How To Market a Tabletop Game in 7 Steps

Turning your tabletop game from a concept into a published product requires more than just an innovative idea—it demands strategy, playtesting, and an engaged community.

To help you navigate this journey, we spoke with Kickstarter creator, Dick Durden, Design Director and Co-founder of Real Fake Games, who successfully launched Quest Snakes. Their hands-on experience will guide you through the most crucial steps of marketing your tabletop game and getting it funded.

Here are some tips for new game designers on developing, marketing, and promoting a tabletop game idea.

Step 1: Fine-tune your game concept

Before thinking about marketing, your game must be solid in theme and mechanics. According to Dick Durden, creator of Quest Snakes rapid prototyping was the key to their success. 

Instead of staying in “paper design” mode for too long, they built a rough prototype early on to test ideas quickly.

“Once I have a vision for an experience, I try to crank out a playable prototype as quickly and sloppily as possible.

Actionable Advice:

• Build a rough prototype as soon as possible and test it with friends.
• Keep a spreadsheet of feedback to track common themes in player reactions.

Step 2: Playtest with the Right Audience

Playtesting isn’t just about fixing mechanics—it’s about ensuring your game resonates with a diverse audience. Quest Snakes tested with everyone from hardcore gamers to casual players, including their six-year-old cousin and their grandmother. Each group provided insights into how accessible and engaging the game was.

If you need more playtesters or a niche group’s opinion for specific game types like card games, family games, or adult games, try reaching out to people outside your social sphere. Social media, Reddit, or Discord might be a good place to look. You can also put up flyers, go to board game nights at local game or comic shops, and find other ways to let everyone know you're looking for playtesters. If you’re really serious, you can offer a small financial incentive.

Actionable Advice:

• Start with a small group of friends and family to refine the basics.
• Expand to online communities, game reviewers, and niche groups for diverse feedback.
• Consider digital playtesting tools like Tabletop Simulator to widen your reach.

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Step 3: Build an Online Community Before Launch

One of the biggest mistakes new creators make is underestimating the importance of pre-launch marketing. According to DD, pre-campaign marketing is more important than marketing during the campaign itself. “Without an audience already engaged before launch, your campaign will struggle,” they explain.

Actionable Tip:

• Post consistent updates, teasers, and behind-the-scenes content to build excitement.
• Start an email list and encourage people to follow your Kickstarter pre-launch page.
• Create a social media presence for your game on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter.

Step 4: Utilize Paid Advertising Strategically

One of the biggest challenges the Quest Snakes team faced when preparing for their Kickstarter campaign was its low price point. With an MSRP set below $40, their goal was to keep the game as accessible as possible—offering a high-quality, replayable experience at a reasonable price. While this approach benefits backers, it also presents a challenge for paid advertising.

For many tabletop creators, a successful Kickstarter campaign relies on achieving a 2.5x return on ad spend. The cost of acquiring a backer through ads can range from $15 to $50, meaning that if a creator spends $30 per backer, they need each pledge to reach $75 to stay profitable after factoring in marketing, manufacturing, and fulfillment.

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With Quest Snakes priced at $35 MSRP (and a $30 Kickstarter pledge), the team could only allocate $12 per backer for advertising—a tough benchmark. Early ad tests showed acquisition costs closer to $20–$35 per backer, making it challenging to scale profitably.

To address this, the team focused on increasing the average pledge amount, aiming to raise it from $30 to $70+. Their strategy? Delivering a campaign packed with value while respecting backers’ contributions. Fortunately, Quest Snakes had already built an engaged fan base, with viral posts across TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter generating millions of views. Leveraging this momentum, they introduced:

• A Deluxe Tier
• An Ultimate Fan Tier
• Exclusive merch options
• Five expansions inspired by fan requests for new classes

This approach proved to be a winning strategy. By offering compelling upgrades and add-ons, the team raised their average pledge to $86—allowing them to scale ad spend effectively and bring Quest Snakes to an even wider audience.

Actionable Tip:

• Introduce reward tiers and bundles that help you reach that ideal funding goal with confidence. 
• Crunch your numbers early and do the math — it’s essential to know how much you ideally need from each backer.

Step 5: Engage Backers Creatively

"One of the most effective ways we kept backers engaged throughout the campaign was through stretch goal voting. Every time we unlocked a stretch goal, backers had 48 hours to vote between three options, giving them a direct say in shaping the final product. This approach not only kept excitement high but also fostered a sense of community and investment in the game’s development. Many backers later shared that the voting process was their favorite part of the campaign! By the end, we had unlocked seven stretch goals—each one directly influenced by our backers’ choices—which also helped shape future content.” - Dick Durden

This is a genius strategy and such a clever way to continuously have backers revisit your campaign page and even encourage other backers to help them collectively reach this funding goal. 

Actionable Tip:

• Promote the voting process across campaign updates and social media to drive participation.
• Set a 48-hour voting window to keep momentum and excitement high.
• Allow backers to vote on unlocked stretch goals to increase engagement and give them a say in shaping the product.

Our initial funding goal of $10,000 was set to cover manufacturing costs. Originally, we anticipated covering marketing expenses out of pocket. However, as the campaign surpassed stretch goals, we were able to optimize production costs and reinvest funds into marketing. This gave us the flexibility to enhance the game with premium upgrades—including holographic cards, improved components, and additional content—while still maintaining healthy profit margins.

Step 6: Optimize Your Kickstarter Campaign Page

A well-structured Kickstarter page makes it easier for potential backers to support your game. Never forget that your campaign page is the biggest billboard for your campaign. Crowdfunding is not easy because you have to convince backers of an idea that is not yet on the market; nothing will convey this better than a thoughtful campaign page. The Real Fake Games team has used page anchors to build each component of their page while ensuring the graphic design matches it perfectly 

Actionable Tip:

• Use engaging visuals and clear descriptions.
• Highlight the unique selling points of your game.
• Include stretch goals or exclusive rewards to incentivize early backers.

Step 7: Don’t Underthink Pre-Campaign Marketing

One of the biggest mistakes tabletop creators make is underestimating the importance of pre-campaign marketing. Many assume that marketing during the campaign is what drives success, but in reality, building an audience before launch is even more critical. Without an engaged group of potential backers ready to pledge on day one, a campaign can struggle to gain traction.

Here are three key steps to an effective pre-campaign marketing strategy:

• Build an email list early – A dedicated email list gives you a direct line to potential backers. Even a small, highly engaged list can drive strong day-one pledges.
• Drive Kickstarter pre-launch follows – Your Kickstarter pre-launch page allows potential backers to “follow” your project before it goes live. When the campaign launches, these followers receive a notification, increasing the chances of early conversions. Promote this link across your social channels, in emails, and in community groups.
• Leverage organic content to build awareness – You don’t need a massive budget to start generating interest. Some of the best-performing Quest Snakes videos were simple, low-effort phone recordings that highlighted work-in-progress art, funny moments, or engaging gameplay snippets. The key is consistency—by showing up regularly on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter, you can start attracting superfans before launch.

Pre-campaign marketing isn’t just about selling—it’s about creating anticipation, building relationships, and ensuring that when you hit launch, backers are already excited to support you.

Final Thoughts: Set Your Game Up for Success

Bringing a tabletop game to life is an exciting challenge—one that requires thoughtful planning, strategic marketing, and a deep connection with your audience. From refining your pre-launch strategy to crafting an engaging campaign page, every step you take before launch can make a significant impact on your success.

The Quest Snakes journey highlights a key takeaway: marketing doesn’t start when your Kickstarter goes live—it starts long before that. Building an audience, testing engagement strategies, and structuring your campaign for profitability are all essential steps to ensuring a smooth and successful funding process.

Whether you’re just starting to develop your board game or are gearing up for a campaign launch, take the time to engage your community, test your marketing strategies, and craft a compelling story that makes backers excited to support you.