Are the Million-dollar Kickstarters slowing down?

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I didn't want to speak to international finances, since I know American-style credit cards aren't a thing everywhere, for one. But yeah, the economy globally is in for a bad season.

 

[Grendel_Khan]

The Walking Dead RPG launching in March will likely hit $1M

 

[thullgrim]

I know I’ve slowed down and been more selective about what I back as inflation has continued to thin the bank account out some. It’s anecdotal but I imagine plenty of others are in the same boat.

 

[Jd Smith1]

With a recession looming and international tensions climbing, I don't think 2023 is going to be a fertile ground for hobby industries.

 

[humble minion]

While the proportion of $1m kickstarters that are 5e is probably only half or less, both the ogl situation and the forthcoming edition increment probable mean some 5e designers are holding fire.

I know I haven’t backed any campaign at all since the start of December, and that’s been a rare thing since covid happened and I didn’t have anything else to spend money on in lockdown.

The volume of 5e kickstarters of any size/success has really dropped off in recent months.

 

[Grendel_Khan]

I know I’ve slowed down and been more selective about what I back as inflation has continued to thin the bank account out some. It’s anecdotal but I imagine plenty of others are in the same boat.

Kickstarter: total amount of dollars pledged 2024 | Statista

Between July 2012 and January 2024, the cumulative amount of dollars pledged to project funding on Kickstarter worldwide grew steadily.

www.statista.com

If you buy Statista's numbers (and it's perfectly valid not to) total funding was still rising through the end of 2022, and that includes the massive, traditional slowdown around the holiday season, as well as the impacts—real and imagined—of inflation last year. We'll see if there's a real downturn, but I think it only takes a handful of major campaigns to make it seem like folks are spending big on RPGs. Take your Avatars and quick-succession of Free League campaigns out of the running for a given stretch, and things start to look bleak and economic indicator-ish, even if the rest of the platform doesn't reflect that.

 

[MacDhomnuill]

Pandemic over= less free time, combined with increase in consumer prices = less disposable income.

 

[bedir than]

Arcane Library looks likely to hit seven figures with Shadowdark

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/shadowdarkrpg/shadowdark-rpg-old-school-gaming-modernized?external_browser_redirect=true&fbclid=PAAaaxEczixWUm2FrwUDntw3DUX-05J1Gyl_h8f-Wevj94VcJNyK1BgT0lVn8&ref=9fqm2s&utm_campaign=BK-PD-9fqm2s&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=shadowdark-rpg.projectdomino41.com

 

[Morrus]

Arcane Library looks likely to hit seven figures with Shadowdark

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/shadowdarkrpg/shadowdark-rpg-old-school-gaming-modernized?external_browser_redirect=true&fbclid=PAAaaxEczixWUm2FrwUDntw3DUX-05J1Gyl_h8f-Wevj94VcJNyK1BgT0lVn8&ref=9fqm2s&utm_campaign=BK-PD-9fqm2s&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=shadowdark-rpg.projectdomino41.com

Yeah, that looks like it's going to bust through the $1M barrier. Backerkit is predicting $1.5M.

 

[Bill Zebub]

Aaaannnnnddddd.....Shadowdark is in the club!