Backed by Backers: A Steam Festival Powered by Kickstarter

From April 14–21, we’re teaming up with Crytivo to bring something new to Steam: Backed by Backers, a festival spotlighting video games that are actively crowdfunding, or have successfully crowdfunded, on Kickstarter.

For one week, 400+ creators will be featured across Steam, putting Kickstarter-backed games in front of one of the largest and most engaged gaming audiences in the world.

Across the festival, players will be able to explore a wide range of Kickstarter-backed games, from highly anticipated titles like My Time at Evershine and creature-collecting favorites like Temtem. Together, they highlight the range of projects that begin with backer support and go on to find audiences well beyond their original campaigns.

The festival is rooted in Crytivo’s own experience building games with their communities. Titles like the highly anticipated Autonomica, alongside their current live campaign Drownlight, reflect a long history of launching and growing games with early backer support.

At its core, the festival is about something simple: the power of early belief. Many of today’s most beloved games started with a small group of backers who took a chance on an idea. Backed by Backers is a way to bring those stories to light and connect them with a new generation of players.

A conversation with Crytivo

To better understand the thinking behind the festival, we spoke with the team at Crytivo about what inspired it, and why crowdfunding continues to shape how games are made.

What inspired you to create Backed by Backers?

There are so many incredible games that started long before they ever appeared on Steam, many of them on Kickstarter. Titles like Undertale, Hollow Knight, and Darkest Dungeon went on to reach millions of players, but what often gets overlooked is that each of them began with a small group of believers.

Those early supporters took a chance. In many cases, without them, those games might never have existed in the form we know today.

At Crytivo, we have lived that journey ourselves. Many of our projects began with community backing and have continued to evolve alongside their players. This festival is a tribute not just to the games, but to the backers who helped bring them to life.

How has Kickstarter shaped the way you approach launching games?

Our journey as a company began with Kickstarter. Since then, we’ve worked on more than 30 campaigns for both our own projects and partners.

Crowdfunding is far more than just a funding tool. It allows developers to build a strong, engaged community early in development. That creates a feedback loop where players help shape the game, identify issues early, and refine the experience before it reaches a wider audience.

It’s also a powerful visibility tool. Campaigns can generate tens of thousands of Steam wishlists in a matter of weeks, giving projects real momentum before launch.

What makes crowdfunding such a powerful model right now?

Beyond funding and visibility, crowdfunding provides validation and trust.

It answers a critical question early on: Do players truly believe in this idea?

Backers are not just customers; they become part of the journey. That relationship builds a level of trust that’s difficult to achieve through traditional models, and it allows developers to take creative risks that might not otherwise be possible.

What do you hope creators and players take away from the festival?

For creators, this is both a celebration and a moment of gratitude. It’s a chance to reconnect with the communities that supported them early on and to reach new players.

For players, it’s an opportunity to discover new games, explore demos, and learn the stories behind the titles they love. Many people don’t realize how many games began with community support, and this festival helps connect those dots.

Where do crowdfunded games fit into the future of the industry?

Crowdfunded games will continue to play a crucial role, especially as development costs rise and creative risks become harder to justify through traditional funding.

Crowdfunding allows developers to pursue bold, unconventional ideas and build games in collaboration with their players. It’s not just a funding model, it’s a way to validate ideas, build communities, and create more transparent, player-driven experiences.

Join the festival

Backed by Backers runs April 14-21 on Steam.

Explore the lineup, discover new projects, and support the next generation of games.