Gamefound: The Rising Star of Crowdfunding for Tabletop Games

Gamefound is a platform that brings board game projects to life. It lets fans support and pre-order new games from different creators and publishers. The site also allows users to look at rankings and join a community of people who love tabletop games.

Gamefound helps game creators launch and manage projects through crowdfunding and pledge management. This service covers both board games and video games. It offers tools for running successful campaigns and connecting with backers who are eager to see new games made.

The platform aims to make the process easy for both creators and backers. Creators can set up their projects and manage funds. Backers can find exciting new games to support. Gamefound acts as a bridge between these two groups, helping turn game ideas into reality.

Tabletop Games Crowdfunding Platform

Platform Overview

Gamefound is a specialized crowdfunding platform for tabletop games. It offers unique features tailored to game creators and backers.

History and Development

Gamefound started as a pledge manager for tabletop games in 2019. It was created by Awaken Realms, a Polish company led by Marcin Świerkot. The platform launched its first crowdfunding campaign on December 17, 2020, with ISS Vanguard.

This campaign was very successful. It paved the way for many more projects on the platform. Gamefound grew quickly after that.

By 2024, Gamefound had become a major player in tabletop game crowdfunding. It reached 1 million users and saw over 100% year-over-year growth in 2023.

Gamefound vs Kickstarter

Gamefound and Kickstarter are both crowdfunding platforms, but they have key differences. Gamefound focuses solely on tabletop games, while Kickstarter covers many project types.

Gamefound's platform is built specifically for complex game projects. It handles add-ons and pledge levels more smoothly than Kickstarter.

Both platforms charge a 5% fee for successful projects. Payment processing fees differ slightly. Kickstarter uses Stripe, which charges 3% + $0.20 per pledge, or 5% + $0.05 for pledges under $10.

Gamefound's specialized focus attracts many tabletop game creators. In 2023, 5 of the top 10 funded board games were on Gamefound.

Business Model

Gamefound makes money through platform fees and payment processing. They take 5% of successfully funded projects, plus payment processing fees.

The platform offers both crowdfunding and pledge management services. This allows creators to use Gamefound for their entire campaign, from funding to fulfillment.

Gamefound's focus on tabletop games shapes its features. It offers tools for managing complex pledge levels, add-ons, and pre-orders. These features are particularly useful for game projects with many components or expansions.

The platform continually updates its features. In 2023, they made 27 feature deployments, each adding new functionality.

Nemesis: Retaliation on Gamefound

Impact on Tabletop Industry

Gamefound has shaken up tabletop game crowdfunding. The platform has attracted major publishers and helped launch successful campaigns for highly anticipated games.

Success Stories

Gamefound has hosted several notable campaigns. Frosthaven by Cephalofair Games raised over $12.9 million, becoming one of the biggest tabletop crowdfunding projects ever.

Other hits include Chip Theory Games' "Too Many Bones" sequel and Lucky Duck Games' "Chronicles of Crime" series. These campaigns brought in millions of dollars and thousands of backers.

Gamefound's success has helped boost overall tabletop revenue. The platform has shown it can handle large-scale projects and deliver results for both indie creators and established publishers.

Partnerships

Gamefound has formed key partnerships in the industry. CMON, a major board game publisher, signed an exclusive deal to run all future campaigns on Gamefound. This move signals a shift in the crowdfunding landscape.

The platform also works closely with Awaken Realms, the company behind hit games like "Hate". This relationship has helped Gamefound refine its tools for tabletop campaigns.

These partnerships have increased Gamefound's credibility. They've also improved the platform's ability to process payments and manage high-volume campaigns efficiently.