Emily Parker

I used to think all board game cards were basically the same. Then I picked up a deck from a mass-market game, shuffled it next to a deck from a recent Kickstarter, and the difference slapped me across the face. One deck felt thin, slippery, and floppy. The other had weight, snap, and a subtle … Read more

Deciding whether to back a crowdfunding campaign now or wait for the retail release is one of the most common dilemmas shoppers face on platforms like Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and Gamefound. I have backed more than 40 projects over the last six years, watched some arrive in three months, and watched others vanish into two-year silences. … Read more

I have backed over 30 board game campaigns in the last two years, and I have learned the hard way that the funding announcement is just the beginning of the journey. If you want to track a board game pledge after funding and actually receive what you paid for, you need a simple system and … Read more

Preparing for shipping and customs fees on a crowdfunded game means understanding the real costs beyond your initial pledge, including postage, packaging, import duties, and VAT that vary by destination country. I have backed more than 40 board games across Kickstarter, Gamefound, and BackerKit over the last six years, and the surprise fees I never … Read more

If you have ever backed a crowdfunding project and then felt your stomach drop when the pledge manager total popped up, you are not alone. One backer on r/boardgames confessed that after 2.5 years of backing games on Kickstarter, they realized most of the money they spent wasn’t on the pledges themselves but on the … Read more

You backed a board game on Kickstarter three years ago. The estimated delivery date came and went. The updates slowed to a trickle, then stopped entirely. Now you’re staring at a pledge confirmation email wondering if you’ll ever see that game — or your money — again. If that sounds familiar, you’re far from alone. … Read more

Standing at the digital checkout of a crowdfunding campaign, staring at two pledge levels that look almost identical, is one of the most frustrating moments for backers. The deluxe edition costs more, but the retail edition promises the same core experience. I’ve backed over 40 campaigns and watched plenty of people in forums wrestle with … Read more

Backing a crowdfunding project should feel exciting, not risky. Yet our team has tracked hundreds of failed campaigns where backers lost everything because the warning signs were hiding in plain sight. This guide teaches you how to read a crowdfunding campaign for red flags about delivery, so your money ends up in the hands of … Read more

Backing a board game Kickstarter feels exciting. You discover a clever-looking game, watch the preview video, and click “pledge” before the timer runs out. I have done it more times than I should admit, and I have learned the hard way that not every campaign deserves your money. Evaluating a board game Kickstarter before you … Read more

Most players lose push-your-luck games not because of bad dice rolls, but because they never learned how to think about push-your-luck odds the right way. They push one time too many, watch their points vanish, and wonder why they always seem to bust at the worst moment. The truth is that winning these games is … Read more