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[Update] Dark Souls Board Game Kickstarter Closes With About $5.4 Million Raised
Update: Steamforged Games' Kickstarter for a Dark Souls board game adaptation has now closed. The total haul from backers (before shipping costs) was £3,771,474 (approximately $5,417,610 based on current currency conversion).
The company has opted to provide the unreached stretch goals to finish out the Summoned NPC expansion. All consumer backers will get the full set, even though the campaign did not reach the £4 million mark. You can see everything below that comes in the base game, as well as all the unlocked stretch goals included with pledges. This does not include the paid expansions that were optional.
All items will be sold at retail when the game launches. Steamforged Games is targeting April 2017 for shipment to backers.
Original Story (May 16, 2016 @ 10:27 a.m.)
It’s been clear for a few years now that Dark Souls isn’t just a video game franchise. It’s a phenomenon. And with today’s close of a Kickstarter for a board-game adaptation, that’s one more medium in which you can find From Software’s “tough-but-fair” franchise.
Steamforged Games’ campaign to bring Dark Souls to tabletops will close in a few hours after 27 days. The current total, £3,581,556 ($5,073,784) is 7163 percent of the original £50,000 ($70,832) goal.
Stretch goals included an addition six player classes (total: ten), three bosses (total: five), eight more grunt types (total: fourteen), ten armor sets, ten invaders (that serve as mini-bosses in addition to the five in the base game), and six NPCs to summon for aid. There are also paid stretch goals including giant boss monsters; an expansion set featuring Sif, Artorias, and a variety of grunts; and a set of additional tiles that bring Darkroom Basin and Iron Keep into play. Steamforged Games will also be developing a campaign for multiple play sessions along with backers.
Those that opt not to add to their pledge for the paid stretch goals will be able to find them once the game hits hit retail. The campaign will close today at 2:59 p.m. Eastern / 11:59 a.m. Pacific. We’ll update with final totals and stretch goal count at that time. You can check it out for yourself here.
[Source: Kickstarter]
Our Take
High-end board games aren’t inexpensive, but if you can handle the risk on Kickstarter, the value is usually great. Thanks to stretch goals that are added in for no additional cost, you’re getting a bigger bang for the buck.
The downside is that you’re going to be waiting a while, with your money tied up as development and production are completed. That isn’t to say board games are risk free, but with an official license and a track record on the crowdfunding platform, this one seems to be on the right path.
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