Okay, so this Spiderweb Software thing, Queen’s Wish 2: The Ruined Lands, it hit Kickstarter and just blew past its goal. It launched on July 13, 2021, and the target was $25,000. It got funded in like, what, a few hours, maybe less. The campaign ended on August 12, 2021, and it pulled in $150,305 from 4,015 backers.
That’s a lot of money for a game that, let’s be honest, looks like it could have come out in 1993. It’s a very specific niche, you know. Jeff Vogel, Spiderweb Software, he’s been making these isometric, text-heavy RPGs for decades. Like Geneforge and Avernum. People who like them, they really like them.
They stick with it. It’s not about cutting-edge graphics or anything. It’s about the deep story and the choices and the world building. And that’s what this Kickstarter shows, that there’s still a market for that kind of experience, a strong market. The original Queen’s Wish: The Conqueror came out in 2019.
It was also a success. This sequel, Queen’s Wish 2, it promised more of that same kind of gameplay where you’re an heir to a throne, and you’re sent to a wild land to bring it back under control, and you make all these difficult moral choices, and like, you deal with different factions, and you build up your fortress, and you explore a big map, and you fight monsters, and it’s all very classic RPG stuff. The estimated delivery date for digital rewards was August 2022. That’s pretty standard for a Kickstarter of this size, you know, a year or so after the campaign closes. It shows that even in an industry dominated by massive AAA titles and like, photorealistic graphics, there’s still a place for these smaller, very focused, very traditional games.
And people are willing to pay for them upfront, which is the key thing for a lot of these indie developers. It makes you wonder, like, how many other developers could find success with this model if they just focused on their core audience and didn’t try to chase every trend? Is there a limit to how many retro-style RPGs the market can support? I mean, probably, but Spiderweb seems to have found their sweet spot. They’re not trying to be the next Baldur’s Gate 3.
They’re just being Spiderweb Software. I remember I bought some NVDA stock, ticker NVDA, back on January 15, 2020. Got it at $60.20 a share. I’m holding onto that until it either doubles or triples, whichever comes first, or if the gaming market just completely collapses, then I’ll re-evaluate. But right now, it’s looking pretty good. The success of Queen’s Wish 2 also highlights the power of a dedicated community.
These aren’t casual players. These are people who have followed Jeff Vogel’s work for years, sometimes decades. They know what they’re getting, and they trust the developer to deliver. That trust is huge in crowdfunding.
You see a lot of Kickstarters fail because they don’t have that established reputation or that loyal fanbase. Spiderweb Software has both, and it clearly pays off. It’s a good reminder that the gaming industry isn’t just about the biggest releases. It’s also about these smaller, passion projects that cater to specific tastes. And the crowdfunding model, when used effectively, can be a really powerful tool for bringing those projects to life.
It’s not just about getting money. It’s about validating an idea and connecting directly with the people who want to play your game. And that’s something a lot of bigger studios could learn from, you know, that direct connection. It’s important.
It’s very important.