Fringe Theory, the first game from LionRoar Studios, launched the other day on Kickstarter and it’s an ambitious-looking project – a first-person survival adventure game that seeks to explore Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
A pitch video narrated by LionRoar’s Christian Harris tells backers a little bit about Fringe Theory and why the team is seeking the help of the Kickstarter community. They know the project is ambitious, and they also know they’re going to have to dedicate 100% of their time and effort towards the game in order to realise their vision. Naturally, that requires cash. $50,000 to be precise, which is perhaps a little much to ask considering LionRoar’s unproven status. Nonetheless, Fringe Theory definitely has some attractive qualities that should help the campaign greatly.
The most obvious one is the game’s colorful, highly stylized appearance. I’ve seen dozens of environments like beaches, bunkers, and dams in videogames before, but something about the way Fringe Theory renders them is rather appealing. I’m reminded of Firewatch, and I think it’s safe to say that game’s art direction did a lot for it in the run-up to release.
The PTSD themes are also bound to draw a lot of attention. I think it’s safe to say Fringe Theory‘s unique hook is in its narrative themes, and that establishes a clear identity, one that should help it stand out in the grand ocean of Kickstarter campaigns. I can already feel myself thinking of Fringe Theory as ‘that pretty PTSD game’.
The campaign page itself is pretty bare-bones, however. There’s a pitch video, a short section on the game’s features, a story trailer, a few screenshots and some information on the team. Not hugely informative, but all the same, there’s probably enough there to sell potential backers on what the game is. Some detail on where the $50,000 would go would do the project favours, and fleshing out the ‘Risks & Challenges’ section would certainly give backers less to worry about. It’s almost as if they didn’t put too much thought into that area.
There is a demo available, however, and the team has a really pretty website you should check out for the visual spectacle alone. For more on Fringe Theory, check the game out on Kickstarter.
Track the progress of the Fringe Theory Kickstarter in our Campaign Calendar.
