The demand for board games is clearly alive and well, despite the industry struggling to stay afloat as tariffs continue to rise and development costs soar. Further proof of that can be seen in how well the recent Don’t Starve board game Kickstarter has performed.
The popular classic survival game has managed to establish a firm presence in gaming culture due to its striking and recognisable aesthetic, and that makes it a prime candidate for a board game adaptation – much like other indie darlings before it, like The Binding of Isaac.
Still, few might have expected it to do as well as it has. With an initial target of just £37,000, Don’t Starve: The Board Game has earned over £3 million in less than a month, which has allowed the team to introduce newer stretch goals.
Don’t Starve Board Game Kickstarter Stretch Goals
The Kickstarter page for Don’t Starve has updated with stretch goals; new objectives that promise updated additions or features in line with the abundance of pledges now at their disposal . These include additions to the game like new cards, miniatures and map layout cards, as well as other additions.
Many stretch goals have now been met as well, with some starting at $100,000 and increasing by $50,000, eventually $100,000 every time one has been hit, taking it all the way to the $4 million mark where it now sits.
There are more beyond this goal if this funding continues to grow, but with just over 50 hours left on the Kickstarter at the time of writing, it’s unclear how much further this will physically be able to go.
Video Game to Board Game Adaptations
As mentioned, the board game industry itself is going through something of a difficult patch, so it comes as a welcomed surprise to see projects like this getting so much popular attention.
Some organisations such as the Game Manufacturers Association are striving to place more of a focus on strengthening the reach of board games as an industry, and being able to point to examples where games are highly profitable can only help that cause. What this might point to, though, is that it’s easier to draw in a wider audience when the board game in question focuses on a pre-existing source material.
If there is a wider community to draw on interest from, either fans of a game like Don’t Starve or those who know big brands like Lord of the Rings, a game under those names is likely in a better position to perform well.
