Season 1 · Episode 80
Darkest Dungeon Board Game Disaster: Why Kickstarter is Killing Tabletop Companies
No Plot, Only Lore · Josh Varty and Kristoffer Hansen
January 30, 202646m 58sExplicit
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Show Notes
In this episode of No Plot Only Lore, Josh and Chris dive into the recent collapse of the Darkest Dungeon board game by Mythic Games. We discuss the $5 million failure, the "wave two" cancellation, and the broader crisis facing tabletop crowdfunding.
Topics covered:
- The Darkest Dungeon Debacle: How overconfidence and poor math led to one of the biggest Kickstarter flops in recent history.
- The "Infinite Kickstarter" Trap: Why companies like Tasty Minstrel Games (TMG) failed by using new projects to fund old debts.
- Brick & Mortar vs. Digital Noise: The vital role of local game stores as filters for quality in an era of social media hype and AI-generated shovelware.
- Success as a Double-Edged Sword: How overextending through stretch goals and secondary locations can sink even established brands.
- Wormwood’s Pivot: Why industry leaders are moving away from the "perpetual Kickstarter" model toward sustainable retail.
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