Despite their unique appearance, games that utilize physical 3D models digitized through photogrammetry haven’t fared well on Kickstarter. While they absolutely look amazing, they are quite expensive, both in terms of time and technology to create. Fortunately, that didn’t deter the team at btf from launching their own handmade sci-fi mystery adventure game, Trüberbrook.
Comprised of a former collective of art students from Cologne and Berlin Germany, the developers have always had a fondness for scale models. They used their carpentry skills to create numerous projects and films before graduating into the world of game design. When they began work on Trüberbrook they incorporated the miniatures to give the world the “unique and magical look that can only be achieved through miniature scale models.”
The mystery of the game unfolds as our protagonist, American physics student Hans Tannhauser wins an unexpected trip to the remote village of Trüberbrook. Glad to take a break from his studies, Tannhauser leaves America for cold-war rural Germany. He’s completely unaware that his little vacation is actually part of a much larger plot which will ultimately rely on him saving the world.
Herzlich Willkommen!
The village of Trüberbrook is inhabited by a full cast of quirky villagers, tourists, and strangers. All of whom Tannhauser can meet and interact with as he works to unravel the inexplicable occurrences of his trip. In addition to the story-driven narrative, the campaign also promises integrated puzzles for the hardcore adventure junkies out there. There will also be dinosaurs, just in case you were still on the fence about the project.
The developers have already managed to substantially exceed their Kickstarter funding goal. A portion of funding also came from a regional media development fund (Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg) which helped initially launch the project. With publisher, Headup Games on-board to handle distribution, the team hopes to release Trüberbrook on PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch as early as 2018.
Current localization plans consist of both German and English language versions with full voice acting. To keep Tannhauser’s experience as an American student traveling abroad authentic he will maintain a noticeably American accent. Meanwhile the rest of the town utilizes a more pronounced German dialect in both versions. It’s these little extras that make Trüberbrook look (and sound) as strangely unique and exciting as its sci-fi premise.
