Synopsis: Structuring a Kickstarter is a difficult task. A game designer has to predict how much it will fund. Overshoot a goal and the Kickstarter will fail. Undershoot the goal may result in stretch goal hell, especially if the stretch goals aren’t planned properly. Caleb discusses his thoughts when he structured the Red Markets Kickstarter and what advice he got from other game designers. Remember that a wildly successful Kickstarter can bankrupt a company if it was not planned well enough. What has Caleb decided? Find out in this special episode!
If you enjoy this podcast, backing the Red Markets Kickstarter is a great way of showing support. Thanks to everyone who has already backed it!
Song: Zombies on my back by The Wild Zombies.
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Great episode on the behind the curtain of kickstarter now vs early on. Thanks, Cheers & glad to see Red Markets doing so well!
I’d be interested to hear a quick followup to this now you’ve blown it out of the water! hopefully not into shoals so deep you’ll drown, that was some depressing expectation management in light of such a great start. you can do ettt
We’ll definitely do an episode in the interim between campaign close and fulfillment hell, but there’s way too many rounds left in this fight to start giving interview yet.
Always a pleasure listening to these. The insight into the process is really cool, and as always only makes Red Markets and it’s campaign even more impressive. Hang in there, Caleb, doing good!
One question about the kickstarter that’s minor, does the AP Hound level’s early AP access carry over to further levels? Eyeing the Ubiq tier at the moment (eastern europe, don’t get to play IRL, so got no use for physical goods).
Anyone else hearing Caleb fade in and out, or is that just on my end?
Me too, I had Caleb fading in and out.
@TRNSHM
Preview APs carry over for all levels above that. So if you go Ubiq tier, you’ll still get all your APs.
Yeah, I screwed up recording on this episode. I didn’t place the mic close enough to Caleb and I didn’t catch it during recording. My bad.
Cool episode. Great insight into structuring and promoting a Kickstarter campaign. Looks like you made some good decisions, Caleb! It’ll be interesting to hear your followup thoughts on what worked great and what didn’t.
Well, congratulations on your successful Kickstarter.
Caleb’s comments about “hidden stretch goals” reminded me that there are entire Kickstarters that are marketed that way. I don’t mean fraudulent Kickstarters, but Kickstarters where the marketing is selling one thing, but not what the money being raised is really for. Take for example the Reaper Bones Kickstarter: the purpose behind that was to raise capital for new plastic injection molds, but it was marketed as a pre-order store, because gamers wouldn’t just donate money for new molds to a miniatures company.