Kickstarter has transformed the board game industry. Before crowdfunding became popular, independent designers often struggled to bring ambitious projects to life. Today, creators can present their ideas directly to players, raise production funds, and build communities before their games even reach the factory.
The platform has produced hundreds of tabletop games, but a few stand out for their creativity, production quality, and lasting influence.
Here are 10 of the best board games that began their journey on Kickstarter.
Table of Contents
1. Gloomhaven
Designed by Isaac Childres, Gloomhaven is one of Kickstarter’s greatest board game success stories. It combines tactical combat, character development, exploration, and a branching campaign in a dark fantasy world.
Players take on the roles of mercenaries, each with a unique deck of ability cards. Instead of relying heavily on dice, the game uses card-driven combat that rewards careful planning and teamwork. Characters retire over time, new heroes become available, and players’ decisions permanently change the world.
Its enormous box, deep campaign, and legacy-style elements made Gloomhaven feel more like a complete fantasy adventure system than a conventional board game. It later inspired several related titles, including the more accessible Jaws of the Lion and the ambitious sequel Frosthaven.
Best for: Dedicated groups that enjoy tactical combat and long campaigns.
2. Root
Root, designed by Cole Wehrle and published by Leder Games, is an asymmetric strategy game set in a charming woodland. Its friendly artwork hides a highly competitive political and military struggle.
Every faction plays differently. The Marquise de Cat builds an industrial empire, the Eyrie Dynasties follow an increasingly complicated series of commands, the Woodland Alliance organizes a rebellion, and the Vagabond develops relationships while pursuing personal objectives.
Because players follow different rules and strategies, learning how the factions interact is a major part of the experience. The result is a game filled with negotiation, conflict, shifting alliances, and dramatic reversals.
Best for: Competitive players who enjoy asymmetric strategy and table politics.
3. Scythe
Set in an alternative version of 1920s Eastern Europe, Scythe combines farming, industry, military power, and enormous mechanical war machines. The game was designed by Jamey Stegmaier and became one of the most recognizable Kickstarter-funded tabletop games.
Players lead different factions competing for territory and resources. Although the game contains combat, victory usually depends on efficient planning rather than constant aggression. Its action-selection system encourages players to create a productive economic engine while preparing for possible conflicts.
With striking artwork by Jakub Różalski and high-quality components, Scythe also demonstrated how crowdfunding could support visually ambitious board games.
Best for: Players who enjoy engine-building, territorial control, and strategic efficiency.
4. Spirit Island
In many colonization-themed games, players control settlers expanding into new territory. Spirit Island reverses that perspective. Players become powerful spirits defending their island and its Indigenous inhabitants from invading colonizers.
Each spirit has distinctive powers, strengths, and weaknesses. Some control fire or oceans, while others spread fear, protect the land, or move invaders around the board. The spirits must combine their abilities effectively because the threat grows more dangerous with every round.
Its cooperative structure, unusual theme, and highly asymmetric characters give Spirit Island exceptional replay value. It is also known for being demanding, especially at higher difficulty levels.
Best for: Experienced players seeking a deep and challenging cooperative game.
5. The 7th Continent
The 7th Continent brought the feeling of an exploration-focused adventure book to the tabletop. Players travel across a mysterious landscape, uncover cards, gather resources, craft useful objects, and attempt to survive dangerous curses.
The world is constructed gradually from numbered cards, so each decision may reveal a new location or threat. Exploration is exciting, but careless choices can consume limited resources and bring an expedition to an early end.
Its save system allows players to pause a lengthy adventure and continue later. This made the game especially appealing to players who wanted an immersive experience without completing an entire campaign in one sitting.
Best for: Small groups and solo players who enjoy exploration and survival.
6. Kingdom Death: Monster
Few Kickstarter games are as ambitious—or as dark—as Kingdom Death: Monster. It combines tactical battles, settlement management, character development, and detailed miniature assembly in a brutal horror setting.
Players control survivors who hunt enormous monsters. After each confrontation, they use collected materials to develop their settlement, craft equipment, and prepare for future dangers. Injuries and deaths can permanently reshape the campaign, making every battle feel consequential.
The game is expensive, complex, and intended for mature audiences. However, for dedicated hobbyists, its detailed miniatures and interconnected systems offer a distinctive experience.
Best for: Miniature enthusiasts and experienced campaign gamers comfortable with dark themes.
7. Nemesis
Inspired by the atmosphere of science-fiction horror films, Nemesis places players aboard a damaged spaceship filled with hostile creatures. Each character has objectives that may—or may not—align with the interests of the group.
Players must repair critical systems, search rooms, manage noise, and avoid deadly encounters. Cooperation is often necessary, but complete trust can be dangerous. One player may be trying to save the ship while another has a secret reason to sabotage the mission.
The combination of cinematic events, hidden objectives, and unpredictable threats creates memorable stories even when the crew fails.
Best for: Groups that enjoy tense storytelling, hidden motives, and science-fiction horror.
8. Blood Rage
Designed by Eric M. Lang, Blood Rage is a Viking-themed strategy game about clans competing for glory before the end of the world. Players draft cards, summon warriors and monsters, control territories, and participate in battles across a shrinking map.
What makes the game special is that losing is not always bad. Certain strategies reward players when their warriors die, turning apparent defeat into a source of victory points. This creates surprising tactical possibilities and discourages simple assumptions about who is winning.
Its card-drafting system, detailed miniatures, and aggressive interaction helped establish it as a modern classic.
Best for: Players who enjoy drafting, direct conflict, and tactical surprises.
9. Everdell
Everdell offers a gentler theme without sacrificing strategic depth. Players build woodland cities by placing workers, gathering resources, and playing creature and construction cards.
The relationship between cards is central to the game. Certain buildings make related creatures easier to play, encouraging players to create efficient combinations. Meanwhile, the limited number of seasons creates pressure to use every action carefully.
Its illustrated forest setting, three-dimensional tree, and polished components made it particularly attractive on Kickstarter. Beneath the charming presentation is a thoughtful game about timing and resource management.
Best for: Players looking for an approachable engine-building game with beautiful artwork.
10. Zombicide
Zombicide became one of the defining miniature games of the crowdfunding era. It is a cooperative action game in which survivors explore maps, collect equipment, complete objectives, and fight large groups of zombies.
The rules emphasize excitement and accessibility rather than detailed simulation. As characters become stronger, more dangerous enemies appear, keeping the pressure high. Numerous editions and expansions have explored settings ranging from modern cities to fantasy worlds and science-fiction environments.
Its success showed that Kickstarter could support large boxes filled with miniatures and extensive additional content.
Best for: Groups seeking a fast, accessible, and action-heavy cooperative game.
How to Choose the Right Kickstarter Board Game
Not every highly funded project will suit every player. Before choosing a game, consider the following factors:
- Complexity: Some games require hours to learn, while others are designed for casual play.
- Campaign length: A campaign game may demand regular sessions over several months.
- Player count: Some titles work best with a full group, while others are excellent for two players or solo play.
- Interaction: Decide whether your group prefers cooperation, direct conflict, negotiation, or limited confrontation.
- Theme: A strong theme can make a complicated game much easier to enjoy.
- Availability and price: Crowdfunded games sometimes become expensive or difficult to find after a campaign ends.
It is also wise to distinguish attractive components from strong game design. Miniatures, metal coins, and deluxe boxes can enhance the experience, but they cannot compensate for unclear rules or repetitive gameplay.
