SLARPG status update: Future crowdfunding (Patreon)

The first few paragraphs are going to make this sound like a scary post, so I'll say up front that the game is still happening no matter what--I mean, I just posted new art from it a few days ago! I also do not have any plans to do away with my Patreon. Y'all are the reason I've been able to pursue a game design career at all, and the reason why SLARPG is shaping up to be something really special. For that, I am extremely grateful.

That being said...

The fact of the matter is, while this Patreon has allowed me to work on the game, it does not cover all of my bills. I'm fortunate enough that I don't have to earn that much every month to get by, but even so, $430 a month isn't a lot. In recent months, I've had to spend what feels like almost half of my working hours on commissions and side gigs. While I've enjoyed these opportunities, this outside work to pay my bills has greatly slowed progress on the game. It feels like every time I get into a nice rhythm with work on the game, my checking account runs low and I have to put the project on hold for another two or three weeks.

Between this and composer Beatrix Quinn's household being financially impacted by the pandemic, we've decided to shift gears. We will likely be running a Kickstarter (or Indiegogo, or something) for SLARPG in the coming months to cover our expenses so that we can cross the finish line without distractions. If given this additional funding, both of us will be able to focus on the game full time, and hopefully this way it won't take us another three years to finish it.

Everything's still up in the air, but we want to keep the campaign straightforward and humble. The funding goal won't be very high, since this is mostly a two person operation and we've already completed a ton of work on the game. Rewards will primarily just be copies the game and/or its absolutely massive soundtrack (which is currently at nearly 60 tracks, with more on the way). I'm also considering simple things like stickers and postcards. As for stretch goals, there are some small, fun things that we'd cut from the game's original outline for time, which could be added back in if given the funds to work on SLARPG full time. In general, we're trying to avoid promising massive additions to the game or mountains of physical merch, because that kind of thing has slowed many a Kickstarter game to a crawl before.

Even if this additional crowdfunding fails, we're still gonna finish the game. It'll just keep taking twice as long, because we'll have to take on additional work to keep the lights on.

What does this mean for my supporters on Patreon, though? Here are the basics:

• My Patreon will remain active for those who prefer to throw me a couple bucks a month instead of one larger donation. I'll still be posting progress updates here throughout the rest of development. My Patreon will just be framed more as a personal tip jar instead of the primary source of funding for the game.
• Everyone who's pledged at the $5 tier or above for at least one month will still get an early copy of SLARPG, as promised. You'll still get to play the beta when the story is complete. For everyone else, the game will cost $15. (I realize this means that some people are gonna get the game for only $5, but most of y'all stuck around for more than a month, so hey. Thanks for the support!)
• No rewards will be exclusive to the Kickstarter. If we end up producing any simple physical rewards like stickers or postcards, we'll definitely have extras, and I'll have those available for purchase elsewhere down the line. The soundtrack will also be available for purchase on Bee's Bandcamp when it's done. (The only exception would be if we did something big like backer NPCs for the Kickstarter, which is possible, but I've made no decisions.)

In other words, don't feel obligated to donate to this new crowdfunding campaign if you've already thrown me a few bucks here! I know times are tough, and y'all have already done your part. This is just an alternative for folks who want to give a one-time donation, one last big push to get the game finished.

What you can really do if you want to support the game is help spread the word! Especially when we have this new campaign up. Tell your friends about the game. Post screenshots of your favorite bits from the demo. Share your favorite tracks from the OST. Post a doodle of one of the characters. Anything. Games like this live or die by word of mouth, and the main reason we've come this far is that people have spread our work on social media.

Anyway, again, thank you for the support you've already shown us. We'll have more news (and more updates on the game) in the near future.