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Capstone Project - Publishing games

Self Publishing:

When creating a board game there are two routes you can go down in regards to funding your project. One of these options, which is arguably the standard for launching indie games (Anon n.d.), is crowdfunding. This can be done through sites such as Kickstarter or Backerkit and involves creating campaigns that allow your supporters to donate money to your cause (Anon n.d.). Supporters may receive a copy of your game or unique perks in return for reaching certain campaign goals, overall it is a great way to connect with your community and fund your project in a more hands on manner (Anon n.d.). Games such as Frosthaven (Cephalofair Games, 2022), Nemesis: Lockdown (Awaken Realms, 2022), Binding of Isaac: Four souls (2018) were funded through the use of Backerkit campaigns, allowing them to create their projects without having to share ownership to a larger publication company (Backerkit n.d.). With self publishing, the responsibility falls on you to both locate a manufacturer, negotiate and edit your project to fit within a budget, fund your project, and find a distributer to sell your project through.


Terraria the board game (Paper fort games 2025, funded from Kickstarter

How to crowdfund a project?:

The first thing you need to do before you set up an account on either Backerkit, Kickstarter or any other crowdfunding platform is establishing what your project is, what your expectations are in terms of what you hope to deliver (Backerkit n.d.)and making sure that your idea isn't already under a trademark by another publisher(stonemaier games 2024). Whilst doing this, it is a good idea to set up some alternative social media accounts to build up a community that you can advertise your crowdfunding campaign to(Backerkit n.d.)(Anon n.d.), this gives you a higher chance of having a successful campaign. On these social media sites you should include a bit about yourself [and your team if you are working with one] to build a closer connection between you and your followers and to tell them a bit about what makes your project unique(Backerkit n.d.). At this stage, make sure not to give away too much information about your game to avoid the possibility of your idea being stolen.

Once you have done this it may be a good idea to create a prototype to show off to your donators so that they know what your product will look like and decide whether or not they want to help contribute to the project  (Backerkit n.d.). To make a prototype it is a good idea to pick a manufacturer and look into how much it would cost to produce your game, this also gives you a good estimate for how much money you should raise to buy a bulk lot of your game (stonemaier games 2024). However, if your game is quite early in development, it is a better idea to make a rough prototype with common office materials such as paper and cardboard to playtest your game with friends and strangers to iron out any issues. Note down what does and doesn't work, get feedback from fans and improve your product as you go, making a DEVLOG of the playtesting process may offer some interesting insight into the project for your followers too(Façade Games 2018). Only when you are 100% happy with your game should you create a finalized prototype.

With all of this you can then create a profile on your chosen crowdfunding page, setting up your campaign goal, and pledge rewards for your contributors (Backerkit n.d.). You don't have to do that last part, but it is nice to give back to your community who has supported you. Rewards can be anything from peeks at behind the scenes development of the game, access to bonus materials, or with higher donations a physical version of the game once it is printed(Anon n.d.). In the unfortunate case that you do not reach your goal, most crowdfunding sites refund the money to all contributors, this is something to remember so that you don't accidentally end up with debts to pay, This is also why keeping in contact and regularly updating your followers about the status of your project is really important.

Pros and cons of Crowdfunding and self publication:

With all this being said, there are definitely both pros and cons to choosing self publishing as your route to produce your game:

Pros:
- Crowdfunding is a really quick way to fund your game whilst avoiding the fees you might have to pay when working with a big publisher.(Anon n.d.)

- Similarly, it is a more accessible option to those who cannot get traditional loans therefore minimizing the overall risk of the project(Anon n.d.)

- With a more hands on approach, you build a closer community and can gather direct feedback from your consumers that might not be on offer to you when working through a large company(Anon n.d.)(Anon n.d.)

Cons:
- With all the responsibility falling on you, its a more complex process that if you aren't familiar with what you're doing can feel quite overwhelming (Anon n.d.)

- This links with the fact you will have to do a lot of social media work and advertising to reach your audience, which may take time (Anon n.d.)

- You are not guaranteed to reach your campaign goals, and if you don't, you might not receive any money at all(Anon n.d.)

- Without copyrighting your idea beforehand [which can cost a bit of money] you leave your idea open to potential thieves who might have the means to produce your game before you can (Anon n.d.)

Kosmos games

Hiring a publisher:

Another route you can choose to go down is hiring a publisher. You will need to research which companies are currently accepting submissions and if their company suits the theming and play style of your game(Façade Games 2018). From there, you will need to send them an email to introduce both yourself and your project, and pitch to them why you have chosen them to produce your game and why your game is a good fit(Slack 2023). This is sometimes a lengthy process with companies often wanting to see examples of your game in prototypes [ you should never send a prototype without them requesting one first however] , Details on mechanics of the game, and all elements that would be needed to produce your game(Slack 2023). You will have to do a lot of back and forth questioning however being contacted back may take a few weeks in the first place. Should the company like your idea, they will take over production and selling of the game, whilst giving you a small cut of the profits. In a post on the Board game geek forum, User Kyle Glyn (2024) lists some large publishing companies that are quite good to work with, those being Super meeple, Kosmos, Ravensburger, and Hans im Gluck. It is always a good idea to make sure the company you are choosing to work with is both reputable and aligns with the style of your project.

Pros and cons of  getting a publisher:

Whilst not as popular of an option for indie games developers, Publishing companies offer several things that crowdfunding and self publication does not:

Pros:
- The biggest thing you can expect from hiring a publisher is their extensive resources and ability to handle all aspect of your project. If you yourself aren't an artist they have the ability to hire illustrators, if you don't know of a manufacturer they will provide you with one, its a lot less responsibility on your behalf(Pasturemaster 2023)

- Unlike the uncertainty of funding from crowdfunding, publishers usually have the budget to produce your idea (Pasturemaster 2023)


Cons:
- Once you hand over your project to your publishing company you will lose all rights to your project, what they choose to do with it will likely be out of your control(Pasturemaster 2023)

- On top of this, the money you gain from your cut of the games revenue will be significantly less than if you had completely self published (Pasturemaster 2023)


Panda Game Manufacturing

Finding a Manufacturer:

Linking back to self publication, when it comes to locating a manufacturer there is a process you will need to go through before your game is ready to be made. You will need to first locate a factory that manufactures games [the company Panda game manufacturing seems to be quite a reputable company according to Façade Games, a games distribution website]. Like with the publishing company, you will need to show them your game, what pieces it requires, and how many you want to order [the standard being roughly 1000 units] (Façade Games 2018). Some companies will also help you create packaging for all your assets so choosing a very environmentally minded manufacturer may be a good idea. From here, they will give you a rough estimate of how much you will owe and they will send you a sample game for you to approve(Façade Games 2018). There may be a bit of communication here to ensure the product is up to standard and then, once you are happy with your game and provide the money to get it produced, they will either send your games direct to you, or your chosen fulfillment center(Façade Games 2018). From here, it is up to you to look into locations that wish to sell your game, or to set up your own online shop for people to purchase your game through (Façade Games 2018).

Trello:



This post covers the pipeline research section under MLO2 and has helped inform me on the process i should take if i want to produce my game in the future. Following on from this I might do some research into the job role of a board game illustrator which links to my research on large publication companies. This is important to me as I would like to illustrate tabletop games in the future. My next task will be to carry on with some card layouts to show in my project proposal PowerPoint, and finalize my project proposal document for the deadline. I have most of both of these things done, so I feel quite good about getting everything complete for the formative.

Bibliography -

Anon, n.d. Board Game Crowdfunding: How to self publish a game (Online). Tabletop Creator. Available at: https://tabletop-creator.com/board-game-crowdfunding-platforms/#:~:text=What%20Is%20Board%20Game%20Crowdfunding,design%20based%20on%20backer%20feedback. (Accessed at: 16 January 2026)


Anon, n.d. Crowdfunding board games: how to run a successful campaign (Online). Tarrida. Available at: https://tarrida.co.uk/crowdfunding-board-games-how-to-run-a-successful-campaign/(Accessed at: 12 January 2026)

Anon, n.d. Frosthaven (Online). Boardgamegeek. Available at: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/295770/frosthaven (Accessed at: 16 January 2026)

Anon, n.d. Nemesis: Lockdown (Online). Boardgamegeek. Available at: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/310100/nemesis-lockdown (Accessed at: 16 January 2026)

Anon, n.d. Panda Game Manufacturing (online). Pandagm. Available at: https://pandagm.com/ (Accessed at: 16 January 2026)

Anon, n.d. Tabletop Games Crowdfunding Roadmap (Online). Backerkit. Available at: https://www.backerkit.com/blog/tabletop-games-crowdfunding-roadmap(Accessed at: 12 January 2026)

Anon, n.d. The Binding of Isaac: Four souls (Online). Boardgamegeek. Available at: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/255664/the-binding-of-isaac-four-souls(Accessed at: 12 January 2026)

Backerkit, n.d. Which Tabletop Games Projects did backerkit work with? (Online). Backerkit. Available at: https://www.backerkit.com/blog/crowdfunding-tabletop-games(Accessed at: 16 January 2026)


Brandonthegamedev(pseud.), n.d. Start to Finish: Publish and Sell Your First Board Game(Online).Brandonthegamedev. Available at: https://facadegames.com/blogs/news/how-to-publish-a-board-game?srsltid=AfmBOopvNpnhFsdMbsk7mvWvTmTmR8-PNiBi03qAxS-GrW0pzI75gBdb(Accessed at: 12 January 2026)


Façade Games, 2018. How to Publish a Board Game(Online). Façade Games. Available at: https://facadegames.com/blogs/news/how-to-publish-a-board-game?srsltid=AfmBOopvNpnhFsdMbsk7mvWvTmTmR8-PNiBi03qAxS-GrW0pzI75gBdb(Accessed at: 12 January 2026)

Glyn, K., 2024. Top 10 Publishers (Online). Boardgamegeek. Available at: https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/335527/top-10-publishers(Accessed at: 12 January 2026)

Herotime, n.d.. Make Your Board Game With the #1 Rated Manufacturer

(online) herotime. Available at:  https://herotime1.com/hero-time-board-game-quote-b/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=23406813269&utm_content=193917175114&utm_term=small%20batch%20board%20game%20manufacturing&utm_device=c&utm_source_platform=g&utm_ad=790205630787&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23406813269&gbraid=0AAAABByW_yrEDHBg1Wbl89rQhPxyYbptu&gclid=Cj0KCQiA1JLLBhCDARIsAAVfy7h6vaMYMFtdzPy61tbWIR6kC1Li7Q167oOfooTFqNiPQj-QKWorelgaAqIQEALw_wcB (Accessed at: 12 January 2026)

Paper fort games, 2025. Terraria the Board game (Online). Kickstarter. Available at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/paperfortgames/terraria-the-board-game (Accessed at: 16 January 2026)

Pasturemaster (Pseud.), 2023. Reddit. Available at: https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/15fgznu/publisher_or_no/#:~:text=pasturemaster,compared%20to%20doing%20everything%20yourself. (Accessed at: 16 January 2026)

Slack, J. 2023. How to contact a publisher and greatly improve your chances of getting a response (online). Board game design course. Available at: https://boardgamedesigncourse.com/how-to-contact-a publisher/#:~:text=They%20may%20indicate%20that%20you,for%20games%20at%20the%20moment.(Accessed at: 16 January 2026)

Stonemaier Games, 2024. 3 Steps to Self-Publish a Tabletop Game (Online) Stonemaier Games. Available at: https://stonemaiergames.com/3-steps-to-self-publish-a-tabletop-game/(Accessed at: 12 January 2026)






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