Create your campaign-ready prototype

If you’ve backed a handful of games on Kickstarter, you’ve surely noticed that some games look a lot closer to finished than others. First-timers, seasoned creators, and everything in-between are all presenting games at various levels of completion. While it would be nice to present the finished project before launching your campaign, that’s just not realistic for everyone, and it’s a bit counter to what Kickstarter is all about in the first place. So let us be clear: your game does NOT have to be 100% finished to run a successful campaign.

That said, a good rule of thumb is to have your game at least 85% complete. You need to be able to convey to potential backers how your game plays, who it’s for, and an idea of what the final game will look like. The operative word here being “idea.” You need to be able to smoothly convey what players can expect.

So what’s the difference between the prototype you’ve been using and a “campaign-ready” prototype? For some, not much, but by this point, your prototypes are hopefully in a heavily used state, and you need to create a fresh new one that is photo and video-ready. 

Some things to consider:

• Be sure to have a master list of all your game components and have a solid version of each to showcase.
• Your art does not all have to be 100% complete, but we highly recommend you have a few finished components to showcase, such as player cards and game pieces. Show off enough so that backers can get a clear picture. 
• As with every stage of the crowdfunding process, be very transparent with your backers and share the creation process. 
• Discover ways to include the community, such as voting on card variations and color palettes. 

Where you will showcase this prototype:

• Campaign page photos and GIFS
• Campaign page videos
• Potentially send to reviewers and previewers
• Marketing photos and GIFS if you are running ads
• Sharing with your community via social media and newsletters

Remember, you are running a project to fund your game. No one expects it to be 100% finished. Sure some games are much closer to being manufactured, but those creators and companies have likely run a few successful campaigns by this point. It’s ok to be a little rough around the edges, especially for first-timers.