From Pledges to Tables - December 2025 Update on Three Crowdfunded Games

As 2025 comes to a close, I wanted to share a bit about the games I backed this year - not as a creator, but as a fellow board gamer navigating the same crowdfunding waters you are.

Being on both sides of the table gives you perspective. I know what it takes to bring a game to life. I know the sleepless nights, the production delays, the challenges that don't make it into the updates. And I also know the excitement of backing something you believe in, the anticipation of delivery, and sometimes, the uncertainty of waiting.

This year I supported three campaigns. All three funded. All three very different. Here's where they stand as we head into 2026.

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Space-Off

Space-Off is pure chaos - and I mean that in the best possible way.

It's a party-driven mini-game anthology built for groups of 4 to 10 players, packed with over 127 micro-challenges spanning puzzles, reflex tests, bluffing games, awkward restrictions, and team-based mayhem. This isn't a game you analyze. It's a game you experience.

The Kickstarter campaign absolutely crushed it. They asked for $10,000 and walked away with nearly $85,000 from over 1,300 backers. Late pledges are still open as of this writing, which tells you there's still buzz around it.

What drew me in was the energy. Sometimes you want deep strategy and careful planning. Other times, you just want to laugh with friends and embrace the madness. Space-Off is firmly in the latter camp, and I respect that. It knows exactly what it is.

Fulfillment is likely slated for 2026, and I'm genuinely looking forward to seeing how it lands on the table. Games like this live or die on their variety and pacing - and with 127+ mini-games, they've got room to shine.

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Lying Pirates: Cities of Greed

Lying Pirates is a dice-bluffing social game for 2 to 6 players, and the Cities of Greed campaign brought two things to the table: a brand-new expansion and a complete reprint of the original game with updated components and refinements.

Reprints matter. They're not just about availability - they're about polish. Better materials, tighter balancing, lessons learned from the first run. When a creator goes back and improves what they've already made, that's a sign they care about the long game.

The campaign funded successfully on Gamefound, and the last major update in October 2025 showed solid progress on the production front. Everything seems to be moving as planned, which is always reassuring.

Bluffing games have a special place at the table. They're quick, they're social, and they create the kind of tension that makes people laugh even when they lose. Lying Pirates leans into that beautifully, and I'm excited to see how the expansion adds to the experience.

This one feels like it's on track. No drama, just steady progress - exactly what you want to see.

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Orbit Master

Orbit Master is the wildcard.

Created by Jason Gambler in the Netherlands and backed by Amsterdam Board Game Design as part of their seasonal games series, Orbit Master successfully funded on Kickstarter with €2,545 pledged from 68 backers against a €1,500 goal.

The campaign was lean and focused. Two updates: one to announce the launch, one to confirm funding. With a small community of 68 backers and modest funding needs, it didn't require the constant communication that larger campaigns demand.

But here's the thing about crowdfunding: communication is where trust is built - or where it dissipates.

Some creators are prolific updaters. Others take a quieter approach. Neither is inherently wrong, but the silence does leave room for questions. For a small project like this, that might be perfectly fine. For backers, it becomes part of the experience - learning to trust the process even when you can't see every step.

As someone building Kaladan, I know how many moving parts happen behind the scenes that backers never see. Production timelines shift. Manufacturers delay. Life gets complicated. Sometimes you're heads-down making progress and forget that people are waiting to hear from you.

So for now, Orbit Master remains quiet. And with a small, focused campaign like this, that might be exactly what it needs to be.

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Reflections from Both Sides

These three games represent very different crowdfunding journeys - and honestly, that's what makes this space so fascinating.

Space-Off is transparent, energetic, and riding strong momentum. Lying Pirates is steady and professional, executing with clarity. Orbit Master is lean and focused, trusting a small community to stay the course.

Being both a creator and a backer has taught me to hold two truths at once: campaigns deserve accountability, and creators deserve grace. Not every project will communicate the same way. Not every timeline will go as planned. But most creators are doing their best with the resources they have.

That said, communication matters. When campaigns go quiet - especially larger ones with hundreds or thousands of backers - uncertainty creeps in. Questions multiply. Trust can erode. It's where many well-intentioned projects stumble, not because they're failing, but because backers are left wondering.

And as a backer, you learn to navigate that uncertainty. It's part of what makes crowdfunding exciting - and sometimes, a little nerve-wracking.

So here's my question for you: What games did you back in 2025? Are they where you hoped they'd be? Did anything surprise you - good or bad?

Because whether you're waiting for your pledge to arrive or building something yourself, we're all in this together.

Here's to 2026 - and the games that will finally make it to our tables.

- Sherif