Crowdfunding and Steam Greenlight have developed a somewhat symbiotic relationship. Indie developers often leverage both, hoping to build a fan base. This is likely why so many campaigns launch on both platforms simultaneously. Once they’ve been approved for Steam, it’s tempting for devs to launch…
Joanna Mueller
516 Articles
Joanna Mueller is a lifelong gamer who used to insist on having the Super Mario Bros manual read to her as a bedtime story. Now she's reading Fortnite books to her own kiddo while finally making use of her degree to write about games as Cliqist's EIC.
Joanna Mueller
2 Min Read
With another year down and the promise of a backer demo still precariously out of reach, Asylum backers are understandably chomping at the bit for an update. While a release date is still only a fever dream at this point, Developer Agustín Cordes wanted to…
Joanna Mueller
1 Min Read
One of the most important aspects of game design is creating a believable word. Oddly, the more bizarre and incredible a game is, the more world building it requires to carry it all. Developer Asthree Works understands this. Which is why, despite the protagonist of Paradise…
Joanna Mueller
1 Min Read
Stories don’t get much more wholesome than those about a boy and his dog. It’s the quintessential trappings of any good coming of age story. So why does the trailer for Pirate Software’s new RPG, Heartbound fill me with dread? Probably because of all the…
Joanna Mueller
2 Min Read
Developer inXile Entertainment has their fingers in a lot of crowdfunded pies right now. They just released Torment: Tides of Numenera, development on Wasteland 3 is in full swing, and Bard’s Tale IV is due out later this year. With so many plates already spinning (and occasionally…
Joanna Mueller
2 Min Read
Developer, Ironward released their breakout title, The Red Solstice in July of 2015. The game was the team’s first and was completed with the help of $60,836 and 1,504 Kickstarter backers. Now after working on their follow-up project, Solstice Chronicles: MIA for over a year, they…
Joanna Mueller
2 Min Read
After almost 5 years, the guy behind Super Mario Bros. Crossover has finally brought his crowdfunded 2D retro platformer to Steam Greenlight. The project, which has changed names more times than a celebrity pop star, is once again going under a new moniker. It’s an…
Joanna Mueller
3 Min Read
Sometimes, less than scrupulous individuals will cobble together crowdfunding projects in an attempt to make sweet game developer money. They may even get away with it too, for a bit. Until the meddling gamer community calls them out on it. Kewpie-Jazzy attempted this last year…
Joanna Mueller
1 Min Read
With a best guess estimate of a release date sometime towards the end of 2018, City of Titans is a bit overdue. Largely do the fact that making a spiritual successor to superhero MMORPG City of Heroes is no small task. Particularly considering the developer, Missing…
Joanna Mueller
2 Min Read
Crowdfunding is brimming with projects from aspiring indie developers hoping to make a name for themselves. Seeing so many game pitches day in and day out can leave us industry types feeling a little jaded. Which is why it’s refreshing to see a project launched…
Joanna Mueller
1 Min Read
Probably the most common admission we hear from indie developers is that they wish they’d held off on launching their crowdfunding campaign. Oddly this is just as true for devs who received funding as those who didn’t. The message is clear, crowdfunding campaigns are a…
Joanna Mueller
2 Min Read
Back in the glory days of 2012 Kickstarter, Obsidian launched their first crowdfunding campaign. Project Eternity, a isometric, party-based, fantasy RPG would later become Pillars of Eternity. For a brief time, it would even hold the record for highest funded RPG. Flash forward to today and Obsidian Entertainment is once…
Joanna Mueller
1 Min Read
With their first update of 2017, PolyKnight Games has taken a major step forward with the development cycle for InnerSpace. Wanting to create a polished tutorial for their flying exploration game, they ended up crafting a whole new world. The whole purpose of this area is to…
Joanna Mueller
1 Min Read
Delays are a big part of development. Things always take just a bit longer than you’d expect. Releasing a game on time is great, but sometimes you get the chance to take your project to the next level. A chance Laney Berry didn’t want to…
Joanna Mueller
3 Min Read
In July of 2015 Algitt Studios sole developer, Stephen Scott released his first beta build of Hurried Heroes. This early version of his beat the clock dungeon crawler released to backers who’d pledged at the ‘Standard Plus’ funding tier. The game raised $8,592 on Kickstarter the previous…
Joanna Mueller
1 Min Read
Welcome to Herald – an interactive period drama about colonialism. Well, technically it’s about a steward by the name of Devan Rensburg. He serves aboard the merchant ship, the HLV Herald in the 19th century. Or he would, if developer Wispfire hadn’t made one tiny miscalculation…