Pulling a Kickstarter that has already hit its funding goal is a rare move, but that is exactly what Plaid Hat Games has just done with The Monolith. The studio behind Dead of Winter and Mice and Mystics cancelled the live campaign for its new combat game days in, and it has been refreshingly candid about why.
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Start organising for freeThe Monolith is a game of fast, brutal combat for three to four players. You land on a distant alien world where an ancient structure has driven people to violence, and you command a band of followers as a self-proclaimed prophet, battling rival shamans to win the favour of the looming Monolith at the centre of the board. It is packed with miniatures, from warriors and shamans to the towering Monolith itself.
So why pull it? Plaid Hat says the striking campaign was drawing plenty of eyes, but those people were not pledging. The recurring feedback was simple: why back now when I can just wait for retail? The studio admitted it "could have done better" at making the case for pledging early. Rather than limp to the finish, it cancelled, having already started production, and promised the delivery date will not move when the game returns "sooner than you think". According to trade outlet BoardGameWire, the campaign had raised around 27,400 dollars from 290 backers against a 15,000 dollar goal, and Plaid Hat is eyeing a relaunch after Gen Con.
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Find events near youIt is an honest look at a debate every backer knows well: pledge on day one, or wait for the shelf? If you would rather try before you commit, that is exactly what a game night is for. Find a group near you and get a feel for a publisher's style before the next campaign goes live.
Sources: Plaid Hat Games | BoardGameWire
