Just as English-speaking audiences are getting used to the concept of “visual novels” we have had many Kickstarter campaigns crop up for new ones. Of course, coming from existing fans of the genre, most of these titles do not include the heavy focus on ‘gameplay’ as names such as Phoenix Wright or 999. Circles, for example, is a brand new Kickstarter campaign which pitches itself as a kinetic novel. We’ll get to what that means in a moment. First, let’s delve into the story (well – the small bit that has been revealed in the pitch).
Circles is a tale about a soul that is lost after death instead of being automatically ferried to the afterlife. With no memories and no understanding of where they even are, this spirit is trapped until an angel named Nadhi discovers it. She embarks on a journey with the spirit to lead it where it needs to go. Along the way, the two converse and help to regain the memories that this spirit had previously lost. Who were they and how did they end up dying? Readers will find answers as they play.
Now, what is a kinetic novel exactly? This is a phrase used to specify visual novels which do not include gameplay elements such as puzzles. They also do not offer dialogue choices. They are just pure stories told with music and visuals. It might seem odd to many but this is actually a very commonly used genre in Japan. It’s a shame they didn’t use much visual flair at all in their campaign video as the art appears lovely (and is more dynamic than a video full of text). Circles requires $1,500 to succeed and will launch on Windows, Mac, and Linux as a free game download.
Follow the progress of the Circles Kickstarter in our Campaign Calendar.
Sounds…different!