My wife can attest to how many hours I've put into Top Tale, and especially preparing for the two "Top Tale: The O.G. Vol 1" Kickstarter campaigns. It's a lot of hours to say the least, spread out over three years in my "free time". So far I haven't earned a dime for all of the efforts, and for many, that's enough to discourage putting any time into such an endeavor.
Four days into my second campaign, I'm already at 68% of my goal, which compared to my first campaign, it took 27 days to get that far! Although I've not funded yet, I'm confident I will get there. It's still hard not to stare at the Kickstarter dashboard and go through the possible scenarios for funding and such.
Until this relaunch campaign funds, there's always that small bit of doubt and dread that lingers in the back of your mind. It's easy to go down the rabbit hole and get a bit depressed. That being the case, it's critical to not go down that hole, and to focus on all the good.
In the three years developing Top Tale and preparing for Kickstarter campaigns, it's been an incredible journey! I've met so many amazingly supportive designers and publishers in the board game industry, and I'm convinced it's because we are all just trying to have fun playing games. My game being analog adds to that, since you interact with others in person. The fact of the matter is that people genuinely have fun playing Top Tale!
In the >100 times I've played Top Tale, I always learn something new about others, and I know others always learn something new about me. I've heard some incredible stories from people, both strangers and friends/family. I've heard people open up about subjects that they are uncomfortable talking about, but afterwards you can visibly tell that they feel better for having shared.
I'm also humbled by the friends and family that believe in Top Tale and I so much, that they are willing to put hundreds of dollars into the Kickstarter campaign. I truly wouldn't be on track to fund without their generosity. I'm also convinced that without them, I would have to spend a ton more time and money in marketing Top Tale, both of which I don't have much of. By getting this first volume of Top Tale published, it will fund the business enough that it should become self sustaining.
So all of this is just to say, that it is a ton of work to Kickstart a game, but the relationships I've made, the fun I've had playing games, and the love I've experienced from friends, family, and even strangers, is truly worth all the effort! Granted, it's not for the faint of heart, and you must invest a significant amount of time, effort, and capital, into making it happen, but at least for me, it's totally been worth it. I can't wait to see how the next few years pan out as I continue to grow the business, and as Top Tale makes it's way into the wild!
If you haven't already, I would be grateful if you'd take a few minutes to check out the campaign page and consider making a pledge. Even a dollar pledge can make a huge difference!