D&D 5E Is 5e's Success Actually Bad for Other Games?

[Enevhar Aldarion]

I think that would count. My own myopia leaves me knowing about D&D adjacent Kickstarters. What are some of the notable non D&D adjacent games that have had huge Kickstarters?

You mean these?

The Biggest TTRPG Kickstarter Creators: Free League Is King!

They say you can't make a million in tabletop RPGs. With 26 successful campaigns totaling nearly $8,000,000, Swedish company Free League is one of the big heavyweights of tabletop roleplaying Kickstarters. Their latest offering, Ruins of Symbaroum, has already joined that streak of killer...

www.enworld.org

 

[tetrasodium]

I think that would count. My own myopia leaves me knowing about D&D adjacent Kickstarters. What are some of the notable non D&D adjacent games that have had huge Kickstarters?

Several have already been mentioned but anime5e/the 5e version of besm has a great page on it's kickstarter with a lot of details in it

Spoiler

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I don't feel that the point that you can be perfectly satisfied with D&D, and still play other games, to be a nitpick in this context.

In the context of what I wrote? Yes, yes it is.

Look, if someone says, "That's as obvious as the earth goin' roun' the sun ..."

You have two options ...

1. Get it, and move on.

2. "Well ak-shually, with all due respect, the earth doesn't "go around" the sun, or whatever vernacular you use. Instead, the earth and the sun are both "goin' roun' the barycenter" so harumph.

If you are, in fact perfectly satisfied then you are unlikely to be using another product. Because perfect satisfaction means that, inter alia, you are satisfied with the variety you are getting, the genre, all the rules, everything.

But none of that really matters, unless you are, in fact, nitpicking in the context. But with all due respect, you are welcome to do whatever you want.

 

[Thomas Shey]

Numenera
Invisible Sun

But there have been lots of non-D&D games that have had very successful Kickstarters without being outright huge.

Even ignoring the "blow through their target in the first six hours of the KS" cases, anytime you go home with 4-8 times the pledges you were shooting for, its hard to see that as anything but a pretty resounding success.

 

[Umbran]

I don't feel that the point that you can be perfectly satisfied with D&D, and still play other games, to be a nitpick in this context.

I realized an example of this might be helpful.

I like D&D. 5e is a great game. I'm involved playing three different campaigns right now.

But, during this pandemic year, out of the blue, someone I know offered me and my wife spots in a game he was running online, and that game isn't D&D. In no way, shape, or form is my accepting to play his game an indication that I am in some way displeased by D&D.

I have one group that usually plays RPGs at my house. Two of my players are also part of another group. That other group already plays D&D, and they are quite happy with it. They request that I run other systems. Again, my choice to accommodate the wishes of others does not indicate that I, personally, am not satisfied with D&D.

 

[darjr]

OK cool. But what about them says 5es success helped them? Do you think?
@Enevhar Aldarion

@tetrasodium

@Thomas Shey

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Even ignoring the "blow through their target in the first six hours of the KS" cases, anytime you go home with 4-8 times the pledges you were shooting for, its hard to see that as anything but a pretty resounding success.

They can be successful for the initial profits of the company/author, but what do they mean for continued sales and success? So a Kickstarter gets 10k backers, and they pledge several times the target amount, but how many people beyond those 10k will ever even hear of the game or play it or buy it?

 

[PsyzhranV2]

I think that would count. My own myopia leaves me knowing about D&D adjacent Kickstarters. What are some of the notable non D&D adjacent games that have had huge Kickstarters?

Basically anything Free League puts out. Modiphius also has had quite a bit of Kickstarter success. For indie projects, Coyote and Crow recently went above all expectations and raised a huge amount of money.

The Biggest TTRPG Kickstarter Creators: Free League Is King!

They say you can't make a million in tabletop RPGs. With 26 successful campaigns totaling nearly $8,000,000, Swedish company Free League is one of the big heavyweights of tabletop roleplaying Kickstarters. Their latest offering, Ruins of Symbaroum, has already joined that streak of killer...

www.enworld.org

 

[Morrus]

They can be successful for the initial profits of the company/author, but what do they mean for continued sales and success? So a Kickstarter gets 10k backers, and they pledge several times the target amount, but how many people beyond those 10k will ever even hear of the game or play it or buy it?

Does it matter? If the game gets 10K backers and everybody gets paid and then gets to do more projects and make a living out of making games, it sounds like a success to me. And that story is happening more than it ever has in the history of the industry. The "1000 true fans" theory has some truth to it.

There's an awesome restaurant in my town that we love. It has a millionth of the customer base of the McDonalds franchise. It is, nevertheless, very much a success story.

 

[Thomas Shey]

What counts as huge in your book? Because in backer count I'd go with The One Ring (16,000), Coyote & Crow (16,000), 7th Sea 2e (11,000), Fate Core (10,000), Deadlands (5000), Exalted 3e (5000), Numenera (5000 but D&D adjacent), Apocalypse World 4e (4000), Modiphus' Conan (4000).

Scion 2e got around 4000 too, and one could suggest its a little specialized a product.