The super popular crowdfunding site Kickstarter has been the launching pad for so many products, from new films to musical albums, to publishing, video gaming, arts, innovative tech, awesome games etc. etc. Out of the different types of crowdfunding, this one is a rewards-based one. So if you were looking to make your own card game, just make sure you have a nice rewarding plan for your future backers and let Kickstarter raise the money for it. And of course an amazingly good game.
Exploding Kittens (most backed Kickstarter ever)
By Elan Lee, Matthew Inman, and Shane Small
219,382 backers, $8,782,571 pledged of their $10,000 goal
The most funded card game on Kickstarter. From the minds behind The Oatmeal, this strategy game blew their humble goal out of the water. You’ve probably heard of this one: kittens and laser-based Russian Roulette in a deck of cards plus some taco-cats, boob wizards and above all real meowing. So when one thinks about a success story of raising capital for their indie game, Exploding Kittens is a case-study. Having been over eight thousand percent funded, they are also a perfect example of keeping a firm hand on your stretch goals, keeping them attainable while still super fun and desirable.
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Joking Hazard
By Cyanide and Happiness
63,758 backers, $3,246,588 pledged of their $10,000 goal
Likewise Cards Against Humanity, this card game plays up the irreverent humor that it’s creators Cyanide and Happiness are famous for. With hundreds of horrible (or horribly funny) comic panels, you complete a three-panel comic, the funnier being the one that wins points. Much like the above, it’s stretch goals were not addition products that would slow down production and delivery, such as shirts or anything like that, but instead just more cards in the base game. Amusingly, their achievements were not money based and they ended over three thousand percent of their goal. Instead, they made their levels based on activities their fans would do on social media. Featured on Wall Street Journal here.
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Bears vs Babies
By Elan Lee and Matthew Inman
85,581 backers, $3,215,679 pledged of their $10,000 goal
Made by most of the same folks behind the crowdfunding Kickstarter campaign of Exploding Kittens, Bears vs Babies involves you putting monsters together to fight an army of horrific babies. With that same art style and humor fans of their first game and The Oatmeal would love it. Following the lead of other top games, they used their massive fan base to have stretch goals met, rather than financial ones. Above all, they did it in a really interesting way, having some of their achievements be people sending them proof that they voted in local elections.
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Unstable Unicorns
By Ramy Badie
33,720 backers, $1,865,140 pledged of their $10,000 goal
Another most creative project, one of the funniest card games, this one is about building up a stable of magical unicorns while preventing your friends from doing the same. This crowdfunding campaign had recently completely fulfillment and is also available at your local game shop. Unlike the previous games on this list, they had a more usual campaign, having both achievement and money based goals. Many of their tiers included not just base game additions but expansion packs, game accessories, and also apparel.
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Million Dollars, But… The Game
By Rooster Teeth
30,546 backers, $1,353,024 pledged of their $10,000 goal
Epic Card Game
By Robert Dougherty and Darwin Kastle
11,858 backers, $585,122 pledged of their $50,000 goal
Hero Realms Deckbuilding Game
By Robert Dougherty
6,997 backers, $555,661 pledged of their $100,000 goal
The Dresden Files Cooperative Card Game
By Eric B. Vogel, Fred Hicks, and Evil Hat Games
8,616 backers, $549,486 pledged of their $48,000 goal
Organ ATTACK!
By The Awkward Yeti
12,798 backers, $526,274 pledged of their $12,000 goal