It’s good and bad news this week for PxlPlz, developers of Robo Puzzle Smash. Yes it’s been Greenlit on Steam which is a very positive step for any aspiring PC game. But with only a week left the Kickstarter campaign has so far only raised $2,200.
It’s a very strange situation considering Robo Puzzle Smash on the surface looked like it would do well on Kickstarter. Heavily inspired by the well-loved Super Puzzle Fighter series, the twist here is that you can also rotate the playfield where you drop your blocks. It seemed to be a winning formula as Robo Puzzle Smash has proven popular when showcased at gaming conventions and has won several indie awards. So why isn’t this translating to crowdfunding success?
Rise of the Robos
Part of the problems may be the visuals. The fighters of Robo Puzzle Smash have a blocky voxel style which is distinctive, but does make it look like a game for kids. More importantly, they’re not very dynamic with only some very basic swipes at each other to epitomize the puzzle-based action. That’s fine when you’re playing as you’re focused on the puzzles. But for spectators it doesn’t look particularly exciting.
But even with that taken into account I’m still surprised Robo Puzzle Smash has had such a lethargic campaign. After the post-Christmas slump there are at least seven other Kickstarter games that have eclipsed $50,000 this year, so potential backers are out there. Things may be looking bleak, but with an extremely modest $7,500 target it wouldn’t take much for a late surge. And with any luck the Nintendo Switch stretch goal could be unlocked as well.
