The developer behind Trash Goblin has initiated a crowdfunding campaign to support the launch of a new merchandise store
Spilt Milk Studios, an independent game developer from the UK, has initiated a Kickstarter campaign aimed at establishing a permanent merchandise store. The initial collection will feature products inspired by their 2025 game release, Trash Goblin. According to Nicholas Lovell, one of the co-owners, the goal is to boost the studio's revenue to fund new prototypes while offering appealing items to fans.
The game's community played a significant role in its development, as highlighted by Lovell in previous discussions about the company's strategic direction post-layoffs. Released as version 1.0 in March last year, Trash Goblin has become Spilt Milk Studios' most financially successful release on Steam, based on data from GameDiscoverCo.
Although there was a desire from both the team and the community to create merchandise, the studio partnered with Mighty Merch, managed by Thomas Bidaux from ICO Partners, to handle production and logistics.
Lovell remarked, "The plush was always the favorite but has proven to be complex to produce. We had previously made an art book for our team as a holiday gift, which we then decided to offer to our community. Initially, I wanted to include mugs, but Thomas advised against it due to shipping risks like breakage, which is precisely the kind of insight that experience brings."
Lovell, along with co-owner Andrew Smith, meticulously analyzed the feasibility of the Kickstarter campaign to ensure it offered value to customers while being financially viable for the studio.
The planning involved approximately a month of design effort and another month for developing the rewards strategy, building the campaign page, and creating marketing materials.
The Kickstarter seeks to raise £18,000 to produce a plush model of the Trashy game character, in addition to simpler items such as posters, T-shirts, pins, art books, and stickers. Achieving this target would enable Spilt Milk Studios to operate a permanent merchandise store, potentially providing a new revenue stream for the company without overshadowing its primary business efforts.
Andrew Smith, the studio founder, will lead the Kickstarter management without involving the development team. Lovell explains that although the campaign will require focus, it aligns with the kind of community engagement activities they already perform. "While the campaign is ongoing, Andrew will dedicate a lot of his time, but it involves similar community interactions we're already committed to."
Lovell credits their dedicated fanbase for their confidence in this strategy. "Our community presence on platforms like Kickstarter, Steam, and Discord, built over the years, is crucial for this initiative. It's a natural fit with the crowdfunding model," he says. As for its applicability to other studios seeking to diversify income, Lovell says he'll assess its success upon the campaign's conclusion.
The campaign is open until February 20th and includes a partnership with the Immune Deficiency Foundation, donating $5 to the charity for every custom pin badge sold.