Top 10 Crowdfunded Projects Scheduled to Fill Game Shelves in 2024
Here’s a Meeple Sheeple round-up of the Top-10 crowdfunded games that couldn’t arrive soon enough this year (plus the one retail game that has me just as excited).
Honorable Mention (because it contradicts the headline) – Dorfromantik: The Duel – The original’s a hit in this household, yet the YouTube circles I frequent consistently chastise it for not feeling like a satisfying gaming experience due to the lack of conflict. This version of the game should quell such dissatisfaction by injecting a competitive framework. This one couldn’t arrive in stores soon enough.
#10 – Once Upon a Line: The Butterfly’s Breath – Crossword puzzle the board game. Clearly a game for people seeking unique experiences over replayability, this narrative-driven solo or cooperative game bills itself as the first scratch-off adventure game.
#9 – Wondrous Creatures – Bad Comet hasn’t disappointed with their last two crowdfunded games, delivering playing experiences that incorporate stunning components. And they’re the only company whose games arrive ahead of schedule. Some felt Wild: Serengeti ran too long, but Life of the Amazonia delivered a more streamlined and rewarding experience. Bad Comet has delivered solid wildlife games based in reality; it’s time to see how they deliver on games set in a fantastical realm.
#8 – The Queen’s Dilemma – Welcome to the sequel of The King’s Dilemma, which saw players gaining influence and power by knowing which rotten choice was slightly better than that other rotten choice. The original legacy game traced the lineage of the king for multiple generations throughout the campaign, whereas players in the sequel serve as council members to the same Queen to help decide the fate of the kingdom.
#7 – Weirdwood Manor – This 1-5 player cooperative game by Greyridge Games sees players battling monsters on a dynamic and ever-shifting board. Sometimes it’s fun to play with people and not against them, so bonus points go to this game for going the extra mile to make it weird.
#6 – Lords of Vegas – This hyped out-of-print game usually commands at least $100 in the used market. This upgraded reprint offered a chance to pick up everything available in the Lords of Vegas universe. Lone Shark Games canceled their initial Kickstarter and relaunched to address backer concerns, so here’s hoping the game’s enjoyability equals the company’s commitment to making the best version possible.
#5 – Molly House – Wehrlegig Games excels at producing games based on historical events and dynasties. This game explores social opportunities for the queer community to intermingle in the late 17th century, lessons that most players will likely experience for the first time due to the suppressed and hidden nature of the subject matter.
#4 – Shasn: Azadi– Shasn introduced Meeple Sheeple to the world of Kickstarter, and the game’s central them of attempting to win an election still delights. The sequel builds upon this foundation but foregoes peaceful elections to focus on overcoming colonialists with more revolutionary tactics.
#3 – Arcs – Leder Games cultivated love for woodland creatures in Root and fantastical kingdom-building in Oath. They turn their attention to the future and sky to deliver a single-game or short-campaign experience in space. Tracking the game’s evolution in their progress report has got this site ready for lift-off.
#2 – Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated 2 – It feels odd that Dire Wolf Games decided to go the Kickstarter route for the sequel to the lauded legacy game bearing the Clank! Moniker, but what does this blog know about running a business. Not much, so it looks forward to plundering treasure from the depths of dungeons.
#1 – Spirit Fire – Selfish pick for 2024’s #1 game since most will likely experience this game alone, though it’s possible to play with others as long as each person has a copy of the game. It didn’t take long to ponder whether to pledge for an open-world journey of discovery in a fantasy world created by wonderful writing team responsible for Unsettled and Vindication.
Bonus Game for those who find it difficult to count: – Earthborne Rangers – Literally found out about this game two days ago (I wonder what influential YouTube channel’s responsible for that?) and I’ve boarded the hype train. This looks like quite a lovely ecological adventure, and its predicted December delivery date makes it the perfect last stop for the year and this post.