Read on Twitter
A part of the IPR job discourse (a part) has stuck to me, which is that I’m genuinely unsure how many TTRPG shops are making full-time (50-80k USD/year, depending on location in US) money to begin with.
(Disclosure, I’m a US resident living in a pricey part of the US.)
(Disclosure, I’m a US resident living in a pricey part of the US.)
I’ll take Bolt as an example. It funded 23k USD, I got 20k from Kickstarter, and the actual budget for the project (including slack) is maybe 10k.
Half the revenue is profit, pre-tax.
For a digital-only product. No BackerKit, no shipping, no printer cuts.
Half the revenue is profit, pre-tax.
For a digital-only product. No BackerKit, no shipping, no printer cuts.
I don’t know what the margins are on physical releases, but let’s ballpark and say, oh, 30%.
Random number.
Let’s work backwards from 80k USD (living wage for MA suburbs) and you get...250k in yearly revenue.
To design and project-manage TTRPGs.
Random number.
Let’s work backwards from 80k USD (living wage for MA suburbs) and you get...250k in yearly revenue.
To design and project-manage TTRPGs.
Of course, that assumes that you, like me, are hiring folks for art and layout for large games.
If you make smaller games, or do your own layout/art stunts, or live in a desert, you’ll need less input revenue.
My estimate is an extremely limited guess.
If you make smaller games, or do your own layout/art stunts, or live in a desert, you’ll need less input revenue.
My estimate is an extremely limited guess.
And this is why I’m glad shops like Evil Hat and Metal Weave are being upfront about their financial information.
On one hand, maybe we shouldn’t audit businesses as a Twitter mob.
On the other hand, the indie TTRPG industry has few good models for fairly-paid full-timers.
On one hand, maybe we shouldn’t audit businesses as a Twitter mob.
On the other hand, the indie TTRPG industry has few good models for fairly-paid full-timers.
I don’t know where potential solutions are.
Licensing deals?
More accessible games marketed to people who’ve never heard of D&D?
Doubling the price of everything you sell?
Merch?
Tie-in media?
I don’t know. But we don’t have industry benchmarks for stuff.
Licensing deals?
More accessible games marketed to people who’ve never heard of D&D?
Doubling the price of everything you sell?
Merch?
Tie-in media?
I don’t know. But we don’t have industry benchmarks for stuff.
Huh. That might be an interesting study.
If someone were to survey a bunch of indie RPG designers about profit margins, revenue from print vs. digital vs. merch, pros and cons of different business models...
If someone were to survey a bunch of indie RPG designers about profit margins, revenue from print vs. digital vs. merch, pros and cons of different business models...
“Pay people reasonably for reasonable work” is straightforward.
But that doesn’t address the preceding problem of “We operate on a shoestring budget.”
I know people are trying. And honestly, I’d love to trade notes with folks.
But that doesn’t address the preceding problem of “We operate on a shoestring budget.”
I know people are trying. And honestly, I’d love to trade notes with folks.
Let’s make this a call to action, I guess.
If you’ve made TTRPGs a significant portion of your income, what’s the vague business model?
What’s worked? What’s been a struggle? How do you see your model scaling up to Full Time Work, if that’s a goal?
#TabletopChopShop
If you’ve made TTRPGs a significant portion of your income, what’s the vague business model?
What’s worked? What’s been a struggle? How do you see your model scaling up to Full Time Work, if that’s a goal?
#TabletopChopShop
