A Kickstarter campaign by the name of Bowbarian just launched and, if you’re anything like me, you probably had the thought “what the heck is a bowbarian?” Well, after investigating the campaign I’m here to inform you! In the action game Bowbarian you play as a hulking man with loincloth named Bowbarian. Instead of fighting with more typical barbarian fare, this fellow lives up to his namesake with a bow and arrow. Well, sometimes the “arrows” might actually be swords, but that’s beside the point. This is a fast-paced arcade action game in the vein of Robotron 2084 but with a cartoony coat of paint.
In fact, the visuals are one of Bowbarian’s most striking aspects. The concept of the game is already 80s or 90s cartoon-like, but the colorful and animated art just brings that point home. Just like a good cartoon Bowbarian even has an adorable partner – a small floppy-eared creature named Tiny. Players can augment their bow and its ammo in order to craft a playstyle to their liking. Levels are all procedurally generated and you’ll have to fight through a bevvy of bosses just to reach a big baddie at the end.
Bowbarian is pegged for release on Windows and Mac machines if it can reach its goal of $150,000. Despite a simple, fun cartoon aesthetic and pure arcade-style gameplay this is quite a chunk of change. It will be a tough Kickstarter, but hopefully developer Box Fort Games is prepared for the road ahead.
Track the progress of the Bowbarian Kickstarter in our Campaign Calendar.
