Dropout‘s flagship game show is coming into your living room. The media company that succeeded CollegeHumor has launched a Kickstarter campaign for Game Changer: Home Edition, a board game inspired by a popular Dropout game show.
Game Changer is essentially the “Calvinball” of the internet. In each episode, Dropout CEO Sam Reich comes up with fresh rules that steer his stable of comedians as they create art. The only rule is that Reich is in charge — and the contestants have to figure out his current set of guidelines as soon as possible.
That format has proven quite popular. Game Changer episodes get millions of views on YouTube, and clips from the show add millions more hits on Shorts. Dropout has submitted the show for Emmy consideration, some of its contestants have had cameos on TV, and even Saturday Night Live has reached into the Dropout talent pool as it searches for new cast members.
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To capitalize on all that excitement, Reich and the rest of the Dropout team have turned to Kickstarter. That’s where a campaign has launched for Game Changer: Home Edition, a board game that takes three different Game Changer formats and brings them to the masses.
The games included in the Home Edition include a form of Bingo that resembles Codenames, a betting game that asks players to “Name a Number,” and a take on Simon Says called “Sam Says.” Backers who pledge at least $39 can take home the basic edition of the game, and additional rewards are available at pledge tiers that go as high as $1,000.
Dropout initially set a $40,000 pledge goal for Game Changer: Home Edition, but it didn’t even take 12 hours before backers met that mark. At the time of this post, the campaign has been up for less than a day, but it has already raked in $1.5 million from Dropout fans.
But meeting the crowdfunding target is too simple a goal for Reich and his colleagues. To up the stakes, Dropout has gamified Kickstarter itself. As fans complete eclectic missions — like making comments about ferrets and taking pictures with a cardboard cutout of Reich — they will unlock additional rewards for everyone.
Backers have until June 5 to snag those bonus perks. Once the crowdfunding campaign is complete, Dropout expects to deliver copies of the Home Edition in March 2027. A lot could still change before then, as that’s kinda the point of Game Changer. With each challenge that gets completed, the campaign will be updated. As Reich put it in his pitch video: “We can’t wait to see how far you get.”
