Every week we take a brief look at all of the Kickstarter campaigns that launched in the previous week. This isn’t to say that all of these projects are worth your hard earned cash, but with any luck having all of them in one place will make it easier to educate yourself on the projects you’d like to back, and which ones to run from. You’ll find two types of campaigns listed, “featured” and “the rest“. Featured campaigns are those that contain a significant amount of game information, are from known developers, or are significant in some other way. The rest of the games are usually smaller campaigns that are lacking in information, are from unknowns, have unanswered questions, or have not yet stood out for one reason or another.
[divider]Featured Campaigns :
Game : Highlands
What it is : Marcus wrote: “So, the art looks fabulous, but what is the game actually about? It’s a strategy RPG where players and their team must attempt to reclaim the land that was overrun by bots. There are four character classes and each has their own specialty. For example, Leaders are able to pull recruits into the team. On the other hand, Combatants are integral to fights and pull up a card-based battle minigame. Outside of battles players must be careful to manage their resources (morale, food, leadership, etc). Burrito Studio also hopes to craft a compelling narrative where teammates are far more than just easily-replaceable characters.”
Keep an eye on it in our calendar
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Game : Ascent
What it is : Marcus wrote: “Some of Ascent’s highlights include planets that rival the size of Earth and our moon. Yes, as in full scale in-game planet models being that vast. Players can colonize these planets as they see fit, building and utilizing resources from the area. The government itself is controlled via its playerbase. As of the campaign’s launch, there were around 400 players. With more this may become an even larger aspect of play. The quest players embark on in Ascent is full of combat, although of course you can instead focus on research, development, and exploration if you wish.”
Keep an eye on it in our calendar
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Game : The Land of Eyas
What it is : Marcus wrote: “The Land of Eyas is a 2D puzzle platformer with a fiendish twist. In this game, gravity is not your friend. As you explore stages different gravitational forces will affect you directly. For example, instead of the normal gravity we know on Earth, the trailer showcases how “up” becomes “down” and so forth. That alone would be confusing enough, but of course it appears you’ll be forced to contend with shifting gravity on a regular puzzle-solving basis. That’s all in addition to a platformer with level designs that already seem challenging on their own!”
Keep an eye on it in our calendar
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Game : Combo Queen
What it is : Marcus wrote: “The game stars Queen, a psychotic killer (as most video game protagonists are!) who must fight through hordes of enemies to attain a high score. Combo Queen has a retro pixel art aesthetic and a 2D sidescrolling. Players maintain a combo by attacking enemies once a gauge closes in on said enemy. When the opponent attacks, touching the screen with two fingers instead of one allows Queen to parry. Finally, when the burst meter is full, touching the screen with three fingers activates her special attack. This action gameplay is fast, simplistic, and should prove enjoyable in short bursts.”
Keep an eye on it in our calendar
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Game : Black the Fall
What it is : Marcus wrote: “Players will control how Black The Fall progresses. They can choose to fight enemies with weapons, making even more enemies along the way. Or they can choose to be stealthy and help others in need. When doing this, characters might just reciprocate the favor – or at least not spoil your plans. Along the way you’ll also need to solve a variety of puzzles to continue the journey.”
Keep an eye on it in our calendar
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Game : Elegy for a Dead World
What it is : Marcus wrote: “How does this work? Well, you explore a now-dead civilization and as you explore a prompt will appear at the bottom of the screen. These will start you off with an idea, allowing players to write about the area, its history, the character’s feelings, or anything else. Since the title is so focused on user-created narrative players are also able to write free-form at any point. “Puzzles” are said to take the form of new revelations in the world. As such, these may force you to reconsider the storyline you’ve built and figure out how to absorb this information into it.”
Keep an eye on it in our calendar
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Game : Virus
What it is : Marcus wrote: “This is VIRUS, Plexcom’s debut project, a Unity 2D platformer action game designed similarly to classic Japanese platform games like Megaman but with a modern twist and local co-op playability. It is to be released on Windows, Mac, and Linux. In VIRUS, we play as Yara, and travel through seven environments, each with bosses or “super-viruses.”
Keep an eye on it in our calendar
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Game : H. P. Lovecraft — The Case of Charles Dexter Ward
What it is : Marcus wrote: “The Case of Charles Dexter Ward is a novel written by H.P. Lovecraft that was published after his death. Senscape has taken the story of The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, researched it tediously, and is adapting it into video game form. TCCDW will solely rely on story, mood, and atmosphere to really stir up the player’s anxiety, rather than through the use of weaponry and sprinting from enemies.”
Keep an eye on it in our calendar
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Game : Alice In Tokyo Wonderland
What it is : Marcus wrote: “Like the story of Alice in Wonderland goes, Alice follows a rabbit down the notorious rabbit hole one day, winding up in wonderland, where a tyrannous, evil Geisha Queen of Hearts reigns with an iron fist and brings turmoil to this world. But there is something particularly special about Alice and she is labeled “The Chosen One,” the forces that be bestowing the almighty Vorpal Sword upon her.”
Keep an eye on it in our calendar
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Game : Extract 237
What it is : Marcus wrote : Extract 237 takes place inside this cavernous creature. You must guide Dr. Winters through the strange insides in hopes of getting out alive. Of course, it can’t just be that easy. As with horror games there must be obstacles to overcome. Some of these are in the form of environmental obstructions (stomach bile, etc). Just as you’ve survived, so too have others – unfortunately they are not as friendly. Enemies in the form of mutated, partially-digested humans will attempt to stop you. These disgusting designs clearly evoke icky feelings in players which is great for a good horror experience.”
Keep an eye on it in our calendar
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Game : Human Resources
What it is : Marcus wrote: “Real-time strategy (RTS) games are known for many things, but one of them is a facet copied between many: resource collection. In order to build you armies, you typically need a resource to expend (money, pylons, etc). Human Resources keeps this cherished trope but turns it on its head – both factions utilize humans. Why?! Well, it all has to do with the game’s offbeat story where robots begin to terrorize the world. With no technical or scientific means of stopping them, humanity attempts (and succeeds) at summoning the “Ancient Ones.” Unfortunately, the Ancient Ones aren’t interested in helping either!”
Keep an eye on it in our calendar
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Game : Immortal Empire
What it is : Marcus wrote:”Immortal Empire is a strategy RPG where players control one of five immortals. These powerful beings enter into battle where players must smartly plan every move. Players view the battlefield from an isometric perspective and can utilize a wide variety of attacks and strategies in any given situation. As the game is already “finished,” what do they need to crowdfund for? Great question! By being a browser game, Immortal Empire is a tiny 15MB product. With more space to create, the game can be upgraded with higher quality audio, new gameplay features, and fullscreen support.”
Keep an eye on it in our calendar
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Game : Dark Drive
What it is : Marcus wrote: “Are you looking for a solid, frantic action RPG with retro flourish? This genre may be fairly saturated but excellent new titles are always coming out. One possibly great edition to this ever-growing library is Dark Drive by Rambutaan. The Kickstarter project proposes a 2D action game with all the things you expect from one alongside an attractive pixel art style, cool alternate gameplay scenarios, and an anime aesthetic.”
Keep an eye on it in our calendar
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Game : Exile Saga
What it is : Marcus wrote: “RPGs may very well be the most loved genre in all of gaming. There’s just something about their expansive worlds, wonderful storylines, and fantastical concepts that hook players and their imagination. Developer Meraki Games is hoping to utilize Kickstarter for their first video game – Exile Saga. Apparently this is a project which has been on the minds of their staff for seven long years. Yep, it is definitely time for their dream game to come true!”
Keep an eye on it in our calendar
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Game : Alius Insectum
What it is : Marcus wrote:”Alius Insectum invites players into a mansion with many secret rooms as well as labyrinthine mines underneath the town. It also appears that narrative will play a large role, although to what degree is unknown. You play from a first person perspective while wandering through the many dark landscapes. With that said, you’re not defenseless. The Kickstarter video showed both a gun and melee weapon, thankfully.”
Keep an eye on it in our calendar
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Game : Outpost 13
What it is : A re-launch of the original campaign. Earlier we said : “Ever see The Thing? Let’s pretend the Kurt Russell one is the only one that exists, and that the 2002 videogame was set aflame. Trapped in an icy hellscape, terrified enough to do whatever it takes to survive. That’s where Outpost 13 puts us, trapped in a world very similar to The Thing, expect this time you’re in control of a dog named Fen and there’s no question that you’re the monster. In order to escape you’ll need to murder each of the crew members while ensuring no one suspects you, or wonders what you were doing in the rec room”
Keep an eye on it in our calendar
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Game : GORGE
What it is : Marcus wrote: “You play as Etoile who is the daughter of a lumberjack. One day, while browsing the local bakery, something happens. Without any explanation the world around her is changed to an alternate version of her town. Now, instead of seeing happy townsfolk, Etoile is greeted by frightful spirits. It appears they are hungry – for her. As Etiole you must explore the landscape, solve puzzles, hide, and fight to leave this strange place. So far the screenshots and gameplay video definitely give off a creepy vibe, despite the pixel art aesthetic.”
Keep an eye on it in our calendar
[divider]The Rest of the Campaigns :
Weedopia : A weed inspired JRPG; “hilarious.”
Project Gallouile : A sandbox adventure with lots of in-game footage in the video; but no screenshots and a number of “coming soon” placeholders.
Bad Heroes : To quote the developer, whose asking for £10,000, “For now i can’t show any game play but i’ll show it soon.”
Detrok Needs a Hero : The Kickstarter page makes it a little comfusing to figure exactly what kind of game it is.
The Waiting Room : A campaign re-launch with no changes since the last one, except that the goal was lowered to what was raised in the original campaign.
Hotel Honcho : Similar to the Kairosoft series of games, except you manage a hotel in this one.
A Better World for Kids : An interesting looking educational game with a $500k funding goal.
Grassy Room : $3,000 for a RPG that’s just a rough concept and “not even” 1% done according to the developer.
Maya Breaker : A side-scroller that has some potential once things are cleaned up a bit.
Beyond Human : A pretty looking Metroidvania platformer.
Flashback! : An old-school memory match game.
Elenia : An RPG with the same cover image as Lex Forma; and nothing else.
Lex Forma : An RPG with the same cover image as Elenia; at least there’s screenshots though.
Arcadia : A “gamify your life” type game/app.
Twitterpated : The funding video feature no gameplay, and is filmed in portrait mode.
Construct : A side scroller that brings back memories of Time Commando.
NCG-19: Gravitus : A free to play MMO that still needs some time in the oven.
Scavenger : A first person survival horror game with a gameplay heavy video, but no screenshots.
Legends of the Night : No gameplay video; or video at all for that matter.
Jump n Shootman : No video, no screenshots; nothing.
The Galmora Chronicles : Half the funding video is of the developers desktop. The Kickstarter page itself has almost no information.
Bain’s Redemption : A cel-shaded brawler that has a demo available for download.
Growing Mars! : No funding video, and very little game info on the Kickstarter page.
CT: Demon’s Revenge : Fourth times a charm?
Brunelleschi: Age of Architects : A social strategy RPG with a sizable staff.
Stardust Colonies : An oldschool RTS in dire need of some graphics
XenofluX : Wins the award for the most heavy metal funding video I’ve ever seen.
[divider]That’s it for last week. Watch your wallets!
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