While triple A titles continue to focus on much the same Hollywood blockbuster-esque storylines the indie community is still pursuing a whole wealth of concepts. Case in point, The Baader Meinhof Phenomenon by Bearded Pixel is the tale of a man who has struggled with drug addiction over the years. Of course, there’s a story which helps explain why protagonist Shawn had this descent to begin with. It all started one night when he was babysitting his young niece. Without explanation, she (and other children in the small town) disappeared. He did not take this well and the resulting emotional turmoil had him turn to drugs for solace.
The Baader Meinhof Phenomenon is not a happy game, but it seems incredibly compelling nonetheless. At the start of it Shawn has been clean for two months and is looking to continue an investigation into the children himself. Unfortunately, his brother who had been doing so previously, also just disappeared. Players must interact with the small town’s denizens and gain information. They can also choose to wield secrets as blackmail. Of course, as word travels fast in small towns people may come to view Shawn in a very different light.
This high concept game seems rife to gain a lot of attention if the right gamers discover it. Bearded Pixel is asking for £25,000 (about $38,100) for a successful Kickstarter campaign. If funded, they plan to bring The Baader Meinhof Phenomenon to Windows, Mac, and Linux computers. A console release is possible, but not guaranteed.
Track the progress of the Baader Meinhof Phenomenon Kickstarter in our Campaign Calendar.
