Hello!  I just wanted to pass this link along.  Stonemaier Games (makers of Tapestry, Scythe, Wingspan), among several wonderful other titles) produces a yearly survey of gamers who are willing to fill in a survey and maybe win a gift card.

Granted, people who love Jamey's games might be different than the ones who love Jack Neal Games, however, there is overlap in that it is a group of people who are passionate about the hobby.  

The survey revealed that people are willing to wait for a game on crowdfunding up to a year out but that there are shifts away to hit the local game store as well.  He asked the key question of "if you can't get a game one way, what is your preferred second choice?"

I found this interesting because R&R is incredibly boutique.  PnP is all upside but generally modest, retail copies are essentially as break even.  Direct is my major driver for making up my investments on producing a physical game.  I don't do traditional crowdfunding in that the PNP is the public driver of whether there is interest - plus my own intuition.

Everything isn't money and reaching out to game stores - even a few - keeps a game visible in the background long after online buzz drops.  Stocking R&R at a fair price to support local designers is a win for all parties.  

To my knowledge, not many micropublishers approach retailers at all.  It's daunting to pitch your own game and the immediate payoff isn't obvious.  However, the Stonemaier survey supports my intuition (and my own shopping habits) that everyone wants to support their local shop.  It doesn't hurt JNG to have a quirky title on a store shelf because it helps everyone.

2025 Stonemaier Games Annual Survey