2017’s Highest Grossing English Language Tabletop Roleplaying Crowdfunding Campaigns

2017 has been a great year for tabletop roleplaying crowdfunding campaigns. Millions of dollars have been raised to bring hundreds of games and accessories to life. Over the course of the year I’ve tracked 658 projects covering roleplaying games, supplements, accessories and a few related miniature, dice and licensed computer game projects. Of those 658, 38 were cancelled by their creators, 68 failed to fund by the deadline and almost 300,000 backers brought the rest to life. What were 2017’s biggest roleplaying projects? Well, I’m glad you asked…

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The below list includes every campaign for a roleplaying game, or supplement, that raised $50,000 or more. 47 campaigns got on the list this year. US companies had the most $50k+ campaigns, 28 in total, which isn’t a surprise given that most campaigns are still created by US companies or designers. The UK comes a distant second with 8 entries, closely followed by Sweden with 6, Germany has 2, whilst Australia, Italy, and Spain all provide one entry each.

This list does not include miniatures, dice, maps, software, computer games based on RPGs, non-English language RPGs (although the new version of Nephilim Legende made over $250,000 in French on Ulule) or games from sites other than Kickstarter (not that I saw any in English on other sites that would have broken into this list anyway).

For campaigns that ran in currency other than US dollars I converted their final funding total to US dollars using current exchange rates.

2017’s Highest Grossing English Language Tabletop Roleplaying Crowdfunding Campaigns​

1	US	Numenera 2: Discover and Destiny by Monte Cook Games	$845,258
2	GER	Torg Eternity by Ulisses Spiele	$355,992
3	SWE	Forbidden Lands – Retro Open-World Survival Fantasy RPG by Fria Ligan	$342,984
4	UK	The Yellow King Roleplaying Game from Robin D. Laws by Pelgrane Press	$225,075
5	USA	7th Sea: Khitai by John Wick	$207,646
6	USA	Stars Without Number: Revised Edition by Kevin Crawford	$192,036
7	USA	Midgard Campaign Setting: Dark Roads & Deep Magic by Kobold Press	$191,428
8	USA	Eclipse Phase, Second Edition RPG by Infomorph	$187,307
9	USA	DCC Lankhmar by Goodman Games	$187,171
10	USA	Changeling: The Lost 2nd Edition by Richard Thomas	$166,290
11	USA	Mini-Dungeon Tome for 5th Edition or Pathfinder by AAW Games	$165,468
12	USA	A Strange Box: Deluxe Boxed Edition of The Strange RPG by Monte Cook Games	$162,819
13	USA	Dusk City Outlaws by Scratchpad Publishing	$154,155
14	UK	Traveller RPG: The Great Rift & Deep Space Exploration by Matthew Sprange	$153,038
15	SWE	Mutant: Mechatron – Rise of the Robots Roleplaying by Fria Ligan	$142,865
16	SWE	LexOccultum by RiotMinds	$136,002
17	USA	How to Write Adventure Modules That Don’t Suck by Goodman Games	$125,456
18	SWE	Symbaroum – Monster Codex by Jarnringen	$125,037
19	USA	Top Secret: New World Order – the espionage roleplaying game by TSR Games	$123,168
20	USA	Monster Hunter International RPG: Savage Worlds Edition by Gallant Knight Games	$122,985
21	USA	Monarchies of Mau Fantasy Tabletop RPG by Richard Thomas	$118,534
22	UK	Elite: Dangerous Role Playing Game by Oliver Hulme – Spidermind Games	$116,830
23	USA	Flash Gordon RPG for Savage Worlds by Shane Hensley	$109,892
24	UK	Sigil & Sign – Cthulhu Mythos RPG where you play the cultist by Dominic McDowall – Cubicle 7	$102,265
25	UK	Cthulhu Dark by Graham Walmsley	$96,617
26	UK	Spire RPG by Grant Howitt	$96,448
27	USA	Kids on Bikes RPG – Strange Adventures in Small Towns by Infectious Play (Jon Gilmour)	$93,471
28	SWE	Western – the Roleplaying Game by Askfageln	$91,131
29	UK	A Touch of Class: 7 New Classes for 5th Edition by Morrus	$91,006
30	USA	Cortex Prime: A Multi-Genre Modular Roleplaying Game by Cam Banks	$84,430
31	ESP	FAITH: The Sci-Fi RPG Core Book and Miniatures by Burning Games	$84,345
32	UK	Legacy: Life Among the Ruins 2nd Edition by James Iles	$83,738
33	USA	Paladin: Warriors of Charlemagne by Nocturnal Media	$82,769
34	USA	Aces & Eights: Reloaded, a Wild West role playing game by Kenzer and Company	$79,684
35	SWE	Symbaroum: Karvosti – The Witch Hammer by Jarnringen	$74,715
36	AUS	Fragged Empire RPG: Expanded by Wade Dyer	$71,811
37	USA	Talislanta: The Savage Land by Stewart Wieck	$69,146
38	USA	Arcanis 5E RPG by Henry Lopez	$67,063
39	USA	The Deck of Many: DnD 5e Reference Cards by Cardamajigs	$63,599
40	USA	Tiny Dungeons 2e - Minimalist fantasy roleplaying is back! By Gallant Knight Games	$62,585
41	USA	Alternity 2017 - A Science Fiction Roleplaying Game by Sasquatch Game Studio LLC	$62,043
42	ITA	Journey To Ragnarok: A Norse Mythology Adventure for 5e by Michele Paroli	$61,391
43	USA	Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras 2 by Richard Thomas	$60,593
44	USA	Outbreak: Undead 2E – The Survival Horror Simulation RPG by Hunters Books	$59,295
45	USA	Wearing the Cape by Marion G. Harmon	$53,854
46	GER	Aventuria Compendium – The Dark Eye RPG by Ulisses Spiele	$51,709
47	USA	Underworld Races & Classes for 5th Edition & Pathfinder RPG by AAW Games	$50,304

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Update: I have added a list of the campaigns in 2017 that received the most 'Backers' in the comments section below. Numenera still comes out top but the rest of the list see's a shake up.

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[Morrus]

658 RPG Kickstarter projects in one year - that's almost two per day! And nearly all of them funded. Kickstarter was definitely one of those positive industry-changing things - it's so much easier now to break into and make money publishing roleplaying games.

 

[AngusA]

This is a list of the campaigns in 2017 which got the most backers...

Numenera 2: Discovery and Destiny	4185
Forbidden Lands - Retro Open-World Survival Fantasy RPG	3399
How To Write Adventure Modules That Don't Suck	3247
Stars Without Number: Revised Edition	3143
Mini-Dungeon Tome for 5th Edition or Pathfinder RPG	3091
Kids on Bikes RPG - Strange Adventures in Small Towns	3069
Cortex Prime : A Multi-Genre Modular Roleplaying Game	2756
7th Sea: Khitai	2553
Eclipse Phase, Second Edition	2533
Changeling: The Lost 2nd Edition	2500
A Touch of Class: 7 New Classes for 5th Edition	2454
The Yellow King Roleplaying Game from Robin D. Laws	2288
Torg Eternity	2282
Monster Hunter International RPG: Savage Worlds Edition	2058
Dusk City Outlaws	2048
Innocents, a truly terrifying roleplaying game	2035
Monarchies of Mau Fantasy Tabletop RPG	1970
Talislanta: The Savage Land	1963
Top Secret: New World Order - the espionage roleplaying game	1946
Midgard Campaign Setting: Dark Roads & Deep Magic	1933
DCC Lankhmar	1838
Cthulhu Dark	1747
Legacy: Life Among the Ruins 2nd Edition	1713
Tiny Dungeon 2e - Minimalist fantasy roleplaying is back!	1661
Mutant: Mechatron - Rise of the Robots Roleplaying	1653
Gametee: World's Finest Leather Notebooks for Gamers	1610
PALADIN: Warriors of Charlemagne	1516
Spire RPG	1483
LexOccultum TPG	1437
The Deck of Many: DnD 5e Reference Cards	1361
SYMBAROUM - Monster Codex	1251
The Tavern Companion	1244
Adventure Kit: Oath of the Frozen King	1231
Masters and Minions: A 5th Edition Supplement	1214
Elite: Dangerous RPG	1193
Sly Flourish's Fantastic Adventures	1171
Fear's Sharp Little Needles	1137
Traveller RPG: The Great Rift & Deep Space Exploration	1130
Drinking Quest: Liqour Before Honor	1119
Fragged Empire TPG: Expanded	1103
Journey To Ragnarok: A Norse Mythology Adventure for 5e	1082
Noir World	1067
Flash Gordon RPG for Savage Worlds	1027
A Strange Box	1011
Misspent Youth RPG: Sell Out with Me!	988
The Big Book of Maps	947
The Star on the Shore	922
Cold Shadows - Narrative Espionage Roleplaying	918
Treasure Decks for 5th Edition	902
Tome of Horrors: Reborn for Fifth Edition	895
Middarmark	893
CAVALIERS OF MARS, a tabletop roleplaying game	885
Underworld Races & Classes	882
Artifices of Quartztoil Tower - 5E Adventure - Only $10!	877
Sign & Sigil - Cthulhu Mythos RPG where you play the cultist	868
Alas for the Awful Sea	867
The Watch RPG	865
Lost Artifacts of Greyghast - A 5e Magic Item Compendium	856
Ebonclad: 5E DnD Thieves' Guild Settubg + 7 New Adventures	854
SIGMATA: This Signal Kills Fascists	854
New Paths Compendium: Pathfinder RPG Expanded Edition	840
Atlas Animalia - A book of monster variants	798
Remarkable Inns & Their Drinks - The Ultimate GM's Guide	794
Pigsmoke: A Roleplaying Game of Sorcerous Academia	789
Hyperlanes: Cinematic Scifi for DnD 5E	787
Limitless Monsters - 100 DnD5e monsters	767

 

[Mam Bach]

Would love to see the whole list

Why did these fund and others did not? What did they do right? Interesting to note that significant numbers of these are based on existing products - supplements for dnd and Pathfinder, a WOD core book, several 2nd eds - which come with a pre-existing fanbase

 

[flannel]

Well, I would say that we are (here at Many-Sided Dice) completely flattered to be mentioned on the "Most Backers List". I'd love to see the "top funded" and "most backers" done by categories, though... for example, Underworld Races & Classes (solid damn project, in our opinion) was a more discreet offering than, say, Talislanta. Neither really compare to (as someone already said) Changling coming out of the woodwork to Kickstart. None of those are really the same as Deck of Many (also great). Etc.

Our Kickstarter for Lost Artifacts of Greyghast (available in fine bookstores everywhere), for example, I think may have been the only one or one of very few to offer ONLY the book. No other products, no gimmicks, no additional stretches, etc. I'd love to see how 2017 went down for more "book" focused RPG Kickstarters (newer or independent publishers like us), established ones, accessories, larger bundles of things... (I mean, wow, 7th Sea was offering a frickin' library of stuff on their KS, hard to compare to "How To Write Adventure Modules That Don't Suck" (another stellar product).

Super cool post! Very cool.

Thanks,

The Team at Many-Sided Dice

 

[AngusA]

Well, I would say that we are (here at Many-Sided Dice) completely flattered to be mentioned on the "Most Backers List". I'd love to see the "top funded" and "most backers" done by categories, though... for example, Underworld Races & Classes (solid damn project, in our opinion) was a more discreet offering than, say, Talislanta. Neither really compare to (as someone already said) Changling coming out of the woodwork to Kickstart. None of those are really the same as Deck of Many (also great). Etc.

Our Kickstarter for Lost Artifacts of Greyghast (available in fine bookstores everywhere), for example, I think may have been the only one (or close to it) to offer ONLY the book. No other products, no gimmicks, no additional stretches, etc. I'd love to see how 2017 went down for more "book" focused RPG Kickstarters (newer or independent publishers like us), established ones, accessories, larger bundles of things... (I mean, wow, 7th Sea was offering a frickin' library of stuff on their KS, hard to compare to "How To Write Adventure Modules That Don't Suck" (another stellar product).

Super cool post! Very cool.

Thanks,

The Team at Many-Sided Dice

Thanks, and congrats on Greyghasts success this year

I know EN Publishing's own 'A Touch of Class' was a single book campaign too (#29 most funded; #11 most backers), and have seen a few others as they seem to be slowly gaining popularity. I think we'll see more of them in the coming years but still expect to also see the 'product line' Kickstarters that keep unlocking more books through stretch goals which feed the funding total but will also take a long time to completely fulfill. There is certainly an attractiveness to the "one book and that's it" campaign for both the creator and backers though.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

Torg Eternity included the entire original product line as pdfs, so that sweetened the pot for those like me who always wanted to play it way back but never got around to it. I bet the reason they made more money with less backers is related to the $200 cargo box pledge option that was just really, really enticing.

 

[Earth2Carnifex]

Why isn't Dungeon Fantasy on this list? Steve Jackson Games raised $176,450 from 1,587 backers, that should have put it at #10 on this list.

Edit - Never mind I am an idiot, Dungeon Fantasy funded in 2016.

 

[Morrus]

Why isn't Dungeon Fantasy on this list? Steve Jackson Games raised $176,450 from 1,587 backers

In 2016.

 

[sstacks]

Great post. I personally would also like to have seen the numbers ($ raised or # of backers, respectively) next to the name on the list.