Video Game Reward Ideas For Kickstarter

Designing must-have rewards is crucial for a successful Kickstarter campaign, especially for video games.

Here are some creative and appealing video game reward ideas for Kickstarter:

Digital Copy of the Game

Offer backers a digital download of the game upon release. This is a standard reward and often the most popular. Don't be afraid to set your game at the right price - I see a lot of video games on Kickstarter really undervalue the price of their game to get backers interested. Consider offering an in-game exclusive item rather than a discounted price to entice backers in early.

Early Access

Give backers the opportunity to access the game before the official release date. Early access can generate excitement and create a sense of exclusivity by playing the game first before its full release.

Exclusive In-Game Content

Provide exclusive in-game items, skins, or cosmetic customization options that are only available to Kickstarter backers. For Ghost Vanguard, we created character cosmetics influencers by the developers favourite games (to avoid any copyright issues we gave the costmetics a generic name related to their favourite characters). This helped increase the price of the base game from $20 to $35-$50 for limited edition cosmetics.

The 'Legends Edition' paid homage to similar themed games and were exclusive to Kickstarter backers only.

The 'Digital Collectors Edition' included the Legends Cosmetics and also 8 Familiar skins that changed how spells and relics looked in game.

Digital Artbook or Soundtrack

This is a fairly common practice for video games on Kickstarter to bulk up their rewards at an affordable price. Offer a digital artbook featuring concept art, sketches, and behind-the-scenes content, or provide the game's original soundtrack.

Name in Credits

Include the names of backers in the game's credits as a thank-you for their support.

Limited Edition Physical Copy

Offer a limited-edition physical copy of the game, complete with special packaging and artwork.

Physical Merchandise

Physical merchandise such as a vinyl figurine, physical soundtrack or other goodies are a great way to bump up your average pledge price and to also get backers hands on something physical.

Take a look at Petrichor, a cute, minima RPG that has a limited edition 2.7 inch character figurine, limited to 10, plus featured in higher teired rewards at $500+

These are great to make reward items feel exclusive to backers and bring your game into the physical world.

IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER: Consider production cost and shipping cost for your figurines.

The more figures your order, the cheaper your overall production cost will be, but you'd likely want to keep physical products at a set amount so you know what to order.

For shipping, you may want to consider shipping your physical items after your Kickstarter has finished, and before your game offically launches. This way, you can avoid any shipping cost or production cost increase over time and deliver your rewards early.

Collector's Edition

Create a deluxe edition that includes the game, physical items like posters or figurines, and other exclusive goodies.

Take a look at Eden's Guardian collectors' edition below, exclusive to Kickstarter. This reward includes the physical game, physical artbook, soundtrack, steel case and more.

These sold for 110 Euros, which seems fairly cheap considering the overall cost to actually produce these. Physical games are becoming more expensive to produce, with a set minimum order amount for Switch and PlayStation/Xbox.

The last discussion I had about Switch physical editions, it cost around $40,000. Consider ways of offering a Collector's Edition without a physical game copy.

Beta Testing Access

Grant backers access to beta testing, allowing them to provide feedback and influence the game's development. I wouldn't scale the price up for this one too much, as you're asking players to take out their time to provide feedback, but then also play the game early in a state that might not be polished enough.

Developer Q&A Session

 

Host a virtual Q&A session with the game developers to answer questions and provide insights into the development process.

Design a Character

Allow high-tier backers to work with the developers to design a character that will be included in the game.

Design a Weapon or Item

Similar to designing a character, let backers design a unique weapon or item that will appear in the game.

Behind-the-Scenes Access

Give backers exclusive access to a private development blog or forum, sharing progress updates and insights into the game's creation.

Signed Posters or Artwork

Offer limited-edition posters or artwork signed by the development team.

Virtual Meet and Greet

Organize a virtual meet and greet with the development team, where backers can interact and ask questions.

In-Game Easter Egg

Include a hidden Easter egg in the game that pays homage to top-tier backers.

Remember, the key to creating successful reward tiers is to offer a variety of options at different price points, making sure that each reward feels special and valuable to the backers. Additionally, include a clear description and engaging visuals for each reward tier to entice potential supporters.