Lost Ember Looks Stunning on the Eve of Its Kickstarter

Every once in a while, we like to bring your attention to games which have yet to land on Kickstarter’s perilous shores. Those are usually somewhat unpopular, a bit crude and wildly ambitious. Yet, things are a bit different when it comes to Lost Ember, an upcoming story-driven exploration game that already looks rather impeccable.

Made by small German team Mooneye Studios, Lost Ember is a game which isn’t afraid to let players set their own pace. Through relaxed exploration, you’ll look through the eyes of a wolf while swapping between various animals along your journey, each holding a different perspective on your surroundings.

An underlying story about a lost world and some extinct “Inrahsi” civilization seems to encompass the whole experience, as the tale is promised to be hidden throughout luscious hills and tall forests. I imagine some of that would be narrated by the glowing red orb that appears in some of the game’s footage; according to the developers, it’s a trusty companion that used to be part of the old Inrahsi culture. Apart from that, players would also encounter brief flashbacks at different points throughout the story.

Naturally, all of this is very reminiscent of Journey and Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture, both in terms of aesthetics and the way in which players are guided around the world. Unsurprisingly, Mooneye Studios mention both games to be main inspirations.

But you might have already stumbled on the game thanks to a gorgeous teaser showcased at last month’s Gamescom. If not, watch it now, because it might be one of the most beautiful trailers I’ve seen this year.

Judging by Lost Ember‘s development blog, it seems that the game has been in the making for almost two years. Along the way, it’s had a monthly dedicated column in Indie Game Mag, a shiny award and the opportunity to work with audio veterans Will Morton and Craig Connor (you might know them for their previous work at Rockstar North).

Mooneye Studios are planning to launch the Kickstarter campaign whenever their newsletter hits 5000 followers (currently there are about 4000). Once that happens, the German developers are committed to starting a European road trip focused on daily vlogging and hanging out with YouTube creators and press.

With so much going on with the game already, it’s clear that Lost Ember‘s upcoming arrival on Kickstarter is mainly driven by an attempt to build a community. The idea of filling out the entire crowdfunded process with daily vlogging and traveling might also prove to be a genius move, especially if the right YouTube folks get on board. At the very least, it sounds at least a bit more exciting than writing a bunch of Kickstarter updates.