Tasty Minstrel Games, U.S. publisher of Orleans, Harbour, and Cthulhu Realms, among others, is planning to sell shares in the company via an equity crowdfunding portal, the company announced in its newsletter.  “We are preparing the campaign,” TMG Founder and CEO Michael Mindes wrote, asking readers to complete a survey to help inform the investment offer. 

Mindes also indicated that all future communication about the investment offer would flow through the investment portal.

New regulations took effect in 2015 that allowed crowdfunding portals to launch, where investments can be solicited on a crowdfunding basis.  This will be the first time (that we’re aware of) that such a platform will be used to fund a tabletop game company.

There are now multiple models available to companies seeking crowdfunding.  They can fund a product using preorders and rewards through a platform like Kickstarter.  They can take investments in the company, as Tasty Minstrel plans to, through an equity crowdfunding portal.  And there is also at least one hybrid model, Fig, which allows investments into specific video games that pay off based on performance of that game. 

Tabletop game publishers have found crowdfunding to be a powerful tool supporting the creation of new games.  It will be interesting to see if the equity or hybrid models also take hold in the category, providing other financing options for publishers.