"Crowdfunding is fundamentally a marketing and a community exercise" – What developers need to know about funding a game with Kickstarter in 2026

"Crowdfunding is fundamentally a marketing and a community exercise" – What developers need to know about funding a game with Kickstarter in 2026 Industry experts share their advice for running a successful Kickstarter campaign, why studios need to be wary of scammers, and why GIFs are vital to success We might be long past the days of games companies raising eye-watering figures on Kickstarter, but the platform is still a viable way to raise money to fund – at last part of – your game. Research from Ico Partners' Thomas Bidaux shows that in 2025, games companies raised $26 million on Kickstarter – level with 2024's figures, and one of the more successful years since the last big Kickstarter boom in 2015. Last year, 443 video game projects were successfully funded on Kickstarter, a minor reduction (4%) from 2024's figures. 55 game projects raised over $100,000 in 2025, while 11 made over $500,000.