Crowdfunding Corner February 2023
An interview with Kickstarter’s Nicole Amato on what is hot this month
Hi all! I’m Sean B. Jaffe from Nerdy City. I’m an indie game designer and I’m here to talk about crowdfunding with Nicole Amato, the Games Outreach Lead at Kickstarter. I thought I’d lead off this month with a short interview with my new buddy here.
Sean B. Jaffe: Who are you and what do you do at KS?
Nicole Amato: My name is Nicole Amato, and I'm the new Games Outreach Lead at Kickstarter! I'm a game designer and developer—I co-founded Cardboard Fortress Games with Anthony Amato. I've been making games for a decade now, which sometimes blows my mind to think about. At Kickstarter, I work with creators for tabletop games, board games, puzzles—if it fits into the games category, I'm there to support them. I do a huge range of things, from fielding questions, to looking over campaigns before they launch, to recommending projects for potential promotions, to finding the right person to help if that person isn't me. I'm also available for emotional support, which I remember was something I needed a lot of when I ran my own Kickstarter back in 2015!
Sean: What are some of your favorite Games/Types of Games?
Nicole: I love so many different types of games—I'm all over the place! For board and card games, it's Azul, Avocado Smash, Mord Im Arosa, Hibachi, Pandemic, Bohnanza...there are almost too many to name. For RPGs, I'm a huge fan of Lancer and Mothership these days, but I also love Blades in the Dark and Lacuna.
Sean: What games have you worked on in the past?
Nicole: At Cardboard Fortress Games, I worked on RESISTOR_, Lazer Ryderz, Spin Me Right Round, and Atari: Centipede, all of which were published. We also have dozens of prototypes and ideas that aren't finished yet. Outside of that, I did some cards for the social game Pineapple, co-wrote an adventure for Adventure Tactics, and am currently helping co-design an RPG that I don't think I'm allowed to talk about yet! It's my first time working on an RPG and I'm intimidated!
Sean: So, what’s looking like it’s going to be big in February 2023?
Nicole: Onyx Path is back with Realms of Pugmire (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/339646881/realms-of-pugmire-tabletop-rpg), a new edition of the beloved original. There's also the second edition of Yoon-Suin: The Purple Land (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thirdbluewizard/yoon-suin-the-purple-land), and Vast Grimm: Into Oblivion (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/infiniteblack/vast-grimm-into-oblivion), the latter of which is usable with Mork Borg. They're all so incredible. And if you're a tea drinker, D&Tea: A Great Infusion of RPGs and Tea (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dandtea/dandtea-a-great-infusion-of-rpgs-and-tea) is just lovely!
Sean: What are you excited about personally for February?
Nicole: I'm hoping this gorgeous Hit Point Press anthology (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hitpointpress/constellation-rpg-zine-anthology) makes a huge splash! It's so beautiful. The wonderful team at Dice Up Games is back with another Color My Quest campaign (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/diceupgames/color-my-quest-dungeon-run-adventures), which is like an RPG for kids that is also a coloring book! On the completely opposite end of the spectrum, if you love Mothership as much as I do, you'll be very excited about Cloud Empress (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hotstuffonshoreleave/cloud-empress-ecological-science-fantasy-roleplaying), Nirvana on Fire (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/magnumgalaxygames/nirvana-on-fire-expanded-edition), and my personal favorite of the lot, SIS/TR: A Rare Geometry (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/justinsirois/sistr-interactive-mini-and-turret-system-for-mothership-rpg).
Sean: What can you tell us about Zine Quest?
Nicole: I'm really excited about Zine Quest this year! We'll be spotlighting some really amazing creators. I can't give you much detail yet, but keep an eye on our socials for more content! And there are some rad campaigns up already, like Forty Fiends (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/crowheart/forty-fiends-a-mork-borg-compatible-bestiary) and Blasting Off Again! (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fivepointsgames/blasting-off-again-a-team-rocket-inspired-zine
Sean: Do you have any tips or tricks for any indie game designer looking to launch a Zine Game along with Zine Quest?
Nicole: Honestly, this is the best time to get involved. The guidelines have become more of a recommendation than strict rules, so now, you can even make something digital only if you want—no need to do any kind of physical fulfillment. If there's a game that's been marinating inside of you and you want to put it out there for the world, there's no better time than now! And don't forget to use our handy Zine Quest badges (https://www.kickstarter.com/zinequest) as well!
This IGDN blog article is brought to you by Sean B. Jaffe from Nerdy City. If you want to get in touch with the contributor you can visit their website at /nerdycity.com.
This article is part of the Indie Game Developer Network's blog series. The opinions and views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of the IGDN or its members.