Stars Reach Kickstarter Concludes with Over $739K Raised, New Investment, and Introduction of a Vampire Species

Stars Reach, Raph Koster’s ambitious sci-fi MMORPG sandbox, has successfully funded on Kickstarter, surpassing $739,000 with over 5,200 backers – well beyond the initial $200,000 goal. (The total is likely to increase slightly as backers adjust their pledges post-campaign.)

As previously noted, the studio has been transparent about needing additional funding to complete the game. While the Kickstarter wasn’t intended to cover the entire development cost, it aimed to demonstrate market interest to potential investors and provide preorder and paid testing opportunities for players.

This strategy seems to be paying off, as Playable Worlds confirmed that even before the campaign ended, it secured significant investment from dedicated testers.

“Our Kickstarter aimed to showcase the demand for this game to publishers, distributors, and investors – and it succeeded. Several pre-alpha players even inquired about investing in the company. Last week, we accepted an investment larger than the total Kickstarter funds. Major investors are also monitoring the campaign to gauge player enthusiasm at this early stage.”

The Kickstarter featured multiple stretch goals, unlocking content before launch: the Hansian species, crafting appearance customization, the Hyugon species, guild alliances, the Fae species, the building system upgrade, and the Stokadi species. The Stokadi species was unlocked in the campaign’s final hours as funding crossed $700K.

The Stokadi, hailing from the foggy, oligarch-controlled world of Revenia, are described as the “shadowy goth” archetype – blending elements of drow and vampires. The team aimed to create a unique design, using bat wings as key features.

“We focused on making the Stokadi’s head shape distinctive, leaning into more vampiric, classic monster aesthetics. However, we needed to balance this with appealing designs for female characters, as stats show players tend to prefer them. We’re still finalizing the look, exploring options like large bat ears instead of wing-inspired headgear – but some details are still under wraps. That’s why the Stokadi were the last stretch goal species to be revealed!”

Additionally, hitting the 5,000-backer milestone means players will gain access to Princess Leia-inspired bun hairstyles.