How a New Wave of Grants Is Building a More Diverse Tabletop Scene
How a New Wave of Grants Is Building a More Diverse Tabletop Scene
How a New Wave of Grants Is Building a More Diverse Tabletop Scene
By Linda Codega
Summary
As massive crowdfunding campaigns for tabletop role playing games dominate the games ecosystem, independent designers and presses are adapting the centuries-old tradition of arts grants and patronage in order to raise up small, often marginalized, authors and artists.
As the authors create new art and fiction, Crumrine will design a new tabletop roleplaying game in that world; at the end of the process, the residents will have final approval of that game, as well as the right to use any of the material generated in their own projects and portfolio.
"For a first-time indie creator, someone who couldn't depend on my name, past releases, or a large social-media following, I didn't think I could risk creating something without placing myself in a financial risk I just wasn't sure about. However, that grant, and the support of Jason and the Gauntlet community, led my game to be funded on its first day, something I genuinely couldn't have imagined happening." Conventions have long offered grants and scholarships to marginalized people who might not have the means to attend their events, which are considered crucial networking opportunities.
With so many games funding on crowdfunding platforms, there is more room to include grants and mutual funds within the stretch goals of a campaign.
"We started the Haeth Grant while following in the footsteps of Sandy Pug Games," Dragon said in an email, "And we developed it with the intent of strengthening small or upcoming creators interested in systems that don't necessarily have the audience numbers to compete with stuff like the DM's Guild." Dragon says the grant supported more than 40 creators as they pursued projects related to Wanderhome, Possum Creek's lauded animal-folk travelog game.
Lex Kim Bobrow is running a game design jam around the Caltrop Core SRD, and offering $50 minigrants to queer BIPOC who want to create a game during the event.
Reference
Codega, L. (2022, May 05). How a new wave of grants is building a more diverse tabletop scene. Retrieved May 12, 2022, from https://gizmodo.com/new-grants-are-helping-diversify-tabletop-gaming-scene-1848882030