It has been one week since I decided to cancel my Kickstarter campaign for Nut Stash. That decision has been one of the hardest I’ve had to make but I’m still glad I did it. Since canceling I have made a list of things to do better this second time around.
First, focus on that first day push. About half of my backers were people that knew me but didn’t know Kickstarter. Many waited for pay day because they didn’t realize they won’t be charged until the end of the campaign. This hurt my first day. I funded about $1000 on that first day but after that it slowed down. This time around I plan on trying to be at 50% percent funded or more. To do this I will focus on marketing, especially in person. Many additional funds through the campaign came from people I met at local gaming groups or at Conventions. I will make sure to have all the reviews on the site before the first day. This one was not my fault except in the way that I went with the cheaper reviewers that ultimately hurt my campaign. I also had trouble with Kickstarter not showing my page link earlier then hitting the launch button. This made it impossible to market early using the actual campaign page.
Second, reduce my funding goal. Gameland Games as a manufacturer was amazing, but I need a lower funding goal for my first campaign. I will be using the Game Crafter so I can fund the project. If I get to the point where I need more copies, I will go back to Gameland Games. They were helpful, quick to respond, had a 500-copy minimum and a good price for great quality games. By the point I ended the Kickstarter I had “sold” almost 100 copies off Kickstarter. That would have left 400 for conventions or trying to get into distribution in local shops. That’s not bad but I only needed the funds for the 100 games so I will be switching to a new manufacturer.
Lastly, I’m looking into alternatives to getting the game made. Thanks to Origins I was able to connect with HABA games. For those of you who are unfamiliar with their philosophy it’s based on one simple principle: Children are the most important things in life. Before deciding on a Kickstarter I was pitching Nut Stash to publishers. Game Wright had my game for 7 months play testing before realizing it wasn’t the perfect fit. But I had hoped to get Nut Stash in the hands of another family friendly game company. I don’t want to jinx anything but HABA has been very interested in the game thus far. One way or another Nut Stash will be made! If it’s not through Kickstarter it will be through an outside publisher or Game Crafter Crowd Sale.
This experience has been an emotional roller coaster ride, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. I continue to love playing my game with friends, family and strangers. This past weekend we played the most competitive version of Nut Stash before going out on the town for my friend’s birthday. It resulted in three rounds ending in a tie and a win on both sides. These adult players got so competitive they began play fighting resulting in a bite. Unfortunately, I was not quick enough to record the hilariousness of the evening, but I will remember it fondly. The thing I love most about Nut Stash is it’s a different experience every time. Adults can become kids and get a good laugh out of a fun game. While kids learn simple math and get to blow off some of their energy. I look forward to the day when everyone can enjoy playing Nut Stash.