The financial interests of the RPG industry have shifted towards the crowdfunding industry in order to raise investment to bring projects to life, and it seems as if this phenomenon is just getting started. Crowdfunding is changing how creative works are developed and published for the tabletop and is allowing small teams and solo designers to flourish against, or alongside, industry giants like Wizards of the Coast and Paizo.
In the past, establishing a tabletop RPG was often a challenge of years to accumulate funds, pursue risky lending, and pitching your ideas to publishers who most likely would have little to no success. Most designers today can share prototypes and story pitches directly to their dedicated audiences that want to help execute the project. The backers are not just funding games; they are supporting the creative vision of what a game can be, and not just with words, they share and discuss in online communities.
Mörk Borg is one well-known instance of this shift. This dark, art-driven RPG suddenly appeared on Kickstarter in 2020 by Pelle Nilsson and Johan Nohr to get money to fund a 100-copy print run. Instead, Nilsson and Nohr built a cult following around Mörk Borg that led it into the RPG conversation and into gaming culture. This project exemplified how visual creativity, community engagement, and identity can turn a niche idea into a global product.
Crowdfunding is not only about generating funds. It is about creating connections between creators and players. The constant feedback loop between designers and backers means projects naturally evolve during development. Backers who feel they are heard are more likely to share and support the campaign, also play-test mechanics, and create fan content before the game is ultimately released. This growth model is clearly different from traditional publishing, where player feedback usually arrives late in the process after the product has been put on store shelves.
Kickstarter, Patreon, and the Evolution of Creative Freedom
One of the first platforms to gather popularity was Kickstarter, and remains the most successful website to raise rounds of investment. But the arrival of Patreon has also changed how indie creators can get a permanent stream of revenue in the long-term. Its model circumvents the need for one large launch, allowing creators to receive consistent monthly revenue from supporters. This ongoing revenue allows creators to help sustain between major content releases, support illustrations, help production costs, and reward backers by providing early access to content.
An ideal manifestation of this would be The Alexandrian, a blog dedicated to RPG design and analysis that is maintained by Justin Alexander. Alexander designs and updates his modules, essays, and systems design through Patreon, keeping most of his content accessible for public use. The blog continues and thrives based on community-based trust and transparency, which is a characteristic of the larger indie tabletop culture.
For a great number of creators, crowdfunding can also serve as a form of creative independence. Traditional publishers often limit the amount of text or subjects or mechanics. The crowdfunded game can explore tone, structure, and narrative without needing to present their project before a board for approval. Games such as Lancer, a mech based RPG, and Troika! an asymmetrical, rules-light fantasy game exemplified this freedom well. These games are created for specific tastes and playstyles rather than for mass consumption.
Lessons from Digital Platforms and Other Industries
The trend toward crowdfunding is stepping forward in similar ways we have seen in other entertainment spaces. Independent musicians, filmmakers, and video game developers use the same models to avoid key gatekeepers. Even online platforms that do not exist in the creative field are exploring how to borrow from community-driven models.
Online casinos, for example, have created a version of engagement through loyalty systems and shared incentives. When players engage on the platform, whether that be through community jackpots or bonus pools, they have jointly contributed to reward other players. Just as backers are investing in a tabletop project that they believe is promising in the hopes of launching an exciting new tabletop campaign, casino players are participating in games that encourage shared amusement, and a sense of community.
Provided creators are open about their work and fans stay invested in the process of creating storytelling experiences, the future of tabletop storytelling will always be written not by the large publishing houses, but by the players and the dreamers.