How Cthulhu Broke Kickstarter (well, almost)

The Reaper Bones Kickstarter is official over. In its closing hours it pushed the hype surrounding this record-breaking fundraiser to unprecedented heights. Writers and editors in places like MTV or Wired.com took notice (though Matt Forbeck at Wired is personally involved). In the end, “Bones” closed with a record finish of US$ 3.429.236,-, earning it the place of honour as the 3rd highest grossing Kickstarter of all times.

How Cthulhu Broke Kickstarter (well, almost)

For the final hours, the Kickstarter servers themselves were visibly struggling under the sheer number of backers, visitors and other internet traffic that was trying to get to the Kickstarter in its last moments (not to mention the Reaper-Website).

Reaper themselves were likely not helping the matter by leading with this example:

With or without Reaper’s encouragement, hundreds if not thousands of people around the world were constantly refreshing their browser to be the first to read the latest update.

And with less than an hour to go, Reaper called forth Lovecraft’s cosmic dreamer in a bid to get people pledge an extra ten bucks!

“Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn.

In his house at R’lyeh dead Cthulhu waits dreaming.”

― H.P. Lovecraft, The Call of Cthulhu

As befits the appearance of the Great Old One, the Kickstarter-servers promptly caved (temporarily) under the onslaught of people adding an extra 10 dollar to their pledge.

To their credit, things were back up within a few moments. And even though the numbers went crazy for a while, the Reaper Kickstarter succeeded in summoning Cthulhu as an option to the deal in its final moments.

Some Additional Fun Kickstarter Facts

With the Old Ones at their command, Reaper managed to sail past the record-setting Double Fine Adventure video game Kickstarter to claim third place on the winners’ rostrum of the highest grossing Kickstarter of all times. Only the fundraisers for the smart-phone-compatible Pebble Watch and the OUYA Video Console raised more money.

In the smaller world of miniatures, board- and wargames, these dimensions are unprecedented. To reach this record, Reaper received – according to Kicktraq – a total of US$ 758.196,- in pledges on the last day alone!  That is, in one day, nearly as much funding as the highly successful Zombicide Kickstarter received in total. And Zombicide was and is rightly considered a record-breaker too.

Even more astonishing is the sheer amount of money each individual supporter of Reaper Bones was willing to pledge to the cause. A comparison with the Double Fine Adventure video game as the closest rival (in total fundraising) is revealing.

Also, fun to note, the infamous and incredibly popular “Vampire Pledge” of Reaper’s Kickstarter new includes a total of 241 miniatures, 240 “Bones” plastics and one metal Sophie (which people may swap out for even more “Bones”).

No less than 16.475 Backers signed up for a “Vampire Pledge”. That alone, without any extras or other pledges, will be over 3.9 million plastic miniatures that Reaper will ship next spring to its backers. A deluge of plastic waiting to be painted!

So what about you?

• Did you succumb to the lure of the Reaper Kickstarter?
• Have you been along the ride all along?
• And if you are “in”, what do you plan to do with your box of “Bones” once it has been delivered to your doorstep?

Z.