Some time ago I wrote a piece titled Fixing The Kickstarter Video Game Bubble. In it I contend that crowdfunding backers should be spreading their funding across more projects. Instead of dropping a hundred bucks on a single project, backers could better serve developers, themselves, and crowdfunding as a whole by backing five projects for twenty dollars each.
In addition to preventing rampant overfunding it would hedge backers against significant losses and give more developers a shot. Multiple examples were listed in the article, but one game in particular epitomized the point I was trying to make. First-time developer Kristen Cheely was looking to raise $1,500 on Kickstarter for her visual novel, Two Steps Back.
The Two Steps Back Kickstarter is not a campaign that one would point to as a prime example of how to be successful on the platform. There were a number of screenshots, the funding goal was low, and there was even an early version of the game to check out. However, the artwork wasn’t world-class, the campaign wasn’t structured very professionally, and the funding video was just Kristen talking to the camera. It’s all of those elements that made Two Steps Back a campaign worth checking out though.
Two Steps Back could easily have been a scam or a pipe-dream from a developer in over her head. But when Cheely closes her video by saying “I’ve put my all into this, and this is something that means a lot to me” it served as an effective call to action for potential backers. In the end the Two Steps Back Kickstarter raised $2,300. Over the $1,500 funding goal, but far from overfunded.
Since the Two Steps Back Kickstarter finished Cheely has done right by her backers. She posted updates once a month until the game was finished, delivered backer rewards, and created a solid game. When Marcus reviewed the game last September he had a lot of positive things to say, including:
“Even after being very familiar with a variety of visual novels I found Two Steps Back to have a very intriguing style of exposition. Repetition, confusion, and all that you would expect in the situation are played out perfectly. It was also hard not to become attached to both protagonists as they seem so immediately likable. You root for them and hope for the best, even if the best seems a slim chance…
… All in all, Two Steps Back is an exciting visual novel debut. The quality is quite high for something designed by a single person. Honestly, you rarely even see games in the genre that take the time to provide animated sprites! The unique, frightening storyline stands out against its colleagues as well.”
Not bad for a potentially forgettable Kickstarter from a rookie developer.
If you’ve got $3.00 to spend, consider taking a look at Two Steps Back now that it’s available on Steam. And next time you’re looking for projects to back think about taking a risk on someone’s dream, just don’t go overboard.
Interesting story, and so true. Best to spread and back campaigns one at a time, rather than throwing all your money into one campaign.
I’ve done both. I’ve overexerted myself on plenty of campaigns (mostly the Sierra alums and a few others that I had a lot of faith in), but I also spread the love around a lot too in small bursts.
I wasn’t very lucky in that regard. Everytime i backed a little campaign it was either a fraud or got cancelled (under 5k $). Even though i got over 300 games backed now..i hardly go over the lowest tier on those type of campaigns.
On the other side i pledge high on the campaigns i feel secure on like Shenmue or Inxile campaigns. I am on the higher tier (over 250$ usually). I lost quite the money on 2012 by being too trustful. Even if i am guilty since it is me who pledge but losing 1k on a scam isn’t a good feeling.
Yeah, there are folks that I would feel very secure in giving more money than most. If I know that if I give Inxile (for example) a ton of money I feel confident it’s in good hands, regardless of how things end up in the end.