Lifeless Planet and Pinstripe are two totally different games on the surface. Lifeless Planet, published by Serenity Forge, is a 3D walking simulator set on Mars in the future. It’s one of the earliest gaming Kickstarter campaigns, launching in October 2011. Pinstripe, by developer Thomas Brush, is a 2D surreal platformer about an ex-preacher traveling in hell.
As different as they appear at a superficial level, they both share several striking similarities. They’re both about exploring a largely empty world, they share horror and surrealist elements, and they both have plots that hinge on mysterious little girls. And of course they both required Kickstarter to fund development, Lifeless Planet raising $17,236, and Pinstripe raising $106,729.
Given these two games similarities, it’s no wonder why Serenity Forge and Brush would team up. Brush also probably needed some money and didn’t want to crowdfund again, but we’ll brush that aside. Rather than a new game, however, the two are instead remastering one of Brush’s old games – Coma.
Coma Remembered is a remake of Brush’s original flash game. It first appeared on Newgrounds, so Alien Hominid, eat your heart out. Now, thanks to Serenity Forge and Indie Megabooth, an updated version will appear at E3. This remake is just that, a remake, not a re-release of the original with a new coat of paint. The game is getting many new features, among them 4K visuals, new sound effects, and new levels.
Coma is very similar to Pinstripe in several ways. It’s a 2D platformer with similar graphics and the same dark tone and atmosphere. You’re tasked with saving your sister from “father’s secret basement.” That’s as skin-crawling to type as it is to read.
It’s not often you see a seven year old flash game make its way to E3. Maybe in a day and age where HD re-releases and remasters rule the land it shouldn’t be so surprising. Still, it’s great to see a game with a limited audience get a second shot at stardom. Having a publisher, a showing at E3, and the increased weight behind Brush’s name with Pinstripe should all breathe new life into this Flash classic.
For more coverage on this game, and complete coverage of all things indie gaming at E3 2017, keep your eyes on Cliqist.
