Gamefound has a new client — 100-year-old board game company, Hasbro

Gamefound, the upstart Poland-based crowdfunding platform going head-to-head with Kickstarter and BackerKit in the board gaming space, has a new client: Hasbro. The 100-year-old game and toy publisher will launch its first project there in September, and it could be a sign of a sea change in the crowdfunding landscape. For over a decade now, crowdfunding has become the leading way for individual creators and small publishers to bring new board games to life. Year after year the category has accounted for about a third of Kickstarter’s total revenues from crowdfunding, and competitors have begun to take note. The first significant challenger, Gamefound, exited beta in early 2022 only to throw up some massive numbers — $28.3 million for new tabletop projects in 2022, then $56 million in 2023. Now it’s entertaining one of the biggest publishers in the world. Prior to the pandemic, Hasbro spun up its own crowdfunding platform called Haslab, and Hasbro regularly uses it to fund exciting new collectibles for fans of toy lines such as Star Wars, G.I. Joe, and Transformers. But the company recently had a bit of a stumble in the board game space, falling well short of its goal to fund a reboot of the beloved Heroscape board game franchise. (The line was eventually taken up by Renegade Game Studio, and is currently available for pre-order.) [Media: https://www.instagram.com/avalonhillgames/p/C8e5BoLuHT6/?img_index=1] So now, Hasbro is exploring other crowdfunding options. Its first effort is a reboot of the 2010 game Asara, a city-builder that’s been reskinned with a neon-lit, futuristic theme. “By partnering with Gamefound, Hasbro can connect with a community that is already passionate about board games, boosting both visibility and feedback on our projects,” the Rhode Island-based company told Polygon in an emailed statement. “We’re eager to hear firsthand from our dedicated fanbase about how we can improve our experiences and bring the games we love to life. At Gen Con, we received amazing feedback from fans, and we’re actively seeking even more input from those excited to see this game make a comeback.” Hasbro confirmed to Polygon that it has neither an exclusivity agreement with Gamefound, nor a special agreement on revenue sharing. It seems like the multi-billion-dollar company is taking the same terms as any other creator coming in off the street. Gamefound declined to comment on any business agreements that may or may not be in place. “We’re extremely pleased that Hasbro trusts Gamefound with their campaign,” said Gamefound’s chief operating officer Maciej Kuc in an email to Polygon. “On a professional level, it’s a fantastic opportunity, and on a personal level, it’s equally rewarding. I had the chance to meet almost all of the Avalon Hill crew. I love their passion and dedication; they are also a great team to work with.”