Survive a Deadly Game of Hide & Seek in Refuge

Refuge is a Kickstarter I decided to back today and I think it is brimming with potential. It’s a simplistic two-player game built in the Unity engine that looks like a dark version of Hide and Seek where players can choose to hunt each other down or try and out survive each other in the harsh wilderness. The Kickstarter goal is £25k and already it has raised £600.

The character designs are simplistic and awesome.

I’ll be the first to admit that I am a sucker for gloomy games with dark themes so Refuge really did catch my eye in a heartbeat. The developer mentions some of his influences while creating the game citing Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away, My neighbour Totoro), and games such as Limbo, Journey, Ico, and Monument Valley. Now I am crazy about all of those things (right now I’m wearing my Totoro jumper and will happily play Limbo for a few hours in bed tonight). Even without the name dropping I still really like the visuals available to look at. I enjoy simplistic structures like these and overall am a fan of Unity games (I’d be embarrassed if I told you how many hours I have logged on Race To The Sun).

The environment looks magnificent.

Refuge is full of cool concepts. The player has the choice to try and hunt down and kill their friend or to try and out survive them. There is a mechanic in the game which leaves behind evidence of where you have traveled making you easier to find or avoid. If the player decides to make a fire then the smoke may alert the other player to their whereabouts. The premise of the game is rather interesting too and I recommend you take a look at the Kickstarter page and check out the characters they have because they sound pretty rad to me.

Be sure to check out the characters on the Kickstarter Page

I contacted Fox Rogers via the Kickstarter page to get a bit more information about the multiplayer. It seems the team is still crunching numbers and working out a budget, which is wise since we’ve seen what can happen when one doesn’t plan. According to Fox Rogers

“The game will definitely work between friends on Steam release”

Which is always good to hear, but personally I was interested in playing against strangers. Fox is sure that this will be included at some point, but he’s not sure if it will be in the initial release. I’m also excited by the prospect that Refuge may grow over time, only time will tell.

Personally, I’m sold on this one and have my fingers crossed for a PlayStation Vita release!

Track the progress of the Refuge Kickstarter in our Campaign Calendar.