Crowdfunding

Manage your own plushie ship in Toymaker: Threads of Joy, announcing its participation in the Backed by Backers Festival

Toymaker: Threads of Joy, a cozy crafting and plushie selling simulator developed by Uprising Studios, has announced its participation in the Backed by Backers Steam festival. The game, set in 1910s Salamanca, Spain, has exceeded its Kickstarter funding goal by 240% with three days remaining and is aiming for a Nintendo Switch release.

The Dungeon Crawler RPG Crowdfunding Campaign Just Launched and Has Already Decimated Its Goals

Renegade Game Studios has launched a crowdfunding campaign for multiple Dungeon Crawler Carl tabletop games. The campaign has already surpassed its funding goals, raising over $3 million on its first day.

Evening Crowdfunding

Wyldheart is a co-op action RPG developed by Wayfinder Studios that is currently being crowdfunded via Kickstarter. The game is set in a rustic fantasy world and features bite-sized campaigns.

Dungeon Crawler Carl RPG Has Already Raised $3 Million on Backerkit

Renegade Game Studios' crowdfunding campaign for a Dungeon Crawler Carl tabletop RPG has surpassed $3 million, significantly exceeding its $250,000 goal. The campaign includes an official TTRPG adaptation and a deckbuilding game based on the series, with fulfillment expected in late 2026.

Massively OP Podcast Episode 562: Turtles, mechs, and multiclassing

The MassivelyOP Podcast episode 562 covers updates on Albion Online's world refresh and the potential end of Turtle WoW due to a court settlement. The hosts also discuss EverQuest Legends' upcoming closed beta, AdventureQuest Worlds' successful crowdfunding campaign, and methods for making MMOs feel more alive.

DICE THRONE DIGITAL: THE COMMUNITY TAKES THE THRONE AS $100K KICKSTARTER GOES LIVE

Nerd Ninjas has launched a $100,000 Kickstarter campaign for Dice Throne Digital, aiming to bring the popular tabletop game to Steam, mobile, and Meta Quest with cross-platform play. Backers will receive early access and opportunities to influence development, with rewards including founder credits and exclusive content. The digital version will feature eight iconic heroes and introduce new game modes like a roguelite Campaign mode.

Temtem Pioneers confirms it will add new critters, starting off with a flower cow

Crema Games has announced that its upcoming survival sandbox game, Temtem Pioneers, will feature new creatures, including a flower cow-like Temtem named Bellora. This comes after the studio previously stated new creatures would not be added to the original Temtem MMORPG due to player numbers. Temtem Pioneers has surpassed $230K in Kickstarter funding, with a crystal biome unlocked and fossil Tems as the next stretch goal.

Dead by Daylight: The Board Game — Auris Box Campaign Revealed

Level 99 Games and Behavior Interactive have announced the Auris Campaign for Dead by Daylight: The Board Game, a new Gamefound project. This campaign will introduce a collector's storage box, a new Survivor and Killer, two new maps, and new gameplay formats including solo and cooperative modes. The campaign is set to launch on June 16 and will run for approximately four weeks.

Dead by Daylight Board Game Auris Box Announced, Gamefound Campaign Begins June 16

Level 99 Games and Behaviour Interactive announced the Auris Box expansion for Dead by Daylight: The Board Game, which will launch on Gamefound on June 16, 2026. This expansion includes a collector's storage solution, new Survivors, Killers, maps, and introduces three new play formats: Survive Alone, Survive Together, and Kill Alone.

Tabletop-Inspired Co-op RPG, Wyldheart Hits 140,000 Wishlists on Steam as Kickstarter Reaches 80% Funded

The co-op fantasy RPG Wyldheart has surpassed 140,000 wishlists on Steam and its Kickstarter campaign is 80% funded with 16 days remaining. Developed by Wayfinder Studios, a 10-person remote team including veterans from EA DICE, Embark Studios, and Mojang, the game is designed around flexible co-op play inspired by tabletop RPGs. The studio aims to fund its route to Early Access via Kickstarter, with a full release targeted before the end of 2027.

Broken Sword - The Smoking Mirror: Reforged is up on Kickstarter

Developer Revolution has launched a Kickstarter campaign for Broken Sword - The Smoking Mirror: Reforged, a modernized version of the classic adventure game. The campaign has already surpassed £398,000 in funding and promises native Linux support. Revolution emphasized that the game's extensive animation work was done entirely by human artists, without AI generation.

Founder of dead MMO Ashes of Creation denies blowing its Kickstarter fortune on trading cards, private chefs, and…

Steven Sharif, founder of Intrepid Studios, has denied accusations of misappropriating Kickstarter funds for the MMO Ashes of Creation. YouTuber NefasQS presented accounting details suggesting significant spending on personal luxuries, which Sharif claims are false and part of a smear campaign amidst ongoing legal disputes.

From Backers to Breakthroughs: 450+ Crowdfunded Games Spotlighted on Steam

Crytivo is launching the 'Backed by Backers' Steam Festival, starting April 14, 2026, to celebrate over 450 crowdfunded games and their communities. The event will feature playable demos and discounts for titles at various development stages, highlighting the growing role of crowdfunding in the industry.

MMO Week in Review: EQ Legends’ beta, Ashes of Creation’s drama

This week's MMO news roundup covers the upcoming closed beta for EverQuest Legends and ongoing legal drama surrounding Ashes of Creation. Several other titles like AdventureQuest Worlds Infinity, Dune Awakening, and Temtem Pioneers also saw significant updates or funding news.

Defunct MMO studio founder allegedly spent Kickstarter funds on private chefs, antiques, and TCGs

Investor Jason Caramanis has accused Intrepid Studios founder Steven Sharif of misappropriating millions in Kickstarter funds intended for the defunct MMO Ashes of Creation. These funds were allegedly spent on personal items such as private chefs and antiques, following the studio's closure and the layoff of its entire team.

Rumor Mill

A report alleges that the failed MMO Ashes of Creation spent $3.2 million in Kickstarter funds on non-development expenses, including private chefs and trading cards. The game has been in development for an extended period without a full release.

Buyback for Star Citizen packages with Squadron 42 was suddenly ended by CIG without warning

Cloud Imperium Games has reportedly ended the ability for players to buy back Star Citizen packages that include Squadron 42, without prior announcement. This change has caused significant backlash among long-time backers on Reddit and official forums, with some players reporting that even developers at CIG were unaware of the decision, suggesting it may be a bug.

The Sunday Papers

This article rounds up recent discussions and investigations within the game development industry. Topics include the resurgence of the Australian game development scene, the risks of developers repeatedly making similar games, the creation of soundtracks for extraction shooters, the challenges of crowdfunding, and critical perspectives on the use of AI in writing.

Make My MMO: AQWI’s $2M Kickstarter haul, Camelot Unchained’s weird early access

Broken Sword devs showered in $400,000 after promising to drop AI upscaling and draw 55,000 frames by hand for…

Revolution Software's Kickstarter for the Broken Sword: The Smoking Mirror remaster has surpassed its funding goal by over 500%, reaching over $422,000 USD. The success comes after the studio decided to drop AI upscaling in favor of redrawing all 55,000 frames by hand, a decision that has been met with strong community support. Studio head Charles Cecil stated that AI cannot replicate the subtle characterization and human expressions that their team of classical animators can provide.