Kickstarter Staff

Creator Spotlights — 4 min read For nearly a decade, bringing The Queen's Gambit back to the table was an idea that lived in the background at Restoration Games. In fact, when attorney/entrepreneur Justin Jacobson approached board game designer Rob Daviau about starting Restoration Games, in 2016, it was the first game he suggested. They thought it was too ambitious for their first attempt, so they put it off.

We first reported on Kickstarter’s economic impact nearly a decade ago. Since then, the platform, the creator community, and the broader creative economy have all evolved significantly. Today, new research offers a clearer picture of Kickstarter’s growing role in the global economy and the careers it helps sustain.

Last week, we released a set of updates to our rules around mature content. It was our first time publishing a set of detailed, specific guidelines for adult-oriented content on Kickstarter. And honestly? We botched it. The rules didn't land the way we intended, and the response from our community let us know loud and clear that we got it wrong. Our goal with these updates was to give creators more clarity upfront so they could make informed decisions about their projects before launch.

Today, Google and Kickstarter are launching Next Wave Fund, a joint initiative designed to give early-stage tech startups the funding, business tools, and guidance they need to launch and grow. The program is open to tech startup founders and small business owners who are building innovative products in hardware, software, gaming, or connected technology.

Running a Kickstarter campaign has often meant juggling tools, spreadsheets, and fast-moving decisions. Over the past few months, we’ve rolled out a new set of updates designed to simplify that process, bringing more of the campaign journey directly into Kickstarter. From reaching followers and managing orders to fulfillment and tax reporting, these tools give creators more control with less manual work.

Are you thinking about running a campaign for your book? Kickstarter is a great platform for a book launch! You’ll reach a new community, start building a fanbase of readers, and defray some of your publishing costs. When planning a project on Kickstarter, it’s important to keep a few key points in mind: You need to create something new. Either a new book or a brand-new format (like a hardback or special edition) of an existing book.

WeirdCo's Official Cyberpunk Trading Card Game launched on March 17 with a goal of $100,000 goal, a goal that was doubled in minutes. Since then, the momentum has not let up: When the Official Cyberpunk Trading Card Game hit over $15M it became not just the biggest TCG on Kickstarter, but the the biggest tabletop game in crowdfunding history. Through it all, Elliot Cook, WeirdCo's co-founder and president, has remained a calm and steady force.

Tools and support for creators at every stage Launching a successful Kickstarter campaign takes more than a great idea. It takes planning, perspective, and often, the right kind of support — across every phase of a project, from shaping campaign strategy and marketing to managing manufacturing, production, fulfillment, and logistics after launch.

PickPocket Games was founded with a mission of creating accessible, high quality games. As they put it, "When done right, board games have a unique ability to bring different people together over a shared experience. At PickPocket, our mission is to make games you can share with anyone." Their newest, Lodge, is a hotel building game set in the Swiss Alps. (Its Kickstarter campaign is up now through February 19).

Jeremiyah Love is the number 1 running back in college football. This year the Notre Dame standout was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, widely recognized as college football's top honor. What you may not know, is that he also makes comics. In fact, during the 2025 college football season, one where he was excelling on the field, he also launched and successfully funded a comic book through Kickstarter. It's called Jeremonstar, and it's the first sports comic book by a Division 1 athlete.