Q: It seems like this was your first Kickstarter campaign. Having never launched a game before, how did you feel in the time leading up to your campaign? Did you have any specific fears or expectations?
I did as much as I could to alleviate any fears that we had through research and lots and lots of phonecalls to various people. Justin (the artist) was apprehensive in using Kickstarter at all because of a couple bad experiences with the system. I was pretty happy with the workflow around KS, and felt pretty confident that I could run a campaign. I was sure that we would fund, and before the KS started, I laid everything out for Justin and Travis Torgerson (the graphic designer) and that erased all of our fears because we went day by day, talking about all the metrics we need to hit, and goals we need to hit to get everything ready at every stage of the getting JunKing as a tangible item we can hold in our hands.
Q: What are some things you did to prepare for JunKing’s Kickstarter campaign? Was there anything specific that you felt was particularly helpful to you in your preparation process?
Q: How long was the period of time between the moment you “finished” designing the game, and the launch of the Kickstarter?
Q: JunKing successfully funded at an impressive 200%+. I’m someone who never saw the campaign while it was live–at what point in the campaign did you reach 100% funding? Was there ever a moment where you were nervous that you might not get enough backers?
Q: Speaking of the campaign’s success, were you surprised to see how far you surpassed the original goal? What kind of feelings did you have when the campaign ended and you had the final number?
Q: In your own personal opinion, what do you think were some of the main contributing factors to your campaign’s success?
The biggest factor by far is Justin Hillgrove’s fan base. Check out www.impsandmonsters.com. Go to a show where he is and look at his art, meet him, talk to him. You will know why he has such a huge following. I’m so fortunate to work with people like Travis and Justin. All three of us have a great attitude about working with the highest quality and efficiency as possible and I think the campaign page reflected that. We heard reviews from journalists (that never even contacted us) comment that they had no idea who these people are (Junk Spirit Games) but they (we) “seem to be making some kind of brand play and their campaign looks really professional.”
Q: JunKing is now getting into the hands of backers, reviewers, and store owners. What was your experience like with the actual post-campaign publishing process? Did it meet your expectations, or did you run into surprises?
Q: You can now say that you’ve successfully designed, funded, published, and launched a tabletop game. From the very beginning (down to the moment you first conceptualized JunKing) to now, what would you say was the biggest challenge of the whole process?
Q: Now that JunKing is complete, what does this mean for the future? Do you plan to launch more games in the future? If so, would you consider going through Kickstarter again?
Q: What, in your opinion, are some of the main factors that might cause a campaign to fail?
Q: Let’s talk JunKing. How did JunKing come to be? Was there anything in particular that inspired you?
Q: Many themes are recycled over and over in the world of board games, but JunKing has a very unique theme that I’ve never seen before. What kind of a role did the theme have in the overall design process? Did it come before the gameplay mechanics, or was it the other way around?
Q: Continuing with theme, you published under the name “Junk Spirit Games,” and you seem to have somewhat of an established mythos with your “Imp Lands” universe. Is this an indication that future games will continue on with this theme?
Q: JunKing is a fairly light game that can be played with children, but enjoyed by adults. Going onward, would you want to stick with this general weight, or would you consider designing something more heavy?
Q: Finally, if you could give any advice to prospective Kickstarters out there, what would it be?
Be honest, realistic, and communicative. Do your research and surround yourself with people that have a good work ethic.