Only This Charming Game Got More Than $1 Million in Pledges in 2023
A small game about the adventures of a witch's apprentice has become a major crowdfunding success. At the same time, it shows a certain broader trend related to community fundraising.
A small, relaxing exploration game titled Mika and The Witch's Mountain turned out to be an unexpected success of Kickstarter. Developers from independent studio Chibig managed to raise €1.3 million in just over a month.
According to experts, the success of the Spanish game may be some indication of broader trends related to the presence and funding of video games on crowdfunding platforms.
Relaxing game starring a witch
Mika and The Witch's Mountain is a combination of adventure and exploration game. The player controls the actions of the title character, a witch's apprentice, who, as part of her studies, helps the residents of a nearby town.
The gameplay is based mainly on exploration of the island (both on foot and on a broomstick) and performing simple tasks. These, in turn, focus on delivering packages and parcels.
The title is expected to debut later this year. The game will be released on PC, as well as PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch consoles.
Simon Carless, editor atGameDiscoverCo, in his text undertook an analysis of the unexpected success of Mika and The Witch's Mountain. Among the most important features that influenced the positive reception of the game, he mentions:
- eye-pleasing visuals, reminiscent of the The Legend of Zelda game and anime films from studio Ghibli;
- the trust placed in Chibig, which can already boast several successful projects;
- the game demo released on the occasion of Steam Next Fest, which unequivocally lent credibility to the plans and the project.
The state of video games on Kickstarter
Continuing the theme of the Spanish witch game, Carless in his text leans on the current state of fundraisers in the context of video games. From the table compiled by the journalist, describing the titles that have crossed the $1 million barrier in recent years, it is clear that such cases do not appear more than just 3 per year.
Simon Carless; newsletter.gamediscover.co
Interestingly, the situation is quite different for board games. Since November 2022, as many as 15 projects have crossed the $1 million threshold.
The author of the text sees the reasons for the reduced interest in video game fundraising in the loss of player trust in massive projects, which often take years to develop or never come to fruition. For this reason, the group of most funded games is dominated by independent or mid-budget items.
Among the productions that have exceeded the $100,000 threshold we see mainly strategy games, RPGs, visual novels or items offering relaxing, simple gameplay.
Simon Carless; newsletter.gamediscover.co
Changes in gamers' perceptions of crowdfunding may reflect some broader trends in the game industry in general. Recipients are increasingly turning to offerings from smaller and medium-sized studios, which often offer an experience quite different from AAA titles.
These developments make curiosity all the more acute about what game will turn out to be the next big Kickstarter hit.
