sd_ks Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Folks, it seems that Kickstarter (and IndieGoGo) are here to stay... to that end, and to keep Off-Topic from becoming a Dead State of Double Fine Wastelands, where our SpaceVenture is Skyjacked from the Kinetic Void... I thought it would be good to consolidate all crowd-funded game projects to a single thread that can grow forever, rather than dozens upon dozens. It would also help prevent it from feeling like our community is being spammed by well-meaning but overzealous fans (much as we were when we were out promoting Xenonauts during the tougher early days of the campaign). The threads that have already been made can probably be left alone. Moderators could choose to merge future threads into this one before they grow too large. If a project is so captivating that it threatens to take over this generic thread, a mod can split it off (i.e., it earned the right to stand alone). Also, this opens the doors to non-game projects, such as films, gadgets, etc. See something interesting? Want to share with the rest of the squad? Here's the place to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sd_ks Posted June 28, 2012 Author Share Posted June 28, 2012 In the grand tradition of replying to one's own posts, I'll kick off the generic crowd-funded project thread with a couple of picks that I've chosen to back; Quest for Infamy and Jack Houston and the Necronauts. Both are small independant studios building retro-styled point-and-click 2D adventure games, both have a twist (more than one, actually). Here's the pitch... Jack Houston and the Necronauts This "fantastic adventures/amazing stories" homage to the style of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Venus series is a pulp sci-fi inspired adventure game where you portray Captain Jack Houston Jack’s journey on our neighboring planet of Venus. But this isn’t the lifeless planet we know today; this Venus is a sweltering vine jungle teaming with strange beasts of horn, tooth and claws, as imagined by science fiction authors and artists in the first half of the century (the legacies of whom include John Carter of Mars, Carson of Venus, Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, etc). The backgrounds & animated sprites are going to be based on real stop-motion animation footage. This technique is pretty expensive, though, and so the project needs at least $56K, which I'm a bit worried about him raising. However, he's put together a hell of a pitch video, which is definitely worth a peek, and the reward tiers look fantastic. Quest for Infamy Remember playing and enjoying Sierra's Quest for Glory series? Or, if not, are you a fan of point-and-click adventure games, but felt a bit restricted and wished they would include a touch of an RPG twist? This game delivers that in spades, as a loving tribute to the QFG series, along with three character-class based "braided" storylines (that is, the puzzles branch based on class, but probably merge based on the overarching plot). There is a light combat system, and all of the classic adventure gaming elements. In addition to the RPG twist, and this is my favorite part, they've turned the QFG morality play on it's head, and turned the player character into a villain! Yeah, you play the badass on a quest for power and money, something I've always wanted to do in QFG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 I hear Nexus 2 might be up on kickstarter soon, aka the sequel to Nexus The Jupiter Incident. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoodGuyEddy Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Shadowrun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sd_ks Posted June 29, 2012 Author Share Posted June 29, 2012 I hear Nexus 2 might be up on kickstarter soon, aka the sequel to Nexus The Jupiter Incident. Interesting; that would surprise me. HD Interactive (and the franchise) seem to follow the traditional publisher-funded route, and (IIRC) the intellectual property is owned by Activision, who tend not to be all about developers acquiring their own funding. Though, that was a gorgeous looking game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sd_ks Posted June 29, 2012 Author Share Posted June 29, 2012 Shadowrun! Yep! Backed. But now, their PayPal is closed, so nobody can do anything to help that game until it's released (and then... go buy it!!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobbyDylan Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 I hear Nexus 2 might be up on kickstarter soon, aka the sequel to Nexus The Jupiter Incident. Yeah, I know of this one, but am dying for it to happen. I emailed MWE (Most wanted Entertainment) about it, and they promised a Kickstarter in Late May or June.... Given that today is a the 2nd of July, I'm a tad miffed that I've not seen anything yet. I got £200 in my account waiting for this game! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sd_ks Posted October 1, 2012 Author Share Posted October 1, 2012 Yeah, I know of this one, but am dying for it to happen. I emailed MWE (Most wanted Entertainment) about it, and they promised a Kickstarter in Late May or June....Given that today is a the 2nd of July, I'm a tad miffed that I've not seen anything yet. I got £200 in my account waiting for this game! BTW, Nexus 2 is up on KS now... Looks like they need a metric asston of money though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anotherdevil Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 There is a whole thread about the Nexus 2 Kickstarter... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sd_ks Posted October 1, 2012 Author Share Posted October 1, 2012 I thought I'd mention another, albeit very different, action/adventure game project with RPG elements, whose art direction is endearing and quite unique. It's nothing to do with Xenonauts, nor sci-fi in general, but it's a neat looking cross-platform project (Win/Lin/Mac). Lots of copy/paste following here... Papier Adventure on Kickstarter Papier is a game that takes place in a world of paper, sketches and ink. Where imagination and adventure are everything! The game immerses you and your character, a boy named Papier, into a world made of paper that combines the latest of game technology with the aesthetic of hand drawn surfaces. The outdoor scene at the end of the project video demonstrates the unique look and feel of the game world. While Papier's powers will be essential to success in this world, it is the choices you make that will have far reaching consequences for Papier, the characters he meets, and the unfolding of the world of paper. The world and story of Papier is for those who really dig worlds of imagination and fantasy. We're super excited about the story, characters, visual style, and entertaining touches that will make this a special game to experience, and we can't wait to share it with you. If we were to mention influences to give you an idea of what to expect, they would be the work of Tim Burton, the whimsically portrayed Hans Christian Andersen (you know the one with Danny Kaye?), and Roald Dahl. You get the idea. All aboard the escapism express! Here's a great interview with the project creators Reddit AMA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sd_ks Posted November 10, 2012 Author Share Posted November 10, 2012 Quest for Glory devs Kickstart “Hero-U: Rogue to Redemption” Do you like RPGs but are bored of monster slaying and fetch quests? Wish games had more meaningful plots and memorable characters? Join novice thief Shawn O’Conner as he attends the hallowed halls of Hero University (think Hogwarts meets D&D) and navigates the trials of college life. Your choices determine whether he becomes a noble hero, a ruthless villain, or some mix in between. You decide if he will use force or finesse, persuasion or cunning to overcome obstacles and accomplish goals. But remember, all choices inevitably have consequences. Many of us fondly recall the amazing Quest for Glory series of graphic-adventure/RPG hybrid games, created by Lori and Corey Cole at Sierra On-Line, during the 90′s. It was one of the very first adventure games to include RPG elements like character stats, skills that improved with use, and a combat system. It was hugely influential on the early PC RPG genre, and has had lasting effects into the present day. Most of all, the games were hilarious, drawing from a kind of silly, but dark, humor that the Cole’s have become known for. The duo have returned to bring us a game more on the RPG side of things, but retaining a strong adventure puzzling element, called Hero-U: Rogue to Redemption, and has partnered up with Aussie developers Brawsome (known for the Jolly Rover adventure game, as well as the award-winning MacGuffin’s Curse) to develop the game, and have targeted Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux! Support the Hero-U Kickstarter by talking about this story-driven RPG with your friends. Check out the pitch video, homepage and some of the updates! We need your help to get this unique game off the ground and into our homes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sd_ks Posted February 21, 2013 Author Share Posted February 21, 2013 New first-person horror adventure, called Asylum, running on Kickstarter. It's from the designer of the not-very-well-known horror game "Scratches" (which has a cult following). It's got that creepy atmospheric thing going on, which is supposed to be influenced by H.P. Lovecraft and his moody atmospheric brand of horror (although no specific Lovecraft mythos). http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/agustincordes/asylum-kickstart-the-horror It's already Greenlit on Steam, and they've promised DRM-free versions as well. Also, the team has open-sourced the game engine they've based Asylum on, called Dagon, and put the code up on Github! It's cross-plat Win/Lin/Mac, and looks really pretty. They have an interactive teaser (like a mini-demo) posted on the Kickstarter page, so fans of that kind of horror adventure can check it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gauddlike Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Anyone had a look at Enemy? It is up on KS at the moment. It is billed as an open world, procedurally generated mash up of different classic games. It also follows roguelike principles with perma death, realistic physics and turn based combat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thothkins Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 New first-person horror adventure, called Asylum, running on Kickstarter. It's from the designer of the not-very-well-known horror game "Scratches" (which has a cult following). It's got that creepy atmospheric thing going on, which is supposed to be influenced by H.P. Lovecraft and his moody atmospheric brand of horror (although no specific Lovecraft mythos).http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/agustincordes/asylum-kickstart-the-horror Big thanks for posting this one sd_ks It pushes some kickstarter buttons for me - At a decent stage of development - self depreciating funnies in the video (and a couple of other chuckles besides) - solid theme - lovely art (which got me to Xenonauts after all) $100 to get access to alpha and beta builds seems odd, but for just an insane $30 you get a digital copy of the record book, the soundtrack and of course the game. I'll take a closer look this weekend, but can see pennies going in this direction. I take it they know their Lovecraft fairly well not to disappoint on that side of things either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeraan Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Anyone had a look at Enemy?It is up on KS at the moment. It is billed as an open world, procedurally generated mash up of different classic games. It also follows roguelike principles with perma death, realistic physics and turn based combat. Oh, that looks very interesting! Thanks for the mention, I'll back it shortly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russonc Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 (edited) THIS IS A DANGEROUS THREAD....omg, I really appreciate all the heads up, but my bank account doesn't. I will be spending the evening visiting the games/sites you all have mentioned (while I wait for the xenonauts beta of course! > Edit....ok, I as I peruse the kickstarter sight I notice how old this thread is (with a couple of new posts)...glad some of the intial listed games made goal however....Keep up the reviews! Edited February 22, 2013 by Russonc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gauddlike Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 Yea I was thinking it might be a good idea to post the closing date of any kickstarters I mention from now on, save building hopes up if anyone wants to rush over there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thothkins Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 Asylum has met it's funding goal. While I'd love to see it on Android, is it better to have immediate follow up tiers have only broader platforms instead of additional content? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sd_ks Posted February 25, 2013 Author Share Posted February 25, 2013 Yea I was thinking it might be a good idea to post the closing date of any kickstarters I mention from now on, save building hopes up if anyone wants to rush over there. Yeah, good point Gauddlike... I'm not going back to edit the ones I've already posted, but I'll definitely do that in the future. I was kind of hoping that this thread would "take over" all the Kickstarter mentions because... well, on other forums, I've seen dozens and dozens of individual project threads build up a page or two of posts, and then die. Then the off-topic is littered with like 50 old KS threads nobody looks at (plus there's always that contingent of haters... even on forums for a dev who got their big boost from a KS campaign!!). I just love the whole Kickstarter concept so much that I want to do my part to try to keep it from becoming an over-saturated, politicized thing. I'm hoping that we don't ignore promising projects, but also take care in promoting them, so it doesn't become shameless spam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sd_ks Posted February 25, 2013 Author Share Posted February 25, 2013 Asylum has met it's funding goal. While I'd love to see it on Android, is it better to have immediate follow up tiers have only broader platforms instead of additional content? Man, I don't know... I've never seen a "perfect" formula for stretch goals. You put platform expansions first, then all your initial backers (who "believed" before their platform was supported) get upset that the content expansions are too far away. You put content expansions first, and then those playing on the ports won't pledge. Do either, and your FIGS+R translations are at the end, and you lose a measure of interest from French/Italian/German/Spanish/Russian fans... people drop pledges over this stuff. It's a problem. The "best" of both worlds I've seen is a combination of content and platform expansion on each stretch goal. So, first you get 5% more content plus Linux (unless that was built-in, then substitute iOS). Then, another 5% plus Android. Then, 10% plus consoles (including OUYA, since you'll have Android already, and be doing a console control port for PS/Xbox/WiiU). Something like that. Thing is, hardly any projects skyrocket that way; and the ones that do, tend to be so expensive that these stretch goals would be like $100K each, or something. I think... good stretch goal structure is a wicked hard problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thothkins Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 totally agree. I'd have thought a combination - based on sound knowledge of what assets can be used most effectively to achieve goals more easily, as well as having a fair idea of what would be most exciting would be the way to go. As easy as that? At first look I thought Asylum was a little top heavy on the platform side of things. But hey, what do I know? Perhaps the rewards for being able to market it on those platform easily outweigh the downsides, enabling the company to do DLCs and other games more easily in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkangel Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 I tought about posting here or creating a new topic,, and "here" won . Divinity: Original Sin launched a "kickfinisher" campaign at: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/larianstudios/divinity-original-sin Not the best start apparently due to some PR misunderstanding, but the game itself looks promising at this stage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 Already backed. Larian's a good dev, they deserve it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gauddlike Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 Another project close to my heart just pointed out by a friend on KS. Camelot Unchained by the founder of Mythic Entertainment, creators of Dark Age of Camelot (for those who remember), my personal favourite MMO. Three realms, RvR based levelling (no PvE planned), crafting as a valid form of levelling, building construction in contested areas and other interesting sounding features. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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