Hello friends and fellow devs! We’re back with all the latest from our local scene, including some amazing successes in the Kickstarter space, some new up-and-coming game launches and wishlists, and plenty of showcases and events happening in the area as we wrap up the year!

👾State of the Michigan Games Industry

We have had an exciting month in the games industry here in a Michigan, with a busy few weeks still ahead of us!

We have had some amazing successes on the Kickstarter front. In our last newsletter, we mentioned how Parhelion’s Kickstarter, Echoes of Astra, had their Kickstarter goal fully funded in the first 20 minutes. Their Kickstarter has ended with an incredible success, having raised over $750K to date!

Likewise, Nochi Studio’s Kickstarter for Lovebyte.exe was a success, having fully funded their goal and raised over $23K to date! Nochi is also running another Kickstarter for their game Stellifier: The Comeback, which has also successfully hit their goal with just a couple days left to go! Congrats to both these amazing teams and their successes!

We are officially in student showcase season, which gives you a great chance to come out and support new developers, provide feedback, and check out some new games! Between the ECCS 494 & EMU showcase and MSU’s showcase, we have some awesome student projects coming out!

This month also includes the IGDA Ann Arbor & Detroit Winter Quarterly Playtest! We have once again been graciously provided the space over at the Canton Public Library to showcase some amazing games being developed locally here in Michigan. Doors open Sunday, December 7th at 12:30pm and go until 3pm, so come out and play some games!

Due to the ECCS 494 & EMU showcase, IGDA Ann Arbor will not have a December meetup. Luckily, IGDA Detroit should be announcing their event soon, so stay tuned!

🚀 Kickstarter & Fundraising Spotlight

Stellifier: The Comeback / Nochi Studios

• Stellifier: The Comeback is a typing game that is the sequel to original "Stellifier" game. Test your typing accuracy and speed as you navigate your schedule and life with your chosen love interest. Based on your typing results, unlock game content and collectibles.

• Support the project here!

• Wishlist early on Steam!

🎮 Game Launches (Michigan Devs)

Yinglet Creator – Tabski

• A character creator that lets you design your very own collection of Yinglets.

• Yinglet Creator on Steam

Merp in Merpworld – maybell🌻

• An adventure platformer, explore fields of warm grass and wildflowers. Glide through the sky with your leaf. Elude predating fauna, or make mischief instead.

• Merp in Merpworld by maybell🌻

Crystal Wizard – Electric Sun

• Crystal Wizard combines Tower Defense, Real-Time Strategy, Exploration, and Resource Management into one mystical adventure!

• Crystal Wizard by Electric Sun

All recently launched and ready to play. Congrats to these teams!
(Want to be featured here? Fill out this link!)

🧪 New Demos & Wishlists!

• Wishlist: Uh Oh! on Steam - Wumbo Workshop

• Wishlist: Moorage on Steam - Daedalus Studios

Check out these new games coming soon and add them to your Wishlist!
(Want to be featured here? Fill out this link!)

📅 Upcoming Events

• IGDA Ann Arbor & Detroit Winter Quarterly Playtest: Sunday, December 7th @ Canton Public Library – Come out to the quarterly playtest to play some exciting new games in development that are looking for your feedback and support! The playtest will be held from 12:30 - 3:00pm.

• ECCS 494 & EMU Showcase: Monday, December 8th @ University of Michigan - Come down and see the combined showcase of both the ECCS 494 UM students and EMU student showcase at 7:00pm EST.

• MSU Showcase: Thursday, December 11th, @ Com Arts Room 147 – Come out to MSU’s Game Showcase at 4:00pm EST.

⚡ Stay Connected & Get Involved

• Join our Discord to share updates, ask questions, and collaborate: IGDA Ann Arbor

• Connect with us on LinkedIn; we are always happy to chat!

  • Corbin John Reeves | Austin Yarger | Jerry Cortez | Jeremy Bond | Connor Thompson

• Want your game or event featured next month? Fill out this link!

• Are you an investor, Angel, or funding group looking to get a better picture of the Michigan gaming space? Let’s talk! 

A special thanks to every local team who’s building, demoing, and launching! Your hard work makes this community shine, and makes putting together supports like this worth it!

— Connor Thompson, IGDA Ann Arbor Collaborator🕹️

Hello Everyone!

We are here with a special edition of Michigan Level Up with a Michigan Kickstarter Spotlight! We sat down for an interview with Andrew Yang, founder of Parhelion Studio and project director for Echoes of Astra.

Andrew provided us with some insight into what it takes to run a successful Kickstarter campaign and shared some behind-the-scenes information on how to develop a TCG in the Anime space. We have both the audio recording of the interview for you and a summary for those who prefer to read rather than listen.

Echoes of Astra

Echoes of Astra is a physical collectible trading card game that combines world class anime illustrations with deep tactical gameplay. In Echoes of Astra, players take the role of a Sovereign, assembling and deploying their forces across the battlefield to capture combat zones and score victory points. The first player to hit 20 victory points wins the game. Knowing what order you attack with your units and when to retreat can make the difference between victory and defeat.

• Join over 800+ backers supporting Parhelion here!

• https://echoesofastra.com/ 

• Want to learn more! Check out the community Discord and chat with the team!

Interview with Parhelion

Summary

Would you like to give us a quick little intro about yourself and then maybe take a minute or so and tell us a little bit about Echoes of Astra?

My name is Andrew Yang, and I am the founder and project director for Echoes of Astra. I primarily handle art direction and the business aspects of the card game. Echoes of Astra is a tactical trading card game featuring world-class anime aesthetics. We aim to combine unique anime art with Western gameplay design principles, such as smaller numbers for readability and accessible rules that still offer a high mastery curve. A core aspect of our game is building an IP that mixes modern technology with fantasy, differentiating it from traditional fantasy TCGs by exploring what a magical world would look like as it advances into the modern era.

Your Kickstarter was funded in 20 minutes, which is huge. What kind of levers did you pull to help move that needle and generate such significant week one traffic?

We focused on leveraging our strong points, which are our past game experience and our anime illustration work. The biggest indicator for a Kickstarter's success before it starts is the follower count on the pre-launch page. We used various methods to build this count, with meta ad optimization being the most easily calculable. This allowed us to track the cost per follower and project our potential success. In the past, mailing lists were advised, but we were told the Kickstarter follower count is now more efficient for conversion. The general metric is that by the end of a campaign, about 30% of followers will convert, with 10% converting in the first week. Amassing a large follower count and hitting your goal within 24 hours is key to building momentum.

You mentioned world-class illustrators and high-caliber artists. How did you go about sourcing them and managing that pipeline without letting your schedule get out of control?

Our team's background is in the anime games industry, specifically working on mobile gacha games like hero collectors. For those games, you need a constant pipeline of new characters, voice lines, and designs for frequent updates. We were already familiar with these pipelines and had connections with famous anime illustrators worldwide. We also have experience working with companies in South Korea that produce large-scale anime illustrations and have our own internal art design team. This collective experience allows us to coordinate and scale production effectively, which is crucial when you need to commission 40 to 50 pieces a month rather than just one or two.

What are your plans for manufacturing and timelines, and how are you addressing the risks associated with shipping and delivery for a physical product?

I have some background in the wholesale business and supply chains. We plan to manufacture in East Asia and are in talks with Hopes Manufacturing, which handles many board games and card accessories. For shipping, especially as a smaller Kickstarter, it's best to work with fulfillment centers. This allows us to have distribution hubs in North America, Asia, and Europe, which saves on shipping costs for everyone. Instead of shipping everything to one continent and then redistributing, we can ship directly from regional centers. A major one used by many Kickstarters is GamesQuest, which handles logistics so we can focus on the game and product.

You've been working on this game for a while. How did you guys go about playtesting to validate the balance and fun?

Coming from the video game space, we found that iterating on a paper product is much faster. You can just scribble on a piece of paper and change numbers instantly. We started with internal testing, as many of our team members have extensive experience with TCGs like Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon, and Yu-Gi-Oh!. After that, we utilized local events, such as playtest nights at game stores in Michigan. We also attended Protospiel, an annual event in Michigan where you can prototype and test your game for several days, which was a great opportunity for feedback.

Your Kickstarter page is incredible, with a great hero video and reward ladder. How did you pick goals that would excite backers without creating bloat or consuming your margins?

We leveraged our strengths. For the page, we focused on the anime aesthetic and our unique IP, showcasing our characters and art. We also understood our player base. TCG players value not just gameplay but also collectability and a premium feel. We designed rewards that made early backers feel special, such as premium frame-break cards and serialized cards. For physical rewards, we were cautious. Offering too many accessories can be dangerous due to shipping and warehousing costs. Our primary add-ons are booster boxes and starter packs. We started with a digital art book and only offered a physical paperback version after hitting a higher milestone, ensuring we could afford it.

Did you guys internally have a goal that you were aiming for beyond the initial funding target?

Yes, we had several tiers of goals. First, there is the minimum goal, which is the bare-bones amount needed to get the product to market and fulfill backer rewards. Then, we had our ideal goal, which is the number that allows us not just to deliver the game once, but to expand and grow it. Finally, there is the dream goal for if we raise far more than expected, which opens up a whole new range of options. It's important to plan for the worst, the best, and what's expected.

Kickstarter campaigns often see a spike in pledges near the end. How are you planning to leverage that "fear of missing out" and what channels are you using?

Campaigns typically have a U-shape traffic pattern. One strategy is to create a lot of FOMO at launch with limited early-bird rewards, which spikes the beginning but can cause a faster drop-off. We opted for a more even U-shape. At the 48-hour mark, Kickstarter also sends a reminder to all followers, which helps reactivate the audience. During the flat middle period of the campaign, we use paid acquisition through platforms like Meta and Reddit. We track the return on ad spend, aiming for a safe range like a 1-to-5 return. Once we hit 100% funding, the cost of acquisition drops significantly, so it's a good time to increase ad spend.

If you had to recommend a marketing budget for most indie devs approaching Kickstarter, what would you suggest?

It's difficult to say, as it depends on your fundraising goal. For a campaign in the $100,000+ range, I would suggest budgeting at least $10,000 as a safe bet. You don't have to spend it all at once. You can test the waters, and if the return on ad spend is good after the first two weeks, you can invest more. A key caution with ads is to increase spending incrementally, by about 20% per day. If you suddenly throw a huge amount of money at the ad algorithm, its efficiency can drop as it tries to reach a broader, less-targeted audience.

Which marketing channels performed the best for you?

For our specific game, Reddit was surprisingly the best for gaining pre-launch followers. Meta is the easiest to track and has been the best platform for scaling after the launch. Google was harder for us to track pre-launch but can be leveraged for YouTube ads after the campaign is live. X (formerly Twitter) did not perform as well as we would have liked. These results are specific to our game, and other projects may find different channels work better for them.

Is there anything else we should know about your upcoming game or Kickstarter before it ends on October 9th?

If you are interested in anime-style aesthetics with art from artists in the gacha games industry, be sure to check us out. We also have a free print-and-play version available on our website, so you can print it out, give it a try with your friends, and help spread the word.

⚡ Stay Connected & Get Involved

• Join our Discord to share updates, ask questions, and collaborate: IGDA Ann Arbor

• Connect with us on LinkedIn; we are always happy to chat!

  • Corbin John Reeves | Austin Yarger | Jerry Cortez | Jeremy Bond

• Want your game or event featured next month? Fill out this link!

• Are you an investor, Angel, or funding group looking to get a better picture of the Michigan gaming space? Let’s talk! 

A special thank you to Parhelion for taking the time to chat with us and continuing to support the local community! Your hard work and effort is truly inspiring and I know we cant wait to see what you become!

— Corbin John Reeves, IGDA Ann Arbor Co-organizer 🕹️

Hello friends and fellow devs! We’re back with all the latest from all Michigan’s brightest creators. Looks like this month is shaping up to be something quite interesting! With special events at Stardock, Parhelion smashing milestones on Kickstarter, multiple game launches, and Nochi storming the Kickstarter scene again, let’s dive deep into this month in Michigan!

👾State of the Michigan Games Industry

While this month is shaping up to be something worth remembering, we have some awesome stuff that happened shortly after our last edition here in Michigan. We had David Carr, former Reddit Art Director, give a wonderful deep dive into art direction. Not only did the talk get tons of developers talking about their art direction, but it also got many questioning if they are maximizing their impact on players. The fun thing about being indie is that we need to fight for player attention. David turned out to be a wonderful resource on how to help your game stand out.

Fundraising is always a challenge. Some bootstrap, some find publishers, others seek Angel/VC investments, and some tackle Kickstarter; all these avenues can be opportunities for studios looking to fund their games. Parhelion, however, is running the gauntlet! After releasing multiple successful titles financed by various avenues, they have also now gone and launched a Kickstarter for Echoes of Astra, a TCG game they have developed here in Ann Arbor. This Kickstarter was funded in 20 minutes and is now over 500% funded with 19 days left to go.

They are not the only ones, however! Nochi Studios has long since shown that an incredible community is all it takes (and a ton of hard work) to launch game after game! With the launch of Lovebyte.exe, it’s already close to its funding goal!

We are so excited to see these two Michigan game teams take Kickstarter by storm.

🚀 Kickstarter & Fundraising Spotlight

lovebyte.exe by Nochi Studios (Become a Backer Today!)

A chat dating sim game inspired by Mystic Messenger, VTuber communities, and internet spam. Experience internet fandom cultures and parasocialism and discover who's real and who's not real in chat, eventually unveiling & romancing characters' irl-selves and unlocking media content in this PC game.

• Support the project here!

• Wishlist early on Steam!

• Check out some bigger indie VTubers having a great time with it so far!

Echoes of Astra TCG by Parhelion Studio (Become a Backer Today!)

Echoes of Astra is a new trading card game that combines tactical elements with world-class illustrations from top anime illustrators around the globe. Developed locally by Parhelion Studio in Ann Arbor!

• Follow the project here!

• https://echoesofastra.com/ 

• Want to learn more! Check out the community Discord and chat with the team!

Pick It Up! by Evan Marcus (Vote 9/22!)

Pick It Up! is a cartoony multiplayer game about little robots competing to pick up the most trash to prove their worth to their vindictive human owners. You'll grab as much trash as you can carry and throw it in the bin before the other player throws it at you, nabbing power-ups along the way to get the leg up on your opponent. Whoever finishes the round with the most trash banked in their bin wins!

• Check the Demo out here!

• The Blue Ocean Games Rising Tide Challenge voting opens on September 22nd! Sign up here to be notified when public voting starts.

🎮 Game Launches (Michigan Devs)

Bearly Baking – Water Bears Interactive Arts

Bearly Baking is a cooking and relationship-building game where you play as a bear running an inn to feed animals for hibernation. You cook bread and muffins in small mini-games, and based on the quality, you build better relationships with your patrons and learn more about their stories.

Get Baking!

Locally Sourced Anthology II: The Timeline

A collection of 5 experimental games from different indie devs that takes you on a journey through time!

Experiment with these Michigan Indie Devs!

All recently launched and ready to play. Congrats to these teams!
(Want to be featured here? Fill out this link!)

🧪 Demos & Wishlists!

• Demo: HeartLinks: A Puzzle Called Love – Flip Alive Games

• Wishlist: Elemental: Reforged – Stardock Entertainment

• Wishlist: Nova Patria – Sower Interactive, Judatone Studios

Check out these playable demos, send feedback if you have a chance!
(Want to be featured here? Fill out this link!)

📅 Upcoming Events

• IGDA Ann Arbor & Stardock - Special Stardock Game Development Meet-up! A panel talk hosted by IGDA Ann Arbor's Jerry, featuring a range of speakers from Stardock, with questions focused on their experiences in the industry, their work on various projects throughout their careers, and how they ended up at Stardock.

⚡ Stay Connected & Get Involved

• Join our Discord to share updates, ask questions, and collaborate: IGDA Ann Arbor

• Connect with us on LinkedIn; we are always happy to chat!

  • Corbin John Reeves | Austin Yarger | Jerry Cortez | Jeremy Bond

• Want your game or event featured next month? Fill out this link!

• Are you an investor, Angel, or funding group looking to get a better picture of the Michigan gaming space? Let’s talk! 

A special thanks to every local team who’s building, demoing, and launching! Your hard work makes this community shine, and makes putting together supports like this worth it!

— Corbin John Reeves, IGDA Ann Arbor Co-organizer 🕹️

Hello friends and fellow devs! Welcome to the first-ever edition of the Michigan Level Up newsletter. We are so excited to bring this newsletter to the community and hope that it becomes a useful source of information and insight into the community.

👾State of the Michigan Games Industry

This month is going to be an interesting one, to say the least! With Xbox Game Camp kicking off the 12-week program at the end of this month and hopeful participants learning their status in a week or two, we are excited to see an uptick in commercial-focused developers. It’s always been a challenge to start a studio, and without proper support, it can be even more challenging.

Xbox is looking to solve that issue by providing support and insight into industry practices and how to create sustainable studios. We will be keeping a close eye on the teams that form and some of the impact it has on the ecosystem.

Additionally, we are excited to announce the launch of the IGDA Ann Arbor & Detroit Quarterly Game Playtest. Our goal is to provide an opportunity to get playtesters and gather feedback for your game. Our focus is on teams (or individuals) who are looking to release a commercial title.

The event will be held at the Canton Public Library on Sunday, August 24, from 12:30 to 3:00 pm.

If you are interested in participating, sign up here [Link]. Spots are limited!

🚀 Kickstarter & Fundraising Spotlight

Echoes of Astra TCG by Parhelion Studio (Launching Soon!)

Echoes of Astra is a new trading card game that combines tactical elements with world-class illustrations from top anime illustrators around the globe. Developed locally by Parhelion Studio in Ann Arbor!

• Follow the project here!

• https://echoesofastra.com/ 

• Want to learn more! Check out the community Discord and chat with the team!

Rifts Promise of Power Reforged by Palladium Books (Closing Jul 18th)

Discover the lost Rifts video game and play it on the PC with updated graphics & gameplay. Join our crowdfunding campaign to bring this iconic Rifts tactical computer RPG to a new generation!

• Back the project here!

🎮 Game Launches (Michigan Devs)

No Way Home – SMG Studio

Stranded in a strange galaxy, you must fight for survival using only your wits, your ship, and your party planning robot companion Matey. Explore the universe, befriend bizarre aliens, and blast through hordes of monsters as you endeavor to find a way home.

Play it. Love it. Tell your friends.

Below Nowhere – Dylan Bassett, Bassett Interactive

A man made of red flesh is hunting you. He is the Meat Man. Below Nowhere is a first-person survival horror game that will pull you into the depths of evil. While exploring strange memories that aren't yours, you will be pushed to your limits in this terrifying tale of humanity and second chances.

Play local. Buy indie. Start here.

Office Sirens Hard at Work – Yusuke "Juicy Chicken" Hasegawa

A real-time interactive visual novel about a group of office sirens who compulsively blurt out “That’s what she said” in response to every innuendo at work. Time your interruptions to survive the corporate chaos.

Support local, grab your copy today!

Ara: History Untold – Stardock Entertainment

[Start of Re-release under Stardock]
Build a nation starting at any point in human history and compete for supremacy in this epic turn-based strategy game. Engage in diplomacy, fight wars, and go head-to-head with other leaders from history.

Out now and ready to play, go grab it!

All recently launched and ready to play. Congrats to these teams!
(Want to be featured here? Fill out this link!)

🧪 New Demos & Itch.io games

• COCOBOY – Adrian Kellman, Cameron Werner, Cocoteam games

• Night Runner - MJ3Dart

• Wolf of The Desert – A.J.Interactive

Check out these playable demos and awesome Itch.io games. Share feedback if you have a chance!
(Want to be featured here? Fill out this link!)

💡 Game‑Dev Tip of the Month

Anton Slashcev created this phenomenal infographic to support teams in refining their game pitch. One thing we hear over and over again from publishers and angel investors is that teams often struggle to explain their game. Understanding how to share your game and make it memorable is half the battle. Give this method a try and see if it works for your game.

📅 Upcoming Events

• IGDA Detroit - Studio Showcase: July 17th - 7 pm @ Michigan Central – Come see and learn about a local artist, Keith Brown! [Link]

• IGDA Ann Arbor - Convention Breakdown: July 30th & 6 - 10 pm @ Ann Arbor SPARK Central – Join us as the Cubicorn Games team breaks down the process of attending PAX and the best practices behind it! [Link]

• Xbox Game Camp Kickoff: July 29th @ Virtual – This virtual kickoff is held for all participating members in the Xbox Game Camp and serves as the start of the 12-week program.

🎪 Upcoming Game Festivals

• The Love, Romance, and Heartbreak Debutante Ball: Deadline (2025-07-31) - Curated event. "for games about that tricky thing called love (or about a desire to remain single), taking place in February around Valentine's Day" [Link]

• The Hungry Ghost Festival: Deadline (2025-07-05) - "The game has horror, dark, creepy, mysterious, or supernatural theme" [Link]

• Indie Assemble: The 123 Stars: Deadline (2025-07-13) - Curated event. "The participating titles will be selected by Excaliber, with support from a Jury of industry experts" [Link]

For more festivals, check out HowToMarketAGame’s spreadsheet! [Link]

⚡ Stay Connected & Get Involved

• Join our Discord to share updates, ask questions, and collaborate: IGDA Ann Arbor

• Connect with us on LinkedIn; we are always happy to chat!

  • Corbin John Reeves | Austin Yarger | Jerry Cortez | Jeremy Bond

• Want your game or event featured next month? Fill out this link!

• Are you an investor, Angel, or funding group looking to get a better picture of the Michigan gaming space? Let’s talk! 

A special thanks to every local team who’s building, demoing, and launching! Your hard work makes this community shine, and makes putting together supports like this worth it!

— Corbin John Reeves, IGDA Ann Arbor Co-organizer 🕹️