– Transaction value in the gaming category surged 12-fold from July to October, with the number of transactions more than doubling
– Board games account for 89% of the market… Fandom-driven consumption on the rise
– Projects featuring high-value crowdfunding campaigns and limited-edition items, such as “Aegemonia” and “Cyberpunk 2077,” prove popular
Wadizannounced on the 24th that its gaming category saw explosive growth in the second half of this year (July–October), with transaction volume surging approximately 12-fold (1,089%) compared to the same period last year.
The growth of crowdfunding in the gaming sector was particularly notable, with transaction value increasing by 307% and the number of transactions rising by over 102% year-to-date (as of October 20). In particular, board games accounted for 89% of the total transaction value in the gaming category, driving this growth.
The number of subscribers to notifications for board game projects this year (17,667) has already surpassed last year’s total for the entire games category (17,470). This demonstrates the rapid growth of a fanbase eager to discover and collect board games with unique and rare value through crowdfunding.
Wadizhas concluded that board games are among the types of content best suited for crowdfunding. This is because they have a highly engaged fan base, and accurately predicting demand in advance is key to the project’s success.
Through crowdfunding, publishers can gauge actual demand in advance to formulate production and distribution strategies, while backers are among the first to experience products with high collectible value, such as limited editions or Korean-language versions. This structure is accelerating the growth of board game crowdfunding.
In fact, half of the top 10 projects in the gaming sector this year were board games, and both the first- and second-place projects raised over 100 million won.
The Korean edition of the cooperative adventure board game *Aegemonia*, which launched on the 17th, surpassed 500 million won in sales within just one day of its release, garnering an explosive response. With a global board game rating (BCG) of 9.0, this high-quality board game combines storytelling with cooperative play. Despite its high price range of 300,000 to 500,000 won, most of the available stock has already sold out. The project will run until the 31st.
Earlier in August, the Korean-language board game based on the globally popular IP *Cyberpunk 2077* was released exclusively and successfully raised a total of 330 million won in funding. The strategy of targeting the IP’s fanbase by adding a crowdfunding-exclusive edition proved highly effective.
A Wadiz representative stated,Wadizappeals not only to existing board game enthusiasts but also to potential users exploring new interests, and boasts a substantial ‘premium consumer base’ that actively participates in high-value reward tiers.” They added, “With high average transaction amounts and a string of successful funding campaigns exceeding 100 million won, Wadiz is establishing itself as a ‘premium launch platform’ within the board game market.”
Meanwhile, Wadizplans to launch a series of new major board game projects in the second half of the year, and with a variety of projects poised to build on the board game boom, the platform is generating significant anticipation among fans. In late November, Wadizis set to exclusively unveil the Korean edition of the “Final Girl” board game, which has raised a cumulative total of 6.5 billion won through global crowdfunding.
