting our first game, Dog Park in 2021. Only after that did Dog Park receive a traditional retail release in 2022. The reason for using Kickstarter to launch Dog Park was twofold. Firstly, Kickstarter acts something like a pre-order platform. As a first time publisher, we could ascertain how many units to print without having to guesstimate. Backers paying for their games upfront also helped with our print run costs as a younger business.
The second reason is that - because by using Kickstarter we're able to guarantee sales due to the pre-order style nature of the platform - Kickstarter lends itself to publishers offering upgraded-quality games. For Dog Park, this meant we could include what are called 'stretch goals': the logic being the more money made, the more upgraded the final product could be due to decreased unit costs. We aren't offering stretch goals for Dog Park: New Tricks as we are insistent that it matches the quality of Dog Park out of the gates. Instead we're offering Kickstarter backers exclusive Collector's Edition upgrade kits for New Tricks to match the Collector's Edition of Dog Park, plus exclusive game content in the form of our Backer Bundle with the Kickstarter Wilds promo pack. The reason we're able to include these extras is because our Kickstarter backers are paying upfront and supporting the game months before it is available at retail. Stretch goals and Kickstarter exclusive content and extras are our way of saying thank you for supporting us and being on the journey of making our game.
OK, so how do I support your games on Kickstarter?
Well, first up, thank you! Below is an infographic we made for the original Dog Park campaign that walks you through the process of backing. Please note, the dates regarding card charging will be different for future campaigns.
Should you have any other questions you're always welcome to get in contact on support@birdwoodgames.com, or ask your question on Twitter or in the Dog Park Facebook group. Our online communities are a super supportive and helpful bunch. When you're part of a Birdwood Games Kickstarter campaign, you're among friends!
