Over the past few months of posts about Kickstarting an indie game, I’ve been emphasizing the importance of bringing some kind of audience to Kickstarter. Some of my readers want to know, does it ever make sense to try to use Kickstarter to build a following for your game? The short answer is no, but the long answer is maybe, kinda, sorta, or some combination of those. Here are the factors:
How much do I need to raise?
If you’re raising a very small amount of money (less than $1,000), going straight to Kickstarter could work for you. Kickstarter does bring some level of exposure. It’s probably not enough to fund a big project, but it may be enough to fund something small.
If you go this route, make sure the reward that gets a copy of the game is low so that you’re not placing as much risk on the backer but also high enough so that, if you need to hit your goal on the strength of backers at the minimum game copy reward level, you can do it without reaching tens of thousands of backers. Realistically, you’ll be luck to get 50-100 backers if you start a campaign with zero audience.
If you feel your game fits into this category, I would caution you to think long and hard about what you’re doing. Ask yourself these questions:
- Why will this game cost so little to make? Are you raising just enough to pay for the completion of the game? Maybe you’re thinking you could just buy some assets or a license for some software you need to finish. If that’s the case, what about paying yourself? You’re not going to be able to make this a career if you can’t pay yourself.
- Should I instead pull together the funding on my own? $1k is nothing to sneeze at, but most people with decent jobs could probably scrape together this much on their own after a few months savings. If you run a Kickstarter, you now have other people who you could disappoint. You could even get sued if something happens that you can’t control that keeps you from delivering.
Maybe you decide it’s worth that risk to get some people’s attention, but maybe that’s because you don’t know the extent of the risk. Legal help could cost tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, and a settlement could put a sizeable dent in your wallet. Nevermind the hit you’ll take to your reputation. If you can’t deliver, you’ll probably never be able to crowdfund anything again.
Have I exhausted other ways to get attention?
If you haven’t tried other ways to publicize your game and start gaining a following, you should start with those. There are many cheaper (in terms of the time you have to commit) and less risky ways to gain a following. If you’ve been persistent and tried every avenue and you just can’t get people to pay attention, Kickstarter likely won’t solve that problem for you.
If you’re trying to talk to people and not getting traction, it may be because your game or your concept has some problem that is repelling people. I’m no fan of design by committee but ignoring your players feedback entirely is equally silly. Try to get some feedback from places where developers hang out like the TIGSorums or Reddit’s r/gamedev.
Trying to fix a failing game with a Kickstarter campaign is like trying to fix a relationship by getting married or having a kid: it usually only makes things worse. Maybe you set your funding goal really low just to make sure you succeed. Maybe this works. Now, you are committed to make a game that might only interest a handful of people. This might be just fine with you (and, if it is, by all means go ahead), but many creators would prefer to make some small changes to ensure their creation is received as intended by their audience.
What do I actually need to make this game succeed?
Money always helps but is that really what you need to make your game a success? If you’re looking to build a following on Kickstarter, that’s more of a PR problem than a funding problem which is not the problem Kickstarter was designed to solve.
Instead, approach the problem from a different angle. What tool should I use to gain attention for the game? I’ve covered many ways to go about this here on the blog including blogging about development, talking to press, and getting featured on a YouTube channel.
Another interesting approach is to learn a bit about marketing in general. Before you recoil in horror, understand that marketing is just the way you communicate to people who may buy your game. It doesn’t require you to lie to people or learn shady tactics. It’s about understanding what your audience wants and effectively communicating how your game delivers that.
Try reading How to Win Friends and Influence People. I’d like to go on record saying much of the content of this book is gross and reprehensible, but you can get something out of it as long as you maintain a line of good taste in the way you use it that you will not cross. Seth Godin’s Modern Marketin Workshop on Skillshare is another interesting way to start learning about marketing with some great practical exercises.
Emmy Jonassen has a couple of great talks on marketing on a $0 budget and using data to guide your marketing efforts for indie game developers. Vlambeer’s Rami Ismail has several excellent talks including one about balancing game design decisions with marketing decisions.
If none of this applies, give it a shot!
Every rule has an exception. My rule that your game should have a following before you come to Kickstarter has many. Here are some notable ones that could lead to success even if you haven’t talked about your game beforehand:
- You are well-known in the games industry for having contributed to other notable projects.
- Your game is a continuation or a spiritual successor of a beloved, long lapsed franchise.
- Your idea is so wildly sticky that press grabs onto it and gives you tons of coverage. It’s extremely hard to predict when you’re positioned for this.
- You get really lucky. The Internet works in strange ways and sometimes that will work in your favor even when maybe it shouldn’t. If I were a gambling man, I’d never bet on this outcome, but it does happen from time to time.
Do you have an edge case I haven’t quite addressed here? If so, email me at devon@powerupgames.io. I’ll do everything I can to help your game find an audience and become a wild success!