I’ve had a bit of an identity crisis this year.
Selling around 500 copies of BloodRunes is a solid achievement, but after three years, I feel like there’s so much more I could—and should—be doing with it. I poured everything into that first year of marketing for the Kickstarter, hoping that momentum would keep sales alive. I was naive. Sales dropped to zero whenever I wasn’t actively advertising, posting on social media, reaching out to influencers, and attending conventions.
And honestly? That’s a lot of work for zero financial return. I’ve had more than my share of trial and error, with many failed campaigns sucking up time and energy. It’s left me questioning:
If I can’t market these projects properly and make them sustainable, should I even be doing this?
But then came the bigger question:
If I’m not going to be a creator, then what am I going to be?
That identity crisis has defined my year. I’ve fallen short of the effort I know I need to put in. But I’ve also realized something important: This is my dream. It’s worth fighting for. I have so many stories and ideas that deserve to see the light of day—and I want them to reach the people who will love them.
That’s why I’m doubling down and launching my FREE Patreon. My hope is to build a community of people who enjoy my work, want to see what’s in progress, and help bring new projects to life.
Here’s what’s in the pipeline:
- BloodRunes: Curse of the Gods – The next expansion is ready to Kickstart once we hit 200 preview followers!
- Enenra – A 4X competitive co-op game. The TTS simulation is live—join the playtesting team if you’re interested!
- Too Many Chefs – A cooking-themed game (using the BloodRunes engine) where chefs compete for critics’ favor while sharing the same pot. Developed with Art of Play.
- BloodRunes: Origins – A book series diving deep into the lore of BloodRunes, following Furra, HeoFeng, Knud, and Lagertha as they vie for power in the Northlands.
These are just the start. I have so much more I want to create—I just need the time and resources to do it.
If you want to see these creations come to life, follow and share my FREE Patreon. And if you want to directly support these projects (and be credited in their creation!), consider a monetary tier. I promise the rewards will be worth it. ⚔️
Hey man, I hear you. It’s tough but worth fighting for. I’d love to help playtest stuff on TTE with you. I have some more time now that the holidays are drawing to a close.
In the meantime: how many copies of Bloodrunes do you have left from the first print run? This recent episode of Crowdfunding Nerds might give you some ideas as to how to move them:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crowdfunding-nerds-kickstarter-marketing-for-board/id1545969785?i=1000679726469