Whether this is your first time backing a campaign or you’re a seasoned backer, this is your intro guide to how our campaigns works, what your pledge supports, and what to expect:
✨ How does BackerKit crowdfunding work?
Backing a campaign isn’t the same as placing an order from an online shop. BackerKit Crowdfunding allows creators to raise funds to develop a project with the support of a community. As a backer, you’re pledging support before the final product is finished.
We’ve already put a huge amount of time and love into Drakonym, but the game is still in a pre-alpha stage. BackerKit Crowdfunding lets small creative teams like ours raise the support we need to finish that journey.
Your pledges will help cover the real, behind-the-scenes work that comes next - from refining systems and playtesting mechanics to developing digital support tools and printing physical rewards, and everything in between.
Backerkit runs as an all-or-nothing system. That means:
If the campaign reaches its funding goal by the deadline, your pledge is processed, and the project goes ahead.
If the goal isn’t reached, your card won’t be charged, and the project doesn’t move forward.
Backing Drakonym means having a seat at the table - not just as a future player, but as part of the game's creation. After the campaign, you’ll get access to exclusive playtesting, behind-the-scenes updates, and real opportunities to help shape Drakonym from the ground up.
✨ What Happens After the Campaign?
At Crossed Paths, every game we create is carefully forged: from polished mechanics and immersive writing to stunning visuals and thoughtful design. We don’t cut corners. We don’t rush to release. We care deeply about how our games feel, function, and inspire. Our games are slow-cooked, playtested, community-shaped, and built with care. We take the time to make something special.
Here’s what the process looks like after the campaign ends:
Writing and design are in full swing across every part of the game - refining mechanics, improving clarity, and sharpening the writing. New spells, stat combos, story prompts, and digital tools will take shape, guided by your feedback and input. You’ll get early access to playtest versions of Drakonym as soon as it’s ready, so you can explore and share your thoughts. Your feedback at this stage will help shape the very core of the game.
Development continues as we build on your feedback. We’ll run multiple rounds of testing, take feedback seriously, and use it to make meaningful improvements to how the game plays, feels, and flows. This is where we take the time to balance mechanics, sharpen narrative details, and together, shape a final version of Drakonym we can all be proud of.
This stage is where the final edits happen, like including layout, proofreading, and export troubleshooting. Once playtesting wraps and revisions are complete, we’ll deliver the finished digital game to all eligible backers!
While digital files are finalised, we’ll move into physical production - sampling all physical products and making adjustments to make sure every detail is ready for manufacturing. We test everything before it goes to print, ensuring every single component meets our high standards. It’s all about getting things just right before the presses roll.
Once all the samples are approved, full-scale manufacturing begins. This includes every component - books, cards, plushies, pins, boxes, maps, and more. Quality control checks happen throughout to ensure a consistent, high-standard final product.
With production complete, everything is shipped to our fulfillment partners. This involves transporting goods across borders, clearing customs, and ensuring everything arrives safely at regional warehouses. From there, products are checked, sorted, and logged into the system, ready to be packed into individual backer orders.
After passing through mandatory safety checks and customs, fulfillment begins. Orders are carefully packed and sent on their way to you, ready to be played, read, and enjoyed. (You’ll receive a tracking link via email once your rewards are on the move, so you can keep an eye on their journey.)
✨ What if things change?
We’re a small team, and projects like this have a lot of moving parts - especially when you're balancing creative development with physical production - and sometimes things need to shift.
If something changes, we’ll tell you. We’re committed to being open, honest, and clear about where we’re at, what’s going well, and what might need more time. You won’t be left guessing or chasing updates.
After the campaign ends, we share a progress update on the first Tuesday of every month, so you’ll always know what’s happening, what stage we’re at, and how things are moving forward.
If you haven’t already, make sure to follow the project to unlock early access to our freeDrakonym demo that lets you create your character, choose your dragon, and begin your shared journey through the wilds of Akeroth, before anyone else.
