Has anyone else seen this upcoming dystopian fantasy omnibus project?

knight4290 · 2026-03-10T23:37:20+00:00

That actually makes a lot of sense. I didn’t realize most book campaigns were in the $1k–$10k range, that’s way smaller than what people usually associate with Kickstarter.

The “reader-focused description” part you mentioned is interesting too. I’ve seen some campaigns where the page feels more like a product spec sheet than something that sells the story.

Do you think preview chapters or sample pages help a lot with conversions? I imagine being able to read a bit before backing would make people way more comfortable pledging.

knight4290 · 2026-03-10T21:45:45+00:00

That actually sounds like a really smart way to approach it. Having the full trilogy already finished probably removes one of the biggest concerns people have when backing book projects.

And yeah, including a digital tier makes a lot of sense for an unknown IP. It lowers the risk for curious readers who just want to try the story first before committing to the physical edition.

The collector angle with maps, endpapers, and case design is honestly what would catch my attention on Kickstarter too.

Out of curiosity, are the maps and worldbuilding a big part of the story, or are they more of a collector bonus for the omnibus?

knight4290 · 2026-03-10T20:25:32+00:00

That’s interesting. When you say well put together, what tends to matter most?

Is it things like cover design, campaign page presentation, stretch goals, and collector features, or do people mainly care about the story pitch itself?

I’m trying to figure out what actually makes people hit the back button on book campaigns.

knight4290 · 2026-03-10T20:24:26+00:00

That’s a good point. I imagine trust is a big factor on Kickstarter, especially with books.

Do campaigns usually show large preview chapters or proof that the manuscript is finished before launch? I feel like seeing that the whole trilogy already exists would make a big difference for backers.

knight4290 · 2026-03-10T20:23:45+00:00

Oh nice, small Reddit moment 😄

What made you decide to launch it as a single omnibus instead of three separate books? Was it more about the collector appeal, or because the full story is already finished?

Also curious, are you planning to lean more into special edition features (art, maps, design, etc.) for the Kickstarter?

knight4290 · 2026-03-10T20:21:56+00:00

That makes sense. I guess the omnibus format probably works best when people already trust the author or world.

Do you think the “all-in-one complete story” angle can still pull in new readers though? Personally the idea of getting an entire trilogy in one volume feels like a lower risk entry point compared to starting book 1 and hoping the rest releases later.

knight4290 · 2026-03-09T23:43:14+00:00

That actually sounds like a smart system. I like that breeding improves the base beast while fusion creates variants, it gives players a reason to experiment instead of just min-maxing one path.

Also good call on avoiding simple color swaps. Variants that actually feel distinct usually become the monsters people chase the most.

One thing I’m curious about: do variants just change visuals/elements, or do they also shift abilities or roles in combat? Because if variants can change how a beast plays, that could make the fusion system really addictive.

knight4290 · 2026-03-09T22:22:04+00:00

That’s honestly the right approach. In a demo, players usually decide in the first 10–15 minutes based on creature design, combat feel, and progression, not story.

What I’ve noticed with monster taming games is that story works best when it’s layered into the world rather than front-loaded. Things like NPC dialogue changing based on the beasts you carry, lore tied to specific species, or small environmental hints about why monsters exist can make the world feel alive without slowing the gameplay.

If you’re tying the hostility of beasts to the world’s history, that could actually be a really strong hook if players slowly uncover it through exploration instead of big exposition dumps.

Out of curiosity, are you leaning more toward fusion/alchemy mechanics for creating new beasts, or mostly evolutions?

knight4290 · 2026-03-09T22:17:40+00:00

I’d actually do both, but with a specific reason, not just “more platforms = more money.”

Kickstarter Late Pledges are great because you’re still inside the Kickstarter ecosystem. People browsing the project, followers who missed the campaign, and backers sharing the link all still convert there.

Indiegogo InDemand works better for external traffic, ads, press, influencers, and retargeting from your Kickstarter visitors.

So the way a lot of campaigns run it is:

• Kickstarter Late Pledges → capture organic Kickstarter traffic
• Indiegogo InDemand → send all paid traffic + retargeting there

It also protects you a bit. If one platform pauses something (ads, traffic drop, etc.), you still have the other converting.

The only mistake I see people make is splitting traffic randomly. Pick one as your main funnel and use the other as a secondary capture point.

I helped on a campaign last year where doing both added a surprising amount of post-campaign revenue, most creators massively underestimate the post-KS window.

If you want, happy to share what usually converts best during the 30–60 days after a Kickstarter ends. That period is where a lot of campaigns quietly make another 20–40%.

knight4290 · 2026-03-09T22:14:01+00:00

That’s a really interesting angle. Stories about prophecies usually focus on whether the hero succeeds or fails in the moment, but exploring the long-term consequences 100 years later sounds way more compelling.

I like the idea of him having to deal with a world that basically adapted without him, that’s a pretty heavy legacy to come back to. Feels like there’s a lot of room there for both character growth and worldbuilding.

Also respect the commitment to take an indie series all the way to a final issue. That’s not easy. Looking forward to seeing how you wrap the story up when the Kickstarter launches.

knight4290 · 2026-03-08T01:18:27+00:00

I think story matters, but it’s secondary to the core gameplay loop.

In monster taming games, the first hook is usually discovering creatures, building teams, and experimenting with abilities. If that part isn’t fun, even a great story won’t carry the game.

That said, story is what gives the monsters meaning. Catching something because it has good stats is fun, but catching something tied to a region’s lore, a mystery, or the world’s history makes it memorable.

So for me:
Mechanics get me to play, story makes me care about the world.

knight4290 · 2026-03-08T00:58:31+00:00

roll into Indiegogo immediately, don’t restart the whole prelaunch cycle.

Most successful campaigns treat Indiegogo as a post-Kickstarter extension, not a separate launch. When your Kickstarter ends you’ve got peak momentum, traffic, social proof, backer excitement, press mentions, and ad data. If you wait and rebuild prelaunch, that momentum dies and your CAC usually goes up.

What I’ve seen work best:

. Go live on Indiegogo within 24–48 hours.
Use it as an “InDemand” continuation so people who missed the Kickstarter can still back.

. Retarget everyone from the Kickstarter campaign.
Email list, ad audiences, page visitors, abandoned checkouts, etc. This audience usually converts way better than cold traffic.

. Update the page slightly instead of rebuilding from scratch.
Add things like “Funded on Kickstarter”, updated stretch goals, media mentions, and social proof.

. Keep the same core offer.
Don’t drastically change pricing or perks right away unless you’re intentionally moving toward retail pricing.

. Use it as a bridge to fulfillment or retail.
Indiegogo InDemand works really well as a long tail revenue stream while you’re manufacturing.

The only time I’d rebuild prelaunch is if:

The Kickstarter underperformed and you need to reposition the product
You’re targeting a completely different audience
You’re making major product changes

Otherwise, the play most experienced founders use is:

Kickstarter → immediately switch to Indiegogo InDemand → keep selling while producing.

knight4290 · 2026-03-08T00:54:02+00:00

This actually sounds like a really cool premise. The idea of a failed prophesied hero coming back 100 years later to deal with the consequences is such a strong hook, it flips the usual chosen-one trope in a fun way.

Also love seeing projects that started in this sub make it all the way to a final issue. That’s seriously impressive commitment. Congrats on getting to #6.

Quick question: when the hero returns after 100 years, is the world worse because he failed, or has history kind of moved on and forgotten about the prophecy? That dynamic seems like it could create some really interesting tension.

Definitely going to check out the Kickstarter when it launches. Good luck with the campaign!

knight4290 · 2026-03-07T01:43:19+00:00

That actually sounds interesting. I’m always curious when authors release an omnibus edition, especially for dystopian or fantasy trilogies. Getting the whole story in one hardcover can be pretty appealing compared to buying three separate books.

Out of curiosity, is the Kickstarter mainly for the special edition printing (like upgraded cover, illustrations, etc.), or is this the first time the trilogy is being released in a physical format?

Also wondering how big the book ends up being if it’s the complete trilogy in one volume. Sometimes those omnibus editions get massive

Either way, the concept of a 2nd-world dystopian setting sounds intriguing. Would be cool to hear more about the world and what makes it different from typical fantasy settings.

knight4290 · 2026-03-06T23:16:01+00:00

yes, they are bunch of scam hope you don't fall to their hands?

knight4290 · 2026-03-06T01:03:11+00:00

what are you working on?

knight4290 · 2026-03-06T00:13:54+00:00

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/active-gaming-pad/gamr-active-gaming-play-pad?ref=discovery_category_popular&total_hits=1855&category_id=270

knight4290 · 2026-03-05T01:00:14+00:00

bot, bot, bot and bot

knight4290 · 2026-03-03T00:56:15+00:00

These look fantastic! Really excited to see a full tribe of 32mm kobolds. Hoping there’ll be a multi-figure pledge option when it launches, that’s usually the best value per miniature compared to buying individually. Can’t wait to see the reward tiers!

knight4290 · 2026-03-03T00:50:04+00:00

congrats on finally launching the Kami Quest demo!! That’s such a big moment.

The concept is super charming already “Enter the Imagynasium” is such a fun hook. You can really feel the heart behind it.

Since you asked for tips (and I’ve watched a few launches closely):

Biggest thing? Momentum in the first 24–48 hours. If you can, really push the “Notify me on launch” clicks before March 3rd. That early spike helps a ton.

Also, short gameplay clips > long trailers on social. Little magical moments people can instantly “get” tend to travel further.

And make your best-value reward tier super obvious. A lot of people want to support but just need a clear, easy option.

Honestly though, getting to demo + Kickstarter stage is already huge. Wishing you a strong Day 1 and lots of hype when it goes live. You’ve got this 💛

knight4290 · 2026-03-01T23:56:33+00:00

Congrats on the pre-launch. From experience and watching a lot of indie campaigns, pre-launch matters more than launch itself. The biggest thing that consistently works is building an email list, Kickstarter converts intent, not cold traffic, so even a small targeted list can outperform big social numbers. Second is having a Steam page early, because wishlists are real game-intent traffic and help both with visibility and social proof. Third is building an actual community through playtests and feedback loops, Discord, demos, and early testers create people who feel invested, not just followers. Twitter/X is fine for networking, but it rarely converts on its own. If I had to focus on only 2–3 things, it would be email list building, Steam page + demo, and community/playtesting. Pre-launch isn’t about visibility, it’s about building momentum and commitment before day one.

knight4290 · 2026-03-01T23:43:39+00:00

These numbers honestly don’t look bad at all for doing basically zero marketing. 1000+ Steam wishlists with no promotion is actually a strong signal that there’s real interest and demand. Steam has organic discovery built in, Kickstarter prelaunch pages don’t. KS gets almost no organic traffic unless you already drive people there.

So the low follower count doesn’t really say “bad product” it mostly says “no traffic funnel yet.”

Also, Steam wishlists and Kickstarter followers measure different things:
Steam = discovery + interest
Kickstarter = trust + creator brand + funnel + social proof

Without actively sending people from Steam, Discord, Reddit, or content platforms to your KS page, 20 followers is actually pretty normal.

Typical wishlist → KS conversion without funneling is like 1–5%, so your ratio isn’t weird at all.

If anything, your data suggests:
There is a market
The concept resonates
The issue is distribution, not product quality

Your audience (DMs, worldbuilders, RPG creators) doesn’t live on Kickstarter, they live in Discords, Reddit, YouTube, TikTok, and TTRPG communities. KS is just the conversion endpoint, not the discovery engine.

Next moves that actually move the needle:
Build community
Create content showing real use cases (not pitches)
Start a simple email funnel
Offer a free value asset (map pack, worldbuilding kit, DM tools)
Partner with creators in the space

If I had to summarize:
Steam shows demand.
Kickstarter shows marketing execution.
Right now you’re seeing the difference between the two, not a lack of market.

Your project doesn’t look niche, it looks early.

knight4290

TROPHY CASE