Before we even dive into this final chapter of the “Kickstart This! Guide to Getting Your Game Funded,” I would suggest reading the Kickstarter Handbook on rewards, as well as the Kickstarter Blog post detailing 96 ideas for rewards if you are struggling to think of any.
Rewards, Delivery, Target, and Stretch Goals
Simply put, most people will want something in exchange for their donation. Kickstarter is not a charity, but a way to help people bring projects to life, with the backers getting something in return. It can therefore be very tempting to promise a lot of rewards to attract more people, but it is a balancing act, otherwise you may spend more money giving out goods than you received in pledges.
Since most game projects can be delivered digitally, there is (in theory) no physical costs to your campaign. However, people love stuff, so think of what else you can offer them that will not cost anything other than time. There are many digital rewards to consider, including art books, photo books, scripts, HD wallpapers for computers and phones, digital copies of the soundtrack, and Skype or Facetime chats. If you do decide to offer physical rewards like t-shirts, mugs, keyrings, or even a physical copy of the game, push these to a higher reward tier so that development costs and shipping costs are covered.
Another avenue to explore is in-game items. If it’s possible to deliver extra items such as characters, skins, tools, clothing, or even extra levels to backers, then add them in on at a higher tier. Not everyone will want them, but those that do will be happy to pay slightly more to be part of an exclusive club.
Lots of people have bandied numbers around as to what the best amount is set rewards. Kickstarter has the sweet spot pegged at $29, and with my campaigns that has certainly proven to be true, with the majority of backers opting for the £25 ($32) level that had no physical rewards but plenty of digital ones. There are those who may go above this, but this is likely in exchange for goods that will need to be deducted. Make your $29 tier as sweet as it can possibly be to attract the widest range of backers.
Many campaigns have higher reward tiers that are limited to a small number, which I did for an “Executive Producer” credit on my film. A good practice is to organise early bird prices for the lower rewards tiers, especially those that have a copy of the game as a perk. These can be limited to a certain number of people, or only available for a certain period of time. For example, if you have managed to spread the word for your game and built up a small social media group, then let them know that if they back it in the first 48 hours they will get $5 off. They will spread this news around, because everyone loves a bargain.
Why do this? Aren’t you losing money? Not really. Success breeds success. If you manage to raise half of your target in the first two days of your campaign, it will rise up the ranks and more people will see it on Kickstarter. You may even be fortunate enough to win the coveted “Projects We Love” badge from Kickstarter, which will raise your game’s profile with regular backers.
Personally, I would not offer more than a dozen rewards, because it can then look very complicated and confusing as to what the differences between the tiers are.
Target and Stretch Goals
When I launched my very first Kickstarter campaign, The Illuminant Midnight Project, I aimed for the stars, seeking £15,000 (roughly $20,000) to make a trio of short films at £5,000 ($6,500) a pop. The budget was calculated by working out the most expensive scenarios for each shoot. In hindsight, what I should have done was work out how much I needed to get them made the cheapest way possible, and then halved it. Why half? Because I could have part-funded them using my own funds, which would have been preferably to them not being made at all, which is what happened.
So when you are calculating your budget, work out what is the absolute bare minimum you need to get your game off the ground, and then work out what you can contribute financially and deduct that too. Don’t worry, you can still make it up in the stretch goals, but if you are committed to your project, then don’t view Kickstarter as a ladder to take you all the way there, but as a springboard to get you part of the way there, and you can climb the rest.
Also, in any budget, remember that Kickstarter takes a fee from your total earned.
Added Bonus: Pre-Launch and Press
As an extra bit of insight, think about pre-launch buzz and press. Get people to register their interest via email, and keep them informed of any early bird deals that may be available when the project launches.
We’ve touched on blogs and social media already, but I’m talking more about local radio, newspapers, and games websites. They love success stories and content, so make their job easier by making them aware of your campaign, especially the gaming media. I often get people asking if I can cover their game in Kickstart This! Find a games journalist at various outlets who has written about crowdfunding before and see if they want to cover your game before the launch. That way, you might just get an amazing press quote out if it, which is worth its weight in gold.
Until Next Time…
I hope this four-part guide has been of benefit to a few of you on the cusp of throwing yourselves to the wolves of crowdfunding. Remember, don’t give up and cancel your project halfway through. Just plan and prepare beforehand.
I wish you good luck with any future creative endeavours, and if you want your game campaign featured in our Kickstart This! feature, drop me an email at andrew AT warpzoned DOT com.
And in case you missed any of the previous parts of our “Kickstart This! Guide to Getting Your Game Funded,” here they are…
