Love it or hate it, Kickstarter is an undeniable part of the hobby of Board Gaming these days. Just a cursory glance at the top 100 games on Board Game Geek reveals the insidious influence of the crowd funding platform. Now I have played both sides of the fence when it comes to kickstarter, I have scorned it for bloat and lack of development and oversight and championed it for its ability to allow small publishers to reach their audience. It is a blessing and a curse and as someone afflicted with brief bouts of crippling FOMO it is a cash sink of the highest order.
Fortunately my brain switches tracks quickly, forgetting those things I missed out on, cleaning out that fear and insecurity that I didn’t manage to snag every promo, every mini, every last scrap of artificially created nonsense that doesn’t improve the game and in fact makes me less likely to pull it off my shelves. Unfortunately while these bout of FOMO are short lived they typically last about 28 days or the equivalent length of a kickstarter campaign.
So, my love hate relationship continues and today I present a top 3 list of Kickstarter games that have actually delivered on their promise.
Zombicide Invader
My first CMON Kickstarter was Zombicide Invader, unfortunately it wasn't my last which is why I can’t afford a house. Ultimately Invader lands on the Love pile, although I went back and forth with this one, initially regretting it because I spent a lot on it and didn’t think it would actually see much table time, but also because, while I like Zombicide, I don’t love it. But, Invader I think is a more fun, more action orientated entry into the series than it’s older brother and I’ve actually played it a bunch solo.
The other reason that Invader hits the love pile is that painting the minis, while not only a joy in and of themselves, has been a big boost for the site and for the social channels bringing in new subscribers, readers and followers.
Battlesystems
Pick any Battlesystems kickstarter you like, I’ve been all in on most of them and I own tons of Battlesystems content. If you follow my painting blog at all you’ll see tons of Battlesystems terrain floating around in the back of shot. I love the versatility of it, the fact I can largely flat pack it and store it but it can still be set up quickly and easily when I need to shoot a quick photo.
I’ve also had my regrets with this one too though. I never pull out the old sci-fi set any more because the galactic set supplants it. However I feel like for the amount of photos I have taken using the sets they have been worthwhile, even if they are likely to be retired over time.
7th Continent
Of all the Kickstarters I have backed 7th Continent is probably my current favourite. I wish I had it with me at the moment because lockdown would be the perfect time to be exploring that forgotten land. 7th Continent has it’s issues for sure and it can be tricky to get to the table because you always need the same group and it has a long play time etc.
But the game is beautiful and it tells interesting stories and it is unlike anything else I have in my collection. And it is truly a kickstarter game. Zombicide could have easily been published as a retail game, it doesn’t need the three hundred extra models the Kickstarter edition comes with, they are nice to have especially if you’re a painter but what they bring to the experience of the game is minimal. 7th Continent though would have been a lesser game at retail, it would have been a cut down version of what it is and the variety and breadth of the story and exploration is exactly what makes this game worth playing.
Next time I'll be looking at my top 3 Kickstarter that let me down... What are your best Kickstarter experiences? Let us know in the comments...